Burrow out-duels Lawrence to complete legendary season
Clemson’s 29-game win streak was ended on Monday night in the FBS National Championship. The LSU Tigers defeated the Clemson Tigers 42-25 in an offensive shootout.
Both teams came into the game with undefeated 14-0 records. Clemson was technically the underdog as the third seed, although they won last year’s championship and hadn’t lost a game since Jan. 1, 2018. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence had a perfect 25-0 record prior to the championship game against LSU.
Summary
Contrary to the final score, the game had a slow start. The first four drives all resulted in punts. Lawrence broke the seal with a two-yard keeper on the game’s fifth drive. QB Joe Burrow would connect with sophomore WR Ja’Marr Chase on a 52-yard touchdown reception to even the score before the end of the first quarter.
Clemson came out firing in the second quarter. They kicked a field goal, forced a punt and took the ball 96 yards in four plays. WR Tee Higgins found the end zone on a 36-yard reverse, running over several defenders along the way. This ten-point lead was the last lead Clemson would have in the game. Joe Burrow and company scored three unanswered touchdowns to close out the half. Burrow ran for the first, threw to Chase for his second of the game and found TE Thaddeus Moss for the third of the quarter.
The Clemson Tigers showed some resistance in the third quarter. RB Travis Etienne punched the ball in from the three-yard line and the two-point conversion that followed brought Clemson within three points. LSU’s lead increased to 10 when Burrow found Moss in the endzone again. Thaddeus, the son of Randy Moss, dons the same 81 that his father wore in New England.
The Bayou Bengals would tack on another touchdown in the fourth quarter, while Clemson’s offense became stagnant. Lawrence and the machine would only travel 46 yards in 10 total fourth-quarter plays. The game was all but over when Lawrence fumbled the ball with four minutes remaining in the game. LSU ran the clock down by handing the ball off to RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Nine of his 16 carries came in the final quarter.
Apples to Apples
Where did it go wrong for Clemson? Was it simply a difference between quarterback talent? Defense talent? I think coaching was the difference between winning and losing this game. Clemson has elite defensive talent, but they just couldn’t slow down LSU’s receiving corps. Their defense showed flashes of excellence but just looked pathetic other times. LSU had 11 plays of 20 yards or more. LSU converted just four of their 14 third downs, but Clemson converted only one of their 11. Clemson was even penalized 53 fewer yards than LSU, but they just couldn’t get the job done.
Trevor Lawrence converted just 49 percent of his passes and had no passing touchdowns. Burrow on the other hand was phenomenal. He threw for 463 yards at a 63 percent clip and had five passing touchdowns. It’s probable that he will be the starter for the Bengals’ season opener next season. Ja’Marr chase caught nine passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. While he isn’t yet eligible to be drafted, I think he has the potential to be something special.
NFL Hopefuls
There were a number of likely NFL draft picks playing in the championship. On the LSU side, along with Joe Burrow, are CB Kristian Fulton, S Grand Delpit, EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, C Lloyd Cushenberry and WR Justin Jefferson. Delpit is a strong bet to be the first safety taken off the draft board in April.
On the Clemson side are LB Isaiah Simmons, RB Travis Etienne, WR Tee Higgins and CB A.J. Terrell. Terrell didn’t do his draft stock any favors with his performance on Monday. Etienne and Simmons are near the tops of their respective classes. Simmons is a projected lottery pick in 2020.