Thanks to Discover and the Fan Loyalty Poll, as well as an incredible partnership with the Orange Bowl, I was given the opportunity to attend last Friday night’s instant classic bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2014 Discover Orange Bowl was a game that I had been looking forward to for quite some time and, while many big games often fail, this one more than lived up to the hype. I figured that this game would be a high scoring affair featuring many points on both sides. Thankfully, I was not only right, but I got to see Clemson leave Sun Life Stadium not only with a win, but with quite a few records for the flight back to South Carolina.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
The game was great, as was the experience during all of the pre-game festivities. Thanks to Discover, I was able to be a part of it all in Miami Gardens on January 3. With all of their hard work throughout the college football season with both the Orange Bowl as well as the Fan Loyalty Poll, Discover deserves a tremendous amount of credit for so many contributions to make the season even better. They also made this BCS Bowl Game one of the most socially interactive experiences in the history of sports.
Leading up to the official announcement of the Discover Orange Bowl matchup, fans everywhere were able to let the world know which team was the most deserving to play in Miami on January 3, 2014. Fans with rooting interests for various teams all weighed in to let the committee know that they would support their favorite team in this season’s Discover Orange Bowl. While the response was overwhelming, that was only Phase One!
Phase Two was about choosing sides. Fans were asked which side they were on, encouraging them to go to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and show their support for their favorite team, using hashtags to support either #Clemson or #OhioState. Fans of the #Tigers and #Buckeyes showed an overwhelming support for their favorite team, with Ohio State winding up with a 52%-48% edge toward the end of the Orange Bowl. But, while the fans favored the Buckeyes, it was the Tigers who found a way to come out on top in the game.
From the announcement of the matchup right throughout the 2014 Orange Bowl, fans continued to visit http://www.discoverorangebowl.com/ and tweeted their support for the Tigers and Buckeyes. Photos taken at the pre-game festivities and during the game were displayed on the Jumbotron at Sun Life Stadium throughout the game.
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
Being part of the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
The game itself was close to what I had expected. Clemson and Ohio State both have plenty of talented offensive players, while both sides tend to struggle on defense. That created a recipe for a shoot-out, and while both the Tigers and Buckeyes put on a show that fans will never forget, it was Clemson who walked away with a few new records following the big 40-35 win.
* Sammy Watkins established Clemson and Orange Bowl records for receptions and reception yards in a game with 16 catches for 227 yards. He held the previous Clemson records for catches (14) and reception yards (202) in a game prior to tonight., and also added a pair of touchdowns to cap off a tremendous career while playing at Clemson, as the junior wide receiver announced that he will forgo his final season of eligibility with the Tigers and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
* Watkins also tied the Clemson record for touchdown receptions in a career. He finishes with 27, the same number DeAndre Hopkins had between 2010-12. He was not lying coming into this past season when he said that he wanted to finish with a lot of records previously held by Hopkins, now with the Houston Texans.
* Watkins also set the Clemson single season record for receiving yardage tonight. He finishes with 1464, breaking the record of 1405 set by Hopkins last year.
* Watkins set the Clemson single season and career reception marks tonight. He finished the season with 101 catches, 13 more than Aaron Kelly had in 2007. He finished with 240 receptions, eight more than Kelly had between 2005-08.
* Tajh Boyd scored the first touchdown of the game on a 48-yard touchdown run. It was the longest run of his career by 21 yards. His previous long run was 27 yards against Auburn in 2012. Boyd also finished with his highest rushing total of his career with 127 yards on the ground.
* Boyd became the first quarterback in ACC history to have three seasons of at least 30 touchdown passes when he connected with Sammy Watkins on a 34-yard scoring pass in the first half. It was his 30th touchdown pass of the year. He finished the night with a Clemson bowl record five touchdown passes tonight and finishes with 34 for the season. Boyd finished his career with an ACC record 107 touchdown passes and 133 touchdowns rushing and passing. That is also an ACC record.
* Boyd threw for 378 yards against Ohio State – his 18th career 300-yard passing game. He tied the ACC record for 300-yard games in a career held by Philip Rivers.
Clemson had a great game that concluded a fantastic season for the Tigers and college football. Discover has been an incredible sponsor for college football throughout the entire season, highlighted by participation with the Fan Loyalty Poll, which asks college football fans across the country all sorts of entertaining questions related to their favorite college football team. You can follow Discover on Twitter and Facebook and make sure you use the hashtag #FanLoyaltyPoll!
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. Although the bowl games and the final BCS Championship Game is in the books, college football is a year-long process! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
