2016 CFP National Championship Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 Alabama (14-1) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 45 |
| #1 Clemson (14-1) | 14 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 40 |
Player of the Game
Player of the Game
In a game in which offense would be pivotal, Clemson quarterback and Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson would set the record for most total yards in national championship game history, putting up 478 yards against the Crimson Tide - a feat that would be overshadowed by performances from Alabama’s biggest offensive threats. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries and three touchdowns, while O.J. Howard had five receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns en route to earning Offensive Player of the Game.
Tied 14-14 at the half, Alabama’s special teams unit provided the boost the Crimson Tide needed to roll past the Tigers. A kickoff return for a touchdown, the team’s sixth special-teams touchdown of the season (tied for most in the FBS), a blocked field goal in the second quarter and a game-changing onside kick recovery with 10:34 left in the fourth quarter put the Tide in front to stay.
The victory marked Alabama’s fourth national championship in seven years.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 07:55 | 7-0 | Alabama | Derrick Henry 50 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 3-59 (0:55) |
| 1st | 05:18 | 7-7 | Clemson | Hunter Renfrow 31 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 6-54 (2:29) |
| 1st | 00:00 | 7-14 | Clemson | Hunter Renfrow 11 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 7-73 (2:17) |
| 2nd | 09:35 | 14-14 | Alabama | Derrick Henry 1 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 7-42 (2:23) |
| 3rd | 12:53 | 21-14 | Alabama | O.J. Howard 53 yd pass from Jake Coker (Adam Griffith kick) | 3-64 (0:53) |
| 3rd | 10:10 | 21-17 | Clemson | Greg Huegel 37 yd field goal | 9-55 (2:43) |
| 3rd | 04:48 | 21-24 | Clemson | Wayne Gallman 1 yd run (Greg Huegel kick) | 9-60 (3:38) |
| 4th | 10:34 | 24-24 | Alabama | Adam Griffith 33 yd field goal | 8-64 (2:33) |
| 4th | 09:45 | 31-24 | Alabama | O.J. Howard 51 yd pass from Jake Coker (Adam Griffith kick) | 2-50 (0:49) |
| 4th | 07:47 | 31-27 | Clemson | Greg Huegel 31 yd field goal | 6-61 (1:58) |
| 4th | 07:31 | 38-27 | Alabama | Kenyan Drake 95 yd kickoff return (Adam Griffith kick) | |
| 4th | 04:40 | 38-33 | Clemson | Artavis Scott 15 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Deshaun Watson rush failed) | 8-75 (2:51) |
| 4th | 01:07 | 45-33 | Alabama | Derrick Henry 1 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 8-75 (3:33) |
| 4th | 00:12 | 45-40 | Clemson | Jordan Leggett 24 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 6-68 (0:50) |
Team Statistics
| UA | CU | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 31 | 16 |
| Rushing | 8 | 10 |
| Passing | 19 | 5 |
| Penalty | 4 | 1 |
| Rushes-Yards | 42-91 | 34-22 |
| Passing Yards | 420 | 155 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 36-57-0 | 14-32-0 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 99-511 | 66-376 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 1-3 | 1-9 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 6-130 | 3-57 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 9-38.3 | 11-43.9 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-2 | 1-0 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 0-0 | 4-25 |
| Penalties-Yards | 3-35 | 9-82 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 7-of-18 | 2-of-15 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0-of-1 | 1-of-1 |
Individual Statistics
| UA | CU | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Derrick Henry, 36-158, 3 TD; Kenyan Drake, 1-1; Jake Coker, 8- -20. | Deshaun Watson, 20-73; Wayne Gallman, 14-45, 1 TD; Artavis Scott, 2-19; Zac Brooks, 1-4; Ray-Ray McCloud, 1-4. |
| Passing | Jake Coker, 16-25-0, 335, 2 TD. | Deshaun Watson, 30-47-1, 405, 4 TD. |
| Receiving | Calvin Ridley, 6-14; O.J. Howard, 5-208, 2 TD: ArDarius Stewart, 2-63; Kenyan Drake, 2-21; Richard Mullaney, 1-29. | Hunter Renfrow, 7-88, 2 TD; Charone Peake, 6-99; Jordan Leggett, 5-78, 1 TD; Zac Brooks, 4-39; Artavis Scott, 4-33, 1 TD; Wayne Gallman, 3-61; Ray-Ray McCloud, 1-7. |
