Alabama Dominates Clemson, 34-10

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ATLANTA -- The good news for Clemson is there's still 11 games left in the season.

The bad news is it might take all 11 games to get over the 34-10 whipping Alabama put on the Tigers Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.

Clemson came into the game with high expectations, a No. 9 national ranking and the hope that it could carry the torch for the Atlantic Coast Conference against Alabama of the Southeastern Conference. Instead, it was the end of a horrible day for the ACC as the Tigers were pushed around.

The rushing stats told the story: Alabama had 238 yards rushing while the Tigers rushed for just 4 yards. CJ Spiller, who provided Clemson its only touchdown on a 96-yard return of the second half kickoff, rushed the ball just twice while James Davis rushed just seven times.

From the first series the game was never in doubt. Alabama kicked a fieldgoal on its first drive. On Clemson's second play from scrimmage freshman Jamie Harper fumbled, a play that might have been promised during his recruitment. However, under the lights of the Georgia Dome it proved to be a miscalculation as Alabama was clearly stronger than the Clemson coaches had anticipated. Harper was stripped of the ball as he went into the Alabama defensive line.

"We never created any momentum on offense or defense," said Clemson coach Tommy Bowden. "I haven't seen anybody physically beat us like that in at least the last three years."

After Harper's fumble Alabama converted on its second field goal of the game to go up 6-0. Alabama scored a touchdown before Clemson could get on the board with a field goal that made the score 13-3. Alabama scored on its first four possessions to go up 20-3 and then added a fieldgoal to make it 23-3 at the half.

Spiller's return of the second half kickoff briefly gave the Tigers some hope and cut the lead to 23-10. After the score Alabama was forced to punt. However, Clemson's offense ran three plays and was forced to punt on its next possession.

Alabama put the game away on its next drive on a 4-yard touchdown reception by Julio Jones and a subsequent two-point conversion put the Crimson Tide up 31-10 with 4:08 left in the third quarter. Leigh Tiffin added a 34-yard fieldgoal with 3:39 left in the game.

Clemson wasn't the only ACC team to have a bad game Saturday. Virginia Tech lost to East Carolina and Virginia was embarrassed by Southern Cal. However, Clemson came into the game with high expectations against a young Alabama team that figures to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack in the SEC. Instead it left Clemson with many questions to answer.

"I've never been in a game where we've been physically dominated up front like that," said Bowden. "That surprised me."

Score by Quarters    1   2  3  4 Score


-----------------    -- -- -- -- -----


ALABAMA............. 13 10  8  3 - 34 Record: (1-0)


Clemson.............  0  3  7  0 - 10 Record: (0-1)


Scoring Summary:


1st 09:43 ALABAMA - Leigh Tiffin 54 yd field goal, 10-27 5:17, ALABAMA 3 - CU 0


07:01 ALABAMA - Leigh Tiffin 21 yd field goal, 6-27 2:21, ALABAMA 6 - CU 0


02:51 ALABAMA - J. Wilson 1 yd run (Leigh Tiffin kick), 7-45 2:24, ALABAMA 13 - CU 0


2nd 14:17 CU - Mark Buchholz 33 yd field goal, 8-56 3:34, ALABAMA 13 - CU 3


06:01 ALABAMA - Nick Walker 4 yd pass from J. Wilson (Leigh Tiffin kick), 14-83 8:16, ALABAMA 20 - CU 3


00:00 ALABAMA - Leigh Tiffin 34 yd field goal, 8-48 1:39, ALABAMA 23 - CU 3


3rd 14:48 CU - C.J. Spiller 96 yd kickoff return (Mark Buchholz kick), , ALABAMA 23 - CU 10


04:08 ALABAMA - Julio Jones 4 yd pass from J. Wilson (Mark Ingram rush), 14-67 6:52, ALABAMA 31 - CU 10


4th 03:39 ALABAMA - Leigh Tiffin 26 yd field goal, 14-78 8:54, ALABAMA 34 - CU 10


                               ALABAMA CU


FIRST DOWNS................... 25      11


RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 50-239  14-0


PASSING YDS (NET)............. 180     188


Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 30-22-0 34-20-1


TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 80-419  48-188


Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0     0-0


Punt Returns-Yards............ 2-23    1-9


Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 3-61    7-188


Interception Returns-Yards.... 1-7     0-0


Punts (Number-Avg)............ 2-36.5  4-40.0


Fumbles-Lost.................. 0-0     1-1


Penalties-Yards............... 6-40    6-43


Possession Time............... 41:13   18:47


Third-Down Conversions........ 11-17   1-9


Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0-0     1-2


Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 6-6     1-1


Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 3-28    0-0


RUSHING: ALABAMA-Mark Ingram 17-96; Glen Coffee 17-90; Roy Upchurch 8-37; J.


Wilson 4-19; Terry Grant 4-minus 3. Clemson-James Davis 6-13; C.J. Spiller 2-7;


Jacoby Ford 1-5; Tyler Grisham 1-3; Jamie Harper 1-0; Cullen Harper 3-minus 28.


PASSING: ALABAMA-J. Wilson 22-30-0-180. Clemson-Cullen Harper 20-34-1-188.


RECEIVING: ALABAMA-Nick Walker 7-67; Roy Upchurch 4-30; Julio Jones 4-28; Mike


McCoy 2-33; Mark Ingram 2-5; Glen Coffee 1-9; Travis McCall 1-8; B J. Scott 1-0.


Clemson-Tyler Grisham 6-42; Aaron Kelly 5-28; Terrance Ashe 3-18; Jacoby Ford


2-53; C.J. Spiller 2-27; James Davis 1-11; Durrell Barry 1-9.


INTERCEPTIONS: ALABAMA-Marquis Johnson 1-7. Clemson-None.


FUMBLES: ALABAMA-None. Clemson-Jamie Harper 1-1.



  
  


#24 ALABAMA vs #9 Clemson (Aug 30, 2008 at Atlanta, GA)


SACKS (UA-A): ALABAMA-C. Higgenbotham 1-0; B. Deaderick 1-0; Chavis Williams


1-0. Clemson-None.


TACKLES (UA-A): ALABAMA-Kareem Jackson 4-2; Marquis Johnson 4-1; Eryk

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