Championship MVP Deshaun Watson too much for Alabama defense

Mobile quarterbacks have proven troublesome for Alabama in recent years. But Deshaun Watson on Monday delivered a performance above all the others.

The Clemson quarterback shook off a slow start, and turned in an impressive second half to register 420 passing yards as he completed 36-for-56 passes and helped Clemson score 21 points in the fourth quarter alone. With last year’s eye-popping numbers when he passed for 405 yards, Watson became the first quarterback to pass for 400 yards twice against Nick Saban. He also tied Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly with 43 yards rushing against Alabama, the most this season. Ultimately, Clemson’s 98 plays were too much for Alabama.

Watson’s favorite target was a guy who also victimized Alabama last year. Pint-sized receiver Hunter Renfrow caught 10 passes. Two went for touchdowns, including the one with 1 second left that gave Clemson the national title.Last season he had seven catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the title game.

There was a lot of talk entering the game about Watson’s performance last year against Alabama in the national championship. But in smothering fashion early, Alabama made its own statement only before Clemson made counter punches over and over that brought back memories to last year’s shootout.

A sack, then a hit on a shovel pass, along with several pressures appeared to rattle Watson in the first quarter.

The Clemson quarterback looked hardly anything like the player that in 2016 against Alabama passed for 405 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards to engineer a 40-point effort in the national title game. As the Alabama defense was re-made in the offseason following the departure of 300-pound tackles Jarran Reed and A’Shawn Robinson, this version was better equipped to handle the likes of Watson.

Most notably, Ryan Anderson recovered two fumble, including one early in the second half that he forced against Wayne Gillman that set up the Crimson Tide at the Clemson 16-yard line.

An #SECgrad did that!

Fumble recovery number two for @Anderson_365!! #RollTide https://t.co/I3C8AAWRn3 pic.twitter.com/zKhvHVX7dZ

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) January 10, 2017

Yet despite a 14-0 deficit, Clemson chipped away and wore down the nation’s best defense. Bama entered the game as the No. 1-ranked rushing defense, allowing just 62 yards a game. Alabama also led the nation in total defense and scoring defense as opponents averaged 11.4 points and 244.0 total yards. While the Crimson Tide gave up 50 rushing yards by halftime, Watson was held to just 1 yard on nine carries. It took well into the second quarter until Clemson’s offense showed any kind of rhythm.

Clemson’s sixth drive, though, was the first sign of life from the Tigers offense. It was ignited by a 44-yard pass from Watson to Deon Cain, and then Watson scored on an 8-yard run around left end. By halftime, though, Watson found success passing as he was 13-for-23 for 153 yards, and Clemson collected 157 yards in the second quarter alone. Clemson made up for its slow start with 45 plays by halftime, which was ahead of last year’s pace when it had 85 for the entire game.

Before then, it appeared the Crimson Tide had Watson bottled up. Watson was 5-for-7 in the first quarter for 23 yards, a lost fumble on a low snap and five carries for zero yards. As a team, Clemson was 1-for-5 on third and fourth down.

Clemson’s opening drive was aided by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by Reuben Foster, who hit Watson up around the head after he released a shovel pass. The controversial hit was a key play until Alabama stopped Clemson on 4th-and-1 to end the drive. Foster later sacked Watson on third down with less than three minutes in the first half as Alabama stymied Clemson’s momentum.

Foster and Watson meeting became a theme of the night, and one of the game’s highlights was a Foster hit that caused Watson to helicopter short of a first down late in the third quarter.

Reuben Foster ? pic.twitter.com/3nV38PN0Rd

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 10, 2017

Yet in a back and forth affair, it was Watson who delivered.

He led Clemson to 21 points in the fourth quarter. His final two touchdown drives erased Alabama’s lead. His final touchdown throw denied Alabama its fifth national championship in eight years.

He erased the last blow that put Clemson over the top against America’s best defense.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.