Clemson Football: End of season takeaways
Clemson Football: End of season takeaways January 12, 2016 by Caleb Blackmur (Edit)
Monday night’s National Championship matchup between No. 1 Clemson football and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide lived up to the hype, as I personally believe it was one of the best National Championships since the turn of the century (right up there behind Texas vs. USC, Ohio State vs. Miami, and Florida State vs. Auburn). Regardless of fan allegiance, you’d be a lunatic to not think that that was a great game of football; good enough to make up for a generally lackluster Bowl Season. Those truly were the best two teams in the country on the field, and any college football fan should appreciate that.
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) dunks head coach Nick Saban with Gatorade after the game against the Clemson
Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Alabama won 45-40. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports The Crimson Tide came out on top 45-40, making that the program’s fourth title in seven seasons, all under Nick Saban. The only other program in the country to be crowned champions that many times in that short of a span is Notre Dame, from 1943-1949. Both Saban and the entire ‘Bama football program in general padded their already elite résumés: the Tide have won more National Championships (11) than any other team in the country, and Saban’s fifth title puts him right behind legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant who won six. This thriller of a game was an excellent way to top off the 2015 college football season. So until next fall, my three takeaways: Clemson made mistakes, Alabama didn’t The Tigers lost this game simply because their mistakes, though there were very few, were taken advantage of by a great team that played perfect. Deshaun Watson’s lone interception early in the second quarter was incredibly untimely, as the Tigers had a 147 lead and were just a few plays away from taking charge of the game. However, the Crimson Tide robbed Clemson of all momentum as Derrick Henry eventually dove over the top of his offensive line and into the end zone to fully capitalize on Watson’s mistake. Clemson’s defensive backs made crucial mistakes including blown coverages and taking horrible angles on ball carrier pursuit. The unit’s potential obviously took a hit when shutdown cornerback Mackensie Alexander left the game with a hamstring injury, but kudos to Jake Coker and his targets for taking advantage of the Tigers’ misfortune. Junior defensive back Jayron Kearse, who typically impresses me with his playmaking consistency, oddly made a few crucial mistakes in defending Alabama’s passing attack. The offensive play calling seemed to be one of Clemson’s bigger mistakes, as running up the middle with Wayne Gallman should not have been such a common occurrence. Alabama’s defensive line was one of the best in the country, and with all due respect Gallman isn’t talented enough to get by these beasts. Gallman rushed for 45 yards on 14 carries, including a one yard touchdown run. Deshaun Watson led the offense in
rushing with 73 yards on 20 carries, although most of those yards came unplanned and were due to his ability to make something out of broken plays. Alabama’s fourth quarter onside kick recovery was their perfection in a nutshell. Just after tying the game at 24, they executed the trick play to a T and took the lead with a 51 yard touchdown through the air. They just refused to make mistakes, as they also prevented Clemson’s defense from forcing any turnovers Alabama’s offense had much more depth than most people thought
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) celebrates with Alabama Crimson Tide running back Kenyan Drake (17) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Myself included, many people believed that the Crimson Tide’s offense was a one man show in Derrick Henry. As far as the rushing game, Henry was the only legitimate
contributor as he rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries. He went completely untouched on a 50-yard dash for the first score of the game. Other than Henry, Kenyan Drake contributed one yard on the ground and Jake Coker recorded -20 rushing yards thanks to five sacks from the Clemson defense. Henry’s numbers were certainly noteworthy, but surprisingly the game’s MVP was Alabama tight end O.J. Howard as he tallied 208 yards and two touchdowns on only five receptions. And I feel that I owe an apology to Jake Coker for not believing he could lead this offense to victory. Clemson did pretty well preventing Henry from a whirlwind performance for the most part, if you look past the perfectly executed 50 yard handoff. Coker completed 16 of 25 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. I firmly believed that ‘Bama’s Heisman winner was the only true playmaker, but I was clearly proven wrong yet again when Kenyan Drake extended their lead with a 95 yard kickoff return about halfway through the fourth quarter. Clemson’s not leaving anytime soon
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4)
greets Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) after the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Losing this National Championship game obviously was not ideal for Clemson’s coaches, players, and fans. However, don’t be surprised if these guys get another shot at the title next year. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has the Tigers ranked No. 1 in his “Waytoo-Early Top 25” for next season, and I think we all know the reasoning behind that: his name his Deshaun Watson, and he is the best quarterback in the country. It’s a shame that a Clemson victory couldn’t be the cherry on top for Watson’s record breaking performance, as he passed Vince Young’s National Championship total yards record of 467 by putting up 478 total yards. Watson completed 30 of 47 passes for 405 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. His ability to keep plays alive, to avoid pass rushers, to spread the ball, and to remain poised were all on display against an excellent Alabama defense. There is no doubt in my mind that Deshaun Watson will have his name called as the 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner. Fortunately for the Tigers, they aren’t losing too many key players to the NFL Draft or graduation. Defensive end Shaq Lawson will be missed, and there are speculations of Mackensie Alexander heading to the draft as well. I’m not sure if it’s just wishful thinking, but I get the feeling that Alexander could stay after having to leave the game with a hamstring injury. He’s definitely good enough to go to the League already, but he has two more years of eligibility and a legitimate chance of competing for a national title. Dabo Swinney continues to land top tier recruits at all positions, and assuming he continues to do so, the Clemson Tigers are well on their way to becoming a top program in the nation. Despite falling short on the scoreboard, Clemson’s stock is through the roof in the mind of every young recruit and college football fan. Keep your eyes on this program as they are bound to accomplish some amazing things within the very near future. Congratulations again to the University of Alabama, as they were rightfully crowned as champions in one of the most exciting National Championship games ever.
