Untamed: Clemson's Dominant Path to the National Championship
128
Untamed: Clemson's Dominant Path to the National Championship
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781641252683 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 01/10/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 17 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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CHAPTER 1
College Football Playoff Championship vs. Alabama
Clemson 44, Alabama 16
January 7, 2019 | Santa Clara, California
All Wins
Tigers dominate Crimson Tide for 15-0 season, national championship
By Scott Keepfer
Trevor Lawrence finally had his "freshman moment."
He handled it like an NFL veteran.
Lawrence guided Clemson to touchdowns on five consecutive possessions bridging the first and second halves as the Tigers pulled away for a 44-16 victory Monday night over No. 1 and previously undefeated Alabama and claimed their second national championship in three years.
Lawrence, who unseated incumbent Kelly Bryant as Clemson's starting quarterback in the season's fifth game, showed why in front of a Levi's Stadium crowd of 74,814, completing 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards with three touchdowns.
Lawrence, who became the first freshman starting quarterback since Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway in 1985 to lead his team to a national title, was named the Offensive Player of the Game.
Clemson junior cornerback Trayvon Mullen was selected Defensive Player of the Game.
"Our guys had a clear vision of how they wanted this to go tonight," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "It was a complete performance all the way through.
"There was a lot of talk about 'best ever' all year long. Well, we proved it. This team won 13 games by 20 points or more, led by an amazing group of seniors."
Monday's result certainly had to be a just reward for players such as Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, Mitch Hyatt and Kendall Joseph, all of whom opted to pass on the NFL Draft last year to play another round with the Tigers.
They stamped their careers emphatically, dealing Alabama its most lopsided defeat ever under coach Nick Saban.
Meanwhile, Lawrence outshined heralded Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 295 yards with two scores but was intercepted twice, including a pick 6 for a touchdown on the Crimson Tide's third play of the game.
Clemson freshman wide receiver Justyn Ross, an Alabama native who had the best game of his career in a 30-3 romp against Notre Dame last week in the Cotton Bowl, followed that performance up with a six-reception, 153-yard, one-touchdown night that included multiple one-handed catches.
The Tigers had to log a lot of miles to accomplish their goal this time around, traveling more than 7,000 miles — first to Dallas, then to Santa Clara — to claim the third national title in school history, joining the 1981 and 2016 teams in completing the quest.
Clemson's convincing victory against Alabama reaffirmed that the Crimson Tide does indeed have company atop the college football world.
On Monday night, the Tigers elbowed their way to the pinnacle once again, toppling Alabama for the second time in three years and in doing so becoming the first team in the modern era to win 15 games in a season.
Clemson improved to 5-2 in the College Football Playoffs during the past four years, and the Tigers' senior class matched Alabama with 55 victories and two national titles in that time span.
He was right. The Tigers have 103 wins this decade, joining Alabama and Ohio State as the only teams in the country with 100 wins or more.
With a 2019 season remaining this decade, there could be more to come, particularly for a team whose key playmakers are all underclassmen.
Sophomore running back Travis Etienne rushed for 86 yards and scored three touchdowns against the Crimson Tide, and sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins had three catches for 81 yards and another score.
Alabama pulled ahead 16-14 early in the second quarter, but it was all Clemson from there. Lawrence and the Tigers scored on five consecutive possessions to take command. Etienne scored on a 1-yard run with 11:38 left in the half to give Clemson the lead for good, 21-16, and then Clemson scored again following an interception that Mullen returned 46 yards.
Lawrence tossed a 5-yard shovel pass to Etienne for a score that put the Tigers ahead 28-16, and the Tigers capped the half by driving 61 yards in eight plays for a 36-yard Greg Huegel field goal that provided a 31-16 halftime cushion.
Clemson put the game away by scoring quickly after thwarting a fake field goal attempt on fourth down — one of three fourth-down stops the Clemson defense made.
Lawrence tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ross for a 36-16 lead and then hit Higgins with a 5-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the third quarter for a commanding 44-16 advantage.
Clemson amassed 482 yards while Alabama had 443 yards. Clemson's defense had seven tackles for loss, including two sacks, and held the Crimson Tide's leading rusher — Najee Harris — to 59 yards.
Clemson has not allowed an opposing running back to rush for more than 100 yards in 20 consecutive games dating back to the 2017 season.
Clemson, which entered the game as a 51/2-point underdog, denied Saban his sixth national title at Alabama.
"I'm so happy for our team, our fans, our administration, our former players that love the paw," Swinney said. "There ain't never been a 15-0 team. And I know we're not supposed to be here — we're just little ol' Clemson — and I'm not supposed to be here, but we are and I am. How about them Tigers?
"We beat Notre Dame and Alabama and we left no doubt."
CHAPTER 2Top of the Hill
After tough climb, Clemson enjoys view from the mountaintop
By Manie Robinson
One does not need to reach the top of the mountain to enjoy the view.
Clemson conquered an arduous 15-step climb. The Tigers encountered several hazards along the steep incline. There was no room for error. A single slip could have sent the Tigers tumbling.
Yet, while inching up the perilous path, the Tigers savored each step. There was a lesson in every triumph. There was insight in every stumble. There was joy in every day.
