Clemson vs. Ohio State, 2014 Discover Orange Bowl Postgame Notes

Clemson Team Notes

• Clemson finishes the season with 11 wins for the second consecutive year, the only time in school history Clemson has won at least 11 games in consecutive seasons.
• Clemson is the only team in the nation to beat a top 10 team in a bowl game each of the last two years.
• This was Clemson’s fifth win over a top 10 team in the last three years. Clemson, Alabama and Baylor are the only teams in the nation to beat a top 10 team each of the last three years.
• Clemson overcame a halftime deficit to win a bowl game for the second straight year. Clemson trailed LSU at the half last year at the Chick-fil-A Bowl 14-13. The Tigers won that game 25-24. Clemson trailed tonight at the half 22-20 and came back to win 40-35.
• Clemson has overcome a halftime deficit to win a bowl game just three times in history. All three have been against team ranked seventh in the nation entering the game. TCU in 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl, LSU (7th in USA) in the 2012 Chick-Fil-A and the win over Ohio State tonight. Ohio State was ranked seventh by AP entering tonight’s game.
• Clemson has won two games in Sun Life Stadium and both have been wins over top 10 teams and the Tigers scored exactly 40 points in those games. Clemson beat an eighth ranked Miami (FL) team in 2009 by a 40-37 score in overtime and won tonight over seventh ranked Ohio State, 40-35.
• This victory was the 38th for the 2013 seniors. It is the most by a senior class since the 1991 group won 39.
• Tonight was Dabo Swinney‘s 10th win over a top 25 team, and it moves him past Frank Howard into third place on the Clemson coaching list. Danny Ford had the most with 20 and Tommy Bowden had 13.
• Clemson started the season with a 38-35 win over fifth ranked Georgia. Stanton Seckinger had the game winning touchdown reception from nine yards out from Tajh Boyd. Clemson won 40-35 tonight over a top 10 Ohio State team. Seckinger scored the game winner on a five yard reception from Boyd. Both were scored in the fourth period.
• Clemson is now 27-0 the last three years when leading entering the fourth period.

Clemson Individual Notes

• Sammy Watkins established Clemson and Orange Bowl records for receptions and reception yards in a game with 16 catches for 227 yards and two scores. He held the previous Clemson records for catches (14) and reception yards (202) in a game prior to tonight. These were obviously also Clemson bowl records.
• Watkins also tied the Clemson record for touchdown receptions in a career. He finishes with 27, the same amount Deandre Hopkins had between 2010-12.
• Watkins set the Clemson single season and career reception marks tonight. He finishes the season with 101 catches, 13 more than Aaron Kelly had in 2007. He finishes with 240 receptions, eight more than Kelly had between 2005-08.
• Watkins also set the Clemson single season record for receiving yardage tonight. he finishes with 1464, breaking the record of 1405 by Deandre Hopkins last year.
• Tajh Boyd scored the first touchdown of the game on a 48-yard touchdown run it was the longest run of his career…by 21 yards. His previous long run was 27 yards against Auburn in 2012.
• Boyd became the first quarterback in ACC history to have three seasons of at least 30 touchdown passes when he connected with Sammy Watkins on a 34-yard scoring pass in the first half. It was his 30th touchdown pass of the year. He finished the night with a Clemson bowl record five touchdown passes tonight and finishes with 34 for the season. Boyd finishes his career with an ACC record 107 touchdown passes and 133 touchdowns rushing and passing. That is also an ACC record.
• Boyd won his 32nd game tonight, tying the school record for wins in a career by a starting QB. He and Rodney Williams (1985-88) had 32. This was also Boyd’s eighth win over a top 25 team. It also sets a school record.
• Boyd threw for 378 yards tonight, his 18th career 300 yard passing game. He tied the ACC record for 300 yard games in a career. Philip Rivers also had 18 for NC State from 2000-03.
• Deshawn Williams (not Josh Watson as previously stated) blocked an extra point in the first half. It was the first blocked kick of any kind by Clemson this year.
• Rod McDowell finished with 69 yards rushing tonight to go over the 1000 yard mark. He finishes with 1023 yards for the season. It gives Clemson a 1000 yard rusher, 1000 yard receiver and a 3000 yard passer in the same season for the third straight year.
• Clemson is wearing the uniform combination of white tops and orange pants for the first time since the 2010 game at Florida State.
• Vic Beasley recorded his 13th sack of the season in the first half. That is the third most sacks in a season in Clemson history. The record is 16 by Keith Adams in 1999 and DaQuan had 15.5 in 2010.