2017 CFP National Championship Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 Clemson (14-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 35 |
| #1 Alabama (14-1) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
Player of the Game
Player of the Game
Heisman finalist and junior quarterback Deshaun Watson broke his own passing record in a national championship game with 420 yards. Watson was responsible for four touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, en route to being named Offensive Player of the Game.
Clemson’s defense, helped by Defensive Player of the Game Ben Boulware, held Alabama’s offense to a season-low 376 yards and gave up just 2-of-15 third down conversions.
After rallying from an early 14-0 deficit, it was Clemson’s offense that prevailed, putting up 21 points in the fourth quarter. The lead changed hands three times in the fourth, with Clemson scoring the game-winning touchdown with one second left in the game.
The Clemson Tigers celebrated the program’s first national title since 1981, snapping Alabama’s 26-game win streak in the process.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 09:23 | 0-7 | Alabama | Bo Scarbrough 25 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 3-59 (0:58) |
| 2nd | 10:42 | 0-14 | Alabama | Bo Scarbrough 37 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 5-74 (1:24) |
| 2nd | 06:09 | 7-14 | Clemson | Deshaun Watson 8 yd run (Greg Huegel kick) | 7-87 (1:33) |
| 3rd | 12:25 | 7-17 | Alabama | Adam Griffith 27 yd field goal | 4-7 (1:29) |
| 3rd | 07:10 | 14-17 | Clemson | Hunter Renfrow 24 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 4-42 (1:03) |
| 3rd | 01:53 | 14-24 | Alabama | O.J. Howard 68 yd pass from Jalen Hurts (Adam Griffith kick) | 4-79 (1:01) |
| 4th | 14:00 | 21-24 | Clemson | Mike Williams 4 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 9-72 (2:47) |
| 4th | 04:38 | 28-24 | Clemson | Wayne Gallman 1 yd run (Greg Huegel kick) | 6-88 (1:55) |
| 4th | 02:07 | 28-31 | Alabama | Jalen Hurts 30 yd run (Adam Griffith kick) | 6-68 (2:31) |
| 4th | 00:01 | 35-31 | Clemson | Hunter Renfrow 2 yd pass from Deshaun Watson (Greg Huegel kick) | 9-68 (2:00) |
Team Statistics
| CU | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| CU | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Wayne Gallman, 18-46, 1 TD; Deshaun Watson, 21-43, 1 TD; C.J. Fuller, 1-3; Artavis Scott, 1-0. | Bo Scarbrough, 16-93, 2 TD; Jalen Hurts, 10-63, 1 TD; ArDarius Stewart, 1-25; Damien Harris, 5-24; Josh Jacobs, 2-16. |
| Passing | Deshaun Watson, 36-56-0, 420, 3 TD. | Jalen Hurts, 13-31-0, 131, 1 TD; ArDarius Stewart, 1-1-0, 24. |
| Receiving | Hunter Renfrow, 10-92, 2 TD; Mike Williams, 8-94, 1 TD; Jordan Leggett, 7-95; Deon Cain, 5-94; Wayne Gallman, 3-39; Artavis Scott, 3-6. | Calvin Ridley, 5-36; O.J. Howard, 4-106, 1 TD; ArDarius Stewart, 2-12; Bo Scarbrough, 2-7; Damien Harris, 1- -6. |
| Punting | Andy Teasdall, 8-307, 38.4; Deshaun Watson, 1-38, 38.0. | JK Scott, 10-458, 45.8. |
| Returns | Punt: Artavis Scott, 1-3; Kickoff: Artavis Scott, 3-77; Clelin Fuller, 3-53; Intercept: None. | Punt: Gehrig Dieter, 1-9; Kickoff: ArDarius Stewart, 2-42; Hale Hentges, 1-15; Intercept: None. |