The Tigers kept their footing after the fourth game, when quarterback Kelly Bryant was demoted in favor of freshman Trevor Lawrence and transferred from the program.
The Tigers marched through tears a week later when former running back C.J. Fuller unexpectedly died.
Clemson did not lose a step when it lost Dexter Lawrence, a central cog in its defensive line, after a failed drug test.
The Tigers pulled close through prosperity. They pulled even closer through adversity. At each step up the mountain, they stopped, looked proudly over the land they covered, took a deep breath and headed back up the hill.
On Monday night, Clemson finally completed the climb. The Tigers marched past Alabama to claim the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Clemson scaled this mountain for the second time in three years. The second pass to the peak was no less difficult, but according to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, it was more joyful.
"In '15, it was a blur," Swinney said, alluding to Clemson's first run to the CFP national championship game in 2015. "I don't even really remember it. It was very new."
Swinney said Clemson's return to the title game in 2016 was more of a business trip.
"It was almost like that whole season everybody just wanted to hit fast forward," Swinney said. "Like OK, can we just get there? We know where we're going. Can we just get there?
"It doesn't work that way. That was a little more of a grind. But once we got there, they were ready, and we won the game."
Swinney said, this year, this team recognized that the process was just as important as the product.
"This has been a very joyful season is the best way I can say it," Swinney said. "A lot of times, it's felt like this team kind of wanted to hit pause, and I do think that they've enjoyed the journey. I do think this senior group has savored every moment along the way. They haven't looked ahead."
And now, there is nothing ahead of them. Not another step. Not another team.
Clemson can stand proudly at the same elevation with Alabama. The Crimson Tide entered Levi's Stadium with a longer lineage, a bigger brand and a larger share of the national acclaim.
Yet, Monday night, Clemson was assured and convicted in its scheme. Alabama resorted to desperate gimmicks and fakes.
Clemson exhibited a dazzling array of playmakers. Alabama flashed infrequently only on Clemson miscues.
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entered the game as the lauded composer. But Lawrence was the brilliant virtuoso. Tagovailoa was flustered under Clemson's immense pressure. Lawrence stood tall in the pocket, took bone-rattling hits and delivered dimes off his back foot.
Tagovailoa completed three of his first six passes on third down. He gained 48 yards. Lawrence completed eight of 12 third-down passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.
Alabama averaged 47.7 points per game through its previous 14 contests. Clemson limited the Tide to merely three points after the first quarter.
Clemson was the aggressor. Clemson was the instigator. Clemson was the better team.
And Clemson is once again the national champion.
"It's just an amazing moment," Swinney said. "Having done this before, you enjoy this moment. We're certainly going to enjoy it, but at the end of the day, it's really more of an appreciation of the journey here, what we went through to get here, the grind, the struggles."
The Tigers can look proudly over the land they covered, take a deep breath, and if Swinney has his way, they'll head back down the mountain and prepare for another climb.
"Can't wait to get back started Friday," Swinney said, "and see if we can figure out a way to go do it again."
CHAPTER 3Clemson vs. Furman
Clemson 48, Furman 7
September 1, 2018 | Clemson, South Carolina
Fresh Start
Clemson's freshman talent shines in seasonopening romp against Furman
By Scott Keepfer
Clemson's defense is heavily populated by veterans while Clemson's offense is laden with younger talent.
Both were in strong evidence in Saturday afternoon's 48-7 pasting of Furman in the Tigers' season opener at Memorial Stadium, but it was the instant impact of the youngsters that caught the eye of both coaches and the 80,048 fans on hand as Clemson successfully launched its bid for a fourth consecutive College Football Playoff berth.
Freshmen or sophomores accounted for four of the Tigers' six touchdowns.
Clemson's leading passer and leading rusher were both freshmen, and six of the 11 receivers who caught a pass are underclassmen.
"I was watching the wideouts every play," co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. "It was good to see lot of guys make some plays, especially some of those freshmen."
Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence entered the game with 13:04 left in the first half and had an immediate impact, guiding the Tigers to scores on three consecutive drives, the second of which covered 95 yards and included the 6-foot-6 freshman from Cartersville, Georgia, completing three of six passes for 66 yards.
"That was the drive that changed the game," Scott said. "We had that drive that was 95 yards and another that was 92. On that 92-yard drive we had several freshmen making plays, and that was good to see.
"When you have a talented team like we have and are still able to play young guys and let freshmen get opportunities speaks a lot to Coach (Dabo) Swinney and what he believes in."
Lawrence's first career touchdown pass was a 6-yard dart to Diondre Overton early in the second quarter. Lawrence later added touchdown passes to a pair of fellow freshmen — wide receiver Justyn Ross (15 yards) and tight end Braden Galloway (9 yards).
Scott said the scoring grab by Ross reminded him of Sammy Watkins, circa 2011.
"He's off to a good start," Scott said. "Just like Sammy, who scored in his first game."
Freshman Derion Kendrick also came up big with a 38-yard reception in the third quarter.
