Purple Reign |
CLEMSON – Tajh Boyd jogged out to midfield, threw a salute to the Death Valley crowd, took a final bow at the 45-yard line and exited to the sidelines, a perfect moment in an almost perfect day.
Boyd completed 21-of-28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns as the Tigers (10-1) defeated FCS foe The Citadel (5-7) 52-6 Saturday afternoon, giving the Tigers 10 wins for the third consecutive season, and it was the 50th win of head coach Dabo Swinney's career. The Tigers, who came out decked in all purple in honor of Military Appreciation Day, have scored at least 50 points in three straight, the first time that has happened in program history. It was also the fifth time the Tigers have broken the 50-point barrier five times this season, also a program first. Boyd was removed from the game to a loud ovation with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter and Clemson leading 45-3, capping a day that saw Clemson’s offense continue to impress heading into the rivalry game with South Carolina next weekend. The Tigers and Gamecocks will renew acquaintances next Saturday in a 7 p.m. kickoff in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. However, Saturday was all about Boyd and the seniors and Purple Heart recipient Daniel Rodriguez. Senior running back Roderick McDowell carried the ball 21 times for 108 yards, and Rodriguez turned a short flip pass from quarterback Cole Stoudt into an early fourth quarter touchdown for his first career score. The teams traded punts to begin the game, but the Tigers struck pay dirt on the second drive of the day when Boyd completed a five-play driving by hitting a wide open Seckinger down the left sideline for a 24-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Clemson lead. The Bulldogs put together a drive that gained two first downs and crossed midfield, but were forced to punt and the kick pinned the Clemson offense at their own five yard line. It took the Tigers just eight plays and 1:57 off the clock to cover those 95 yards, the drive ending on a perfectly thrown 30-yard pass from Boyd to Mike Williams. The quarter changed during the next Bulldog possession, but the results did not change. The Bulldogs were forced to punt, and it took the Tigers just eight plays to forge a 21-0 lead. The Tigers moved into the red zone on the strength of Roderick McDowell’s running, and the drive ended when Boyd threw a lob over the top to Watkins for the eight-yard score. The scoring toss was the 100th of Boyd’s career, making him the 18th player in NCAA history to throw as many as 100 touchdown passes. On the ensuing possession, Citadel quarterback Ben Dupree tried to run outside on third down, but he was nailed by Clemson corner Garry Peters and the ball was jarred loose. The loose ball was picked up by senior linebacker Quandon Christian, who rumbled 26 yards for the touchdown and a 28-0 lead at the 10:03 mark of the second quarter. Following another Bulldog punt, Boyd led the offense back out on the field and promptly led another touchdown drive. The drive took 10 plays and covered 65 yards, and ended when Boyd hit Bryant down the left sideline for a 19-yard scoring toss that put Clemson up 35-0 with 5:33 left in the half. Clemson’s defense continued to bottle up the Bulldog offense – forcing another punt – and the Tigers didn’t wait long to put up another score. Boyd hit McDowell on a nine-yard scoring pass with 1:12 remaining before half, putting Clemson up 42-0. The pass marked the sixth time Boyd had thrown five touchdown passes in a game – tying a school record – and it was the third time he had accomplished the feat before halftime. The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, and with Stoudt in the game, the Tigers pushed the ball inside the Bulldog ten, and the Tigers tried to get senior Darrell Smith into the endzone on two plays, setting up the flip to Rodriguez, who waltzed into the West end zone to the cheers of the crowd.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
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