College Sports NCAA

By Solange Reyner
Miami Gardens (CBS4) ― Jacoby Ford helped draw up his own game-winning play on the sideline. 

Ford caught a 26-yard touchdown pass in overtime, and the Clemson Tigers upset the eighth-ranked Miami Hurricanes, 40-37, on Saturday night. 

On previous series, Ford noticed Miami safety Vaughn Telemaque overplaying him. Ford, a senior, told Swinney about the advantage, and the coaching staff drew up the play just as overtime started.

It worked.

"We could've run it and kicked a field goal, but I wanted to win the football game," Swinney said.

"It was an alert route," offensive coordinator Billy Napier said.

"It was a play that we had never run before. Jacoby came to the sideline and said 'I think this can really work.' Thankfully we had enough offense to last us today."

Matt Bosher kicked a field goal to make it 37-34 in overtime, but the Tigers didn't wilt under pressure.

Clemson kept clawing back in an epic ACC matchup that had nine lead changes. 

The Miami-Clemson matchup has turned into quite a rivalry as of late. This game marked the third straight overtime game between the two teams, with Miami beating Clemson 36-30 in triple overtime in 2005.

Miami (5-2) quarterback Jacory Harris had 256 yards passing with two touchdowns, but threw a season-high three interceptions. He was also sacked three times, pressure that has come often lately.

"We had sloppy play all night long." Miami coach Randy Shannon said,

"If you play a team like Clemson, that has athletes on the football field, and you play sloppy as a unit, let guys hang around and hang around, they're going to get opportunities to win the game."

The Hurricanes could only muster a field goal in extra time. 

Graig Cooper started Miami's overtime drive with a 19-yard run, but the Hurricanes were stuffed on their next three attempts and forced into a fourth-down situation on Clemson's 5-yard line.

Miami had chances to win it, but the Hurricanes made mistakes when it mattered most.

The biggest one? Kicking to Clemson's all-purpose talent CJ Spiller, who had a school record 310 all-purpose yards. 

Spiller scored on a 90-yard kickoff return with 46 seconds left before halftime, and torched linebacker Sean Spence on a 56-yard pass play in the third that gave Clemson a 21-17 lead.

The kickoff return was the sixth of his career.

"We had something called, but on the field it was totally different. We made the call coming off the sideline, everybody knew what we were going to do. Guys didn't get it done."

Freshman quarterback Kyle Parker had 326 yards and three touchdowns for Clemson, which beat a ranked team for the first time this season.

How they scored:
Overtime
Tigers 40, Hurricanes 37
Jacoby Ford catches a 26-yard touchdown pass from Parker for the win.

Hurricanes 37, Tigers 34
Matt Bosher connects on a 22-yard field goal.
The plays: Miami couldn't get to the end zone after Harris threw an incomplete pass on third-and-goal.
 
Fourth quarter
Tigers 34, Hurricanes 34
Richard Jackson connects on a 30-yard field goal with five seconds left.
The plays: After getting good field position, Parker gets the Tigers on Miami's 20-yard line with a 14-yard rush.
The drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 3:23.

Hurricanes 34, Tigers 31
Travis Benjamin torches double coverage and breaks through for a 69-yard score.
The play: It's the Harris and Benjamin connection, always seems to be a long one.
The drive: 1 play, 69 yards, :20.

Tigers 31, Hurricanes 27
DeAndre McDaniel intercepts Jacory Harris for a touchdown.
The plays: Harris was looking for Aldarius Johnson on the play.

Hurricanes 27, Tigers 24
Matt Bosher kicks a 51-yard field goal to give Miami the lead with 11:42 left in the game.
The plays:
Javarris James breaks away for a 44-yard scamper to put the Hurricanes on the Tigers' 25-yard line.
The drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:17.

Tigers 24, Hurricanes 24
Richard Jackson connects on a 43-yard field goal.
The plays: A wide-open Andre Ellington misses an opportunity to score when he drops a pass on the five yard line.
The drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:59.

Hurricanes 24, Tigers 21
Marcus Robinson picks up Parker's fumble and returns it 55 yards for a touchdown.

Third quarter
Clemson 21, Hurricanes 17
C.J. Spiller blows by Sean Spence for the 56-yard score.
The plays: It's all Spiller here on his fourth reception of the night.
The drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:21.

Hurricanes 17, Clemson 14
Leonard Hankerson reels in his third touchdown of the season.
The plays: Jacory Harris connects with Hankerson and Dedrick Epps on two long pass plays to get the Hurricanes on Clemson's 5-yard line.
The drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:08.

Second quarter
Clemson 14, Hurricanes 10 
C.J. Spiller scores on a 90-yard kickoff return with :46 seconds on the clock.

Hurricanes 10, Clemson 7
Damien Berry breaks through for a 23-yard touchdown.
The plays: Berry, in for Cooper and James, gets blocks from Mike James and Orlando Franklin to score.
The drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:23.

Clemson 7,  Hurricanes 3
Michael Palmer runs in a 15-yard touchdown pass almost nearly bobbling the ball.
The plays: Quarterback Kyle Parker marches the Tigers 72 yards to get Clemson in the red zone.
The drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:12.

Hurricanes 3, Clemson 0
Matt Bosher hits a 49-yard field goal.
The drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:21.




 

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