This game lived up to the much anticipated hype, with the dynamics of college stars Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins, and Braxton Miller.
Clemson was in the record setting business in their final game of the season and the final game of Boyd’s and possibly Watkins career at Clemson.
Boyd started the game off running a 48-yard touchdown, to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead to start the game. Miller responded with a touchdown of his own to tie the game 7-7. From the start, we all thought this game was going to be an offensive shootout and lead by two outstanding quarterbacks.
Sammy Watkins got in on the action early as well. This is thought to be his last game in a Clemson uniform and he definitely made his presence felt. Watkins ended the night with a record-setting 16 catches and 227 receiving yards, breaking the previous Orange Bowl record.
The display that Watkins put on, shows that he is a special talent. It also improved his draft stock in this game.
http://youtu.be/SACKxzn9YJA
Clemson’s Stephone Anthony and Spencer Shuey put on a defensive showcase as well. The two were all over the place defending for the Tigers, coming up with defensive stops and one big play after another. The pressure that Anthony put on Ohio States offensive line was noteworthy, the hits that Shuey placed on Braxton Miller were game changing. Shuey made sure that Miller would remember his name, after he leveled Miller and left him on the ground moments after.
The Buckeyes seemed to have the momentum going into the fourth quarter. Sadly for the Buckeyes, Miller had two costly interceptions under 4:00 minutes left in the game.
Boyd made some questionable plays throughout the game and was picked as well late in the fourth but Anthony had one of his biggest plays of the game with the interception of Miller’s throw under two minutes to seal the deal for the Tigers.
Miller finished the night with 234 yards, Carlos Hype with 113 rushing yards and Corey Brown for 116 yards receiving, but it wasn’t enough for Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes as they end the season with consecutive losses. Meyer’s reaction: “It’s going to sting for a while, probably a long while because we didn’t finish.” “It was right there.”
Martavis Bryant had two touchdowns for the Tigers and the Tigers finished the season 11-2. For the first time in school history, Clemson records back-to-back 11-win seasons. They are the only program in the country to beat a top-10 BCS team in a bowl game.
Head coach Dabo Swinney, “We are the first team from the state of South Carolina to win a BCS game.”
A classic game almost spoiled by penalty calls. 21 penalties to be exact!
