DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS vs. CLEMSON TIGERS

VISIT BOWL CENTRAL

PREVIEW VIDEO

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 8 p.m.
Sun Life Stadium
(75,192/Natural Grass)
Miami Gardens, Fla.

Television
ESPN - WATCH LIVE
Mike Tirico, John Gruden, Ron Jaworski and Lisa Salters

National Radio
ESPN Radio
Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich
SiriusXM Channel 84

West Virginia Radio
WLW-AM 700 (flagship)

Bowl Information Contact
Larry Wahl
(305) 341-4700, lwahl@orangebowl.org

THE GAME
West Virginia and Clemson meet for just the second time when the schools play in the Discover Orange Bowl. The only previous meeting was Dec. 30, 1989, when Clemson was a 27-7 winner in the Gator Bowl.  The Orange Bowl is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind only the Rose Bowl. The Orange Bowl has been played annually since 1935. BIG EAST teams are 3-4 all-time in the Orange Bowl, while current members of the league are 1-5 in the game. The BIG EAST and ACC champions have met in the Orange Bowl twice since 1996, Louisville took a 24-13 win against Wake Forest in the 2007 game, while Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati 20-7 in 2009.

CURRENT BIG EAST SCHOOLS
IN THE ORANGE BOWL
1-1-53 Alabama 61, SYRACUSE 6
1-1-59 Oklahoma 21, SYRACUSE 6
1-2-99 Florida 31, SYRACUSE 10
1-2-07 LOUISVILLE 24, Wake Forest 13
1-1-09 Virginia Tech 20, CINCINNATI 7

23/22 WEST VIRGINIA (9-3)
Head Coach
Dana Holgorsen (Iowa Wesleyan í93)
9-3, first season

NOTES
West Virginia won its last three games of the regular season to claim a share of its record seventh BIG EAST championship. The Mountaineers are making their 31st bowl appearance and are 13-17 in postseason play. As a BIG EAST member, West Virginia is 5-10 in 15 bowl games. The Mountaineers are playing in the Discover Orange Bowl for the first time. West Virginia is 2-0 as the BIG EASTís Bowl Championship Series representative, with wins against Georgia in the 2005-06 Nokia Sugar Bowl (38-35) and Oklahoma in the 2007-08 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (48-28). The Mountaineers lead the BIG EAST in scoring offense (34.9 ppg), total offense (459.6 ypg) and passing offense (341.8 ypg). West Virginia had 10 players chosen to the All-BIG EAST first and second teams, the most of any team in the conference. QB Geno Smith, an All-BIG EAST First Team choice, is ranked seventh nationally in passing (331.5 yards per game). Smith has completed 314 of 483 passes for 3,978 yards and 25 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Smith needs 46 yards to tie the BIG EASTís single-season record of 4,024 yards, set by Louisvilleís Brian Brohm in 2007. WR Tavon Austin was the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year, an AP Third Team All-America selection and an All-BIG EAST First Team choice at wide receiver and return specialist. Austin ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 191.1 yards per game. WR Stedman Bailey is averaging 99.6 receiving yards per game to lead the BIG EAST and rank 13th nationally. Bailey has 67 catches for 1,197 yards and 11 touchdowns. DE Bruce Irvin, LB Najee Goode and CB Keith Tandy were All-BIG EAST First Team selections on defense. OT Don Barclay was a first team choice as well.

2011 RESULTS
September
4 Marshall W 34-13
10 Norfolk State W 55-12
17 at Maryland W 37-31
24 LSU L 21-47
October
1 Bowling Green W 55-10
8 CONNECTICUT W 43-16
21 at SYRACUSE L 23-49
29 at RUTGERS W 41-31
November
5 LOUISVILLE L 35-38
12 at CINCINNATI W 24-21
25 PITTSBURGH W 21-20
December
1 at USF W 30-27
January
4 vs. Clemson 8 p.m.
*BIG EAST games in CAPS

14/14 CLEMSON (10-3)
Head Coach
Dabo Sweeney (Alabama í93)
29-18, third season

NOTES
Clemson is making its seventh consecutive appearance in a bowl game after going 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.The Tigers have dropped four of their last five bowl games after falling to USF in last yearís Meineke Car Care Bowl. Clemson is making its 33rd appearance in a bowl game and takes a 15-17 postseason record into the Discover Orange Bowl. The Tigers won their first eight games of the regular season, but are 2-3 in their last five. Clemson won its first ACC title in 20 years by defeating Virginia Tech in the conference championship game. The Tigers won the ACC Atlantic Division for the second time in three seasons. The Tigers are playing in a Bowl Championship Series game for the first time. Clemson has four wins against top-25 teams this season, including a pair of victories against No. 17/11 Virginia Tech and a early-season win against Auburn that ended the longest active winning streak in college football (17 games). Twenty-nine freshmen have seen game action for Clemson this season, tying Indiana for the most in the FBS. Freshman WR Sammy Watkins was chosen to the AP All-America First Team as an all-purpose player. Watkins ranks fourth nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 173.1 yards per game. Watkins, who has 77 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 TDs, is one of four offensive players from Clemson named to the All-ACC First Team. QB Tajh Boyd has thrown for 3,578 yards and 31 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. C Dalton Freeman and TE Dwayne Allen were the other first team choices on offense.The defense is paced by All-ACC First Team DE Andre Branch, who leads the ACC with 10.5 sacks.

2011 RESULTS
September
3 Troy W 43-19
10 Wofford W 35-27
17 Auburn W 38-24
24 FLORIDA STATE W 35-30
October
1 at VIRGINIA TECH W 23-3
8 BOSTON COLLEGE W 36-14
15 at MARYLAND W 56-45
22 NORTH CAROLINA W 59-38
29 at GEORGIA TECH L 17-31
November
12 WAKE FOREST W 41-38
19 at NORTH CAROLINA STATE L 13-37
26 at South Carolina L 13-34
December
3 vs. Virginia Tech W 38-10
January
4 vs. West Virginia 8 p.m.
*Atlantic Coast Conference games in CAPS