ICYMI: Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins Run Past Ohio State

So, Ohio State…what was this talk about you being a title contender?

The Clemson Tigers rode the arm…and legs of quarterback Tajh Boyd and the fast feet and good hands of receiver Sammy Watkins to a 40-35 win over Ohio State in Friday night's Orange Bowl.

For the first time in a long, long time, the Orange Bowl game was actually pretty exciting.

Boyd threw for 378 yards and 5 TD's and ran for 128 yards along with another score. Watkins caught 16 of those passes for 218 yards and 2 scores.

And it almost wasn't enough.

After getting out to a 20-9 lead, the Tigers gave it back. tOSU quarterback Braxton Miller's 2-yard TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half, gave the Buckeye's a 22-20 lead.

The game went back and forth before Boyd sealed it with a 5 yard TD pass to Stanton Seckinger with 6 minutes left. That's when the leaky Tiger defense stepped up and kept Ohio State out of the end zone and sealing the win.

Your highlights from ESPN:

Tajh Boyd Gives Clemson Fans A Scare In Rout Of Georgia Tech 55-31

Everything was going to plan for the Clemson Tigers during their rout of Georgia Tech Thursday night in Death Valley.  Then a routine seven yard run by quarterback Tajh Boyd late in the third quarter lead to a collective gasp from Tiger fans.



Boyd didn't return and insisted that all is well.

"It's one of those things where it sounded a lot worse than it actually is." Boyd said. "Going down to the ground it was cracking and all, but I feel fine. I had some x-rays and everything is all good."


 

Boyd's collarbone was not broken, merely bruised plus his sternum was bruised.

I'll throw some ice on it and be fine." Boyd said.

Boyd's final numbers against Georgia Tech 20-26 for 340 yards and four touchdowns, one interception however it became a record setting night for the Clemson quarterback.

When Boyd connected with Martavis Bryant for a 76 yard touchdown pass Boyd pass Philip Rivers as the ACC's all time leader in that category.



Boyd also became Clemson's all-time leader in pass completions breaking Charlie Whitehurst's record.

Next Saturday Clemson plays its final home game against the Citadel.  Tajh Boyd indicates he will not miss that game.  Senior Day at Death Valley is too important.

Clemson had it's way Thursday night in defeating Georgia Tech 55-31.  The Tigers can't win the ACC Atlantic Division since Florida State has already clinched but Clemson is in line to go to a BCS bowl.

Georgia Tech could have clinched a tie for the ACC Coastal Division but all is not lost for the Yellow Jackets.  With no conference games remaining Georgia Tech has put up three losses as the number to potentially win the Coastal.

Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech each have two losses.  Miami and Duke play Saturday.

Three losses might win the Coastal, Georgia Tech is very much alive.

#3 Clemson Keeps Rolling, Defeats NC State 26-14

"Pulling a Clemson" wasn't going to happen in Raleigh Thursday night.

If you look in Websters dictionary pulling a Clemson meant losing a game no one can explain why.  The Tigers have a history of doing such a thing.

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd continued to build his Heisman Trophy resume going 24-37 passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers 26-14 win over NC State.

Here's Boyd's second touchdown in the third quarter to Martavis Bryant.



Before Boyd's touchdown pass to Bryant NC State's Bryan Underwood appeared to have an 83 yards touchdown run.  Underwood tight-roped down the sidelines and the ACC officiating crew determined he stepped out of bounds.

The video evidence tells another story.





“That was right in front of me." NC head coach Dave Doeren said. "He (Underwood)  wasn’t out of bounds. Unfortunately, they blew it dead so we couldn’t review it. It cost us some points, but you have to move on from that.”

“To be honest, my eyes were straight on the end zone, I wasn’t looking at the ground,” Underwood said.

Clemson will have 12 days to prepare for Wake Forest next Saturday.

Wednesday's "The Download With Bonnie Bernstein"

((HT: Campus Insiders/Yahoo!Sports))

Since the Twitter machine has linked the HQ with the folks over at CI, we figured as a daily public service that we would air their signature program starting...

Well, now...
Watch and enjoy... that's an order...

Enjoy The Clemson Offensive Show. Tigers Bomb Deacs

Clemson and Thursday night wasn’t a good mix.  Heading into Thursday night’s game against Wake Forest the Tigers were 1-9 when the ESPN cameras are focused on Clemson on a Thursday night. 

In fact the last time Clemson played Wake Forest at BB&T field on a Thursday night the Deacs won 12-7 and Tommy Bowden was gone, Dabo Swinney began his head coaching career soon after.

With a 1-9 record on Thursday night it’s not surprising that it’s been three years since Clemson wanted some national exposure on a Thursday night.

“Everybody has been reminding me all week that Clemson is 1-9 on Thursday night games.” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “So maybe we can start a new tradition now of winning those games."

Well the Tigers exorcised those Thursday night demons bombing Wake Forest 42-13 much to the pleasure of coach Swinney

Here are the highlights from Winston-Salem, NC (Thanks IPTAY Media)

There are many explosive offenses out there in college football and it seems most reside in the Big 12 Conference.  Those teams would be hard pressed to match the weapons and the consistency of Clemson’s offense.

Thursday night Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd set a school record for passing yards in a single game with 428 yards.  Boyd threw for five touchdowns IN THE FIRST HALF!  Also a Clemson record.

"Tajh was just lights out.”  Swinney said.

We couldn’t have said it better coach.

Sammy Watkins had his breakout game this season with a school record 202 yards receiving. Watkins broke DeAndre Hopkins’ record he set back on September 29^th.

Oh and theirs running back Andre Ellington too.  Ellington is only the ACC’s second leading rusher and contributed with 61 yards.

Yes Clemson has an embarrassment of riches on offense.  The mad scientist in charge of all this offensive coordinator Chad Morris who has a vast array of formations on his big cheat sheet and can’t stand still with all the Red Bull he consumes.

Here’s Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and OL Dalton Freeman comments after the Wake Forest game.  (Thanks WSPA-TV Greenville, SC)

Clemson has work to do to return to Charlotte and the ACC Championship Game.  Florida State  owns the tie break advantage over the Tigers.  There is still NC State on the schedule and the Wolfpack control their destiny right now in the ACC Atlantic Division.

This time a year ago Clemson was in a slump, it doesn’t appear history is going to repeat themselves in Tigertown.

"Groh Must Go: Week 2" As Clemson Beats Ga Tech

((HT: ACC Digital Network))

This, really, shouldn't be the most difficult decision on The Flats...

And it's one that the folks in Charlottesville had to endure before bringing in Mike London...

Al Groh, for one reason or another- whether it's scheme, personnel, or both- has given up 1,720 yards of offense in the last three weeks in games that Georgia Tech has (allegedly) participated in...

And we're talking about losses against Miami and Middle Tennessee in Atlanta, and now Clemson in Death Valley. The HQ wonders aloud just how much time he has left as Paul Johnson's DC...

Now don't misunderstand... the Clemson defense is no "Monsters of the Midway," either. The Tigers have given up 1,087 yards on their own going into this game.

But, hey, you only gave up 483 to Tech on this day, right...??? For a 1,570 total...
And you still won...

The conference has the long version of the highlights...
Proibably, too long for Al Groh...

For the record, Clemson QB Tajh Boyd threw for a career high 397 yards and DeAndre Hopkins caught enough passes to total 173 yards receiving as No. 15 Clemson beat Georgia Tech 47-31.

Both teams get a week off to figure out what to do...
Boston College heads to Grant Field for the next Tech home game and Virginia Tech goes to Clemson in two weeks...