"And we are back here at Sun Life Stadium for the start of the second half of the Discover Orange Bowl, with a score of 28 to 22 in favor of Clemson after a first half that gave us practically everything a college football fan could ask for," the ESPN commentator said as the cameras showed both teams exiting the tunnels onto the field, with fans from both sides at Sun Life on their feet from the very first step.
"That's right, and there are several first-half numbers worth reviewing before the third quarter kicks off," the analyst added. "Tajh Boyd finished the first half with two touchdowns and over two hundred passing yards, while Sammy Watkins remains unstoppable with eight receptions for 130 yards in just two quarters of play—numbers that, if kept up at this pace, will put him in serious conversation for game MVP."
"And the other name that must be mentioned is Wyatt Sterling, the freshman who came in during the second quarter and finished the first half with a touchdown and a two-point conversion that gave Clemson that six-point lead," the first continued. "And what stands out most isn't the touchdown itself, but the fact that he called for the two-point conversion as a freshman in his first bowl game while his team was trailing. That speaks volumes about that player's character."
"What I'm interested in seeing in the second half," the analyst noted, "is whether Urban Meyer makes adjustments on the Ohio State defense, because what we saw on Sterling's last drive was that the Buckeyes had no answer for his mobility. Braxton Miller on the other side needs to find more consistency, because while he's had brilliant moments, he's also made mistakes that Clemson has capitalized on."
The cameras showed Urban Meyer on the sideline giving instructions to his coordinators with a tablet in hand before the referee summoned the captains to center field for the start of the third quarter.
What the cameras didn't show was what had occurred in the Ohio State locker room during halftime.
Flashback
Meyer had stood before his players with the calm voice of someone who has processed being down by six points, but already has a clear diagnosis. "The defense made two mistakes that cost us ten points," he said. "Boyd's touchdown shouldn't have happened because coverage broke down at the wrong time, and Sterling's two-point conversion caught us in the wrong alignment. Those are execution errors, not system errors, which means correcting them is entirely in our hands."
The defenders listened without moving.
"Second half, I want pressure before the third second on every single play," he continued. "Boyd and Sterling have time in the pocket and they use it well, but if we close that window, they will make mistakes. We've seen that all season with quarterbacks who feel comfortable when they have time and struggle when they don't."
The defense nodded as one.
"As for the offense," Meyer said, turning to the other side of the room, "Hyde needs to carry more of the load this second half. Clemson's defense has spent two quarters adjusting to Miller, and that leaves us room in the running game on the left side that we haven't exploited yet."
Carlos Hyde, sitting on the bench with a towel around his neck, nodded once.
"First possession of the third quarter, we go for the touchdown," Meyer concluded. "That changes the dynamic of the game and puts them in reaction mode."
Nobody said a word, because nothing else needed to be said.
End of Flashback
Back on the field, both teams took their positions for the start of the third quarter, with Ohio State receiving Clemson's kickoff, which landed in the end zone for a touchback. The Buckeyes started from their own 25-yard line with Braxton Miller in the huddle, the offense ready to execute what Coach Meyer had requested in the locker room.
The first play was a run by Hyde to the right side that gained seven yards—exactly what Meyer had drawn on the whiteboard. The second was a short pass from Miller to Philly Brown on the left perimeter for another nine yards and a first down, bringing the Ohio State section at Sun Life to its feet for the first time in the third quarter.
The drive continued with Meyer mixing Hyde's runs and Miller's short passes in a combination that consistently picked up yardage, with Hyde contributing runs of six, seven, and eleven yards, while Miller connected with his receivers on the outside to keep the clock moving as the team advanced across the field toward Clemson's end zone.
Venables signaled adjustments from the sideline, but Ohio State answered every one of them, with Beasley arriving late on two consecutive plays because the Buckeyes' offensive line was giving Miller just enough time to throw, keeping the drive moving.
It was on Clemson's 11-yard line where they found their limit, with Miller attempting a pass toward the left corner of the end zone that the Clemson cornerback deflected at the last moment, leaving third down unconverted.
Fourth down from the 11-yard line ended with Hyde attempting to power his way through defenders up the middle, only for the linebacker to stonewall him at the nine-yard line, refusing to yield a single inch.
Turnover on downs.
The Sun Life stands erupted from the orange section, and the commentator announced, "And the Clemson defense makes a stand at the nine-yard line, turning Ohio State away and handing the ball back to the Tigers' offense with seven minutes on the clock in the third quarter."
Wyatt grabbed his helmet from the bench and put it on as Chad Morris approached before he crossed the sideline.
"Move the chains slowly," Chad told him. "You don't need to get there fast; you need to leave them as little time as possible when they get the ball back. First downs are enough. Don't force anything toward the end zone, because it will come naturally if you maintain control."
"What if I see the TD earlier?" Wyatt asked.
"Take it," Chad said. "But don't hunt for it if it's not there. The clock is just as valuable as points right now."
Wyatt nodded.
Dabo walked over from the other side before Wyatt crossed the white line, wearing that big-moment expression of his—not tension, but something much closer to certainty. "Got everything?"
"Got it," Wyatt replied.
He crossed the line and stepped into the huddle with his teammates, the ball resting on Clemson's own nine-yard line with ninety-one yards ahead of them.
"Listen up," Wyatt said in the circle. "Step by step, no rush. Just first downs."
The first play was a nine-yard pass to Davidson right at the first-down marker, followed by a run by McDowell down the left side that picked up seven yards without much trouble.