Lawrence wound up completing nine of 15 attempts for 137 yards and three touchdowns; starter Kelly Bryant was 10-of-16 for 127 yards and one score, which would seem to indicate that we'll likely see both get substantial playing time once again next Saturday at Texas A&M.
Freshman running back Lyn-J Dixon was as advertised, leading the Tigers' ground attack with 89 yards, including the longest run of the day, a 61-yard effort.
And freshman kicker B.T. Potter, who earned a reputation for a big leg at Rock Hill's South Pointe High, booted six of his seven kickoffs for touchbacks, with the other resulting in a fair catch.
"Freshmen are different than they were a few years ago," Scott said. "It makes you feel good about our future."
CHAPTER 4Clemson vs. Texas A&M
Clemson 28, Texas A&M 26
September 8, 2018 | College Station, Texas
No. 2 Tigers Survive a Thriller
Wallace seals victory with interception on twopoint conversion in final minute
By Scott Keepfer
Last week, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he hoped his team would have a better result than it did during his first trip to Texas A&M's Kyle Field — a 27-6 defeat in 2004.
He got it Saturday night.
Barely.
The No. 2 Tigers' 28-26 victory appeared to produce more questions than answers — most notably the performance of a porous secondary that enabled Texas A&M to wage a late comeback and put the Tigers squarely on the ropes.
"Hat's off to Texas A&M," Swinney said. "Their team played with incredible heart. If you let a team hang around, you get in a dog fight, and that's exactly what happened."
The Aggies' big dog was sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond, who looked like an All-American against Clemson's defense, passing for 430 yards with three touchdowns and rushing for 33 yards.
His idol is former Clemson and current Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson, and Mond accomplished a fairly accurate portrayal of his hero Saturday night.
"When I watched him on tape, I said this kid has a lot of moxie and is going to be a tough out," Swinney said.
Suffice to say that Clemson's secondary deficiencies will need to be addressed immediately, particularly if the Tigers have intentions of reaching the College Football Playoff for a fourth consecutive year.
Clemson improved to 2-0, but it took K'Von Wallace's interception in the end zone of Mond's two-point conversion pass with 46 seconds to go to seal the deal for the Tigers.
"This was like an opener all over again," Swinney said. "This is the type of game that I think you can really grow from."
The growth will need to start immediately.
The Aggies' receivers were as wide open as the Texas horizon on more occasions than defensive coordinator Brent Venables would care to recall, but rest assured he'll be making adjustments, most likely beginning on the plane ride home.
Given what Mond was able to accomplish, Clemson's secondary will need to regroup. The Tigers will face several talented quarterbacks in Atlantic Coast Conference play this season, most of whom possess more impressive credentials than Mond, or at least they did going into Saturday's game.
That group would include Syracuse's Eric Dungey, Wake Forest's Sam Hartman and N.C. State's Ryan Finley. Mond has shown them a blueprint, and suddenly that looms as the Tigers' primary concern.
Other takeaways from Saturday's nail-biter:
• Did the Tigers' two-quarterback system work again?
Yes, for the most part. But even though freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence entered the game and tossed a 64-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins on his first play, his next five series netted a total of two first downs.
Bryant was the player the coaches entrusted down the stretch, leading each of Clemson's final six possessions.
• Despite repeated setbacks, the Tigers had answers in almost every instance. That's a good sign for developing this team's mettle.
Such bounce-back was particularly strategic when Texas A&M had a quick, two- play scoring drive for a touchdown late in the third quarter that cut Clemson's lead to 21-13. Led by Bryant, who completed four of five passes for 62 yards on a 75-yard scoring drive, the Tigers carried a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter and would need each of them.
• The moment wasn't too big for most of the Tigers' youthful playmakers and certainly not for sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins' highlight-worthy reception on Lawrence's first pass was a prime example, as was a 64-yard catch-and- run by fellow sophomore Amari Rodgers that set up another score.
• The defensive line kept pressure on Mond all night, amassing 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Particularly effective were the Tigers' ends: Clelin Ferrell had three tackles for loss, including two sacks, and Austin Bryant flashed his relentlessness and undoubtedly caught NFL scouts' eyes with two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.
• Clemson's interior defense and linebackers were solid, too. The Aggies were held to 71 yards rushing — 2.2 yards per carry — one week after they rushed for 503 yards against Northwestern State. Also, massive defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Untamed"
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Table of Contents
Introduction,
College Football Playoff Championship vs. Alabama,
Top of the Hill,
Clemson vs. Furman,
Clemson vs. Texas A&M,
Clemson vs. Georgia Southern,
Trevor Lawrence,
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech,
Lawrence Gets Starting Nod,
Bryant Announces He Will Transfer,
Clemson vs. Syracuse,
Remember Brice's Fourth Quarter: It May Define the Tigers Season,
Clemson vs. Wake Forest,
Clemson vs. North Carolina State,
Pieces in Place for College Football Playoff Run,
Clemson vs. Florida State,
Clemson vs. Louisville,
Clemson vs. Boston College,
Clemson vs. Duke,
Fearsome Foursome,
Clemson vs. South Carolina,
ACC Championship vs. Pittsburgh,
Travis Etienne,
Cotton Bowl vs. Notre Dame,