Alabama hammers Clemson

ATLANTA — A tornado helped derail the last Alabama team to play in the Georgia Dome. Thunder and Lightning weren’t nearly enough Saturday night.

Alabama’s football team used an impressive first quarter to take control of the game and surprised No. 9 Clemson 34-10 Saturday night.

Clemson’s touted running back tandem of James (Thunder) Davis and C.J. (Lightning) Spiller had a combined five carries for 10 yards in the first half. They finished with eight carries for 20 yards.

“I can’t remember us getting beat that physically bad at least in the last three years,” Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said after the game.

“We got whipped about every way you can get whipped.”

The Crimson Tide ran 80 offensive plays to just 48 for Clemson. They outgained the Tigers 419-188.

Most important, Alabama coach Nick Saban saw his team “finish” both halves strong.

“I thought the last drive, when we took the air out of it (for 8:54), is the way you like to finish a game,” said Saban, who stressed finishing in the offseason. “The game tonight epitomized our players’ being able to do that.”

Saban’s 24th-ranked team also displayed improvement in other key areas from last year’s 7-6 season.

Third-and-short haunted the Tide late last season. On the opening drive, Alabama converted twice by running straight at the Tigers. Glen Coffee gained three yards on third-and-two, and true freshman Mark Ingram picked up three yards on third-and-one.

“Third down was a big part of this game,” Saban said.

Leigh Tiffin gave the Tide a 3-0 lead with a 54-yard field goal, tying his career long with the third-longest kick in school history.

Alabama started three new linebackers, another topic of angst, against Clemson. But on the Tigers’ first possession, Cory Reamer stripped the ball from backup running back Jamie Harper and true freshman Don’ta Hightower recovered for Alabama at the Clemson 31.

Tiffin put the Tide ahead 6-0 with a 21-yard field goal.

Alabama’s red-zone offense took strides on its next possession. Going with a no-huddle look, Ingram picked up 25 yards on three straight carries to the Clemson 11. Coffee, following behind tackle Andre Smith, guard Mike Johnson and lead blocker Travis McCall, pounded the ball to the 1 on consecutive carries. John Parker Wilson scored on a quarterback sneak on second-and-goal from the 1.

“Everything just fell into place,” said Wilson, who finished 22-for-30 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. “If we can run the ball the way we did tonight, we can be pretty good. Our defense did a great job in stopping the run.”

Questions about the pass rush without Wallace Gilberry followed the team into the opener. Brandon Deaderick sacked Cullen Harper on the final play of the first quarter. The loss cost Clemson 11 yards and forced the Tigers to settle for a field goal.

The Tide answered with a 83-yard, 14-play, six-minute drive that showed off its seniors. Wilson found tight end Nick Walker for 21 yards on third-and-two at the 47. He finished the march with a 4-yard strike to a wide open Walker in the end zone for a 20-3 lead with 6:01 left in the first half.

Walker caught six passes for 55 yards in the first half — both career highs. He finished with seven catches for 67 yards.

“The tight ends played very well,” Saban said. “Nick made a couple big catches on third down.”

More pressure defense, this time heat from Lorenzo Washington, forced Harper to hurry a pass on third-and-long from his own 14. That set up a bad punt.

Although Alabama couldn’t take advantage, it would get another chance.

Sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain dropped deep into coverage and deflected Harper’s pass for Nelson Faerber. Marquis Johnson picked it off for Alabama with 1:35 left in the half.

The last question — and key challenge facing this team — is about how it would “finish.” Wilson led an eight-play, 48-yard drive and Tiffin finished it off with a 34-yard field goal that sent Alabama to the locker room with a 23-3 lead.

At that point, Alabama had run 45 offensive plays to Clemson’s 22 — and enjoyed a 245-89 yardage advantage.

“We’re winning the battle up front,” Saban said at halftime. “That is what we have to do. It opens up everything for us on both sides of the ball.”

Lightning struck, however, on the opening kickoff of the second half. Spiller returned it 96 yards to pull Clemson to 23-10. The last time the Tide surrendered a kick return for a TD was to Mark Jones of Tennessee in 2002.

Last year, that could have changed the momentum of a game. But Alabama answered on its second third-quarter possession. While the veterans owned the first half, Julio Jones scored his first career touchdown with 6:01 left in the third. Jones caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Wilson across the middle.
Ingram then ran in the two-point conversion that made it 31-10.

Alabama’s defense finished the way it hoped — a shutout in the fourth quarter. Tiffin added a 26-yard field goal with 3:39 left that made it a 24-point margin.

First quarter
9:43 Alabama 3, Clemson 0: Leigh Tiffin 54 field goal. 10 plays, 27 yards, 5:17. Key plays: Alabama converted consecutive third-and-short situations by running right at the Tigers. Glen Coffee gained three yards off left guard and Mark Ingram got three more on third-and-one at the Clemson 44.

7:01 Alabama 6, Clemson 0: Tiffin 21 field goal. 6 plays, 27 yards, 2:21. Key play: The short drive was set up when linebacker Cory Reamer stripped the ball from running back Jamie Harper and freshman linebacker Don’ta Hightower recovered for the Tide at the Clemson 31.

2:51 Alabama 13, Clemson 0: John Parker Wilson 1 run (Tiffin PAT). 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:24. Key plays: Alabama went no-huddle and ran true freshman running back Mark Ingram three straight plays for a combined 25 yards to the Clemson 11.

Second quarter
14:17 Alabama 13, Clemson 3:  Mark Buchholz 33 field goal. 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:34. Key play: Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper fired a slant pass over the middle to Jacoby Ford for a 47-yard pass-and-run that put the Tigers on the Alabama 25.

6:01 Alabama 20, Clemson 3: Nick Walker 4 pass from Wilson (Tiffin PAT). 14 plays, 83 yards, 8:16. Key play: On third-and-two at the 47, Wilson found Walker across the middle for 22 yards and a first down at the 25.

0:00 Alabama 23, Clemson 3: Tiffin 34 field goal. 8 plays, 48 yards, 1:39. Key play: Wilson made a nice scrambling run for 15 yards to the Clemson 32, part of the Tide’s eight-play march to close out the first half.

Third quarter
14:48 Alabama 23, Clemson 10: C.J. Spiller 96 kickoff return (Buchholz PAT). Key play: Spiller caught the ball to the right of the hashmarks and streaked across the field to give his team a big play.

4:08 Alabama 31, Clemson 10: Julio Jones 4 pass from Wilson (Mark Ingram 2-point run). 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:52. Key play: Wilson hit Walker on the right sideline for 12 yards on third-and-six and a first down at the Clemson 23.

Fourth quarter
3:39 Alabama 34, Clemson 10: Tiffin 26 field goal. 14 plays, 78 yards, 8:54. Key play: Wilson hit Mike McCoy over the middle for 24 yards on third-and-9. It put the ball on the Clemson 20.