West Virginia 70
Clemson 33
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 08:30 PM
(ET)
Recap: West Virginia 70, Clemson 33
SportsDirect Inc. staff
Jan 5, 2012
Miami-area native Geno Smith threw a career-high six touchdown passes, four of them to favorite target Tavon Austin, leading West Virginia's record-setting romp in a 70-33 victory over ACC champion Clemson on Wednesday in the Discover Orange Bowl.
The Mountaineers (10-3) improved to 3-0 in BCS games and scored the most points in bowl game history, breaking Baylor's mark of 67 set in last week's Alamo Bowl win against Washington.
Smith put on a show in his homecoming, completing 31 of 42 passes for 401 yards to break Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record and become the first player in school history with 4,000 passing yards. Austin was on the receiving end of 11 passes for 117 yards, making him the first player in school history with 100 receptions in a season.
The Mountaineers didn't need any help getting their offense going -- they scored touchdowns on three straight drives to take a 21-17 lead -- but they got it anyway.
Darwin Cook stripped Clemson's Andre Ellington as he was surging toward the goal line and emerged from the pack to race 99 yards and make it 28-17, and West Virginia used two more turnovers to put up 21 points in the final five minutes of the half for a 49-20 lead.
The 49 first-half points were the most-ever in a bowl game, and the Mountaineers had broken their school record for points in a bowl game and Clemson's record for points allowed in a bowl by the time Smith threw the fourth of his six touchdown passes to make it 56-20 with 12:35 left in the third quarter.
The giveaways stalled a Clemson (10-4) offense that started off just as strong. The Tigers scored two touchdowns and a field goal in their first four drives and had a 17-14 lead at the end of a lively first quarter.
The Tigers' return to the Orange Bowl, where they capped a perfect season and won the school's only national championship with a 22-15 win over Nebraska on Jan. 1, 1982, went all sorts of wrong from there.
The 70 points allowed are the second most in Clemson history behind a 74-7 loss to Alabama in 1931.
After starting 8-0, the Tigers lost four of their final six games. West Virginia won four straight to end the season.
Jan 5, 2012
Miami-area native Geno Smith threw a career-high six touchdown passes, four of them to favorite target Tavon Austin, leading West Virginia's record-setting romp in a 70-33 victory over ACC champion Clemson on Wednesday in the Discover Orange Bowl.
The Mountaineers (10-3) improved to 3-0 in BCS games and scored the most points in bowl game history, breaking Baylor's mark of 67 set in last week's Alamo Bowl win against Washington.
Smith put on a show in his homecoming, completing 31 of 42 passes for 401 yards to break Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record and become the first player in school history with 4,000 passing yards. Austin was on the receiving end of 11 passes for 117 yards, making him the first player in school history with 100 receptions in a season.
The Mountaineers didn't need any help getting their offense going -- they scored touchdowns on three straight drives to take a 21-17 lead -- but they got it anyway.
Darwin Cook stripped Clemson's Andre Ellington as he was surging toward the goal line and emerged from the pack to race 99 yards and make it 28-17, and West Virginia used two more turnovers to put up 21 points in the final five minutes of the half for a 49-20 lead.
The 49 first-half points were the most-ever in a bowl game, and the Mountaineers had broken their school record for points in a bowl game and Clemson's record for points allowed in a bowl by the time Smith threw the fourth of his six touchdown passes to make it 56-20 with 12:35 left in the third quarter.
The giveaways stalled a Clemson (10-4) offense that started off just as strong. The Tigers scored two touchdowns and a field goal in their first four drives and had a 17-14 lead at the end of a lively first quarter.
The Tigers' return to the Orange Bowl, where they capped a perfect season and won the school's only national championship with a 22-15 win over Nebraska on Jan. 1, 1982, went all sorts of wrong from there.
The 70 points allowed are the second most in Clemson history behind a 74-7 loss to Alabama in 1931.
After starting 8-0, the Tigers lost four of their final six games. West Virginia won four straight to end the season.
