CLEMSON, S.C. - Trevor Lawrence has stuck to his plan throughout his time at Clemson - and if this is his final game at Death Valley, he couldn't come up with a more perfect end.
Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game in five weeks to lead the fourth-ranked Tigers to a 52-17 victory over Pittsburgh in what's likely to be his last home game.
The junior passer said before the season he hoped to play, graduate in December and then enter the NFL draft, where he's widely expected to be taken No. 1 overall.
"Yeah, that's kind of been the plan going into the season," Lawrence said. "You just never know. If it is, it was a fun one for sure."
Lawrence hadn't seen the field on game day since beating Syracuse on Oct. 24. He tested positive for the coronavirus the following week and missed Clemson's next two games, including its only loss this season - a 47-40 double OT defeat at No. 2 Notre Dame.
A healthy, eager Lawrence expected to play last week, but a positive test from a Clemson offensive lineman on the Friday before the game led to a postponement at Florida State just hours before kickoff.
Lawrence, a 6-foot-6 junior with a powerful arm, deft touch and flowing hair, was as crisp as ever in leading Clemson (8-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference; No. 3 CFP) a step closer to the league championship game and a likely rematch with the unbeaten Fighting Irish.
Cornell Powell had five catches for 176 yards, including a 43-yard TD catch off a flea-flicker pass from Lawrence. Powell also had an incredible, one-handed grab on a 70-yard pass to the Pitt 5 that set up Chez Mellusi's 2-yard TD run for a 38-3 lead.
Lawrence opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown pass to freshman E.J. Williams less than four minutes in. By the time reserve runner Lyn-J Dixon burst through for a 1-yard touchdown with 5 seconds left in the first quarter, the Tigers led 31-0 - the most points they had ever scored in the opening period.
"They've been playing football here for 125 years," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's hard to do things that haven't been done here, but this team just keeps on finding ways to do that."
The Panthers (5-5, 4-5) were the last team to win at Clemson, 43-42, in 2016. But Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett threw four interceptions, three in the first eight minutes that all led to Clemson touchdowns, and the Panthers could not recover as the Tigers won their 28th straight at home.
Lawrence finished 26-of-37 passing and improved to 32-1 as a starter.
NO. 12 INDIANA 27, MARYLAND 11
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Stevie Scott III had three touchdown runs and Indiana had three interceptions, three sacks and a game-changing safety.
Freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. ran for a season-high 106 yards for the Hoosiers (5-1).
The safety midway through the third quarter gave the Hoosiers a 9-3 lead, and Indiana extended the margin to 17-3 on the ensuring possession. Scott scored on a 1-yard plunge and backup quarterback Jack Tuttle completed his first throw of the day - a 2-point conversion to Peyton Hendershot. Tuttle also led the Hoosiers to two fourth-quarter scores after replacing injured starter Michael Penix Jr.
Maryland (2-2) was coming off a 21-day break stemming from a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the cancellation of two games.
NO. 16 COASTAL CAROLINA 49, TEXAS STATE 14
SAN MARCOS. Texas - C.J. Marable ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns and Coastal Carolina wrapped up the Sun Belt Conference East Division title.
The Chanticleers (9-0, 7-0) had 572 yards of offense in extending their winning streak to 10 games. They moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision three seasons ago.
Texas State (2-10, 2-6) closed its sixth straight losing season. It was the second-most points the Bobcats have allowed in regulation this season.
NO. 23 LA.-LAFAYETTE 70, LA.-MONROE 20
MONROE, La. (AP) - Levi Lewis passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in less than three quarters, and Louisiana-Lafayette routed winless Louisiana-Monroe.
Running backs Trey Regas and Elijah Mitchell each rushed for more than 90 yards and scored a touchdown apiece for Louisiana-Lafayette (8-1, 6-1 Sun Belt). Bralen Trahan returned an interception 53 yards for a score during a second quarter in which ULL scored four straight touchdowns,
The Ragin' Cajuns have won five straight since their lone loss to 16th-ranked and unbeaten Coastal Carolina, which is scheduled to host ULL in the Sun Belt title game Dec. 19.
Jeremy Hunt had one touchdown passing and one rushing for Louisiana-Monroe (0-9, 0-6).