Clemson’s ‘Crush’ flattened Tide
Winning play has worked all season
Tampa, Fla. — The play is called “Crush,” a staple of the Clemson offense, and as co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott lobbied for the Tigers to run it one last time this season with nothing less than a national title at stake, he had to step back and appreciate the ending they were about to write.
As Scott saw it unfold, the best quarterback to ever wear a Clemson uniform was going to take a snap with 6 seconds left, sprint to his right so he could get the ball out before time expired and fling it to a 5-foot-nothing receiver who didn’t get much interest from the Football Bowl Subdivision, walking on at Clemson and walking out of Raymond James Stadium on Monday night as a national champion.
Hunter Renfrow’s catch from Deshaun Watson with 1 second left to give Clemson a 35-31 victory against Alabama and its first title since 1981 may well go down as the most famous play in the school’s football history. And for Scott, it represented everything about what has made Clemson and Dabo Swinney, a former walk-on receiver himself, the perfect vehicle to put a dent in Alabama’s dynasty.
“It’s two ends of the spectrum: A five-star (recruit) to a guy that was a walk-on, and that really kind of epitomizes our program,” Scott said. “No matter how highly recruited you were, there’s an appreciation and love for every single guy in this program, and that starts at the top.”
In the blur of tensionfilled drives and exhilarating plays over the final 6½ minutes, which called for Clemson to go 88 yards to take the lead and then another 68 after Alabama’s stunning touchdown with 2:07 left, it was no surprise that the Tigers leaned on Renfrow in the moment that mattered most.
Ever since he stepped on campus, turning down scholarships from the likes of Furman and Appalachian State because he wanted to play for Clemson, there has been something special about Renfrow, who looks like he’d fit in more in Clemson’s computer science program than a football facility filled with blue-chip recruits and physical specimens.
“We can’t cover him in practice,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said.
A year ago, Renfrow broke out in the national championship game with a season-high seven catches for 88 yards against Alabama. But even before then, he had earned the full respect of Watson and Clemson’s bevy of talented and highly recruited skill players.
“We call Renfrow ‘White Chocolate,’ ” running back Wayne Gallman said. “He’s just one of the greatest receivers I’ve seen at Clemson. He just does everything right. It’s crazy the stuff he can do. You look at him and don’t think he can do anything that he’s doing, but he is.”
Said receiver Artavis Scott, who set the pick that drew two Alabama defenders on the final play, allowing Renfrow to spring free: “He’s just a little sniper. When you look at him, you think, ‘Who’s this white receiver?’ He lulls people to sleep, and he’s an amazing guy. He’s just so low maintenance, relaxed and has a knack for the ball.”
Of Clemson’s 99 offensive snaps Monday, Renfrow was on the field for 98, underlining both the trust he has earned and the effective role he was having against Alabama. He finished with 92 yards on 10 catches and two touchdowns, making one clutch play after another and epitomizing Clemson’s unique mix of elite recruiting and spot-on evaluation of developmental talents.
Every day during his 2014 freshman season on the scout team, Renfrow had to go up against the likes of Mackensie Alexander and Stephone Anthony, who parlayed their Clemson careers into early-round selections in the NFL draft.
And more often than not, Renfrow made his presence known.
“About a year and a half ago, I was still a walk-on, nobody really knew about me,” Renfrow said. “It all started in practice. Those guys were the No. 1 defense in the nation, and that’s something I’ve carried over, that if I can get open against those guys and the guys we have now, I can get open against anyone.”
In retrospect, the series of plays that culminated with Renfrow’s catch could not have worked out more perfectly for Clemson. But it also revealed that Alabama’s defense was increasingly mortal the more Clemson possessed the ball in the second half.
And “Crush,” as it turned out, would make Clemson the champion.
“I knew they were going to play straight cover zero man, and I knew if (Artavis Scott) made his block to get the little pick, Renfrow was going to get in the end zone,” Watson said. “I knew before I even snapped the ball it was going to be a touchdown. All I had to do was get the ball to him.”
All week, Clemson had felt like its destiny was to get showered with confetti and take this party from Raymond James all the way back to the Upstate, a fitting end to an era that made Clemson one of the nation’s elite programs. All they needed was one of their signature plays to be executed one more time. From a five-star to a walk-on, it worked to perfection.
“We have that play ready at all times,” Scott said. “We can run it wherever we want on the field. It was a great setup. We knew we had it. I knew it was a touchdown. It works. No one can stop it.”