Second-ranked Alabama rode two huge special-teams plays to a 24-point fourth quarter that brought the Crimson Tide another national championship.
‘Bama recovered an onside kick and got a kickoff return for a touchdown to rally to a 45-40 win over #1 Clemson in the national-title game Monday night.
The Tigers (14-1) led 24-21 entering the fourth quarter, and had the ball at midfield following a defensive stop. But the Tide forced a Clemson punt, then drove into the red zone before settling for a 33-yard Adam Griffith field goal that tied the game at 24.
Nick Saban then rolled the dice, a little, calling for an onside kick, exploiting a look that the front line of Clemson’s return team had been giving all night, leaving the left edge of the line basically uncovered.
Alabama (14-1) recovered the kick at midfield, and Jake Coker found tight end O.J. Howard for a 51-yard TD pass to make it 31-24 with 9:45 to go.
Clemson stalled in the red zone on its next possession and had to settle for a Greg Huegel 31-yard field goal that made it 31-27 at the 7:47 mark.
The game would turn on the next play. Kenyan Drake took the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown that made it a two-score game at 38-27 with 7:31 left.
The Tigers, to their credit, didn’t fold up the tent. DeShaun Watson led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard Watson-to-Artavis Scott TD pass that made it 38-33 with 4:40 to go.
At this stage, the Clemson D needed a stop, and couldn’t get one.
On second-and-12 at the ‘Bama 23, Coker connected with Howard on a tight-end screen that Howard broke down the left sideline for a 63-yard gain into the red zone.
Coker then converted a third-and-short inside the 5 with a scramble on a bootleg, setting up the clinching Derrick Henry 1-yard TD run with 1:07 to go.
Watson had one last drive left, and hit Jordan Leggett on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left to provide a last gasp in the form of an onside kick attempt.
Alabama recovered the kick and ran out the clock.
Watson was 30-for-47 passing for 405 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, the game’s only turnover. Watson also had 73 yards on 20 carries on the ground, as Clemson gashed the ‘Bama defense for 550 total yards.
The Tide gained 473 yards of offense, with Coker an efficient 16-of-25 passing for 335 yards and two touchdowns.
Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry had 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.
Howard had 208 yards receiving and two touchdowns on five catches.
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