SUGAR: Alabama rips Clemson, gains berth in final
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, the ’Bama 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.
But with quarterback Deshaun Watson off to the NFL, top-ranked Clemson (12-2) simply had no answer for coach Nick Saban’s latest group of defensive standouts. The Crimson Tide’s win set up an all-Southeastern Conference showdown for the national title — with Saban matched against his former defensive coordinator, Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
“I’m proud of the job he’s done and their team has done a fabulous job to get in the position they’re in,” Saban said of Smart. “I’m sure it’ll be a great football game.”
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 Tiger 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 Kelly Bryant wobbly pass.
Payne rumbled 21 yards on the return, and drew a 15-yard personal foul penalty.
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 certainly what Clemson was thinking, totally biting when Hurts faked the handoff.
Payne slipped open near the right pylon and hauled in the touchdown pass, even managing to get both feet down before the celebration commenced beyond the sideline.
“I have gold hands, so I knew I was going to catch it,” Payne said.
Then on Clemson’s next 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.