Boyd carries Clemson to victory over Georgia
Tigers QB passes for 3 TDs, runs for 2 more
CLEMSON, S.C. – As far as Tajh Boyd is concerned, Clemson’s victory against Georgia wasn’t a statement as much as a step toward much greater goals.
Boyd threw three touchdown passes and ran for two others as Clemson defeated No. 5 Georgia 38-35 on Saturday night. It was the Tigers second straight win over a top-10 opponent from the Southeastern Conference. While the victory over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl left Clemson with a strong finish to last season, this win over gave the Tigers a strong start on what they hope is a special season.
“I think it was a good win,” Boyd said. “Nothing that we didn’t expect as a program, but it turned a lot of heads in college football.”
Especially if Boyd and the Tigers keep playing this well.
Boyd matched Georgia when Clemson’s defense struggled early on. When the Tigers turned up the pressure on Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray, Boyd made Georgia pay.
The Tigers took the lead for good on Chandler Catanzaro’s 24-yard field goal in the third quarter. Boyd pushed the margin to 38-28 in the final quarter with an 87-yard drive that ended with tight end Stanton Seckinger tip-toeing the sideline on a 9-yard TD pass.
“In games like this, it’s always five or six plays that you’ve got to make. And we did,” Swinney said.
Murray was sacked four times by Clemson’s defense.