West Virginia tied or broke eight separate team and individual bowl game records, while the combined 69 points West Virginia and Clemson scored in the first half set another new record.
Coming into the game, Clemson had a 1–0 record over WVU, with a 27–7 victory in the 1989 Gator Bowl.
[5] This was Clemson's fourth appearance in the Orange Bowl, while it marked the first time WVU had been invited.
The team scored 419 points (34.9 per game) this season, fourth highest average in school history.
The team was led by quarterback Tajh Boyd, who was 18th in total offense, and by wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was fourth in the nation with 173 yards per game.