MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Quarterback Tajh Boyd and wide receiver Sammy Watkins led an explosive offense as the No. 12 Clemson Tigers defeated the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes 40-35 on Friday night at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Playing before a crowd of 72,080, Boyd passed for 370 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 127 yards and one score. Watkins caught 16 passes and set an Orange Bowl receiving record with 227 yards. He scored two touchdowns. Clemson improved to 11-2 for the second straight season, which is the most wins in any two-year period in school history. Ohio State fell to 12-2. The winning touchdown was a 5-yard toss from Boyd to tight end Stanton Beckinger with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion pass failed. Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller was sacked — with a lost fumble — and intercepted on the Buckeyes’ final two possessions. OSU and Clemson traded touchdowns early in the third quarter. The Buckeyes converted a fourth-and-1 with a 31-yard gain by running back Carlos Hyde. On the next play, Hyde ran 1 yard for a touchdown. Clemson capitalized on a fumble by punt returner Philly Brown that was recovered by safety Robert Smith at the OSU 33. Three plays later, Watkins went up and grabbed a 30-yard touchdown pass. Another Ohio State turnover — this time an interception by safety Jayron Kearse — paved the way for Clemson to take a 34-29 third-quarter lead on a sensational 3-yard touchdown grab by Martavis Bryant. The Clemson wide receiver overcame pass interference against Ohio State cornerback Armani Reeves and still made the juggling catch. Ohio State went up 35-34 on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Hyde. Miller took a hit on the play and was removed from the game. Backup quarterback Kenny Guiton threw an incomplete pass on the try for a two-point conversion. Clemson scored on the game’s first possession, traveling 75 yards in six plays capped by a 48-yard touchdown run by Boyd, who faked a handoff before taking off. It was the longest run of Boyd’s career. Ohio State tied the score 7-7 on Miller’s 33-yard touchdown run around left end. …
Continue Reading: Clemson 40, Ohio State 35 (The SportsXchange)