Monday night’s National Championship matchup between No. 1 Clemson football and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide lived up to the hype, as I personally believe it was one of the best National Championships since the turn of the century (right up there behind Texas vs. USC, Ohio State vs. Miami, and Florida State vs. Auburn). Regardless of fan allegiance, you’d be a lunatic to not think that that was a great game of football; good enough to make up for a generally lackluster Bowl Season. Those truly were the best two teams in the country on the field, and any college football fan should appreciate that.
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) dunks head coach Nick Saban with Gatorade after the game against the Clemson
Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Alabama won 45-40. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports The Crimson Tide came out on top 45-40, making that the program’s fourth title in seven seasons, all under Nick Saban. The only other program in the country to be crowned champions that many times in that short of a span is Notre Dame, from 1943-1949. Both Saban and the entire ‘Bama football program in general padded their already elite résumés: the Tide have won more National Championships (11) than any other team in the country, and Saban’s fifth title puts him right behind legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant who won six. This thriller of a game was an excellent way to top off the 2015 college football season. So until next fall, my three takeaways: Clemson made mistakes, Alabama didn’t The Tigers lost this game simply because their mistakes, though there were very few, were taken advantage of by a great team that played perfect. Deshaun Watson’s lone interception early in the second quarter was incredibly untimely, as the Tigers had a 147 lead and were just a few plays away from taking charge of the game. However, the Crimson Tide robbed Clemson of all momentum as Derrick Henry eventually dove over the top of his offensive line and into the end zone to fully capitalize on Watson’s mistake. Clemson’s defensive backs made crucial mistakes including blown coverages and taking horrible angles on ball carrier pursuit. The unit’s potential obviously took a hit when shutdown cornerback Mackensie Alexander left the game with a hamstring injury, but kudos to Jake Coker and his targets for taking advantage of the Tigers’ misfortune. Junior defensive back Jayron Kearse, who typically impresses me with his playmaking consistency, oddly made a few crucial mistakes in defending Alabama’s passing attack. The offensive play calling seemed to be one of Clemson’s bigger mistakes, as running up the middle with Wayne Gallman should not have been such a common occurrence. Alabama’s defensive line was one of the best in the country, and with all due respect Gallman isn’t talented enough to get by these beasts. Gallman rushed for 45 yards on 14 carries, including a one yard touchdown run. Deshaun Watson led the offense in
rushing with 73 yards on 20 carries, although most of those yards came unplanned and were due to his ability to make something out of broken plays. Alabama’s fourth quarter onside kick recovery was their perfection in a nutshell. Just after tying the game at 24, they executed the trick play to a T and took the lead with a 51 yard touchdown through the air. They just refused to make mistakes, as they also prevented Clemson’s defense from forcing any turnovers Alabama’s offense had much more depth than most people thought
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) celebrates with Alabama Crimson Tide running back Kenyan Drake (17) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Myself included, many people believed that the Crimson Tide’s offense was a one man show in Derrick Henry. As far as the rushing game, Henry was the only legitimate
contributor as he rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries. He went completely untouched on a 50-yard dash for the first score of the game. Other than Henry, Kenyan Drake contributed one yard on the ground and Jake Coker recorded -20 rushing yards thanks to five sacks from the Clemson defense. Henry’s numbers were certainly noteworthy, but surprisingly the game’s MVP was Alabama tight end O.J. Howard as he tallied 208 yards and two touchdowns on only five receptions. And I feel that I owe an apology to Jake Coker for not believing he could lead this offense to victory. Clemson did pretty well preventing Henry from a whirlwind performance for the most part, if you look past the perfectly executed 50 yard handoff. Coker completed 16 of 25 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. I firmly believed that ‘Bama’s Heisman winner was the only true playmaker, but I was clearly proven wrong yet again when Kenyan Drake extended their lead with a 95 yard kickoff return about halfway through the fourth quarter. Clemson’s not leaving anytime soon
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4)
greets Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) after the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Losing this National Championship game obviously was not ideal for Clemson’s coaches, players, and fans. However, don’t be surprised if these guys get another shot at the title next year. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has the Tigers ranked No. 1 in his “Waytoo-Early Top 25” for next season, and I think we all know the reasoning behind that: his name his Deshaun Watson, and he is the best quarterback in the country. It’s a shame that a Clemson victory couldn’t be the cherry on top for Watson’s record breaking performance, as he passed Vince Young’s National Championship total yards record of 467 by putting up 478 total yards. Watson completed 30 of 47 passes for 405 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. His ability to keep plays alive, to avoid pass rushers, to spread the ball, and to remain poised were all on display against an excellent Alabama defense. There is no doubt in my mind that Deshaun Watson will have his name called as the 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner. Fortunately for the Tigers, they aren’t losing too many key players to the NFL Draft or graduation. Defensive end Shaq Lawson will be missed, and there are speculations of Mackensie Alexander heading to the draft as well. I’m not sure if it’s just wishful thinking, but I get the feeling that Alexander could stay after having to leave the game with a hamstring injury. He’s definitely good enough to go to the League already, but he has two more years of eligibility and a legitimate chance of competing for a national title. Dabo Swinney continues to land top tier recruits at all positions, and assuming he continues to do so, the Clemson Tigers are well on their way to becoming a top program in the nation. Despite falling short on the scoreboard, Clemson’s stock is through the roof in the mind of every young recruit and college football fan. Keep your eyes on this program as they are bound to accomplish some amazing things within the very near future. Congratulations again to the University of Alabama, as they were rightfully crowned as champions in one of the most exciting National Championship games ever.
