If you were hoping for any clarity from Clemson's coaching staff regarding its quarterback situation following its season-opener against Furman, you may be disappointed by Saturday's postgame comments.

As expected, Clemson played both Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence against the Paladins, with neither quarterback outplaying the other in the coaches eyes. At least not at first glance.

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“You couldn’t tell the difference, from my perspective," said co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott. "It’s happening fast, but they were both able to move the ball up and down the field and make plays, so I didn’t see a difference.”

Bryant overcame a shaky first drive and finished the game 10-of-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown, adding another 44 yards and a score on the ground. Lawrence put up similar passing numbers, completing 9-of-15 passes for 136 yards, but the freshman tossed three touchdowns to the senior's one.

Head coach Dabo Swinney credited both quarterbacks for playing well, complimenting Bryant's 35-yard touchdown run while calling Lawrence "a special talent."

Swinney and his staff preached their plan to play both quarterbacks throughout the offseason and offered no desire to change that plan following Saturday's performance.

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“Both had some mistakes and both missed a couple of easy throws, but I think (that’s from) the adrenaline and the emotion of the first game," Swinney said. "They both settled in and made some big-time plays. That’s what they need to do, they just need to play well. But I didn’t see anything that would say, ‘hey, this guy doesn’t deserve the opportunity to play.’ Practice counts, so we’ve got a week of practice. You don’t just get a pass to the next week.

"It all matters, how you play and how you practice is certainly something that determines everything when it comes to your opportunity.”

Bryant has generally been a connoisseur in the art of seizing his opportunities. In 2017, he established himself as a starting-caliber quarterback in the spring, ran away with the job in fall camp and cemented his role during the season.

This past offseason, he did enough to keep his starting job during spring and fall camps but one game against an FCS opponent isn't enough to earn him the start against Texas A&M.

Meanwhile, Lawrence remains hot on his heels. He led a 95-yard scoring drive on the second series of collegiate career, prompting Swinney to call him "as good as I've been around from a freshman standpoint."

“He looked very comfortable out there, did not look rattled, did not look like a true freshman," co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. "When he had opportunities, he made some nice throws … This will be a fun video to go back and grade."

Clemson's game against a probably-unranked Texas A&M team represents one of its most important moments of the season; a win at Kyle Field marks a marquee victory in an SEC opponent's backyard.

A loss, however, puts Clemson's College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy early in the season. Perhaps the right combination of Bryant's big game experience and Lawrence's natural arm talent can lead to a win in College Station, or maybe one separates during the week and dominates snaps come Saturday.

Either way, Clemson can't afford for its signal-caller to be its weak point, regardless of who's in the game.

“These are huge games — on the road, Gameday (will be there), Texas A&M will be an incredibly talented team," Swinney said. "It’ll be a huge challenge for us. So my expectation is whoever’s in the game, they play a winning performance of football.”