Deshaun Watson leads Clemson past Oklahoma, into CFP title game
Clemson’s undefeated season lives on.
Behind a standout performance from Heisman finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson and the efforts of a swarming front seven on defense, the top-ranked Tigers overcame a halftime deficit to knock off No. 4 Oklahoma 37-17 in the Orange Bowl and move on to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Watson dictated the tempo from the start, mainly using his legs. The standout sophomore finished the game with 145 yards on the ground, but it was his touchdown pass in the third quarter to former walk-on Hunter Renfrow that really turned the tide in the Tigers’ favor.
From then on out, the Clemson defense overwhelmed the Sooners offensive line, putting constant pressure in the face of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield (26/41, 311 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs). The Sooners were limited to just 59 yards of offense in the third quarter after moving the ball with ease in the first half.
And as the Sooners offense scuffled, Watson, who finished with 187 yards passing, and running back Wayne Gallman gashed the Oklahoma defense for big gains, propelling Clemson to a 20-point win and a shot to win its first national title since 1981.
And while the final score makes it seem like the game was lopsided, the first half was tightly contested.
Oklahoma received the ball to open the game and quickly drove down the field behind beefy running back Semaje Perine. The Sooners went 75 yards in 10 plays, and Perine capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.
Clemson was able to get on the board with a field goal later in the quarter after a Shaq Lawson sack and a shanked Oklahoma punt presented a short field.
After forcing another OU punt, Watson reeled off a 46-yard run to flip the field position. It looked like the Tigers would punt back to the Sooners, but Tigers coach Dabo Swinney reached into his bag of tricks, dialing up a fake punt.
Clemson punter Andy Teasdall found Christian Wilkins, a freshman defensive tackle, for a 31-yard gain and a big first down.
Two plays later, Watson scored from five yards out to give the Tigers their first lead, 10-7.
The teams stalled in the red zone and traded field goals on their next three drives – two from Clemson and one from Oklahoma – to bring the Tigers lead to 16-10.
Mayfield quickly led the Sooners down the field on the ensuing drive, connecting with Dede Westbrook for a 42-yard gain and freshman tight end Mark Andrews for an 11-yard score, giving OU a 17-16 lead – a lead the Sooners would take into halftime after Watson was intercepted by Zach Sanchez to end the half.
The second half was all Clemson.
Clemson went 75 yards in 12 plays to open the third quarter and regained the lead, 23-17, when Gallman scored from a yard out. The Tigers’ defense forced a three-and-out and a turnover on downs on Oklahoma’s next two drives. Watson then went back to work, hitting Renfrow in stride for a 35-yard score to expand the lead to 30-17.
Oklahoma moved the ball into Clemson territory twice more after the Renfrow touchdown, but both of those drives ended in Mayfield interceptions.
A second touchdown from Gallman, who rushed for 150 yards on 26 carries, then put the bow on a historic win for the Tigers.
The win improves Clemson to 14-0 on the year headed into the title game, where it will meet the winner of Thursday night’s Cotton Bowl matchup between No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Michigan State.
For Oklahoma (11-2), the loss is a disappointing end to a resurgent season for the program. Led by Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer, the Sooners rebounded from an early season loss to Texas to win the Big 12. But ultimately, the Sooners did not have enough to reach the title game.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
