Re: Hill Watch...7 days!!!(ONE WEEK!)

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7 years ago, 2015: An al-Qaeda faction kills 11 people in a

Aug 29, 2022, 8:34 AM

Paris attack on the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Germanwings Flight 9525 is intentionally crashed by the Co-Pilot, killing all 150 people aboard. Police shootings of black men continue to feed the #BlackLivesMatter movement. A train derailment in Philadelphia killed eight and injured more than 200 Amtrak passengers.

David Sweat and Richard Matt, both convicted murderers, escaped from the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York. The prison seamstress, Joyce Mitchell, was arrested and admitted to having had a sexual relationship with Matt, along with providing the tools used in the escape. A huge manhunt took place over much of northern New York for the next three weeks, Law enforcement officers shot and killed Matt on June 26. They found Sweat two days later.

21 year old White Sumpremacist Dylann Roof murders 9 people during a Bible study at historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. He said he hoped to ignite a race war, but his crime backfired on him, as it brought people in South Carolina closer together, instead. In the aftermath of this shooting, legislation is passed that finally removes the Confederate flag from the Statehouse Grounds in Columbia, SC. Vester Lee Flanagan, a disgruntled former news anchor, shot and killed two of his former colleagues while they were on the air on location for a Roanoke, Virginia, TV station. He claimed he his actions were inspired by the Charleston SC shootings.

Against this troubled backdrop, college football, more than ever, provided some needed escapism. The ACC Champions for 2015 were the (8-0, 14-1) No. 2 Clemson Tigers. More details later. This is a very long narrative, but hey, one of the most exciting seasons in Clemson history deserves some details.

The National Champions for 2015 were the 14-1 Alabama Crimson Tide. More details on their season later as well, as their season and that of the Clemson Tigers were intertwined, as would be the case for years to follow.

To say that hopes were high around Clemson going into the 2015 season would be like saying the Pope is Catholic. The National Pollsters were more cautious, as we opened the season ranked No. 12. The Tigers opened with an easy 49-10 win over Wofford, but it proved to be a very costly one, as wide receiver Mike Williams collided with a goal post stanchion in the end zone, fractured vertebrae in his neck, and was done for the season. This was a HUGE loss for the Tigers. Clemson held at No. 12 for a 41-10 followup win in the Valley against Appalachian State. But then, the competition would pick up in a hurry, as the now No. 11 Tigers headed to Papa Johns Stadium to take on the Lousiville Cardinals.

The Cards now had Kyle Bolin at QB. They took the opening kickoff, and Bolin got them a quick first down, and they made it to their 40, before the Clemson defense asserted itself and forced a punt. Deshaun Watson got the Tigers a first down, but then was intercepted on a long ball at the Cards 34. Then the defenses forced 5 straight punts, before Clemson took over on the Tiger 39 yard line, and began a drive that would end in something that would become familiar for the next four years, a 32 yard TD catch by a scraggly little former walk-on slot receiver wearing No. 13, named Hunter Renfrow. Clemson would hold this 7-0 lead for another set of four punts in a row, until Louisville finally got on the board with a 26 yard field goal, after the Tiger defense had stopped the Cards inside the 10 yard line. This score would remain the same until the end of the first half.

Clemson began the 2nd half with the ball, but another interception on a Watson long ball gave the Cards the ball on their 42. They would cash in on a 9 play drive, aided by a personal foul call against Shaq Lawson along the way, to lead for the first time, 10-7. Clemson would finally begin to move the ball on the next possession, but had to settle for a 39 yard Greg Huegel field goal to tie the game at 10-10. But, after a 3 and out forced by the Clemson defense, the Tiger offense drove again, this time hitting paydirt on a 25 yard pass from Watson to tight end Jordan Leggett. With 2:37 left in the 3rd quarter. The Heugel PAT made it 17-10 Tigers. Clemson intercepted Kyle Bolin on Louisville's very next play from scrimmage, but the Card defense held and forced a punt.

Louisville would turn it over on downs as a 4th and 7 pass from the Clemson 36 fell incomplete. Clemson would drive it all the way to the Cards 10, but had to settle for another Huegel field goal, to lead 20-10 with 9:57 to go in the game. Louisville would strike back in a big way, as they returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, to trail only by 3, at 20-17.

