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Media reacts to first half of LSU-Clemson national title game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Clemson and LSU have been involved in an entertaining CFP National Championship Game in New Orleans, but LSU holds a 28-17 edge at halftime.
Clemson jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but Joe Burrow’s 52-yard strike to Ja’Marr Chase put LSU even at 7-7. After Clemson took a 17-7 lead on a B.T. Potter 52-yard field goal and a quick 4-play, 96-yard touchdown drive, Burrow marched LSU down the field in 5 plays thanks to a pair of big catches by Chase to draw within 17-14.
Then, with 5:19 left in the half, the Burrow-Chase connection struck once more as Burrow dropped a perfect throw into the hands of Chase from 14 yards out to give LSU its first lead of the game at 21-17, a lead that grew to 28-17 after Burrow’s 29-yard run on 3rd and 10 set up a 6-yard Thaddeus Moss touchdown catch with 10 seconds left in the 2nd.
The better news for LSU: It gets the ball to begin the 2nd half with a chance to put Clemson in a bigger hole.
Here’s what the media had do say about the 1st half action at the Superdome:
Joe Burrow in the second quarter- 10-17, 186 passing yards, 58 rushing yards, 3 total TDs. My goodness.
— Matt Connolly (@MattConnollyOn3) January 14, 2020
YOU LIKE THAT, @RandyMoss?!
Thaddeus out here making the family name proud, snagging a six-yard touchdown to increase LSU's lead! 28-17 with 10 seconds left in the half.#CFBPlayoff x #NationalChampionship#GeauxTigers
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 14, 2020
11 plays, 95 yards, to go up 28-17 and LSU leaves just 10 seconds to spare.
And LSU gets it to start the second half.
This game turned in a hurry.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 14, 2020
The Bengals should send the card in at halftime
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 14, 2020
LSU gets the ball first in the 3rd Q. This thing might get out of hand.
— Matt Hayes (@MattHayesCFB) January 14, 2020
That was an absolutely enormous drive for LSU. The 6-yard TD to Moss puts LSU up 28-17 at halftime, and it gets the ball coming out of halftime. LSU just won the most important part of the game — the four minutes before halftime and the four minutes after https://t.co/3cHdGtTaeR
— Barrett Sallee ?? (@BarrettSallee) January 14, 2020
Crazy how much the game has changed since field position flipped a bit. And Joe Burrow turned it on.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) January 14, 2020
The LSU football team has the most fun college offense I’ve ever seen. I truly cannot believe it.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) January 14, 2020
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.