WVU's Smith dazzles in Orange Bowl victory over Clemson
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Shawne Alston, left, and Stedman Bailey celebrate Alston's 4-yard touchdown run in the Mountaineers' record-setting first half Wednesday night in Miami Gardens, Fla.
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Forget Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and that mighty Clemson offense.
This is quarterback Geno Smith's town.
West Virginia put the juice back in the Discover Orange Bowl Wednesday night, routing the Tigers 70-33 in the most fantastic display of offense seen this BCS bowl season.
The Mountaineers 49 first half points were the most scored by any team in a bowl game, ever.
Smith's six touchdown passes set a new BCS record just miles from his childhood home where he used to watch games on the JumboTron.
His 401-yard performance made him the most prolific passer in Orange Bowl history and Tavon Austin set a BCS and Orange Bowl record with his four touchdown receptions.
Trace it all back to a strip at the 1-yard line and 99-yard fumble return by defensive back Darwin Cook that was the game-changer with 10:28 to go in the first half.
A shootout was unfolding until that play.
But Clemson staggered after that and the Mountaineers forced Boyd into back-to-back turnovers - an interception and fumble - and went on an incredible scoring spree to take a 49-20 lead by halftime, a 63-26 lead by the end of the third quarter.
By any account: the game of West Virginia's season in front of 67,563.
"This win puts our program in a shining moment for now, but we believe better things are ahead," said Coach Dana Holgorsen, just the third first-year coach to win a BCS bowl. "We are just beginning to get this offense installed. We feel that we can improve and get better and our play at the end of the season proves that it is possible."
Cook's big return came early in the second quarter just when Clemson was about to score from the 3-yard line to take back the lead.
He said it was Doug Rigg that stripped Andre Ellington at the 1-yard line, he recovered, spun and hauled 99-yards to make it 28-17.
The play stood after a review and a wild roar went through the stadium.
"I tried to sneak out of there so people didn't think I have the ball at first," said Cook. "I couldn't believe it at that moment. It felt like high school."
Said defensive end Bruce Irvin: "I think we took the heart right out of them. Darwin Cook made a heads up play. He might have been the only one in the stadium who knew the ball came out???It took the life right out of them."
West Virignia's defense held Clemson to a field goal on the two possessions that followed that play, Smith scrambled seven yards for a touchdown to make it 35-20 with the point after.
First Published January 5, 2012 1:00 am
