Crimson Tide Beats Clemson
Alabama’s Kenyan Drake (in white) gets past Clemson’s T. J. Green to score a touchdown with a 95-yard kickoff return during the second half of the NCAA College Football Playoff Championship game. The 2015 championship was decided on Monday, January 11, in Glendale, Arizona. Credit: © David J. Phillip, AP Photo
January 12, 2016
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Clemson University Tigers 45-40 on Monday night, January 11, to win the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. The title was the fourth in the past seven seasons for Alabama, placing the school among the elite in college football history. Only Notre Dame during the period of 1943 to 1949 won as many as four championships in seven seasons.
The game broke a recent string of one-sided championship games that lacked suspense down the stretch. On Monday night, the lead went back and forth for the first three quarters, with Alabama taking control with a 17-point burst in three minutes in the fourth quarter. The contest was loaded with big moments—with four touchdowns coming on plays of more than 50 yards, including a 95-yard kickoff return by Alabama’s Kenyan Drake. The two teams combined for 1,012 yards in total offense, plus almost 300 yards more in punt and kickoff returns. Alabama and Clemson scored 40 points between them in the fourth quarter alone.
Each team’s offensive star gave a center stage performance. Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns, including a 50-yard sprint that opened the scoring 5 minutes and 18 seconds into the game. Clemson’s All-American sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 405 yards and four touchdowns and added another 73 yards rushing. Watson has got to be the odds-on favorite for next season’s Heisman Trophy.
For all the excitement provided by both teams offensively, the key play of the evening was a kickoff that went only 15 yards. Alabama had kicked a field goal to tie the score at 24-24 with 10 minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the game. Alabama coach Nick Saban then elected to try an on-side kick to retain possession of the ball. The kick was executed perfectly against the surprised Clemson team as an Alabama player caught the kick in mid air. Two plays later, quarterback Jake Coker hit tight end O. J. Howard with a 51-yard touchdown pass to give Alabama what turned out to be a permanent lead with 9 minutes and 45 seconds left in the game.
The teams still had time to score four more touchdowns and a field goal, the last touchdown, by Clemson, bringing the score to 45-40 with 12 seconds left. Clemson tried its own on-side kick, but the ball went out of bounds and Alabama ran out the clock to end one of the most memorable title champion games in college football history.
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