About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2018)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Sunday, December 30, 2018 3B COTTON BOWL I No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Name 3 Tigers use big second quarter for easy win JEFF MCWHORTER I Associated Press Clemson running back Travis Etienne (9) sprints into the end zone for a touchdown against Notre Dame in the second half of the Cotton Bowl on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. Associated Press When Clemson’s Dabo Swinney entrusted a team with championship aspirations to freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence in September, this is what the Tigers’ coach had in mind. Lawrence threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson beat No. 3 Notre Dame 30-3 on Satur day in the Cotton Bowl to reach the College Football Playoff title game. The Tigers (14-0) will play either No. 1 Alabama — for a fourth straight season in the playoff — or No. 4 Oklahoma on Jan. 7 in Santa Clara, California. “He’s just so poised. He just sees it. And he’s got a gift of an arm,” Swinney said. “But I just love his humility and how consistent he is with his prepara tion, day in and day out. Easy, easy guy to coach. Easy guy to get behind and support. His teammates love him.” Clemson’s overpowering and expe rienced defensive line, led by ends Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant, smothered Ian Book and the Fighting Irish (12-1), holding them to 248 yards. On offense, freshmen led the way. Lawrence, making his 10th career start, was 27 for 39 and did not throw an interception against a Notre Dame defense that had been one of the best on the country. Freshman receiver Justyn Ross had six catches for 148 yards and two long touchdowns. “It makes it a lot easier on me when you just have guys all around you who are such great players and take that load off of you. There’s not much pres sure when you have guys this good playing around you,” Lawrence said. The Irish hung around for a quar ter, with the teams exchanging field goals. But in the first quarter, Notre Dame All-America cornerback Julian Love went out with what coach Brian Kelly said after the game was a head injury and Lawrence started taking apart the Irish. Lawrence hooked up with Ross deep down the sideline and the big receiver beat Love’s backup, Donte Vaughn, for a tackle-breaking, 52-yard score early in the second quarter. The Irish looked as if they might keep it close to halftime, but they couldn’t keep Clemson out of their backfield — even without suspended star tackle Dexter Lawrence. In the final 2 minutes, Trevor Lawrence connected with Ross on a 42-yard score and with Tee Higgins for a one-handed, 19-yard touchdown reception — again over Vaughn — with 2 seconds left in the second quar ter. Lawrence was 13 for 15 for 229 yards in the quarter. “I wanted to help our team,” said Love, who passed concussion protocol at halftime and returned to the game. “And in a sense, I let them down in that regard.” That made it 23-3 at half and once again the Fighting Irish looked out classed against the best of the best. Not so different from the 42-14 loss to Alabama in the 2012 BCS champi onship game or the 44-28 loss to Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. In fact, Notre Dame is 0-8 in BCS and New Year’s Six games since winning the Cotton Bowl in 1993. Receiver Miles Boykin insisted this Notre Dame team was different. “I thought we played just as athletic as them and just as fast as them and it came down to execution and we didn’t execute today,” he said. Though to be fair, Clemson has been doing this to everyone since Lawrence settled in. The Tigers haven’t had an opponent stay within 20 points since a close call against Syracuse on Sept. 29. That was Lawrence’s first game as a starter, one he didn’t finish because of a head injury, and Clemson’s first after quarterback Kelly Bryant left the team. Bryant, a senior, led the Tigers to the playoff last season and a semifi nal loss to Alabama. He was pivotal in an early victory this season at Texas A&M. But Lawrence is a rare talent, a potential first overall NFL draft pick. When Lawrence took over, the ceiling on Clemson’s potential rose. Now it is being realized. “I felt like he gave us the best chance to win and play at an explosive level,” Swinney said. With his flowing blond hair, Law rence is positioned to become one of college football’s biggest and most recognizable stars. It will help to have receivers such as Ross, Higgins and Amari Rogers, all underclassmen. And a runner like sophomore Travis Etienne, who broke a 62-yard touch down run in the third quarter. But Lawrence is the leader. In his 11th start, he will try to become the first