Boyd knows time to respond is now |
CLEMSON –
Tajh Boyd
Tajh Boyd He had just completed spring practice, and the coaching staff had indicated that they didn’t have the confidence that Boyd could be the long-term answer, and he was challenged by new offensive coordinator Chad Morris to change himself over the summer. He responded, and had perhaps the best eight-game stretch of any Clemson quarterback, and it seemed like the sky was the limit. Now, Boyd faces his toughest test since last summer. The Tigers have lost three out of their last four games, and Boyd’s numbers in that stretch have been dismal – he has completed 82 of 146 passes for 959 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Against South Carolina, he connected on 11 of 29 throws for 83 yards with a touchdown and a pick against the Gamecocks. This Saturday, Boyd has a chance to lead Clemson to a 10-win season, an ACC Championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl if they defeat Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. How will he respond? "That's where it tests you,” Boyd said Tuesday. “It's easy to do things when everything's easy and you're winning games. The true character of a leader is how you respond from it. It's just how bad you want to bounce up, rather than getting knocked down. I really do feel like that's a sign of leadership and character." Boyd said that he understands the implications of Saturday’s game, especially considering how Clemson lost to arch-rival South Carolina. And he knows this is almost a must-win. "There's really no other way, honestly," he said. "We started the season so strong and lapsed a little bit these last few weeks. This is one of our goals. We have to accomplish this." Clemson defeated Virginia Tech 23-3 in Blacksburg, Va., in week five of the regular season. It was a convincing victory, yet not many people expect this Saturday to be a repeat performance. "That's fine. It really is," Boyd said. "One of the things coach Swinney is big on, he has a little slogan, 'What they say now?' Honestly, it really doesn't even matter. If we can do as a team what I know we can do, we'll be fine."
RS So. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
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’s toughest test as a player came last summer.
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