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The Dynasty Lives!
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Crimson Tide Wins 16th National Title
Crimson Tide National Championship Celebration
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
Be honest.
How many times did you hold your breath last night? How many times did you wonder if this one was not going our way? How many times did you wonder how was that Clemson quarterback shredding the best defense in the nation?
Heart.
A lot of heart and some trickery.
Execution when needed.
45-40 for the Crimson Tide when it was over.
Calvin Ridley
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
So much can be said about the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The main thing is, though, that the Alabama Crimson Tide is the 2015 National Champions.
For the fourth time in seven years, Alabama head coach NICK SABAN led his Bama boys to the pinnacle of college football. Saban, offensive coordinator LANE KIFFIN and defensive coordinator KIRBY SMART had a game plan that brought home to the state of Alabama their 16th national title. This gives Saban his fifth national championship, four of which with the Crimson Tide. In fact, Nick Saban has never lost a national title game. Never. Five trips to the National Championship, and five time bringing home the hardware.
Bama quarterback JAKE COKER had a career-best 335 passing yards and tight end O.J. HOWARD with a career-high five pass receptions for 208 yards showed the Clemson Tigers they had to do more than "try" to shut down DERRICK HENRY. To a certain extent, they did shut Henry down, catching him in the backfield more times than any other team in the country had all season. Henry did, however, still rush for 158 yards. KENYAN DRAKE had a big night himself, including a 95-yard kick-return for a touchdown.
Clemson is undefeated no more. Like the ocean's tide, the Crimson Tide relentlessly pounded, and roared and pounded some more to hand the Tigers their only defeat of the 2015 college football season and drop their formerly unblemished record to 14-1 before an over-capacity crowd of 75,756 (capacity: 71,000) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Alabama's record improved to 14-1, but their identical record to Clemson's included knocking the goose-egg off the other side.
Derrick Henry scores another one!
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
Crimson Tide Heisman-winning running back Derrick Henry appropriately opened the scoring for both the Tide and the game on a 50-yard run with 7:55 remaining in the first period to put Bama up 7-0. Clemson bounded back with a 31-yard touchdown toss from Clemson quarterback DeShawn Watson to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to knot it at 7-7 with 5:18 remaining in the first.
More than a few folks were shaking their heads when another missed field goal kept the Tide from taking the lead. ADAM GRIFFITH had really come on in his kicking as the season progressed, but this miss came at the wrong time and some took it as an omen.
Clemson then marched 73 yards in just seven plays on another Watson-Renfrow hookup of 11 yards to give the Tigers their first lead of the night, 14-7 as the first quarter ended. Two touchdowns in the first period against the vaunted Tide defense? It didn't take long for Bama to get back on the board, but it took a great defensive effort to set it up. Bama safety EDDIE JACKSON intercepted Watson to set up the tying touchdown, with the Tide moving 42 yards to set up a dive right up the center and over the top by Henry to knot it at 14.
Clemson was unable to move the ball on their opening possession of the second half, but the Tide went 64 yards on just three plays to take their second lead of the night 21-14. That score came on a 53-yard pass from Coker to Howard with 12:53 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson then marched down the field with a 55-yard drive of their own but were unable to punch it in and setttled for a 37-yard field goal with 10:10 remaining in the third to narrow Bama's lead to 21-17. However, Clemson again took the lead 24-21 on their next possession on a 60-yard drive with 4:48 remaining in the third period.
Alabama's Kenyan Drake
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
Once again Clemson marched down the field. Again the Tide held them out of the end zone, but giving up a 31-yard field goal as the Tigers cut the lead to 31-27. Then Kenyan Drake took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to again widen the Tide's lead to 38-27 with 7:31 remaining.
Nick Saban & Reggie Ragland
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
Clemson again came bounding back with a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 15-yard pass from Watson to Artavis Scott. Alabama shut down a two-point conversion attempt as the Tigers narrowed the Tide lead to 38-33 with 4:40 remaining in the game.
It took only two plays for Alabama to put the winning touchdown on the board. Coker hit Howard for a 63-yard touchdown to set up Henry just six plays later for a one-yard dive for a 45-33 lead with just 1:07 remaining in the game.
But the Tigers death-throes did allow them another quick score on a pass from Watson to Leggett with 12 seconds remaining, narrowing the the lead and a final score of 45-40. An onside kick failed for the Tigers.
Alabama. National Champions.
As has been touted this season: 16 in 2016.
Roll Tide!
Big Al
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Kent Gidley
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Post-Championship Press Conference
Alabama head football coach NICK SABAN, the assistant coaches and the Crimson Tide were still in the after-glow this morning after last night's 45-40 victory over the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship. This morning he, as well as MVPs EDDIE JACKSON and O.J. HOWARD briefly spoke with the press before departing for home in Tuscaloosa.