true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national champi onship since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985. “He doesn’t just have a talented arm. That’s just what you guys see,” Clemson All-America defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “He’s a cool customer. He’s never rattled.” THE TAKEAWAY NOTRE DAME: As 12-point under dogs, the Irish needed to play their best and catch a couple breaks. Nei ther happened. They nearly had a takeaway deep in Clemson territory in the first quarter, but a loose ball was ruled barely out of bounds by replay review. Love’s injury left them exposed at corner. And an offensive line, which had been up and down and shifting around much of the season, was no match for Clemson. CLEMSON: Dexter Lawrence, side lined by a failed NCAA test for perfor mance-enhancing drugs, was hardly missed. The 340-pound junior was on the sideline, wearing on an orange sweat shirt with a white tiger paw logo. Clemson is working on an appeal for Lawrence and two other players, but it is unlikely the Tigers will have them back for the national title game. ORANGE BOWL I No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34 ■ ■ V ^ ^ jjr v j VI LYNNE SLADKY I Associated Press Oklahoma safety Robert Barnes (20) and cornerback Tre Norwood (13) tackle Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4), during the first half of the Orange Bowl on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fast start sends Crimson Tide to title game Associated Press Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 yards and four touch downs and No. l-ranked Ala bama beat No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 on Saturday night in the College Football Play off semifinal at the Orange Bowl. The high-scoring Soon- ers reached the semifinal despite a porous defense that was no match for Ala bama’s diverse attack, and the Crimson Tide led 28-0 after only 17 minutes. Alabama (14-0) advanced to the national champion ship game for the fourth consecutive season and will play Jan. 7 in Santa Clara, California against familiar foe Clemson, which beat Notre Dame 30-3 in the Cot ton Bowl. Clemson, ranked No. 2, and Alabama will face off in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, and have split two title games. “They’ve got a great pro gram and a great team,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I’m sure it’ll be a great challenge for us, and I’m sure we’ll need to play bet ter than we did today.” Tagovailoa’s perfor mance in the semifinal argued for a Florida recount in the Heisman Trophy vote. He finished as the runner-up to Oklahoma’s Kyler Mur ray but won sweet consola tion by completing 24 of 27 passes, with scores to four receivers. “It’s always good to see your hard work pay off,” said Tagovailoa, who played on a sore left ankle. While Tagovailoa con nected on his first nine passes for 184 yards, Mur ray was sacked twice before he threw a pass, and his first completion came with his team already down 21-0. Murray had one bril liant moment, a perfect deep throw on the move to Charleston Rambo in the end zone for a 49-yard score. He passed for 308 yards and ran for 109 but took several jarring hits, including when All-America nose guard Quinnen Williams dislodged his helmet and forced him from the game for one play in the fourth quarter. The Sooners (12-2) were bowled over by the Crimson Tide. When Robert Barnes tried to stop Josh Jacobs in the open field, the Alabama running back lowered his head for the collision and continued to the end zone for a 27-yard score while the Sooners safety spun to the turf, dazed and briefly unable to get up. “Our offense really con trolled the tempo of the game,” Saban said. Bowl results Friday’s games Music City Bowl Nashville, Tenn. Auburn 63, Purdue 14 Camping World Bowl Orlando, Fla. Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18 Alamo Bowl San Antonio Washington State 28, Iowa State 26 BOWL SCOREBOARD No. 10 Florida finishes comeback year with 41-15 victory in the Peach Bowl Florida running back Jordan Scarlett (25) runs against Michigan linebacker Khaleke Hudson (7) during the first half of the Peach Bowl on Saturday in Atlanta. Associated Press Lamical Perine had a 5-yard scoring catch and 53-yard touch down run to lead No. 10 Florida’s strong rushing attack Saturday, helping the Gators cap their comeback season with a 41-15 rout of No. 8 Michigan in the Peach Bowl. After finishing 4-7 in 2017, Florida enjoyed a dramatic turn around in Dan Mullen’s debut season as coach. Florida (10- 3) closed the season with four straight wins. Michigan (10-3) closed a promising season with two straight lopsided losses. Feleipe Franks ran and passed for touchdowns to lead Florida’s offense. He had a 20-yard scor ing run in the second quarter and finished with 74 yards rushing on 14 carries. Franks passed for 173 yards. