They say the third time’s the charm, right?
It indeed was for the 2018-2019 Clemson Tigers, who captured their second title in three years after finding themselves victorious over the Alabama Crimson Tide once again to capture the biggest trophy in college sports. It was considered a start of a dynasty for some, while for others it legitimized freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence as one of the best quarterback prospects in the country. January 7th was another day to remember for Clemson fans worldwide, with the third time winning the national championship being as sweet as the first two.
How did we get here?
The 2017-2018 Clemson Tigers finished the regular season 12-1 with another ACC Championship added to the trophy room. In order to defend their championship title, the No. 1 seeded Tigers had to play Alabama (once again) in the Sugar Bowl, where the offense found itself dormant at the worst time, falling out of the College Football Playoff by a score of 24-6.
The Tigers were in great hands, however for next season. They were riding off of quarterback Kelly Bryant, but had the ace up their sleeve with the No. 1 prospect out of the 2018 class, Trevor Lawrence, entering his freshman year in the fall. Clemson was bringing in plenty of talent that could enter the first-team instantly, such as five-stars Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry, as well as recruits like four-stars Justin Mascoll and Justyn Ross.
Head coach Dabo Swinney and his team would begin the season against Furman, earning a strong win at Death Valley to travel to College Station to face Texas A&M. After a Bryant and Lawrence-led offense gave the Tigers a strong lead, the Aggies would score two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game, where they failed the two-point conversion and Clemson was 2-0.
With clear victories over Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, Clemson faced another big test in Syracuse, their only regular season loss from a season before. The biggest news before this game? Trevor Lawrence was given the starting job over Bryant, leading Bryant to transfer and sit out the rest of the season. Despite Clemson starting slow, behind 16-7 at halftime, third-string quarterback Chase Brice (Lawrence left with an injury) led two fourth-quarter drives to steal the win away from the Orange, winning 27-23.
After another four straight wins over ACC opponents, including a ranked No. 16 NC State, the next big test for the Tigers was a trip to Chestnut Hill to face No. 17 Boston College. The defense was the winner of this game, holding the Eagles 27-7 for another ranked win. With a win against Duke and South Carolina, the Tigers were 12-0 and ready for another ACC Championship victory.
With their next opponent being Pittsburgh for the title, running back Travis Etienne ran all over the Panthers, blowing them out and securing another Clemson championship. The Tigers had the No. 2 spot in the country, with a familiar foe in Notre Dame to be their one obstacle to the College Football Playoff championship.
Despite a dormant first quarter, the young Tigers erupted in the second quarter. Lawrence would find fellow freshman Justyn Ross for two long touchdown scores to pull ahead of the Irish in the second, scoring three touchdowns in the quarter. The defense held on, and another statement victory was made and the reunion against Alabama was set for the championship. Clemson would be without one of their star defensive linemen, Dexter Lawrence, who would be suspended for a banned substance.
The Game
After a three-and-out, an instant iconic play was made on the defensive side, immediately causing pressure on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. On a short pass, the Tide quarterback looked for a quick pass to the sideline that was read well by sophomore A.J. Terrell, who picked it off and returned it 44 yards to send a shock across the world and the Tigers started on top early.
Tagovailoa bounced back the next drive, hitting receiver Jerry Jeudy for 62 yards to tie the score. The Tigers pulled back ahead a drive later, with a 62-yard pass to Tee Higgins setting up Travis Etienne on a 17-yard touchdown run. Alabama’s response? Touchdown, but a missed PAT gave the Tigers the lead after the first quarter by a score of 14-13.
Clemson did not stop in the second quarter. After Alabama scored a field goal to retake the lead, the Tigers responded with two touchdowns, a rushing and receiving touchdown by Etienne. Clemson was helped by their defense, once again, when cornerback Trayvon Mullen intercepted another Tua pass in the end zone, giving the Tigers momentum to score more points. After a Greg Huegel kick, Clemson lead 31-16 and had no sign of slowing down.
Alabama rolled the dice at the beginning of the second half, but failed to convert a fake field goal to inch closer to the Tigers, and Trevor Lawrence would make them pay. The freshman standout found Justyn Ross again, racing away from defenders to find the end zone, giving Clemson a 21-point cushion. The Tide would not score another point in this game, struggling to convert third and fourth downs with the Clemson defense proving to be one of the best in the country. After another turnover on downs, the Tigers would score their last touchdown of the game, with Lawrence hitting Higgins for a five-yard touchdown score. Lawrence would finish with 347 yards and three touchdowns, giving him the offensive MVP award.
The team chewed the clock for the last ten minutes until the clock struck zero. And with that, the Tigers were champions once again, giving a statement win to their fans over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the rivalry. Dabo Swinney and his team were kings of the world, and with a young core, there could be years for some of these fan favorites. The future was bright in Clemson, and who knows what will happen next and when the fourth championship will be.