| Punting | JK Scott, 7-297, 42.4. | Andy Teasdall, 6-265, 44.2. |
| Returns | Punt: Cyrus Jones, 1-12; Kickoff: Kenyan Drake, 5-195; Intercept: Eddie Jackson, 1-0. | Punt: Artavis Scott, 2-22; Kickoff: Artavis Scott, 2-59; Milan Richard, 1-9; Intercept: None. |
| Field Goals | Adam Griffith, 1-2 (44 Missed, 33 Good). | Greg Huegel, 2-3 (44 Missed, 37 Good, 31 Good). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Geno Matias-Smith (11-0-11, 0, 0); Reuben Foster (8-1-9, 0, 1.0-5); Cyrus Jones (4-1-5, 0, 0); Reggie Ragland (4-1-5, 0, 0); Marlon Humphrey (3-2-5, 0, 1.0-2); Minkah Fitzpatrick (3-1-4, 0, 0); Da’Shawn Hand (3-1-4, 0, 2.0-6); Dillon Lee (3-0-3, 0, 0); Rashaan Evans (3-0-3, 2.0-14, 2.0-14); A’Shawn Robinson (2-1-3, 0, 0); Eddie Jackson (2-1-3, 0, 0); Denzel Davall (2-1-3, 0, 0); Dalvin Tomlinson (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jarran Reed (1-0-1, 0, 0); D.J. Pettway (1-0-1, 0, 1.0-1); Adam Griffith (1-0-1, 0, 0); Maurice Smith (1-0-1, 0, 0); Ronnie Harrison (1-0-1, 0, 0); Keith Holcombe (0-1-1, 0, 0); Bradley Sylve (0-1-1, 0, 0). | T.J. Green (6-5-11); B.J. Goodson (10-0-10); Kevin Dodd (7-0-7); Travis Blanks (4-0-4); D.J. Reader (3-1-4); Shaq Lawson (3-1-4); Cordrea Tankersley (2-2-4); Ben Boulware (2-1-3); Christian Wilkins (1-2-3); Jayron Kearse (2-0-2); Mackensie Alexander (2-0-2); Dorian O’Daniel (1-1-2); Austin Bryant (1-1-2); Carlos Watkins (1-1-2); Greg Huegel (1-0-1); Scott Pagano (1-0-1); J.D. Davis (1-0-1); Mark Fields (0-1-1); Van Smith (0-1-1); Adrian Baker (0-1-1). |
Starters & Reserves
Alabama Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 74 | Cam Robinson |
| LG | 71 | Ross Pierschbacher |
| C | 70 | Ryan Kelly |
| RG | 50 | Alphonse Taylor |
| RT | 76 | Dominick Jackson |
| TE | 88 | O.J. Howard |
| QB | 14 | Jake Coker |
| RB | 2 | Derrick Henry |
| WR | 13 | ArDarius Stewart |
| WR | 3A | Calvin Ridley |
| WR | 16 | Richard Mullaney |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DL | 86 | A’Shawn Robinson |
| DL | 93 | Jonathan Allen |
| DL | 90 | Jarran Reed |
| JACK | 30 | Denzel Devall |
| CB | 29 | Minkah Fitzpatrick |
| MIKE | 19 | Reggie Ragland |
| WILL | 10 | Reuben Foster |
| CB | 5 | Cyrus Jones |
| CB | 26 | Marlon Humphrey |
| SS | 4 | Eddie Jackson |
| FS | 24 | Geno Matias-Smith |
Alabama Reserves
1B - Ronnie Harrison, 3 - Bradley Sylve, 9B - Da’Ron Payne, 9A - Bo Scarbrough, 9 - Da’Shawn Hand, 15 - JK Scott, 17 - Kenyan Drake, 18 - Cooper Bateman, 20 - Shaun Dion Hamilton, 21 - Maurice Smith, 22 - Ryan Anderson, 25 - Dillon Lee, 32 - Rashaan Evans, 33 - Derrick Gore, 34 - Damien Harris, 42 - Keith Holcombe, 46 - Michael Nysewander, 47 - Christian Miller, 54 - Dalvin Tomlinson, 55 - Cole Mazza, 56 - Tim Williams, 57 - D.J. Pettway, 58 - Brandon Greene, 75 - Bradley Bozeman, 81 - Derek Kief, 84 - Hale Hentges, 94 - Dakota Ball, 95 - Darren Lake, 99 - Adam Griffith.
Clemson Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 75 | Mitch Hyatt |
| LG | 78 | Eric Mac Lain |
| C | 57 | Jay Guillermo |
| RG | 55 | Tyrone Crowder |
| RT | 73 | Joe Gore |
| TE | 16 | Jordan Leggett |
| WR | 13 | Hunter Renfrow |
| QB | 4 | Deshaun Watson |
| RB | 9 | Wayne Gallman |
| WR | 3 | Artavis Scott |
| WR | 19 | Charone Peake |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DE | 98 | Kevin Dodd |
| DT | 94 | Carlos Watkins |
| DT | 48 | D.J. Reader |
| DE | 90 | Shaq Lawson |
| SLB | 11 | Travis Blanks |
| MLB | 44 | B.J. Goodson |
| WLB | 10 | Ben Boulware |
| CB | 2 | Mackensie Alexander |
| SS | 1 | Jayron Kearse |
| FS | 15 | T.J. Green |
| CB | 25 | Cordrea Tankersley |
Clemson Reserves
1T - Trevion Thompson, 2F - Mark Fields, 2A - Adrian Baker, 3J - Kendall Joseph, 4W - Garrett Williams, 5F - Justin Falcinelli, 5 - Germone Hopper, 6 - Dorian O’Daniel, 8 - Deon Cain, 8R - Seth Ryan, 17 - Jefferie Gibson, 18 - Jadar Johnson, 21 - C.J. Davidson, 23 - Van Smith, 24 - Zac Brooks, 27 - C.J. Fuller, 29 - Marcus Edmond, 30 - Jalen Williams, 31 - Ryan Carter, 32 - Andy Teasdall, 33 - J.D. Davis, 34 - Ray-Ray McCloud, 37 - Judah Davis, 40 - Roderick Byers, 42 - Christian Wilkins, 49 - Richard Yeargin, 51 - Taylor Hearn, 56 - Scott Pagano, 69 - Maverick Morris, 76 - Jim Brown, 80 - Milan Richard, 81 - Stanton Seckinger, 84 - Cannon Smith, 87 - D.J. Greenlee, 91 - Austin Bryant, 92 - Greg Huegel.
