ATLANTA (AP) — The “Honey Badger” doesn’t care when his team struggles. He just takes what he wants. In this case, it’s a trip to the national championship game.
Tyrann Mathieu turned in an MVP performance when the No. 1 Tigers needed him most. He ran back a punt 62 yards for a touchdown, set up another score with a fumble recovery and finally finished off No. 12 Georgia with his best play yet — a whirling dervish of a return that led to the decisive TD in a 42-10 victory in the Southeastern Conference title game Saturday.
LSU (13-0) advanced to a spot in the BCS championship game in New Orleans, just 75 miles from its Baton Rouge campus. The Tigers opponent will be announced Sunday night, but SEC West rival and No. 2 Alabama — already beaten by the Tigers 9-6 in overtime a month ago — had the inside track even though it didn’t win its division.
The Crimson Tide will have to deal with a fearless sophomore who has the country’s best nickname, and is an even better player.
“Last night, I envisioned me having three touchdowns,” Mathieu said. “I think I came close to that. It comes down to me trying to do what I can for my team.”
His moniker stems from a humorous YouTube video that supposedly depicts the world’s fiercest animal (“Honey Badger don’t care, he just takes what he wants,” the narrator says). Defensive coordinator John Chavis showed the 5-foot-9, 175-pound player the clip on the way back from a victory at West Virginia, believing it fit Mathieu perfectly.
“My teammates love the name, and I think it depicts me on the field,” Mathieu said. “I just go with it. My teammates do a great job having my back. Anything I can do to help those guys, lift their spirits, I’ll do it. I think the Honey Badger does that sometimes.”
The Bulldogs (10-3) raced to a 10-0 lead that could’ve been even bigger if they hadn’t dropped a pair of potential touchdown passes in the first quarter. LSU looked downright awful on offense, going three-and-out on all seven of its possessions before halftime.
The Tigers didn’t even have one first down, finishing the half with just 12 total yards.
But, thanks to Mathieu, the deficit was only 10-7 when the teams went to the locker room. He fielded a punt at his own 38, found an opening and was gone — all the way to the end zone for his second punt return for a touchdown in as many weeks. He had a 92-yarder that sparked a win over Arkansas.
Well, almost to the end zone. A replay showed Mathieu flipped the ball to an official just before he crossed the goal line, but no one on the field caught the blunder.
“I’ll have to remember not to do that next time,” he said with a smile.
That was long forgotten by the time he was done. On Georgia’s first possession of the second half, quarterback Aaron Murray tried to scramble for a first down but had the ball knocked loose just before he hit the turf.
Mathieu was there to fall on it at the Bulldogs 26 for his fifth fumble recovery of the season.
LSU quickly seized its first lead. The Tigers finally picked up a first down before freshman Kenny Hilliard broke off a 15-yard run for the first of his three touchdowns. Normally, that would’ve been more than enough to win the game’s MVP award. Not even close on this day.
Mathieu dropped back to receive another punt. About the only thing the Bulldogs managed to do was keep him out of the end zone. He cradled the ball, took off down the center of the field, cut back to his left, stutter-stepped and turned on a burst of speed, basically came to a stop around the Georgia 30, then took off again and was finally dragged down at the 17.
He avoided or broke away from at least eight of the 11 red-clad guys trying to bring him down, a Heisman-worthy play that should be enough to at least get him to New York for the banquet — if not earn serious consideration for the award as the nation’s top player. Certainly, no defensive player has come up with more game-changing plays.
“As the conference champion in the SEC and being one of the key players on that team, I think he needs real consideration,” coach Les Miles said. “He’s a special player. He has a special place.”
Georgia would certainly be willing to send a letter of recommendation. Mathieu essentially ruined any chance of the Bulldogs — a 13 1/2-point underdog — pulling off an upset that would’ve shaken up the race for No. 1.
“I enjoy watching him play football except when he plays against us.” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “You appreciate the way he plays. There’s just something about him. He finds a way to do something special just about every game. He did it again today.”
Mathieu has scored four touchdowns this season — two on returns, two more from his cornerback spot. He’s forced six fumbles. He’s picked off two passes. He the leading tackler on one of the nation’s top defenses.
