Alabama’s defense suffocates Clemson
SUGAR BOWL
NO. 4 ALABAMA 24, NO. 1 CLEMSON 6
NEW ORLEANS — The rubber match of the Alabama-Clemson trilogy was a total dud compared to the teams’ previous two meetings.
Except to the Crimson Tide defense, which will remember it as a thing of beauty.
In a game where every yard was a struggle, Alabama defenders took matters into their own hands, scoring a pair of touchdowns just 13 seconds apart in the third quarter to turn an offensive slog into a 24-6 rout of defending national champion Clemson in the Sugar Bowl semifinal game Monday night.
It was quite a contrast to their last two meetings, both high-scoring classics with the national title on the line, not to mention the Rose Bowl semifinal that preceded it.
Georgia knocked off Oklahoma 54-48 in a double-overtime thriller that wasn’t decided until the Alabama was on its second possession in the Big Easy.
There would be no drama in the nightcap. With Deshaun Watson off to the NFL, top-ranked Clemson (12-2) simply had no answer for Nick Saban’s latest group of defensive standouts.
The Crimson Tide’s victory set up an all-SEC showdown for the national title — with Saban matched against his former defensive coordinator, Georgia Coach Kirby Smart.
Clemson was fortunate to be down only 10-3 at halftime against the fourthranked Tide (12-1), and actually closed the gap with a field goal after Jalen Hurts fumbled on the first play of the second half.
But any thoughts of a Tigers rally were snuffed out by the time the third quarter was done.
It began with 308-pound defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne picking off a wobbly pass, the ball fluttering through the air after besieged Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant was hit as he threw. Payne rumbled 21 yards on the return.
After Alabama drove to a first down at the Clemson 1, Payne re-entered the game — presumably to add another big body for blocking purposes.
That’s what Clemson was thinking, biting when Hurts faked the handoff. Payne slipped open near the right pylon and hauled in the touchdown pass.
On Clemson’s next offensive play, Bryant’s pass was deflected off the hands of Deon Cain and intercepted by linebacker Mack Wilson, who returned it 18 yards for another touchdown.
Just like that, Alabama had a 24-6 lead.