On its first possession of the night, No. 5 Clemson went three-and-out. The next time it got the ball, quarterback Deshaun Watson was picked off by Boston College’s Justin Simmons, who returned it 28 yards to the Clemson 20, setting up the game’s first score.

Then the Eagles’ top-ranked defense forced a second three-and-out. Things were going better than planned for a BC team that was a 16-point underdog heading into Death Valley on Saturday night. Through three possessions, Clemson’s high-octane offense totaled just 16 yards, but that was all about to change thanks to one play.

On fourth down-and-10 from the Clemson 25-yard line BC’s Harrison Jackson, while trying to block a punt, took out punter Andy Teasdall, giving the Tigers an automatic first down at the 40-yard line. On the very next play, Clemson called a slant to wide receiver Artavis Scott – 50 yards later the offense finally had the jolt it needed to get going.

Clemson proceed to total 532 yards from that point as it cruised to a 34-17 victory in Death Valley.

“Coach (Dabo) Swinney said we needed a spark,” Scott said. “That was a perfect thing that came about. I just did what I had to do to get open and we just made the best of it.”

On the play that changed the course of the game, Scott, who was running to his left on the slant, caught the ball, took a quick step to his right to avoid cornerback Isaac Yiadom and then raced down the near side line to the Boston College 10-yard line.

Three plays later on third-and-goal from the four, Watson scrambled to his right and walked into the end zone for the first of his four touchdown responsibilities of the night.

After a slow start in which Watson admitted he was too amped up, causing several overthrows and two first-half interceptions, he settled in to throw for 420 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 27 of 41 passes.

“We had opportunities in the first half, and I did not connect, I overthrew some receivers,” Watson said. “In the second half, we connected, and that’s when it kind of opened up.”

Watson ended up connecting to freshman Deon Cain, who made an acrobatic 30-yard catch to set up a Greg Huegel 42-yard field goal, and to running back Zac Brooks for 21 yards, in the first half which gave the Tigers a 17-10 lead at the break.

But in the second half is when he really got going. He first found Charone Peake for a 25-yard completion, which set up a 39-yard Huegel field goal. Then on the next drive he found Scott for a 33-yard pass play, and then two plays later they hooked up again for a 51-yard touchdown pass that put Clemson on top 27-10 with 4:20 left in the third quarter.

“Really, when I dropped back and released it, I thought I overthrew him again, but when I kind of bent down and looked, I saw him running to it and score a touchdown,” Watson said. “In the first half, I was a little too amped up and was overthrowing guys and not putting the ball where it needed to be, but in the second half I came in, relaxed and just started playing my game and having fun again.”

Scott, who finished the game with 10 catches for 162 yards, said the pass on his 51-yard touchdown was not even close to being overthrown.

“I knew he was not going to overthrow me,” the wide receiver said. “It had been there the whole night. I just knew if he threw it, I was going to get it.”

After the touchdown pass to Scott, Watson found Cain for a 67-yard pass down the side line, which set up his six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Leggett a few plays later for a 34-10 advantage.

Watson completed 11 of 14 passes in the second half for 229 yards.

“He knows we have his back. He just had to relax and we told him we got him,” Scott said. “This is what we do. We our teammates and we have love for each other. We told him to just relax and it was going to come. That’s all it really was.”