“I respect him a lot, especially with me being a return guy,” Georgia’s Brandon Boykin said. “That turned the momentum of the game.”
LSU took control with a 21-point third quarter, coming back from a double-digit deficit for the second week in a row and leaving little doubt that it’s the best team in country heading into bowl season. The only other unbeaten team, Houston, was blown out in the Conference USA championship game Saturday. All the other top teams have at least one loss.
The Tigers have knocked off five teams in The Associated Press’ current Top 25 — including three of the top eight. They’ll still have to win one more game to claim the BCS title, but they could still be voted No. 1 in the final AP poll, no matter what happens Jan. 9 in the Big Easy.
Miles, as least for public consumption, said he looks forward to a rematch with the Tide, a game that will ensure the SEC of its sixth straight national champion.
“I would certainly understand if college football decides it should be two SEC teams playing for the national championship,” he said. “It’s a very special conference with very special teams.”
SEC East champion Georgia came into the game on a 10-game winning streak, and the Bulldogs showed no fear of LSU in the early going. Murray connected with Tavarres King on a 44-yard pass and could’ve had a TD when a pass across the middle went through King’s hands. They settled for Blair Walsh’s 40-yard field goal.
Knowing he would have to throw caution to the wind, Richt called an onside kick that worked the perfection. Walsh bounced the ball off the turf and high into the air. Alec Ogletree soared in to grab it beyond the necessary 10 yards, giving the Bulldogs another possession.
They should’ve scored a touchdown. Instead, they wound up with nothing. Freshman Malcolm Mitchell dropped a pass right in his hands at the LSU 5 with no one around, and Walsh missed a 45-yard try.
But LSU couldn’t do anything with the ball. The Tigers’ longest play in the first half was 9 yards. Eleven of their 21 plays went for zero or negative yards. Outside of Mathieu, punter Brad Wing was LSU’s best weapon, averaging 54.1 yards on his first seven punts.
Both offenses stalled in the second quarter, managing a grand total of 2 yards — 1 for each team. Georgia went to the locker room with a commanding 135-12 lead in total yards, but certainly a sense it had missed its chance to put away an LSU team that had outscored No. 6 Arkansas 41-3 after falling into an early 14-0 hole.
Hilliard scored on a 4-yard run after Mathieu’s second long return to make it 21-10, essentially enough to finish off the Bulldogs, but the freshman runner then hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass for good measure.
The Tigers romped in the final period. Alfred Blue broke off a 48-yard touchdown run and Morris Claiborne returned an interception 45 yards for the final score. LSU won even though Jordan Jefferson completed only five passes and the offense totaled a mere 237 yards.
Murray had a miserable day, completing just 16 of 40 for 163 yards with two interceptions. Georgia’s running game was non-existent with Isaiah Crowell hobbling on a sore ankle. The freshman had only 15 yards on 10 carries.
The Bulldogs will likely settle for a trip to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
Mathieu has a bigger goal in mind. He doesn’t care what it takes to get there.
“There’s a part of Tyrann Mathieu that’s definitely the ‘Honey Badger’,” Miles said. “On the football field, he takes what he wants.”
No. 21 Clemson stuns No. 5 Virginia Tech
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — So much for Tajh Boyd’s late-season slump. Clemson’s, too.
The sophomore quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as No. 21 Clemson routed No. 5 Virginia Tech 38-10 Saturday night to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 20 years.
Boyd had thrown seven interceptions and only four touchdowns passes in his previous four games, but was sharp against the Hokies. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards, ran for 34 yards and was the game’s most valuable player.
Boyd said he and his teammates might have gotten complacent after 8-0 start this season.
“You get a sense of complacency if you let the outside world affect you,” Boyd said. “That is one of the life lessons you learn. That’s what happened. But it happened for a reason.”
Said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney: “I wouldn’t trade anybody for my quarterback, Tajh Boyd.”
The Tigers (10-3) clinched their first Orange Bowl berth since 1981, the year they won their only national championship. Clemson won’t be playing for a national title this season, but the victory was still sweet considering they’d lost three of four games to close the regular season.
Swinney, who never lacks for emotion, started his press conference by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that I’m taking my Clemson talents to South Beach, baby.”
