Clemson Rolls Tide for Title
January 9, 2019
On Monday, January 7, the Clemson University Tigers trounced the University of Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It was the second national championship in the past three years for Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney. With the win, the Tigers became the first team in modern college football history with a 15-win undefeated season. Clemson’s victory also prevented legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban from earning a seventh career national football championship.
Clemson’s A. J. Terrell returns an interception for a touchdown early in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium on Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. Credit: © Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images
On Alabama’s first possession, sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception that was returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Clemson defensive back A. J. Terrell. But Alabama quickly scored on their following drive to tie the game at 7-7. The teams swapped scores through the end of the first quarter, but Clemson pulled ahead in the second for a 31-16 halftime lead. Clemson dominated the second half, adding two more touchdowns while stopping Alabama on three consecutive fourth-down conversion attempts.
Clemson’s final possession was an epic example of clock domination as they ran 14 plays to move 94 yards. After forcing an Alabama punt with 10:02 remaining in the game, Clemson took over the ball on their own 1-yard line. A series of runs and first downs then slowly shoved the Crimson Tide defense backward as the clock ticked the season away. The game ended following a fourth-down run by Clemson’s Adam Choice, who fought to Alabama’s 5-yard line on the final play.
Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished the game with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, completing 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards. Lawrence shared the game’s most valuable player honors with junior cornerback Trayvon Mullen, who anchored the defense with six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a 46-yard interception return.
Rarely have two teams dominated college football more than Alabama and Clemson did during the 2018 season. Alabama began the year ranked number one in the country. Clemson reached the number two ranking nine weeks into the season. Both teams went 13-0 during the regular season. In the four-team College Football Playoff that began on December 29, second-ranked Clemson easily dispatched third-ranked Notre Dame 30-3 at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Top seed Alabama jumped out early against fourth-ranked Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, and held on for a 45-34 win to set up the national championship title game.
This was the fourth straight year that Alabama and Clemson have faced each other in the College Football Playoff, and the third time they have matched up in the national championship. Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2016 title game. Clemson beat Alabama to win the championship in 2017. In 2018, Alabama took out Clemson in the playoff before defeating Georgia in the title game.
