Clemson 62, North Carolina State 48
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson and N.C. State entered Saturday's game with the identical records they had going into last season's game, but the similarities ended there.
Last year, Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was intercepted twice in the Tigers' 37-13 defeat; this year he made amends, throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for three more as Clemson rolled past the Wolfpack 62-48 at Memorial Stadium.
It was a record-breaking day for both teams, who combined for the highest-scoring game in Clemson history.
Both teams had a 400-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers, and the combined 1,351 yards were a record for a Clemson game.
Boyd broke the Atlantic Coast Conference record for touchdown responsibility in a game as Clemson (10-1, 7-1 in ACC) won its school-record 13th consecutive home game and claimed a 10-win season for the first time since the Tigers' national championship season of 1981.
Clemson was eliminated from contention for a third ACC Atlantic Division title in four years thanks to Florida State's win over Maryland earlier Saturday, but the Tigers kept alive their hopes for a BCS bowl berth. Clemson plays host to archrival South Carolina in its regular-season finale on Saturday.
N.C. State (6-5, 3-4) got a record-setting day of its own from senior wide receiver Tobais Palmer, who amassed an ACC-record 496 all-purpose yards, including 244 in kickoff returns.
But this game was all about Boyd, who continued his torrid play of late by completing 30 of 44 passes for 426 yards. He also had 103 yards rushing -- the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, and his 529 total yards broke the school record set by Woodrow Dantzler in 2001, also against N.C. State.
Boyd has 18 touchdown passes and a 200.73 passing efficiency rating in the Tigers' last four games. Clemson has averaged 51.3 points during that span.
Clemson jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead and appeared headed to its fourth consecutive blowout victory. But N.C. State stunned the Tigers with a pair of long touchdown passes from Mike Glennon to Palmer, then added an 18-yard scoring pass to Rashard Smith and a Nikilas Sade field goal for a 24-13 lead early in the second quarter.
But it was all Clemson from there as Boyd threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more in a 42-0 run that gave the Tigers a commanding 55-24 lead with 4:13 left in the third quarter.
Sammy Watkins had a career-high 11 receptions for 110 yards, including a 27-yard score, and tight end Brandon Ford had five catches for 101 yards, including touchdowns of 7 yards and 69 yards, for the Tigers.
Senior running back Andre Ellington added 124 yards rushing on 22 carries, his first 100-yard game since Sept. 29.
N.C. State freshman Shadrach Thornton had 114 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts while Palmer had seven catches for 219 yards and three touchdowns for the Wolfpack.
NOTES: Clemson sophomore wide receiver Martavis Bryant has just 10 receptions this season, but four have gone for touchdowns. ... Sophomore defensive end Vic Beasley had three sacks and leads the Tigers with eight this season. ... Palmer's 219 receiving yards against Clemson were the most by an ACC player in a game this season. ... The Wolfpack's Earl Wolff, a senior safety, had a career-high 17 tackles.