This is the first time Clemson has won 10 games in a season since 1990.
“There have been a lot of walls built up around this program over the last 20 years and we knocked down them down tonight,” Swinney said. “We’ve been down in the valley and the players locked arms and they charged up that hill.”
Clemson became the only team to beat Virginia Tech (11-2) twice in the same season. The Tigers beat the Hokies 23-3 in Blacksburg, Va., on Oct. 1.
The second half was all Clemson.
Clemson scored three touchdowns on five plays in a span of 4:24 in the third quarter to break open a 10-10 tie at halftime.
After Virginia Tech went three-and-out on its first second half possession, Boyd capped a 10-play, 87-yard touchdown drive with his second touchdown pass of the game to tight end Dwayne Allen for a 17-10 lead.
On Clemson’s next play from scrimmage, wide receiver Sammy Watkins got behind the defense and hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Boyd — his 31st of the season, extending his own school record. Boyd completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards and was named the game’s most valuable player.
Andre Ellington, who ran for 125 yards, raced 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 31-10 lead. Boyd put the game away early in the fourth quarter on a quarterback sneak.
“Our team, I could sense the confidence growing,” Swinney said. “I told them if you just put it together on offense, defense and special teams, it won’t be close, I don’t care who we play.”
Similar to the first matchup, the Hokies could get nothing going against a stingy Tigers defense, which knocked away nine passes.
Virginia Tech tailback David Wilson, the ACC’s player of the year, was a non-factor, held to 32 yards on 11 carries.
“I was kind of surprised (by the play calling),” Wilson said. “… It was the same thing in the UVA game. In the first half I only had a couple of carries. I had 15 in the second half. I thought it was going to be the same thing today but I guess they never got around to it.”
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas had a rough night, fumbling on the team’s first play from play from scrimmage leading to Boyd’s first touchdown pass to Allen and an early 7-0 lead for Clemson.
Late in the game, down 28 points, Thomas threw into the end zone and was picked off by Bashaud Breeland, who returned it 64 yards to set off a wild celebration. Clemson fans, sitting behind the team’s bench, began bombarding the field with oranges.
“It was great to see that happen,” said Allen, who set a Clemson record for touchdowns in a season by a tight end. “This is what we worked for.”
Thomas said: “Clemson did a great job of scoring points and scoring them quick. And 21 points in 4 minutes is hard to come out of. Give them credit they played a great game offensively and defensively.”
Swinney said he was proud of the way his team bounced back after losing three games, including a baffling setback to North Carolina State, down the stretch.
“We were a team with the flu and we got some penicillin tonight,” Swinney said.
It was one of those nights for the Hokies, who failed in their bid to win their fourth ACC title in five years. Even when something went well for the Hokies, it quickly backfired.
After falling behind by 21, Jarrett Boykin hauled in a 29-yard pass from Thomas deep in Clemson territory. But Boykin was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when the spiked the ball, drawing a 15-yard penalty. Four plays later, the Hokies turned it over on downs.
Thomas’ fumble proved to be a foreshadowing of things to come.
Thomas said this loss hurts more than the last defeat to Clemson “because our seniors don’t deserve a loss like that. So I think that’s why it hurts the most.”
On their first offensive play of the game, Tigers linebacker Stephone Anthony jarred the ball loose from Thomas on a keeper and defensive end Andre Branch recovered at Virginia Tech 25. It was Clemson’s first takeaway in its last four games. The Tigers capitalized three plays later on when Allen hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Boyd.
“It was one of those games where things didn’t happen right,” Hokies coach Frank Beamer said.
Swinney said the Tigers turned in a defensive performance that would have made former Tigers defensive lineman Chester McClockton proud. McClockton, a member of Clemson’s last ACC Championship team, passed away earlier this week.
”I thought it was ironic that he was No. 91 and we won our first championship since ’91,” Swinney said. “I’m happy how our players honored him tonight.”
No. 9 Boise State rolls over New Mexico
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Boise State safety Cedric Febis hesitated just for a moment when he was asked if Boise State is good enough to deserve a spot in the BCS.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen, who was standing in the corner of the room waiting his turn with reporters, provide the answer.