Clemson held the ball for 7 plays before having to punt it away, and the Cards drove down the field for 9 plays, before a missed 38 yard field goal ended the scoring threat. But, their defense forced a 3 and out, giving them one last shot with 1:12 to go, and the ball at their own 37. Jadar Johnson intercepted Bolin on 3rd and 14 to end the game. Clemson was building a reputation of winning these close games now.

Somehow, the pollsters didn't like that win, as we actually dropped from No. 11 to No. 12 to host No. 6 Notre Dame in Death Valley for an 8:00 pm nationally televised ABC marque matchup. Hurricane Joaquin brought torrential rains to the area, and this game would come to be known for all time as “The Monsoon Game”. Clemson owned the first three quarters, as the Tigers jumped out to a 21-3 lead, with the defense holding Notre Dame at bay. But, in the 4th quarter, the Irish suddenly came to life.

QB Deshone Kizer hit CJ Prosise with a 56 yard bomb, but the Irish went for two, and the Clemson defense foiled the attempt, to keep the score at 21-9. On the next Clemson possession, the Tigers put together their only scoring drive of the quarter, but it would only pay off in a field goal by Heugel, to push the lead back to 24-9. It only took the Irish 4 plays to find paydirt, or paymud, as it were on this night, again. The 3 yard Kizer run, and PAT got the Irish to within 24-16.

The Notre Dame defense forced a 3 and out, but on the very next play from scrimmage, BJ Goodson intercepted Deshone Kizer on the ND 35 yard line. The Irish defense held, and Greg Huegel misfired on a 47 yard field goal attempt that could have “iced” the game. The Notre Dame offense took the next possession right down the field, but on a 2nd and 10 from the Clemson 12 yard line, Jayron Kearse jarred the ball loose from receiver Chris Brown after he had caught a pass and gained 8 yards. BJ Goodsen fell on the wet ball for a Clemson recovery at the 4 yard line.

But, the Irish defense smelled blood in the flood waters, and forced another 3 and out, and Will Fuller fielded the Andy Teasdall punt and ran it back to the Tiger 32 yard line, with 1:05 to go. Kevin Dodd forced a Deshone Kizer fumble on the very next play, but the ND QB fell on it to keep Irish hopes alive.

The Irish would eventually score on a 1 yard pass from Kizer to Tori Hunter with just 7 seconds remaining in the game. With all the momentum in the world, and TV announcers already figuring the game was going to overtime after the great Irish comeback, the Tiger defense swarmed the Irish two point try, and stonewalled it for no gain. The Tigers recovered the onside kick attempt, and took a sweet kneeldown to end the game.

Coach Swinney was overcome with emotion after the game, and we got one of the most famous and enduring “Daboisms” of all time. “Hey, rain, sleet or snow, Clemson nation, THEY SHOW! ...I told the players, we give you scholarships, we give you stipends, meals, and a place to live, we give you nice uniforms, but I can't give you guts, and I can't give you heart, and tonight, IT WAS BYOG, BRING YOUR OWN GUTS! And, they brought some guts, and some heart, and they never quit...” You think a team wouldn't try to run through a brick wall for that coach?

The team just fed off the emotion of that game, and mowed down the rest of the schedule, Georgia Tech fell 43-24 in the Valley, as did Boston College, 34-17. The Tigers took the show on the road to Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and literally mopped the floor with the Hurricanes, a 58-0 whitewash. We topped 50 again the next week in Death Valley, winning easily over the NC State Wolfpack, even if the defense uncharacteristically allowed 41 points in the 56-41 win. By the time No. 16 Florida State came to town on November 7th, this surge had taken the Tigers all the way to the top of the national rankings.

But, Florida State was not ready cede supremacy in the ACC, and to go quietly into the good night, not without a helluva fight. They had an NFL running back in Dalvin Cook, and he introduced himself to Clemson fans on the 2nd play from scrimmage with a 75 yard burst to the house for a 7-0 Seminole lead, before the fans even settled into their seats. Clemson managed one 1st down before having to punt, and FSU blew right down the field again, all the way to the Clemson 17, before Adrian Baker intercepted a Sean Maquire pass at the 5 yard line.

