“We haven’t panicked when it’s been late”, Elliot said. “It was just a matter of when”. Clemson running back Wayne Gallman teams with Watson to form one of the most explosive rushing attacks in college football; Gallman, a sophomore, has 1,482 rushing yards and has rattled off at least 100 yards in six of his last seven games, including 150 against Oklahoma.
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Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley vs. Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander This is going to be a fun one.
The pregame lasted for more than an hour, as many players hugged and thanked their fans all the way to the buses heading to GSP International Airport. Look a little closer, though, and one small crack can tell you quite a bit about this year’s Crimson Tide.
If any team can get Alabama’s defence on its heels, it’s Clemson. On the other hand, Alabama is a veteran to championship games. Oklahoma was favored in the Orange Bowl by four points. The Tigers only had 188 yards of offense, and C.J. Spiller returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for Clemson’s only touchdown of the game.
Watson turned in another stellar all-around performance, beating Oklahoma with his arm and his legs. Here is what you’ll see from Bama’s passing game.
Spears said Alabama will use a game plan that ensures its defensive ends don’t rush past the quarterback, leaving gaping holes for Watson to run through.
“No doubt about it”, Watson said with a grin. The Sooners matched their lowest-scoring game of the season as Mayfield was sacked five times and intercepted twice, finally getting knocked out of the game when he took a blow to the head trying to make a tackle after his second pick. Just ask the sooner land rushers. ‘Bama is so hard to beat.
Alabama looked like a team with no weaknesses against Michigan State.
Some say they are expecting the Tide to dominate.
– Derrick Henry won the 2015 Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Alabama player to win the award after Mark Ingram in 2008.
Clemson is looking to keep its ideal season intact and finish 15-0, which would give Dabo Swinney’s Tigers their first national championship since 1981.
Saban called Kiffin “a great play-caller” who has embraced his role on the staff and helped the offense remain productive without the benefit of an elite quarterback in either of the team’s playoff seasons. I mean, they roll them guys in there, play a lot of guys, a bunch of subs, and they all play at a really, really high level. It’s a great opportunity for them. They’re so competitive. They get along so well.
Saban even allowed Kiffin to stop him from calling a timeout before one of the Tide’s most pivotal plays this season: a fourth-and-2 call from the Texas A&M 26-yard line with Alabama seeking to extend a 28-20 lead in the third quarter.
“Well, they’re not the best defense ever”, said Cincinnati Bengals cornerback and former Tide star Dre Kirkpatrick, with a laugh.
Predictably, the Crimson Tide’s trouble comes with the pass – just not in the way you might think. On Monday night at the University of Phoenix Stadium, either Alabama adds to its dynasty or Clemson culminates its climb to the top.
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