ATLANTA — Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 14 Clemson a 25-24 victory over No. 8 LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Monday night.
Clemson (11-2) trailed 24-22 when it took possession on its 20 with 1:39 remaining. Tajh Boyd completed a pass for 26 yards to DeAndre Hopkins on a fourth-and-16 play during the decisive 10-play drive.
Catanzaro’s kick set off a wild celebration on the field and in the stands at the Georgia Dome.
Hopkins, who had 13 catches for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns, had receptions for 7 and 13 yards in the final drive. LSU safety Greg Reid was flagged for pass interference while defending Hopkins.
Jeremy Hill ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns for LSU (10-3), which carried a 24-13 lead into the final quarter.
LSU got the ball with 2:43 remaining after Hopkins’ second touchdown made it 24-22.
The Tigers threw three consecutive passes, with one completion in the three-and out series that took only about 1 minute off the clock, leaving Clemson with enough time for its winning drive against LSU’s exhausted defense.
Hill did not have a carry in the fourth quarter. Zach Mettenberger, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 120 yards with an interception. was sacked six times.
“We had to throw the football,” LSU Coach Les Miles said. “It’s a tough thing to figure our pass protection was as poor as it was. That’s the piece that needs fixing and frankly we’ve got some young players here we’ll address and improve and make some strides going forward.”
Boyd completed 36 of 50 passes for 346 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He set career highs for attempts and completions while winning the game MVP award.
LSU scored 10 points off Clemson’s two lost fumbles, including one by Sammy Watkins on the second play of the game that set up Hill’s first touchdown.
Hopkins scored on an 11-yard reception in the second quarter and a 12-yard grab in the fourth. LSU’s Bennie Logan blocked Catanzaro’s extra point attempt following Hopkins’ first touchdown.
Clemson had a chance to tie it after Hopkins’ second touchdown, but Boyd’s pass for the two-point conversion was incomplete.
Michael Ford had a 43-yard kickoff return for LSU to open the second half. On first down, Hill broke through the line for a 57-yard touchdown run. His 12th rushing touchdown broke Dalton Hilliard’s LSU record for a freshman set in 1982.
Clemson’s second costly fumble came midway through the third quarter. Running back Andre Ellington ran for 8 yards but lost the ball when hit by defensive end Sam Montgomery. Reid recovered the fumble at the Clemson 29, setting up Drew Alleman’s 20-yard field goal.
Sports, Pages 16 on 01/01/2013