Tigers Put the Boom on the Sooners

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ORLANDO, FL – Boom Sooners.

Clemson’s senior class and highly-touted defense put an exclamation point on the season and the Boom in Boomers Sooner as the Tigers put a resounding 40-6 thumping on Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday evening in the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. It was the worst loss for Oklahoma in the Sooners’ storied bowl history.

The win was all about the numbers for the Tigers – senior quarterback Cole StoudtCole Stoudt
Sr. Quarterback
#18 6-4, 231
Dublin, OH
View Full Profile silenced the doubters on one career night, throwing for over 300 yards and leading Clemson’s offense from the opening kickoff. The win was also the 42nd for Clemson’s senior class, the most in school history. It also marks the fourth consecutive season Clemson (10-3) has finished with 10 or more wins, something that only Alabama and Oregon can claim in the Power 5 conferences.

The win also cemented the number one status of Clemson’s defense, which won the game for defensive coordinator Brent VenablesBrent Venables
Def. Coordinator / Linebackers
View Full Profile . Venables was at Oklahoma until 2011, and he left for Clemson after he was moved into a co-coordinator role with Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops’ brother, Mike Stoops.

The Tigers stifled the Sooners’ opening drive, and it took exactly one offensive play for Clemson to get on the scoreboard. Following the Oklahoma punt, Stoudt dropped back and hit Scott on a short pass and Scott juked out three or four Oklahoma defenders and raced 65 untouched yards for the touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Clemson’s defense held strong on the second possession, and the Tigers again drove down the field. Following a Stoudt sack on third down, kicker Ammon LakipAmmon Lakip
RS Jr. Kicker
#36 5-10, 200
Alpharetta, GA
View Full Profile missed a 44-yard field goal attempt but the Sooners were offsides on the play, and Lakip got a second chance. He drilled the second one through the uprights for a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Korrin Wiggins intercepted a Knight pass on the Sooners’ third possession, but a sack on third down and a blocked field goal allowed Oklahoma to dodge a three-score deficit. It took exactly one play for that bullet to find it’s mark, however. A tipped pass was intercepted by Ben BoulwareBen Boulware
So. Outside Linebacker
#10 5-11, 235
Anderson, SC
View Full Profile – making the start for the suspended Stephone AnthonyStephone Anthony
Sr. Linebacker
#42 6-2, 244
Polkton, NC
View Full Profile – and Boulware took it down the middle of the field and outraced Knight into the endzone for a 17-0 lead with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter.

It was Clemson’s first interception return for a touchdown in a bowl game since Arlington Nunn against Illinois in the Jan. 1991 Hall of Fame Bowl.

Lakip added a 49-yard field – a career-long and it tied the longest in Clemson bowl history – early in the second quarter for a 20-0 lead. Obed Ariri had a 49-yarder against Pittsburgh in the 1977 Gator Bowl.

Meanwhile, Clemson’s defense continued to overwhelm Knight and the Sooner offense, and Clemson’s second drive of the second quarter got a boost from yet another offsides call. Facing a 4th-and-4 from the Sooner 34-yard line, Swinney elected to go for it instead of attempt a long field goal. Stoudt’s pass was tipped and return for what appeared to be a Sooner touchdown, but Oklahoma was called offsides on the play.

Three plays later, Stoudt hit Mike WilliamsMike Williams
So. Wide Receiver
#7 6-5, 208
Vance, SC
View Full Profile on a sideline route and Williams romped into the endzone – holding out the football as he dove the last four yards – and Clemson had a 27-0 lead midway through the second quarter, a lead they held at intermission.

The defense continued to throttle the Sooner offense early in the second half, and Clemson took advantage on its second drive of the half, getting a three-yard plunge from Stoudt – who juked a defender and dove across the goal line – for a 34-0 lead with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The rout continued a drive later. A reversed call on a Tyshon DyeTyshon Dye
RS Fr. Running Back
#23 5-11, 214
Elberton, GA
View Full Profile fumble gave the Tigers new life in Sooner territory, and Stoudt cemented his bowl game status when he dropped a 24-yard teardrop pass into the hands of Germone HopperGermone Hopper
RS So. Wide Receiver
#5 6-0, 175
Charlotte, NC
View Full Profile for a touchdown. Stoudt was drilled on the play – a Sooner defender grabbed Stoudt’s facemask and the helmet rolled down the field – but he got up in time to see Hopper’s score. The extra point was missed and Clemson led 40-0 with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter.

