Boyd the starter in Clemson's bowl game?

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Nov 28 01:30:08 GMT-04:00 2010

CLEMSON – The burning question surrounding the Clemson offense – and the program as whole – following Saturday night’s loss to South Carolina is: who starts at quarterback in the bowl game?

Starting quarterback Kyle Parker was pulled in the third quarter following an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and backup quarterback Tajh Boyd played the rest of the way. Parker left the stadium immediately following the game and was unavailable for comment.

Parker completed five of his first seven passes, but finished just 1-for-9. Boyd came in and completed 10-of-18 passes for 73 yards.

Boyd said following the game that he wasn’t as nervous as he thought he would be.

“I thought I was going to be really nervous, but I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be,” Boyd said. “When a lot of players have confidence in you, it just gives you a lot of momentum going in. I think I did some things well, and there are a lot things to build off of.”

Boyd said he was surprised when Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told him to warm up, especially considering he didn’t take any first team snaps in practice this past week.

“No first team reps things week, but stuff happens and you just have to keep working,” Boyd said. “He [Parker] did some great things and just made a few mistakes, but when coach told me to get warmed up I was just like ‘alright, let’s go out here and have some fun and try to put on a show.’ “

Running back Jamie Harper said he thought Boyd acquitted himself well, especially considering the circumstances.

“I am probably Tajh’s biggest fan,” Harper said. “Ten [Boyd] came out there, and he took charge in the huddle. He is a young player, and he made some mistakes, but he also did some good things. He can make all the throws, and he showed that out there tonight. He has one of the best arms I’ve seen. He is going to be a good player.”

Starting right tackle Landon Walker said he had no idea which direction the coaches would lean as far as naming a quarterback for the bowl game, but said the experience could only help Boyd heading into next season.

“He came in as a young guy tonight and he was trying to make plays for us,” Walker said. “He was also trying to build momentum for next season, and he came out there and he was encouraging us. If he was the guy in the bowl game, it could shift some momentum heading into next season, seeing as how he is going to be the starting quarterback. He needs all the experience he can get, and if he gets that in the bowl game, that’s better for us.”

On Boyd’s second possession, a South Carolina punt pinned the Tigers at their own one-yard line, and Boyd bulled forward for a yard on the first play. On second down, the Tigers called a deep pass, and Boyd stood calmly in the pocket in the end zone and delivered a strike to Jaron Brown, who let the ball bounce off of his hands.

Walker said the play just underlines what Boyd brings to the table.

“The play was there,” Walker said. “We obviously needed to something to get out of the end zone, and he put the ball where it needed to be. You just have to make the play. That was the story tonight, and really the whole season, just not being able to make plays when we need them.”

Boyd said he was thinking something different when he saw where the ball was sitting when he went out.

“I was like ‘one yard line, man, it can’t get any worse than that, but then when I went out there it wasn’t even on the one yard line, it was on the inches-line,” Boyd said. “When they called the quarterback sneak, I was thinking maybe I can break one for 99. I think we tried to catch them off guard a little bit, they didn’t expect it. It was a tough situation, tough scenario. It’s not something I thought I would be in. It was like a video game situation. It was fun. All that stuff was a learning experience.”

Boyd said he would welcome the chance to start in the bowl game, but would also gladly defer to Parker if the coaches make that decision.

c“I think it would be good from a standpoint of that people see you as a leader and things of that nature,” he said. “But if not, I learned from a lot of experiences early on in the season and just keep building off that.”