Five minutes and fifty seconds left in the third quarter.
A twelve-yard pass to Sammy on an out route to the right, with the Ohio State corner arriving half a second late as Sammy stepped out of bounds to stop the clock.
Four minutes and forty-one seconds.
Wyatt took the snap in pistol formation and scanned the field for exactly two seconds before delivering a ten-yard pass to Laquon over the middle, which the receiver snagged out of the air before the linebacker could hit him, picking up another five yards after the catch.
Four minutes and sixteen seconds.
Wyatt tucked it and ran himself from Ohio State's 43-yard line, exploiting a gap between the right guard and tackle to gain eleven yards before stepping out of bounds to stop the clock.
Three minutes and fifty-one seconds.
A thirteen-yard pass to Sammy, who dragged his feet along the sideline before the corner shoved him out of bounds.
Two minutes and thirty seconds.
A seven-yard pass to Davidson over the middle, which the receiver turned into an eleven-yard gain after the catch, putting the offense at first-and-ten from Ohio State's 12-yard line.
One minute and forty-four seconds.
On the sideline, Chad Morris watched with arms crossed beside Dabo, binder in hand. Neither said a word because Wyatt was executing precisely what they had asked for without needing to be reminded.
"There's time," Wyatt muttered before the snap, reading the Ohio State defensive alignment that had compressed at the prospect of a touchdown.
The next play was an eight-yard pass to Laquon, reaching the four-yard line.
One minute and sixteen seconds.
First down.
From the four-yard line, Wyatt took the snap, drifted slightly to his right to draw two defenders with his eyes, and found the tight end crossing from left to center in the end zone with enough leverage over the linebacker for a clean throw.
Touchdown, Clemson.
Sun Life erupted from the orange section, and the commentator practically yelled, "TOUCHDOWN CLEMSON! Wyatt Sterling connects with the tight end, and the Tigers extend their lead to 34 to 22 here in the third quarter of the Orange Bowl, with just over a minute remaining!"
"And what stands out about that drive," the analyst said, "isn't just the touchdown, but how Sterling executed it. Eleven plays, ninety-one yards, burning over six minutes off the clock. That isn't a freshman playing his first bowl game. That is a player who understands exactly what his team needs at every moment of the game, possessing the maturity not to chase the big play when the small play is what the situation demands."
"And there's a question I'm asking myself right now," the first commentator added, "which is how Clemson's offense is going to look next season with Sterling having gained this experience. Because what we're seeing tonight is a player who, in his true freshman year, demonstrates a level of game management that typically takes two or three seasons as a starter to develop. And that kind of maturity doesn't disappear overnight—it grows."
Social media didn't wait.
@TigerNation_oficial: STERLING AGAIN. That freshman is playing the Orange Bowl of his LIFE 🔥🔥🔥 #GoClemson #OrangeBowl
@CFBNation: 91-yard drive on 11 plays using 6 minutes of clock. That's not luck, that's flawless execution. Clemson knows how to win this game #OrangeBowl2014
@CollegeFootballTalk: Wyatt Sterling just put together one of the most mature drives I've ever seen from a freshman in a bowl game. Short passes, clock control, and the TD when needed. This kid is different #CFB
@BuckeyeNation: They're killing us with the clock. Ohio State needs to answer NOW or this gets way worse #GoBucks
@ESPNCollegeFootball: Clemson 34, Ohio State 22 with 1:07 left in the 3rd quarter. The Tigers are controlling this game with Wyatt Sterling managing the clock to perfection #OrangeBowl2014
@SportsTalkAmerica: Can someone explain how a freshman does that in the Orange Bowl? Sterling is playing like he's been in this offense for four years, not four months #CFB #WyattSterling
@HeismanWatch: With this performance, Wyatt Sterling just became the most anticipated 2014 Heisman candidate I've seen in a long time. Keep an eye on this name #OrangeBowl
@TexasFootballFan: Katy, Texas producing QBs like always. Sterling is special and everyone is seeing it tonight in the Orange Bowl #Texas #CFB
In the break room at the police station in Katy, Texas, the volume shot up suddenly. One of Ed's coworkers jumped out of his chair while another said something loud about Wyatt and the Tigers, and someone else asked if that kid really was Sterling's son, to which Ed answered yes without taking his eyes off the screen.
Ed remained in his chair, watching the screen as Wyatt headed to the bench with his helmet in hand, the scoreboard displaying 34 to 22 with one minute and seven seconds left in the third quarter.
His coworker beside him clapped him on the shoulder, and this time Ed didn't count the seconds—he simply let it be, eyes still glued to the screen with something that wasn't quite a smile, but which anyone who knew him well would have recognized as the closest thing to one Ed Sterling was capable of producing at work.
There was still a minute and seven seconds left in the third quarter, and the second half of the Orange Bowl still had plenty left to say, but he knew he had seen enough tonight to know exactly what he needed to know about his son and about the work that kid had put in over those long months away from home.
Author thought
What did you think of today's chapter? Give me your opinions and thoughts.
Don't forget to check out my other fic on my profile
Don't forget to subscribe to my Patreon to get more than 13 chapters in advance! https://www.patreon.com/c/merchant17
I created a Discord server! For those who want to join, the link will be here and on my profile: https://discord.gg/pyqGRbHxt
For everyone subscribing to my Patreon: if you're using an iPhone, avoid doing it through the app! Apple charges a commission, and you'll end up paying more. It's better to subscribe through the website instead