Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard and Kenyan Drake hit No. 1 Clemson with long touchdowns, and No. 2 Alabama outlasted the dynamic play of Deshaun Watson to win the College Football Playoff championship 45-40 on Monday night. Saban acknowledged it was Watson taking on his ‘Bama legions from Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry to all the future first-round draft picks littered throughout the roster.
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Clemson led 24-21 entering the fourth quarter after Alabama tight end O.J. Howard caught a 53-yard touchdown pass, which was answered by a Greg Huegel field goal and a Wayne Gallman 1-yard touchdown run.
Later, Alabama’s special teams came up big again when Kenyan Drake took the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. He was virtually a one-man show in keeping the Tigers ahead for a while. When the game ended, the entire crowd of 75,765 – the majority of them Clemson fans – stood and cheered. After reaching the National Championship for the first time in 34 years and falling short, the Tigers have a little something extra to give them that mental boost come next year. When it comes to this one, it tops the list. The game, sometimes referred to as the “Game of the Century”, ended in controversy as Notre Dame, playing at Spartan Stadium, elected not to try for a score on the final series. The game featured Terry Hanratty getting knocked out of the game after a sack by Michigan State’s Bubba Smith. It drove 61 yards to a field goal that drew the Tigers within 31-27. Parseghian chose to run out the clock.
Alabama finished Clemson off with a combination of Howard and Henry. Led by gawky yet efficient quarterback Bernie Kosar, Miami built an early lead and the hometown crowd rocked the Orange Bowl.
“We didn’t always play pretty in this game”. All seven of the Tigers’ scoring drives went for at least 54 yards, and he did it against the nation’s No. 3 team in scoring defense (15.1 ppg) and total defense (276.3 yards). HIGH TIMESNo. 2 Clemson had its highest finish since the 1982 final poll.
Miami was poised for another ideal season. When you play players like this, the whole team has to win. “I felt like if we didn’t do something or take a chance to change the momentum of the game that we wouldn’t have a chance to win. We didn’t cover as well as we’re capable of, and we weren’t able to handle him up front with our rushers, and I think they had 80-some plays, and we got exhausted probably in the second quarter, and once that happened, it was even worse”. With his team down 24-17 and facing fourth down in OT, Craig Krenzel’s pass into the end zone was called incomplete by one official, but another ruled interference against Miami.
The only coach in the last 35-plus years with almost the amount of Saban’s success is Ohio State’s Urban Meyer. A surprise onside kick from Alabama that caught Clemson napping and altered the course of the game for good. Clemson had not trailed in any fourth quarter until Monday. Deshaun Watson accounted for 478 yards by himself, 11 more than Vince Young managed in what’s widely considered the greatest performance in the history of college football.
“This team made a tremendous commitment to one another and that is why I am so happy for them”, said coach Nick Saban, who earned his fifth career national title.
Alabama struck first but Clemson landed two blows in the first quarter of the national championship game.
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It wasn’t the blowout Alabama is used to in national championship games, but it didn’t matter.
