Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama’s defense dominates Clemson in CFP semi

— By Peter Finney Jr., The Sports Xchange —

NEW ORLEANS — This was Bear Bryant football — and Nick Saban football.
In an era of spreads, shotguns and shenanigans, No. 4 Alabama, healthy once again, asserted itself in the trenches and overpowered No. 1 Clemson on defense Monday night to win the College Football Playoff semifinal 24-6 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Crimson Tide (12-1) advance to the national championship game on Jan. 8 at Atlanta, where they will oppose No. 3 Georgia, a Southeastern Conference East rival.
Alabama nose guard Da’Ron Payne and linebacker Mack Wilson intercepted Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter, keying a ferocious second-half defensive assault that produced a pair of touchdowns in a 13-second span.
“These guys played with a relentless, competitive attitude,” Tide coach Saban said. “They were warriors out there on this field. Now we have to focus on finishing it.”
It was relentless Alabama defensive football. The Crimson Tide held Clemson to 99 yards in total offense and seven first downs through the first three quarters, and that defensive pressure finally allowed them to blow open a 10-6 game.
The defensive rout was just another manifestation of how difficult it is to oppose Alabama when Saban has a month to prepare. In the previous two CFP semifinals at the end of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Alabama shut out Michigan State 38-0 and defeated Washington 24-7. The combined 13 points allowed in three semifinals speaks for itself.
It also was solace for losing to Clemson 45-40 in the championship game last year, when Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson drove his team the length of the field for the winning touchdown in the final seconds.
“It was a little bit personal for us, I think, after what happened to us in this game last year,” Saban said.
Alabama has not played Georgia (13-1) since Oct. 3, 2015, when the Crimson Tide routed the Bulldogs 38-10 in Athens.
“It speaks volumes of the quality of programs we have — two (SEC) teams that are in the national championship game,” Saban said. “Sometimes people try to put a little hate on the SEC because of the success we’ve had, and I don’t think that’s really fair.”
Clemson trailed just 10-6 and had moved to a second-and-2 at the Alabama 35 in the third quarter when the Alabama defense, healthy again after a month of rest, turned the tide. Linebacker Anfernee Jennings came off the edge to hit Bryant as he released the pass, and Payne gathered in the weak throw for the interception, returning it 21 yards.
Payne was taken down on an illegal horse-collar tackle by tackle Tremayne Anchrum, setting up Alabama at the Clemson 27.
Six plays later, the 6-foot-2, 308-pound Payne followed up his game-turning play by lining up as an H-back, going in motion to the right and catching a wide-open, 1-yard touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone. The toss from quarterback Jalen Hurts put Alabama up 17-6.
“I dreamed about that last night, and it all came true,” said Payne, whose only other touchdown reception came as a senior tight end in high school.
Payne said he wasn’t nervous, pointing to his receiver’s gloves.
“I got golden hands,” Payne said, smiling. “All week, Jalen was telling me if he threw it to me, I better make sure I catch it. I just wanted to make sure I caught the ball.”
On the first play after the kickoff, Bryant threw into tight coverage for receiver Deon Cain, and cornerback Levi Wallace broke on the route, forcing the ball into the air. Wilson gathered in the pop fly and raced 18 yards untouched for the score and a 24-6 Alabama lead.
“At the end of the day, championship football is a game of a few plays, especially when you’re playing Alabama,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “You’ve got to make the critical plays, and we didn’t do that. We did it last year, but we didn’t do it this year.”
Hurts completed 16 of 24 passes for just 120 yards and two touchdowns. That was more than enough for the dominant Alabama defense, which held Clemson to just 188 yards overall, 75 yards of which came on an 18-play drive at the end of the game that ended without points.
Alabama controlled field position throughout the game. Of Alabama’s five first-half drives, four started beyond the Crimson Tide 40-yard line, leading to a 24-yard field goal by Andy Pappanastos and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Calvin Ridley.
Clemson, meanwhile, played in a field-position hole for the entire first half. The average field position on the Tigers’ first five drives was the 17-yard line. Alabama held Clemson to minus-7 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
The Tigers’ lone scores came on field goals of 44 and 42 yards by Alex Spence.
NOTES: Nick Saban will be shooting for his fifth national title in 10 seasons at Alabama. He also won a national championship at LSU. … Bear Bryant earned six national championships at Alabama. … Clemson had just four first downs in the first half. … Alabama LB Anfernee Jennings pressured Clemson QB Kelly Bryant the entire game before going down late in the fourth quarter with a sprained knee. His availability for the Georgia game is uncertain.