Saban opened kidding around, clearly relaxed and enjoying his fifth national championship, and fourth as head coach at Alabama. He kidded about everyone getting a good night's sleep, and yet he still got up at 6:15 a.m. this morning.
The coach was grinning, jovial, and yet humble in his comments about last night. He said he was pleased with what the coaches and team were able to accomplish last night.
He said while he will enjoy the championship victory, he is driven by more than championships. He said that is what keeps all this fresh for him.
Of course the subject of coaching in general, and coaching at Alabama would come up...especially since it's never gone away since he arrived. When he was asked how long he wanted to coach, Saban was quite candid. He said that is actually scared him to think of a time when he isn't a part of a team. He went ahead and said he really had no timetable "for not being part of the team."
Whereas that doesn't actually say he is staying at Alabama, it should be quite clear the coach is having fun, has business ties, and the biggie is he has family ties. At present, why not believe the last six or seven statements this past couple of years that he isn't going to leave Alabama.
Saban addressed the onside kick when the score was deadlocked at 24. He said that the defense wasn't stopping them, and he needed something to swing the momentum. He said that it was a "calculated risk" and did indeed change the momentum in Alabama's favor. It led to the second score for Bama in less than a minute.
The head coach joked a little about his offensive coordinator, LANE KIFFIN, missing the team bus and being stranded. He said that Lane "ended up hitching a ride" with him. He said he thought Kiffin was just having a good time and missed the bus.
Saban said the players will get some much-deserved down time before the lifting program got underway.
Alabama won its 16th National Championship last night, the fourth in seven years.
Roll Tide!
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National Championship Game Stats
| Team Totals | UA | CU |
| FIRST DOWNS | 18 | 31 |
| Rushing | 6 | 9 |
| Passing | 11 | 20 |
| Penalty | 1 | 2 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING | 138 | 145 |
| Rushing Attempts | 46 | 38 |
| Average Per Rush | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 3 | 1 |
| Yards Gained Rushing | 179 | 175 |
| Yards Lost Rushing | 41 | 30 |
| NET YARDS PASSING | 335 | 405 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int | 16-25-0 | 30-47-1 |
| Average Per Attempt | 13.4 | 8.6 |
| Average Per Completion | 20.9 | 13.5 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 2 | 4 |
| TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS | 473 | 550 |
| Total offense plays | 71 | 85 |
| Average Gain Per Play | 6.7 | 6.5 |
| Fumbles: Number-Lost | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Penalties: Number-Yards | 2-21 | 4-27 |
| PUNTS-YARDS | 7-297 | 6-265 |
| Average Yards Per Punt | 42.4 | 44.2 |
| Net Yards Per Punt | 39.3 | 38.8 |
| Inside 20 | 3 | 2 |
| 50+ Yards | 1 | 2 |
| Touchbacks | 0 | 1 |
| Fair catch | 5 | 0 |
| KICKOFFS-YARDS | 7-422 | 7-448 |
| Average Yards Per Kickoff | 60.3 | 64.0 |
| Net Yards Per Kickoff | 36.3 | 28.9 |
| Touchbacks | 4 | 2 |
| Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD | 1-12-0 | 2-22-0 |
| Average Per Return | 12.0 | 11.0 |
| Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD | 5-196-1 | 3-68-0 |
| Average Per Return | 39.2 | 22.7 |
| Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD | 1-0-0 | 0-0-0 |
| Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD | 0-0-0 | 0-0-0 |
| Miscellaneous Yards | 0 | 0 |
| Possession Time | 30:31 | 29:29 |
| 1st Quarter | 7:57 | 7:03 |
| 2nd Quarter | 9:35 | 5:25 |
| 3rd Quarter | 5:24 | 9:36 |
| 4th Quarter | 7:35 | 7:25 |
| Third-Down Conversions | 9 of 18 | 6 of 14 |
| Fourth-Down Conversions | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Red-Zone Scores-Chances | 3-3 | 5-5 |
| Touchdowns | 2-3 | 3-5 |
| Field goals | 1-3 | 2-5 |
| Sacks By: Number-Yards | 2-14 | 5-31 |
| PAT Kicks | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| Field Goals | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Points off turnovers | 7 | 0 |
Individual Statistics (Final)
2015 Alabama Football
Alabama vs #1 Clemson (Jan 11, 2016 at Glendale, Ariz.)
*Stats Supplied by RollTide.com
2015 Alabama Football
Alabama vs #1 Clemson (Jan 11, 2016 at Glendale, Ariz.)
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| FUMBLES: Alabama-None. #1 Clemson-Peake 1-0; Watson 1-0. |
