Defense carries Tide by top-ranked Tigers
NEW ORLEANS — The rubber match of the Alabama-Clemson trilogy was a total dud compared with the teams’ previous two meetings. Except to the Crimson Tide defense, which will remember it as a thing of beauty.
In a game in which every yard was a struggle, the ’Bama defenders took matters into their own hands, leading to two touchdowns 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.
“That was a relentless defensive attitude,” said Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who earned another shot at his record-tying sixth national title. “They were warriors out there on the field. I couldn’t be more proud of the way a bunch of guys competed for 60 minutes.”
It was quite a contrast to their past two meetings, both high-scoring classics with the national title on the line.
There was little drama this night in the Big Easy. With quarterback Deshaun Watson in the NFL, top-ranked Clemson (12-2) had no answer for Saban’s latest group of defensive standouts.
Clemson was lucky to be down only 10-3 at halftime against the No. 4 Tide (12-1), and closed the gap with a field goal after Jalen Hurts fumbled on the first play of the second half. But any thoughts of a Clemson rally were extinguished in the third quarter.
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 — a familiar sight on this night.
Payne rumbled 21 yards on the return, eluding running back Travis Etienne’s attempted tackle, and drew a 15-yard penalty when Tremayne Anchrum yanked him down with a horse collar.
After Alabama drove to a first down at the Clemson 1, Payne re-entered the game — presumably to add another big body for blocking. When Hurts faked the handoff, Payne slipped open near the right pylon and hauled in the touchdown pass, getting both feet down before the celebration commenced beyond the sideline.
“I’ve got gold hands,” quipped Payne, who was picked as the game’s defensive MVP.
Shell-shocked by the turn of events, Clemson was demoralized after its next offensive play. Bryant’s pass deflected off the hands of Deon Cain and was intercepted by linebacker Mack Wilson, who returned it 18 yards for another touchdown.
Just like that, the Tide had an 18-point lead.
They could’ve called it right then.
“Just incredibly disappointed in our performance,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “But congratulations to Alabama. They were the better team today. No doubt about it.”