Clemson stuns Alabama to win national championship with touchdown in final seconds
Clemson stunned No. 1 Alabama in the final seconds of the College Football Playoff National Championship late Tuesday morning to win its first title since 1981.
With one second remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Deshaun Watson found Hunter Renfro in the right corner of the end zone to take a 34-31 lead. The ensuing PAT gave the Tigers a 35-31 victory.
The game, which lasted more than four hours, started in Alabama's favor. The Crimson Tide took a 14-0 lead in the first half, and lead 17-7 early in the third quarter.
But Watson and the Tigers fought back, and the Clemson defense neutralized true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurt for the majority of the game. Perhaps most crucially, Alabama running back Bo Scarborough - who scored Alabama's first two TDs - left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury and did not return.
It's a massive win for Clemson, who redeem their loss to Alabama in last year's title game.