Looking Back: Clemson-Ohio State 2016
Clemson used a dominating defense and the efficient all-around play of quarterback Deshaun Watson to defeat No. 2 ranked Ohio State, 31-0 in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. It was the worst margin of defeat in a bowl game in Ohio State history.
It marked the first time an Urban Meyer coached team had been shutout in 194 games and the first time Ohio State had been shutout since 1993. Ohio State entered the game averaging 42.7 points per game, ninth in the nation, and 480 yards per game total offense. Buckeye quarterback J.T Barrett had just 127 yards passing and -2 rushing.
Overall, Ohio State had just 88 yards rushing and 127 passing for 215 yards of total offense. They averaged just 3.8 yards a play and had just nine first downs.
Watson, the offensive MVP of the game, hit on 26- of-36 passes for 259 yards and a score. He added 57 yards rushing and two scores. Wayne Gallman was Clemson’s top rusher with 85 yards on 18 attempts and a score. Mike Williams had six catches for 96 yards, while Hunter Renfrow added five receptions for 50 yards.
Clelin Ferrell was named the defensive player of the game thanks to his three tackles for loss, including a sack. Van Smith led the Clemson defense with nine tackles, while Carlos Watkins had two sacks, giving him 10.5 for the season. Ohio State missed two field goals in the first quarter and those misses proved to be momentum swaying plays.
Clemson’s Greg Huegel hit on a 45-yarder in the first quarter to give Clemson a 3-0 advantage.
The Tigers later scored again in the opening period on a 1-yard run by Watson, a play that culminated a 70-yard scoring drive. It became 17-0 at halftime when Watson found the late C.J. Fuller out of the backfield on a wheel route. Fuller made the catch in the end zone to give Clemson a 17-0 lead. Fuller, the late native of nearby Easley, S.C., had just four catches for 17 yards all year before that play.
The Tigers made it 31-0 with 8:47 left. Clemson took over at the Ohio State seven after Van Smith intercepted the ball at the Clemson seven, then ran 86 yards to the Ohio State seven to set up Watson’s last score. It was the fifth-longest interception return in school history and Clemson's longest in a bowl game.
The victory was Clemson’s first against the No. 2 ranked team in the AP poll, the highest-ranked win in Clemson history at the time. It also gave Clemson a 3-0 record against Ohio State, all wins in bowl games. It was the third shutout of the season for the Tigers, most in a season since 1991.