“Yes,” Petersen emphatically interjected, moments after the No. 9 Broncos rolled over New Mexico 45-0 in Saturday’s season finale.
The Broncos (11-1, 6-1) are clearly on the outside looking in on the Bowl Championship Series, and more than likely they’ll have to settle for a return trip to the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas, where they dismantled No. 20 Utah 26-3 a year ago.
But Petersen’s response is surprising considering his reluctance in previous years to lobby even slightly on his team’s behalf.
Considering the strength of schedule and other factors, Petersen wasn’t shy about making a case for a team that lost only once, a down-to-the-wire defeat at home to TCU on Nov. 12.
“You know, this team is as good as any of the teams that we’ve had,” said Petersen.
“We lost a one-point game to a really good TCU team that continually got better throughout the year. I think that it’s our most difficult schedule that we’ve played. But, that is as far as it goes for us. We don’t have anything else to say. I mean you say hey, ‘look at the record.’ I think it speaks for itself,” he said.
No matter where they play in the postseason, the Broncos wrapped up their second straight season with a single loss in convincing fashion.
Kellen Moore threw three touchdowns in the final home game of his brilliant career, Doug Martin ran for two more and the Broncos’ defense had no problem bottling up the punchless Lobos.
Moore, the winningest starting quarterback in college football history, was nearly flawless, completing 28 of 33 attempts for 313 yards. As usual he spread the ball around, hitting 10 different receivers, and expertly ran Boise State’s no-huddle offense through the first three quarters.
His three touchdown passes in the game gave him 41 on the season, breaking his own previous record of 39 set in his sophomore year. He also set a new school mark for completions in a season with 300, third most all-time in the Mountain West Conference.
It was also Moore’s 49th career win as a starting quarterback, the best in FBS. He also has 137 career touchdown passes, second best behind Houston’s Case Keenum.
The Broncos sprinted to the lead, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter thanks to Moore’s accuracy — he completed 10 straight passes during one stretch — and a Broncos defense that held the Lobos to one first down in their first three possessions.
Moore capped the Broncos’ first two possessions of the game by throwing touchdowns of 2-yards to senior Kyle Efaw and 16-yards to Tyler Shoemaker. That catch gave Moore the school completion record and gave Shoemaker 14 touchdowns on the season, also good enough to set a new school mark.
“All the things (Shoemaker) has gone through, for me personally to go through this whole journey with him, essentially the whole time is really special and really neat,” Moore said.
Boise State then worked on putting the game out of reach before halftime. Midway through the second, Moore engineered an 11-play, 89-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard TD to tight end Gabe Linehan. Minutes later, Michael Frisinia tacked on a 30-yard field goal to put the Broncos up 31-0 at the half.
Moore and other members of his recruiting class are a victory away from being the winningest senior class in school history with 50. The 2006 group, the first batch signed by Boise State coach Chris Petersen, won a second BCS bowl, forced wholesale rewrites of the school record books and elevated Boise State’s national profile from a pest from a small conference to a program that proved it could consistently beat teams from college football’s biggest and best leagues.
As for the Lobos (1-11, 1-6), they are at the other end of the college football spectrum. They have lost 22 straight road games, the nation’s longest such skid.
New Mexico had 197 total yards and crossed midfield only twice. B.R. Holbrook was 16 of 28 for 145 yards and was sacked twice for New Mexico.
The loss gives the Lobos three straight seasons with just one win and closes out the brief, seven-game tenure of interim coach George Barlow, who took over in September after Mike Locksley was fired.
But Saturday’s blowout in Boise also ushers in the Bob Davie era in Albuquerque. The former Notre Dame coach and television analyst will take over head coaching duties this month.
“The thing you like about these kids is when things were going as bad as they were, they were still playing hard,” Barlow said.
The Broncos scored once in the third quarter when Martin dashed 40 yards down the left sideline to put Boise State up 38-0.
Moments later, Moore, Martin and many other Broncos seniors walked off Bronco Stadium’s quirky blue turf for the last time, closing out careers that spanned one of the most successful eras in school history.
No. 15 Wisconsin beats No. 11 Michigan State
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Wisconsin got the late touchdown it needed, the late stop it needed and the big break it needed Saturday night.
