With third-leading tackler and second-year starting spur safety Terence Garvin out for Wednesday’s Orange Bowl, some West Virginia fans worried their secondary could be in a heap of trouble against Clemson and its high-powered offense.

The Mountaineers more than held their own. Led by their two healthy remaining starting safeties — Eain Smith and Darwin Cook — West Virginia’s defense created three turnovers and made several big plays that led to the team’s 35-point, second-quarter outburst.

While Smith, a Hollywood Chaminade grad, led the team with nine first-half tackles, Cook, a redshirt sophomore, made the biggest play of the game when he recovered a fumble and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown to give West Virginia a 28-17 lead.

Junior nickel back Pat Miller then picked off a Tajh Boyd pass at Clemson’s 32-yard line that eventually led to a 3-yard TD catch by Tevon Austin that made it 42-20.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen’s plan was to split playing snaps between a trio of players in Garvin’s spot. It didn’t exactly pan out that way. Redshirt freshman Wes Tonkery started in Garvin’s spot and saw most of the action.

Hopkins starts

Clemson’s second-leading receiver DeAndre Hopkins was grateful to be alive, let alone playing in the Orange Bowl. A week ago Tuesday, Hopkins sustained a mild concussion in a car accident on his way to meet the team bus that would take the Tigers to the airport to leave for the Orange Bowl.

Some thought Hopkins might not see action in the game, but he did, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he would. Hopkins, a 6-1, 200-pound sophomore, had the Tigers’ first reception of the game, a 13-yarder from Boyd in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, Hopkins had eight catches for 67 yards.

Ford honored

Former Clemson head coach Danny Ford (1978-89) was honored on the field before the game for being the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame’s newest inductee. This is the 30th anniversary of Clemson’s 1981 national championship season, and Ford and the Tigers clinched the title with a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl. That game was played in the Orange Bowl Stadium.

Ford is the second Clemson Tiger from the 1981 team to be inducted into the OB Hall, as linebacker Jeff Davis, the defensive MVP of that game, was inducted two years ago. Ford led Clemson to the national title at the age of 33 — still the youngest head coach to win a national title.

Etc.

• Clemson left tackle Phillip Price left the game with 12:01 to play in the first half with a knee injury and didn’t return. The Tigers shifted sophomore left guard Brandon Thomas over to Price’s spot and filled in at the left-guard spot with fifth-year senior reserve David Smith.

• Wednesday’s honorary captains were a pair of former linebackers, West Virginia’s Darryl Talley and Clemson’s Jeff Davis. Talley, who starred for the Mountaineers from 1979 to 1982, went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL. Davis captained Clemson’s 1981 national championship team.

•  Andre Ellington’s 68-yard touchdown run on Clemson’s second possession tied the third-longest rushing touchdown in Orange Bowl history.

•  Sammy Watkins hauled in his 12th touchdown reception of the season in the first quarter. Watkins and quarterback Boyd connected for a touchdown in every game this year except Clemson’s matchup with NC State, which Watkins missed.

•  Javier Colon, the 33-year old singer/songwriter who won NBC’s “The Voice’’ competition, sang the national anthem before Wednesday’s game.