In a contest where neither side got much of an early offensive foothold, the Southeastern Conference champions pulled away behind big plays from quarterback Jake Coker and a suffocating defense.
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The loss still stung.
Kiffin did his homework ahead of Thursday’s College Football Playoff. Hale finished the game 0-3 from the field with two points, but Johnson limited the minutes he was able to play as he works his way back into the starting lineup.
“That’s a great team with a great quarterback”, the junior linebacker said after Thursday night’s shutout win over Michigan State at AT&T Stadium. Michigan State fans in the stands couldn’t wait for the experience to be over, but somehow waited for something to change and happen, although everyone knew it was going to end badly. The Spartans had gone 196 games since the last time they were shut out.
“I think past year when we came to this game, we were just happy to take part in the game”, Saban said. “I’m sure our guys will be motivated, trying to do the best they can to play the best they can in the game”.
It’s time for the Tide to take care of some unfinished business.
Alabama will also try to unleash Heisman Trophy victor Derrick Henry on Clemson’s defense.
Two plays after Michigan State’s best play of the first half, a 26-yard completion to Macgarrett Kings Jr., Cook threw an interception to Jones on a ball intended for All-Big Ten receiver Aaron Burbridge, who caught five passes for 39 yards, his fourth-lowest output of the season. Coker, the promising Florida State transfer who sat the bench most of last season, was almost ideal.
Saban said his team came into this playoff with a different attitude.
“This was a great team win for us”. The freshman Ridley streaked by defenders on deep throws and outfought them on jump balls. In the receiving end, Calvin Ridley had 138 yards and two touchdowns in eight receptions while OJ Howard added 59 yards in three receptions.
Alabama led 17-0 and was in firm control late in the third quarter when senior cornerback Cyrus Jones, who had an interception late in the first half, returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown.
After a scoreless first quarter, the teams continued in a standoff well into the second quarter until the Tide moved 80 yards in six plays to a touchdown to break on top, 7-0, on a 1-yard run by Henry with 5:36 left in the first half.
The celebration at that point was pretty tame on the Alabama sideline.
“I’m really, really proud of our team”.
The Tide blew a 21-6 lead and lost 42-35 to Ohio State in last season’s semifinals, giving the team all the motivation it needed to get back to the championship round.
“We really had a mentality here of wanting to prove people wrong”, Guillermo said. “It starts with us putting the game on our back”. “We’ve just got a lot of athletes on the outside”.
The Tide players talked about how some players were too concerned about where they would be drafted or partying on Bourbon Street last season. In chilly Dallas, there was nothing to do but practice. The players set the curfews this week.
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. January 11. “But we kind of knew going in those are run-pass options”.
Mullaney 3-53, Drake 3-5, Henry 1-(minus 6). The Clemson secondary is better than Michigan State’s.
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Henry, the second Alabama player to ever win the Heisman, wasn’t flashy in his first performance after celebrating in New York City. Can we block them? “That’s been a weakness that I thought we overcame tonight”.
