This game was an instant classic – and it turned on maybe the boldest call of Saban’s career.
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“We’ve had teams before at the end of the season lose their priority a little bit”.
› 118: Consecutive games in which Alabama has scored in the first half, the longest streak in the nation.
He came into the game with 394 receiving yards and less than 1,000 in almost three seasons. Howard’s 51-yard scoring catch with 9:45 left in the fourth quarter gave the Crimson Tide a 31-24 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Clemson’s winningest coaches – Frank Howard, Danny Ford and Dabo Swinney – all played for Bama. But the Crimson Tide might not have left Arizona victorious without his efforts against Clemson.
Clemson, though, could not back up its quarterback. On the other hand, Alabama has held opponents to a minuscule average of 2.3 yards per rush attempt this season, for an average of 70.8 rushing yards per game. But Watson couldn’t finish the job the way Young did in Pasadena, Calif. Howard went long. An easy touchdown resulted.
Watson is a difference-maker. But he did manage to still deliver on a prediction he made almost four years ago on Twitter.
He understood the risk, then he took it. Nick Saban was bold enough to risk defeat in the cause of victory. Two plays later, Coker threw his second TD, a 51-yard bomb to Howard. “The onside kick and the kick return for the touchdown kind of changed the momentum of the game”. Humphrey’s reaction to the call, he said: “We’re doing this in the national championship game?” The redshirt freshman caught the Tigers’ first two touchdown passes of the night to help his team build an early 14-7 lead. Clemson had been unstoppable at times on offense en route to 550 total yards, and couldn’t wait to get the ball back. That’s the situation he faced in each of his last two seasons sharing the field with Amari Cooper in 2014 and Henry in 2015.
They’d also shown they had a quarterback who appeared to possess the deadly power of kryptonite when facing Alabama’s Superman defense. Watson also had 73 yards on 20 carries.
Howard would have been a primary target on most teams, just not on teams with the SEC’s best player.
The Tide didn’t look as if it would need Coker much early, thanks to reigning Heisman Trophy victor Derrick Henry.
Clemson’s offense matched Alabama’s.
Saban had decided this was the time. But the Alabama offensive coordinator isn’t fooling anyone with his antics anymore.
“You’ll see us in in Tampa next year”, he said.
So while he deserve props for his delivery, we’re docking points for originality.
“When you win the national championship for Alabama, that’s about all you can ask for”, Coker said. He didn’t start against Ole Miss – Saban went with Cooper Bateman instead – and Coker was angry. His reputation is built more on recruiting, intense preparation and teams sporting punishing running games and even more dominant defenses. But there are going to be some NFL Draft-related discussions coming from Clemson in regards to players like Shaq Lawson, Jordan Leggett, Kevin Dodd, Mackensie Alexander, Wayne Gallman, T.J.
The Tide didn’t trail after that but the Tigers weren’t beaten.
And both defenses played well, too.
Pac-12 refs’ clock management: F Pac-12 refs have authored their fair share of gaffes in recent years, and they didn’t leave us disappointed on Monday.
Henry and Watson took turns throwing haymakers in a riveting first half, which ended with the teams tied at 14.
It was just the second time Watson lost as a Clemson starter.
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They came back with a field goal, and with Watson an unstoppable force most of the night, Clemson wasn’t done.
