Clemson senior QB Tajh Boyd hadn't really stood out since the Tigers' opening win over Georgia, but that changed Saturday. Boyd threw for 311 yards and three TDs and also rushed for a team-high 69 yards and a score in a 56-7 win over Wake Forest.
Boyd has a school-record 9,971 total yards, putting him past Charlie Whitehurst in Tigers history, as well as 9,047 passing yards, making him just the sixth quarterback in ACC history to reach the 9,000-yard plateau. He also has 82 career TD passes, second in ACC history. Former North Carolina State star Philip Rivers is first with 95.
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Boyd has nine TD passes and zero interceptions this season; he threw 13 interceptions last season. Since he became the Tigers' starter at the beginning of the 2011 season, this is the first time he has gone four consecutive games without an interception.
Even in the past two games, relatively desultory performances against South Carolina State and North Carolina State, Boyd avoided mistakes, something he hadn't been able to do in the past. He is not forcing things, and last week against NC State he showed that he is willing to check down and take what the defense is giving him.
Junior WR Sammy Watkins also had a big game, finishing with six catches for 113 yards and a TD. The touchdown was a 64-yarder on Clemson's third play of the game. Boyd also threw a 75-yard TD pass to junior tailback D.J. Howard, who played extensively because of an ankle injury to starter Roderick McDowell.
It was just Watkins' second TD of the season. But he has 25 catches and is averaging 14.2 yards per catch.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.