Clemson outlasts Ohio State

Tigers rally after being down, 16-0, midway in second

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Trevor Lawrence connected with Travis Etienne on a 34-yard touchdown with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter and No. 3 Clemson beat No. 2 Ohio State, 29-23, Saturday night it the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium to advance to the College Football Playoff championship.

The Tigers went 94 yards on four plays in 1:18, with Lawrence completing all three of his passes and mixing in an 11-yard run. The sophomore quarterback who has never lost a college start passed for 259 yards and two scores and ran for a career-high 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown late in the first half.

Lawrence added a 2point conversion to Tee Higgins, but it left plenty of time for Ohio State and Justin Fields to respond. The Buckeyes drove to the Clemson 23, but on secondand-7, Fields fired to the end zone and was picked off by Nolan Turner with 37 seconds left. Ohio State receiver Chris Olave had broken off his route and left Fields throwing to no one.

One more knee from Lawrence and defending national champion Clemson had secured its 29th consective victory and fourth trip to the CFP championship in five years.

Clemson’s top receiver Tee Higgins returned to the field in the second half after being injured early.

Higgins was injured in the first quarter after being hit along the sideline.

Higgins lost his helmet on the hit and was attended by Clemson’s trainers before heading to the locker room with a towel over his head.

Higgins returned for the start of the second half.

The junior receiver led the second-ranked Tigers with 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns on 52 catches.

Clemson struggled without Higgins, trailing, 16-0, midway through the second quarter before pulling within two by halftime.

Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade was ejected for targeting, leaving the second-ranked Buckeyes without a key defensive player.

Wade was ejected late in the second quarter for a helmet-to-helmet hit on

Lawrence.

Lawrence laid on the field and had to be attended by trainers after Wade’s hit and another hit that twisted his left knee. He returned for the next series.

Officials reviewed the play while Lawrence was on the turf and determined it to be targeting.

Wade had 25 tackles and an interception entering the Fiesta Bowl.

Associated Press Justin Jefferson caught four of Joe Burrow’s touchdown passes Saturday, extending this one across the goal line despite the efforts of Oklahoma’s Pat Fields in the first half of the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. LSU went on to beat the Sooners, 63-28.

Associated Press Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence scores just before halftime Saturday night to pull the Tigers within 16-14 of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.