Oklahoma vs. Clemson: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl

It's not unusual to see a bowl game that pits a team hungry to end its season on a high note against a team that is disappointed it isn't playing in a more meaningful game and comes out flat and uninspired. 

On Monday night, Clemson played the part of the former and Oklahoma the latter, as the Tigers absolutely crushed the Sooners, 40-6.

Clemson's defense was brilliant, holding Oklahoma to just 103 passing yards, forcing five turnovers and holding the Sooners scoreless for most of the game. Quarterback Cole Stoudt was excellent, meanwhile, finishing 26-of-36 with 319 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Oklahoma's freshman phenom Samaje Perine was the lone bright spot for the Sooners, rushing for 134 yards on 23 carries, while adding 22 yards on three receptions.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Clemson jumped all over Oklahoma in this one, racing out to a 27-0 lead in the first half. Artavis Scott scored the first touchdown, catching a short pass in the flat and eluding two Oklahoma defenders before racing 65 yards to paydirt.

Poor tackling in the secondary would end up being a theme for the Sooners in the first half.

Ammon Lakip would add a field goal later in the quarter before Ben Boulware would really open things up for Clemson, picking off a deflected pass and returning it 47 yards for the score. SportsCenter on Twitter provides the highlight:

Even when things went right for Oklahoma, they went wrong. Trailing 20-0 in the second quarter, Charles Tapper deflected a Stoudt pass on a fourth-down attempt and intercepted the pass, returning it for a touchdown that seemed as though it might get Oklahoma back into the game.

But Oklahoma was offside on the play, not only negating the touchdown, but also giving Clemson a first down.

Two plays later, Mike Williams turned a short out route into a 26-yard touchdown after breaking a tackle in the secondary, and the rout was on. SportsCenter passed along the play:

Oklahoma couldn't get into the locker room fast enough after turning the ball over three times and trailing 27-0 at halftime. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney tried to be diplomatic in his halftime interview, but Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com wasn't buying it:

As Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports noted, the Sooners were getting burnt by a player in Stoudt who didn't burn many teams this season:

And Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports didn't see anyway back for the Sooners:

That would quickly become a 34-0 deficit in the third quarter, as Stoudt's two-yard touchdown run all but ended this one about five minutes into the second half. And Stoudt's excellent throw to Germone Hopper for a 24-yard score—despite Stoudt getting rocked on the play—gave Clemson a 40-0 lead (the extra point was missed).

The 40 points may have been a bit of a surprise for Clemson, but, as ESPN Stats & Info tweeted, the shutout was nothing new:

Even when Oklahoma ruined the shutout with a garbage-time touchdown, the team still managed to sour the moment, as the extra point was blocked. It was a "when it rains, it pours" type of night for the Sooners.

And it leaves serious questions about Bob Stoops' future. While the coach has been a stabilizing presence at Oklahoma and has led the school to a national championship and eight Big 12 titles, the Sooners limped to an 8-5 record this year and have gone three seasons without a Big 12 title. 

Those are the sort of results that aren't tolerated at a proud program like Oklahoma, however unfair that might be to a successful coach like Stoops. His past might be enough to keep him in Norman for another season, but there's no question that he's on the hot seat now.

Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press tried to look on the bright side for Oklahoma:

As for Clemson, the Tigers will hope to build off of their strong close to the 2014 season and will hope to end Florida State's reign over the ACC in 2015. Getting Deshaun Watson back next season at quarterback will certainly help, as Clemson heads into the offseason riding high.