Note: The following appears in The Citadel football gameday program.
Editor’s Note – Last season, Dabo Swinney became the winningest coach in Clemson history when he led the Tigers to a win over Notre Dame. It was his 166th career win, one more than Frank Howard had between 1940-69. In each gameday program this season, Tim Bourret reviews an important victory in Swinney’s head-coaching career. Today, we recall Clemson’s win over Alabama that gave the Tigers the 2016 national title.
The 2016 Clemson season was filled with thrilling games that were decided by a touchdown or less, so it was fitting that the final game of the season ended the same way. Clemson’s 35-31 victory over the defending national champion, Alabama, was its seventh victory by a touchdown or less in 2016.
Alabama entered with a 14-0 record, the No. 1 ranking and a chance to become the first 15-0 team in modern FBS history. The Crimson Tide had a 26-game winning streak, the longest by an SEC team since 1980, and had won 16 games in row over top-25 teams, tied for the longest streak since the poll began in 1936.
Clemson had a 13-1 record, having lost at home to Pittsburgh 43-42 when a placekicker with the last name “Blewitt” did not blow it and made a 48-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in total defense and scoring defense, and it appeared it would be a defensive-dominated game in the first half. Alabama led 14-7 at halftime, the first time all year the Tigers did not have the lead at halftime.
Alabama could have taken a commanding 21-7 lead early in the third quarter when the ball was stripped from Wayne Gallman and recovered by linebacker Ryan Anderson. The Crimson Tide had scored 12 defensive touchdowns on the season, but Hunter Renfrow hustled on the play and stopped Anderson at the 15. The Clemson defense limited the Crimson Tide to a field goal.
Alabama held a 24-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. Nick Saban-coached teams had won 97 games a row when leading by double digits entering the fourth quarter.
The cumulative effect of Clemson’s offensive pace took its toll on Alabama in the fourth quarter. First, the Tigers drove 72 yards in nine plays to cut the margin to 24-21 when Deshaun Watson connected with Mike Williams on a four-yard touchdown pass.
After trading punts, Clemson drove 88 yards in six plays to take a 28-24 lead with 4:38 left. Eighty-eight yards…how fitting because that was the jersey number Dabo Swinney wore when he played at Alabama.
But Alabama drove right back. After a trick play, freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts ran through the defense for a 30-yard touchdown and a 31-28 Alabama lead with just 2:07 remaining.
What followed was the “drive of the ages” for the program, which started at the Clemson 32. Mike Williams made the first big play with a 24-yard reception that brought the ball to the Alabama 39.
Two plays later and facing a third and three, Watson connected with Renfrow for six yards and a first down.
Clemson then stopped the clock with just 19 seconds left. On second down, Watson hit Jordan Leggett for 17 yards. The senior used his wingspan to make what would be the final catch of his Tiger career with just 14 seconds left.
After an incomplete pass, Williams was interfered with on the next pass in the endzone, giving Clemson first and goal at the two with just six seconds left.
With the possibility this would be the final play of the game and his career, Watson rolled to his right and found Renfrow in the right corner of the endzone.
The catch, Renfrow’s 10th of the game, the most against Alabama in four years, gave Clemson a 34-31 lead. The ensuing extra point made the score 35-31. It was fitting that Clemson scored 35 points when it had been 35 years since it won its first national championship.
After recovering an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, just the fourth onside kick recovery for the Clemson program in the last 39 years, all the Tigers had to do was kneel down. Fittingly, Watson had the ball in his hands on the last play.
Swinney was a wide receiver on Alabama’s 1992 national championship team and became the first coach to beat his alma mater to win the national title. He also joined Bud Wilkinson to become the first person to play on a national championship team and win a national title as a head coach.
