It’s no secret the Buckeyes had their struggles in the defensive backfield during the entirety of the 2013 season. Mediocre QBs like Devin Gardner and Connor Cook threw for career days on Buckeye DBs (that was hard to type). Now, with Tajh Boyd leading the Clemson Tigers into the Orange Bowl, the Scarlet and Gray are set to face the most talented QB they’ve seen all season.
Much like the Buckeye DBs, I felt now would be a good time to take a look at Boyd’s tape. In order to defeat one’s enemy, one must know their enemy (or something like that), so here are Boyd’s top 10 TD plays of the 2013 season. Kid can sling the rock.
#10 Squeezing the Orangemen
On the first possession of his fourth game against Wake Forest, Tajh Boyd didn’t wait long to air it out connecting with WR Sammy Watkins for a 64-yard-TD on the third play of the game.
#9 Muzzling The Bulldogs
Up by only three points to #5 Georgia in the fourth quarter of their season opener, Boyd engineered a 12 play, 87-yard drive to seal the win. The series was capped by this 9-yard TD pass to TE Stanton Seckinger.
#8 Sidearm Success
As a QB, sometimes you’ve got to improvise. Here's Tajh doing exactly that. With two Georgia DLs bearing down on him, Boyd only had a small window to sling it through, so he went sidearm finding Watkins in the middle of the field who took it the rest of the way for six.
#7 Avoiding the Upset
Things were pretty tough sledding for Boyd and company in their sixth game against Boston College. By the middle of the third quarter, the third ranked Tigers were trailing the unranked Eagles 7-3. That is until this perfectly placed 48-yard TD pass to Watkins, which helped the Tigers find their mojo and ultimately defeat BC 24-14.
#6 Rolling Against Syracuse
Boyd absolutely annihilated the Orangemen to the tune of 455 yards and 5 TDs. Here is his second TD pass of the day: a 42-yard bomb to Adam Humphries.
#5 Too Easy
Sticking with the Syracuse game, this is just pitch and catch for Boyd and Seckinger, but it’s also an amazing throw by Tajh, putting the ball where only his man can get it for a 17-yard TD.
#4 Boyd To Brooks
Here is one of the many grown-man football plays Tajh Boyd made in the Georgia game to help the Tigers grab the win. With the game knotted at 21 in the third quarter, Boyd looked to his right and saw WR, Zac Brooks streaking down the sideline. Tajh loaded his cannon and fired putting a beauty of a pass on Brooks that allowed him to fall right into the endzone.
#3 Gross Play All-Around
Up 20-7 to start the fourth quarter, Boyd led the team down to the NC State 15-yard line, then decided to get ridiculous, tossing this amazing 15-yard TD to WR Martavis Bryant. It’s hard to say which is better, the throw or the catch.
#2 Run to Complement the Gun
It wasn’t all through the air for Boyd. Here’s Tajh getting fancy with his feet near the goal-line. This doesn’t appear to be a designed run, but Boyd makes something out of nothing to tie the game at 21.
#1 The Perfect Pass
Last and absolutely not least is one of the longest TD plays of the season for the Tigers. Backed up on his own 9-yard line, Boyd received the snap and calmly hung in the pocket as a Syracuse defensive lineman charged toward him. Just as the DL got a finger on Tajh, he floated this gem to Sammy Watkins, leading him perfectly for a 91-yard touchdown and the Tigers’ 41st point.
–
