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So much for Tajh Boyd's late-season slump. Clemson's, too.
The sophomore quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as No. 21 Clemson routed No. 5 Virginia Tech 38-10 Saturday night to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 20 years.
Boyd had thrown seven interceptions and only four touchdowns passes in his previous four games, but was sharp against the Hokies. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards, ran for 34 yards and was the game's most valuable player.
Boyd said he and his teammates might have gotten complacent after 8-0 start this season.
''You get a sense of complacency if you let the outside world affect you,'' Boyd said. ''That is one of the life lessons you learn. That's what happened. But it happened for a reason.''
Said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney: ''I wouldn't trade anybody for my quarterback, Tajh Boyd.''
The Tigers (10-3) clinched their first Orange Bowl berth since 1981, the year they won their only national championship. Clemson won't be playing for a national title this season, but the victory was still sweet considering they'd lost three of four games to close the regular season.
Swinney, who never lacks for emotion, started his press conference by saying, ''Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that I'm taking my Clemson talents to South Beach, baby.''
This is the first time Clemson has won 10 games in a season since 1990.
''There have been a lot of walls built up around this program over the last 20 years and we knocked down them down tonight,'' Swinney said. ''We've been down in the valley and the players locked arms and they charged up that hill.''
Clemson became the only team to beat Virginia Tech (11-2) twice in the same season. The Tigers beat the Hokies 23-3 in Blacksburg, Va., on Oct. 1.
The second half was all Clemson.
Clemson scored three touchdowns on five plays in a span of 4:24 in the third quarter to break open a 10-10 tie at halftime.
After Virginia Tech went three-and-out on its first second half possession, Boyd capped a 10-play, 87-yard touchdown drive with his second touchdown pass of the game to tight end Dwayne Allen for a 17-10 lead.
On Clemson's next play from scrimmage, wide receiver Sammy Watkins got behind the defense and hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Boyd - his 31st of the season, extending his own school record. Boyd completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards and was named the game's most valuable player.
Andre Ellington, who ran for 125 yards, raced 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 31-10 lead. Boyd put the game away early in the fourth quarter on a quarterback sneak.
''Our team, I could sense the confidence growing,'' Swinney said. ''I told them if you just put it together on offense, defense and special teams, it won't be close, I don't care who we play.''
Similar to the first matchup, the Hokies could get nothing going against a stingy Tigers defense, which knocked away nine passes.
Virginia Tech tailback David Wilson, the ACC's player of the year, was a non-factor, held to 32 yards on 11 carries.
''I was kind of surprised (by the play calling),'' Wilson said. ''... It was the same thing in the UVA game. In the first half I only had a couple of carries. I had 15 in the second half. I thought it was going to be the same thing today but I guess they never got around to it.''
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas had a rough night, fumbling on the team's first play from play from scrimmage leading to Boyd's first touchdown pass to Allen and an early 7-0 lead for Clemson.
Late in the game, down 28 points, Thomas threw into the end zone and was picked off by Bashaud Breeland, who returned it 64 yards to set off a wild celebration. Clemson fans, sitting behind the team's bench, began bombarding the field with oranges.
''It was great to see that happen,'' said Allen, who set a Clemson record for touchdowns in a season by a tight end. ''This is what we worked for.''
Thomas said: ''Clemson did a great job of scoring points and scoring them quick. And 21 points in 4 minutes is hard to come out of. Give them credit they played a great game offensively and defensively.''
Swinney said he was proud of the way his team bounced back after losing three games, including a baffling setback to North Carolina State, down the stretch.
''We were a team with the flu and we got some penicillin tonight,'' Swinney said.
It was one of those nights for the Hokies, who failed in their bid to win their fourth ACC title in five years.
Even when something went well for the Hokies, it quickly backfired.
After falling behind by 21, Jarrett Boykin hauled in a 29-yard pass from Thomas deep in Clemson territory. But Boykin was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when the spiked the ball, drawing a 15-yard penalty. Four plays later, the Hokies turned it over on downs.
Thomas' fumble proved to be a foreshadowing of things to come.
Thomas said this loss hurts more than the last defeat to Clemson ''because our seniors don't deserve a loss like that. So I think that's why it hurts the most.''
On their first offensive play of the game, Tigers linebacker Stephone Anthony jarred the ball loose from Thomas on a keeper and defensive end Andre Branch recovered at Virginia Tech 25.
It was Clemson's first takeaway in its last four games.
The Tigers capitalized three plays later on when Allen hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Boyd.
''It was one of those games where things didn't happen right,'' Hokies coach Frank Beamer said.
Swinney said the Tigers turned in a defensive performance that would have made former Tigers defensive lineman Chester McClockton proud. McClockton, a member of Clemson's last ACC Championship team, passed away earlier this week.
''I thought it was ironic that he was No. 91 and we won our first championship since '91,'' Swinney said. ''I'm happy how our players honored him tonight.''