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score


-----------------    -- -- -- --   -----


Oklahoma............  0  0  0  6  -  6       Record: (8-5)


Clemson............. 17 10 13  0  - 40       Record: (10-3)


Scoring Summary:


1st 13:26 CLEM - SCOTT 65 yd pass from STOUDT (LAKIP kick), 1-65 0:12, OU 0 - CLEM 7


    08:21 CLEM - LAKIP 34 yd field goal, 9-37 3:38, OU 0 - CLEM 10


    03:25 CLEM - BOULWARE 47 yd interception return (LAKIP kick), , OU 0 - CLEM 17


2nd 14:00 CLEM - LAKIP 49 yd field goal, 9-48 2:36, OU 0 - CLEM 20


    07:34 CLEM - M. WILLIAMS 26 yd pass from STOUDT (LAKIP kick), 14-80 5:09, OU 0 - CLEM 27


3rd 09:24 CLEM - STOUDT 2 yd run (LAKIP kick), 5-50 1:33, OU 0 - CLEM 34


    01:42 CLEM - HOPPER 24 yd pass from STOUDT (LAKIP kick blockd), 11-80 4:18, OU 0 - CLEM 40


4th 06:57 OU - Ross, Alex 11 yd run (Hunnicutt, M. kick blockd), 5-43 1:38, OU 6 - CLEM 40


                                     OU     CLEM


FIRST DOWNS...................       17       22


RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   31-172    42-68


PASSING YDS (NET).............      103      319


Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  37-17-3  37-26-0


TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   68-275   79-387


Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0     1-12


Punt Returns-Yards............      0-0      3-5


Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     2-14     1-26


Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0     3-51


Punts (Number-Avg)............   9-49.9   8-41.1


Fumbles-Lost..................      2-2      1-0


Penalties-Yards...............     8-80     4-20


Possession Time...............    27:36    32:24


Third-Down Conversions........  2 of 12  7 of 19


Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 0   0 of 0


Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      1-1      2-3


Sacks By: Number-Yards........     4-25      1-8


RUSHING: Oklahoma-Perine, Samaje 23-134; Ross, Alex 2-31; Ford, Keith


4-8; Knight, Trevor 2-minus 1. Clemson-GALLMAN 19-55; DYE 6-13; SCOTT 1-6;


DAVIDSON 4-5; HOWARD 3-1; SCHUESSLER 1-minus 7; STOUDT 8-minus 8; RODRIGUEZ 0-3.


PASSING: Oklahoma-Knight, Trevor 17-37-3-103. Clemson-STOUDT 26-36-0-319;


OLSON 0-1-0-0.


RECEIVING: Oklahoma-Quick, Michiah 7-46; Perine, Samaje 3-22; Flowers, D.


2-17; Neal, Durron 2-5; Shepard, S. 1-13; Bell, Blake 1-1; Ross, Alex 1-minus 1.


Clemson-M. WILLIAMS 9-112; SCOTT 8-114; HUMPHRIES 5-28; PEAKE 2-40; HOPPER 1-24;


HOWARD 1-1.


INTERCEPTIONS: Oklahoma-None. Clemson-BOULWARE 1-47; WIGGINS 1-7; GREEN


1-minus 3.


FUMBLES: Oklahoma-Perine, Samaje 1-1; Ford, Keith 1-1. Clemson-SCHUESSLER


1-0.


Stadium: Orlando Citrus Bowl   Attendance: 40071


Kickoff time: 5:35 pm   End of Game: 8:57 pm   Total elapsed time: 3:22


Officials: Referee: Matt Moore; Umpire: Tom Quick; Linesman: Gus Morris;


Line judge: Michael Shirey; Back judge: Grantis Bell; Field judge: Greg Thomas;


Side judge: Rob Skelton;


Temperature: 80        Wind: W 8       Weather: Partly Cloudy

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