CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- So much for Tajh Boyd's late-season slump. Clemson's, too.

The sophomore quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as Clemson (No. 20 BCS, No. 21 AP) routed No. 5 Virginia Tech 38-10 Saturday night to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 20 years.

Boyd had thrown seven interceptions and only four touchdowns passes in his previous four games, but he was sharp against the Hokies. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards, ran for 34 yards and was the game's most valuable player.

Boyd said he and his teammates might have gotten complacent after an 8-0 start this season.

"You get a sense of complacency if you let the outside world affect you," Boyd said. "That is one of the life lessons you learn. That's what happened. But it happened for a reason."

Said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney: "I wouldn't trade anybody for my quarterback, Tajh Boyd."

The Tigers (10-3) clinched their first Orange Bowl berth since 1981, the year they won their only national championship. Clemson won't be playing for a national title this season, but the victory was still sweet considering they'd lost three of four games to close the regular season.

Swinney, who never lacks for emotion, started his news conference by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that I'm taking my Clemson talents to South Beach, baby."

This is the first time Clemson has won 10 games in a season since 1990.

"There have been a lot of walls built up around this program over the last 20 years and we knocked down them down tonight," Swinney said. "We've been down in the valley and the players locked arms and they charged up that hill."

Clemson became the only team to beat Virginia Tech (11-2) twice in the same season. The Tigers beat the Hokies 23-3 in Blacksburg, Va., on Oct. 1.

The second half was all Clemson.

Clemson scored three touchdowns on five plays in a span of 4:24 in the third quarter to break open a 10-10 tie at halftime.