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson led Florida’s defense with two interceptions, including one returned 30 yards for a touch down with less than five minutes remaining. Gardner-Johnson’s first interception early in the sec ond half, when Florida led only 13-10, set the tone for the Gators. The Wolverines faced the unenviable task of having four top starters, including top rusher Karan Higdon and leading tack ier Devin Bush, skip the game to focus on the NFL draft. After giving up 567 yards in a crushing 62-39 loss to Ohio State to close the regular season, Mich igan’s defense again couldn’t play up to its No. 1 ranking. Florida compiled 427 total yards, including 257 on the ground. Perine led the Gators with 76 yards rushing. Jordan Scarlett ran for 59 yards, includ ing a 1-yard scoring run. Michigan led 7-3 after Shea Patterson’s 9-yard scoring pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the first quarter — the Wolverines’ only touchdown. Patterson threw two second-half interceptions and completed 22 of 36 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. JOHN BAZEMORE I Associated Press Trailing 13-10, Michigan’s first possession of the second half began at its 48. The excellent scoring oppor tunity was only a prelude for disappointment. The Wolverines gained one first down before Patterson’s deep pass over the middle was intercepted at the 3 by Gardner- Johnson, whose 47-yard return to the Michigan 44 set up the Gators. Speedy Kadarius Toney gained 30 yards on a fourth-down, end- around run to the Michigan 5. Franks’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Perine pushed the Florida lead to 20-10. Michigan had two apparent touchdowns negated following video reviews by officials. BELK BOWL: Bryce Perkins threw three touchdown passes to Olamide Zaccheaus, Virginia’s defense dominated and the Cava liers beat South Carolina 28-0 in the Belk Bowl on Saturday for their first bowl win since 2005. Perkins completed 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards and ran for 81 yards as the Cavaliers (8-5) ended the ACC’s longest bowl drought. Zaccheaus, named the game’s Most Outstanding Player, had 12 catches for 100 yards. Jordan Ellis ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, helping Virginia hold the ball for more than 42 minutes. The Gamecocks were shut out for the first time since 2006, when they lost 18-0 to Georgia. The Cavaliers’ 14th-ranked pass defense put the clamps on a hot South Carolina offense that had averaged 38.2 points per game over the past five games. Jake Bentley had thrown for 16 touchdowns during that span, including a 510-yard, five-TD performance against No. 2 Clem son, but struggled without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who elected to bypass the bowl game to begin preparing for the NFL draft. Bentley was limited to 218 yards on 17-of-39 passing and was intercepted twice. Saturday’s games Peach Bowl Atlanta Florida 41, Michigan 15 Belk Bowl Charlotte, N.C. Virginia 28, South Carolina 0 Arizona Bowl TUcson, Ariz. Nevada 16, Arkansas State 13, OT Cotton Bowl Classic Arlington, Texas CFP Semifinal, Clemson 30, Notre Dame 3 Orange Bowl Miami Gardens, Fla. CFP Semifinal, Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34 Monday’s games Military Bowl Annapolis, Md. Cincinnati (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6), Noon (ESPN) Sun Bowl El Paso,Texas Stanford (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (7-6), 2 p.m. (CBS) Redbox Bowl Santa Clara, Calif. Michigan State (7-5) vs. Oregon (8-4), 3 p.m. (FOX) Liberty Bowl Memphis, Tenn. Missouri (8-4) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN) Holiday Bowl San Diego Northwestern (8-5) vs. Utah (9-4), 7 p.m. (FS1) Gator Bowl Jacksonville, Fla. NC State (9-3) vs. Texas A&M (8-4), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Ihesday, Jan. 1 Outback Bowl Tampa, Fla. Mississippi State (8-4) vs. Iowa (8-4), Noon (ESPN2) Citrus Bowl Orlando, Fla. Kentucky (9-3) vs. Penn State (9-3), 1 p.m. (ABC) Fiesta Bowl Glendale, Ariz. LSU (9-3) vs. UCF (12-0), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. Washington (10-3) vs. Ohio State (12-1), 5 p.m. (ESPN) Sugar Bowl New Orleans Texas (9-4) vs. Georgia (11-2), 8:45 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Jan. 7 College Football Championship Santa Clara, Calif. Clemson (14-0) vs. Orange Bowl winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday, Jan. 19 East-West Shrine Classic At St. Petersburg, Fla. East vs. West, 3 p.m. (NFLN) American vs. National, TBA (NFLN) Associated Press