| Field Goals | None. | Adam Griffith, 1-1 (27 Missed). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Jadar Johnson (4-3-7, 0, 0.5-1); Carlos Watkins (6-0-6, 0, 1.0-2); Kendall Joseph (4-2-6, 0, 1.5-6); Ben Boulware (4-2-6, 0, 2.0-9); Cordrea Tankersley (3-2-5, 0, 0); Dexter Lawrence (4-0-4, 0, 0); Dorian O’Daniel (4-0-4, 0, 0); Van Smith (2-1-3, 0, 0); Judah Davis (1-0-1, 0, 0); Mark Fields (1-0-1, 0, 0); Tanner Muse (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jay Guillermo (1-0-1, 0, 0); Clelin Ferrell (1-0-1, 0, 1.0-1); Austin Bryant (1-0-1, 0, 1.0-1); Hunter Renfrow (1-0-1, 0, 0); Ryan Carter (1-0-1, 0, 0); Marcus Edmond (1-0-1, 0, 0); Tre Lamar (0-1-1, 0, 0); Greg Huegel (0-1-1, 0, 0); Kyle Cote (0-1-1, 0, 0); Scott Pagano (0-1-1, 0, 0). | Reuben Foster (6-6-12, 1.0-8, 1.0-8); Rashaan Evans (6-5-11, 0.5-3, 0.5-3); Ronnie Harrison (5-5-10, 0, 0); Ryan Anderson (5-2-7, 1.0-7, 2.0-11); Tony Brown (4-3-7, 0, 0); Jonathan Allen (4-3-7, 1.0-5, 1.0-5); Da’Ron Payne (3-2-5, 0.5-2, 0.5-2); Anthony Averett (2-3-5, 0, 0); Minkah Fitzpatrick (3-1-4, 0, 0); Dalvin Tomlinson (3-1-4, 0, 1.0-1); Marlon Humphrey (1-2-3, 0, 0); Keith Holcombe (2-0-2, 0, 0); Tim Williams (1-1-2, 0, 0); Deionte Thompson (1-1-2, 0, 0); Mack Wilson (1-0-1, 0, 0); Anfernee Jennings (0-1-1, 0, 0); Joshua Frazier (0-1-1, 0, 0); Da’Shawn Hand (0-1-1, 0, 0). |
Starters & Reserves
Clemson Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 75 | Mitch Hyatt |
| LG | 51 | Taylor Hearn |
| C | 5G | Jay Guillermo |
| RG | 55 | Tyrone Crowder |
| RT | 76 | Sean Pollard |
| TE | 16 | Jordan Leggett |
| WR | 7 | Mike Williams |
| QB | 4 | Deshaun Watson |
| RB | 9 | Wayne Gallman |
| WR | 13 | Hunter Renfrow |
| WR | 3 | Artavis Scott |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DE | 42 | Christian Wilkins |
| DT | 94 | Carlos Watkins |
| DT | 90 | Dexter Lawrence |
| DE | 99 | Clelin Ferrell |
| SLB | 6 | Dorian O’Daniel |
| MLB | 34 | Kendall Joseph |
| WLB | 10 | Ben Boulware |
| CB | 31 | Ryan Carter |
| SS | 18 | Jadar Johnson |
| FS | 23 | Van Smith |
| CB | 25 | Cordrea Tankersley |
Clemson Reserves
1 - Trayvon Mullen, 2 - Mark Fields, 3C - Kyle Cote, 3M - Ray-Ray McCloud, 8 - Deon Cain, 12 - K’Von Wallace, 14 - Denzel Johnson, 19 - Tanner Muse, 27 - C.J. Fuller, 28 - Tavien Feaster, 29 - Marcus Edmond, 32 - Andy Teasdall, 33 - J.D. Davis, 36 - Judah Davis, 38 - Amir Trapp, 41 - Grant Radakovich, 43 - Chad Smith, 44 - Garrett Williams, 47 - James Skalski, 49 - Richard Yeargin, 56 - Scott Pagano, 57 - Tre Lamar, 62 - David Estes, 69 - Maverick Morris, 73 - Tremayne Anchrum, 80 - Milan Richard, 84 - Cannon Smith, 85 - Seth Ryan, 91 - Austin Bryant, 92 - Greg Huegel.
Alabama Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| LT | 74 | Cam Robinson |
| LG | 71 | Ross Pierschbacher |
| C | 75 | Bradley Bozeman |
| RG | 78 | Korren Kirven |
| RT | 73 | Jonah Williams |
| WR | 11 | Gehrig Dieter |
| TE-H | 88 | O.J. Howard |
| QB | 2 | Jalen Hurts |
| RB | 9 | Bo Scarbrough |
| WR-X | 13 | ArDarius Stewart |
| WR-Z | 3 | Calvin Ridley |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DE | 93 | Jonathan Allen |
| NG | 94 | Da’Ron Payne |
| DE | 54 | Dalvin Tomlinson |
| DB | 2A | Tony Brown |
| SAM | 22 | Ryan Anderson |
| MIKE | 32 | Rashaan Evans |
| WILL | 10 | Reuben Foster |
| CB | 26 | Marlon Humphrey |
| CB | 28 | Anthony Averett |
| SS | 29 | Minkah Fitzpatrick |
| FS | 1D | Ronnie Harrison |
Alabama Reserves
1E - Jamey Mosley, 1 - Robert Foster, 5 - Shyheim Carter, 6 - Hootie Jones, 7 - Trevon Diggs, 9A - Da’Shawn Hand, 14 - Deionte Thompson, 15 - JK Scott, 16 - T.J. Simmons, 17 - Cam Sims, 18 - Cooper Bateman, 25 - Josh Jacobs, 30 - Mack Wilson, 31 - Keaton Anderson, 33 - Anfernee Jennings, 34 - Damien Harris, 39 - Levi Wallace, 42 - Keith Holcombe, 47 - Christian Miller, 55 - Cole Mazza, 56 - Tim Williams, 69 - Joshua Frazier, 81 - Derek Kief, 84 - Hale Hentges, 87 - Miller Forristall, 89 - Brandon Greene, 99 - Adam Griffith.
