Clemson football: 99 plays, No Problem!
In the 2017 National Championship game, No. 2 Clemson was able to wear down No. 1 Alabama by running 99 offensive plays and that’s how they beat the mighty Crimson Tide 35-31.
What if Alabama running back Bo Scarborough didn’t leave the game with an injury, what if Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian called better plays, or what if Clemson didn’t have 99 snaps on offense?
All of the above were heard as the Clemson football team celebrated winning the school’s second national championship, but the 99 offensive plays dominated post game discussions.
After the game, several analysts pointed to the 99 plays as the deciding factor in the outcome of the game, because the Alabama defense was overwhelmed with exhaustion and could not keep up with the Clemson players. ESPN’s Mike and Mike co-hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic talked about Alabama defending 99 plays.
“You can put the ’85 Bears out there. You can put you(Mike Golic), Reggie(White) and Jerome(Brown) out there. You can put the Ravens out there, last year’s Broncos out there. You can’t play defense for 99 snaps. You cannot play 99 plays worth of defense.”
Mike Golic said, “Listen, I completely agree.”
It’s not the first time that a Clemson victory over an SEC team was followed with a snap count discussion. Former LSU head coach Les Miles passionately spoke at the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl post game press conference after No. 8 LSU lost 25-24 to No. 14 Clemson.
“I went into a locker room where there were a group of men that played 100 plays and gave everything that they had and with an opponent who really snapped the ball 50 times more than our offense. They had to kick a last second field goal to beat us.”
Each defense was affected by the total number of snaps, a fact that is undeniable, but to profusely belabor that point consequently discredits the great job done by the Clemson defenses, and the offensive performances by Deshaun Watson and his receivers in the National Championship game and Tajh Boyd and DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Unlike Miles, Saban and his players never discussed the 99 plays. They only repeatedly gave Clemson credit for winning the game.
What seems to be forgotten from each game is what Clemson endured before they eventually won the games. In the Chick-fil-A bowl game, Clemson lost receiver Sammy Watkins on the second play of the game, receiver Martavis Bryant was suspended prior to the game, and two fumbles led to 10 points for LSU. And last year in the title game, the Tigers fumbled twice in the first half. In both games, Clemson also overcame fourth quarter deficits. They trailed 24-13 in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and 24-14 in the National Championship game.
Most do, however, remember the will, determination and toughness of the two Clemson quarterbacks who continued to deliver clutch passes time and after time while getting pummeled by the LSU and Alabama defenses. Tajh Boyd had 346 passing yards and threw two touchdowns passes to Hopkins. Hopkins caught 13 passes for 191 yards. Watson continued his assault on Alabama defenses with 420 yards and three touchdowns while spreading the ball around to receivers Mike Williams, Deon Cain, Hunter Renfrow and tight end Jordan Leggett.
The defenses also deserved credit for holding LSU to 219 total yards and Alabama to 376 and passing yards of only 120 and 155, respectively. They also forced LSU into 4 three-and-outs down the stretch, and Alabama went 2 for 15 on third down plays.
The question still remains. Is it possible to defend 99 to 100 plays and still win a game?
Just ask Clemson. In the 2016, 42-36 exciting win over No. 3 Louisville, the No. 5 Tigers defended 99 plays against Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. But it wasn’t an inability of the Clemson offense to move the ball that contributed to the disparity in snap counts(99 to 62) but scoring drives of 0:11, 0:20, 0:32, 0:47, 0:57 seconds made the defense have short stints on the bench. The offense turned the ball over five times too, so the defense faced some adversity on that night.
Facing 99 plays is not always expected in a game and apparently, it’s an uncommon situation for any defense on any level. But the Tigers persevered just like they did against Alabama and LSU.
Most Clemson fans recognize the LSU win as a catalyst to what the Clemson PAW is today. The similarities between the LSU and Alabama games are mind boggling and that speaks to the persistent, consistent approach by Swinney to build the Clemson brand. Before the Chick-fil-A Bowl kickoff, he said that he was proud of where his team and program were, and he knew where they were headed.
So to anyone who wants to know how Clemson beat Louisville, Alabama, and LSU on those nights. Just listen to head coach Dabo Swinney’s on-field post game interview after beating LSU.
“These guys fought every freaking play. They fought for every patch of grass. They overcame adversity. They played with a lot of love and toughness. They played with a desire to win, a confidence, a commitment that is uncommon.”
Next: Why 'motivation factor' is a ridiculous reason to pick Alabama over Clemson
On January 1, 2012, the nation saw the first signs of what Clemson became on January 9, 2017 against Alabama, a national championship team and a national championship program.