Clemson drove it out to the 48 before having to punt it away, pinning FSU deep in their own territory at the 13 yard line. Clemson forced a 3 and out of their own, and the FSU punt resulted in flipping field position to the Tigers, setting the offense up at the Clemson 42. A Tiger drive would stall at the FSU 14, and a Huegel field goal got us on the board, 7-3 Noles. But, FSU would return the favor, on a 10 play drive that got to the Clemson 6 before the defense forced a 23 yard Aguayo field goal to make it 10-3 FSU.

After four straight changes of possession, Clemson blew a golden chance for a touchdown, having driven down the field and had 3 shots at the end zone from inside the FSU 14, before having to settle for a Greg Huegel field goal to make it 10-6 Florida State at halftime.

The 2nd half opened with an exchange of punts, but on the Tigers 2nd possession, the offense got in gear. A beautiful long ball to Deon Cain covered the last 38 yards, as Clemson broke on top for the first time in the game, 13-10. But, the Seminoles came right back with an 8 play, 48 yard drive ending in a field goal, to tie the game 13-13, with 6:15 left in the 3rd quarter.

The teams would exchange possessions four more times before Clemson would go on an 11 play, 75 yard drive ending in another Huegel field goal to retake the lead, 16-13. After FSU turned it over on downs at the Clemson 40 on the next possession, Clemson went on a 7 play, 60 yard drive, with Wayne Gallman taking it the last 25 yards to the end zone for a Clemson 23-13 lead with 2:34 to go. Two plays later, Ben Boulware stuck it to receiver Travis Rudolph after a pass completion, forcing a fumble that was recovered by BJ Goodson. Clemson ran 5 plays to run out the clock and secure the victory.

Three more easier wins followed, 37-27 at Syracuse, 33-13 at home over Wake Forest, and a road 37-32 win over South Carolina that was not as close as the score made it appear, since the last Gamecock score came with one second remaining. Clemson had shot themselves in the foot a couple of times to allow the Gamecocks to close to within 28-25 at one point. But then, Deshaun Watson took over again, and put the game away with his third rushing TD on the day, to make it 37-25, before the final garbage time TD by the Carolina offense. Clemson leads the series 71-42-4.

The Tigers faced a pesky North Carolina team in the ACC Championship game that did not seem to realize they were supposed to be a huge underdog. In fact, the Heels actually led three different times, at 3-0, 9-7, and 16-14, with that last lead coming after an ill-advised Andy Teasdall fake punt from the Clemson 30 yard line was cashed in for a touchdown. But, taking over possession with 3:42 left in the first half, Deshaun Watson did Deshaun Watson things, leading a perfect drive that ended with a 1 yard TD pass to Jordan Leggett with 2 seconds left, for a 21-16 halftime lead that the Tigers would not relinquish.

North Carolina opened the 2nd half with a drive down to the Clemson 16, where an errant Marquise Williams pass was picked off by Cordrea Tankersley at the Clemson 3 yard line. From there, the Tigers would mount a soul sapping 13 play, 97 yard drive that took over 5 minutes off the clock, and ended in a 3 yard TD run by Wayne Gallman. Ammon Lakip's PAT pushed the Clemson lead to 28-16.

UNC gambled and lost big time on their next possession, failing on their own fake punt play from their own 36 yard line. It would only take Clemson two plays to cash in on the gift, with a 35 yard Artavis Scott TD reception and Lakip PAT running the lead out to 35-16. But, the Tiger defense seemed to get complacent after this score, with the result being a quick 6 play, 42 yard TD drive from the Heels, to cut the margin to 35-23. But, on the ensuing Clemson possession, Deshaun Watson came up with another clock eating 80 yard TD drive, with Watson covering the last 2 yards himself, to push the lead back to 42-23.

But, if that was supposed to be the end for North Carolina, nobody told them. They marched down the field and stuck the ball in the end zone in just a minute and 40 seconds, to make the score 42-30 with 9:54 still left in the game. With renewed hope, they forced a Clemson 3 and out, and were moving the ball again on offense when Marquise Williams was sacked on 1st down at the Clemson 36 by Shaq Lawson, who forced a fumble that was recovered by Austin Bryant. Clemson held the ball for 7 plays before a Huegel 27 yard field goal bumped the lead back up to 45-30 with only 2:14 remaining.

But, still the Tar Heels would not die. Clemson tried a hooch kick, and North Carolina returned it to the 47 yard line. 6 plays and 1:01 later, they were in the end zone, and the score was now 45-37. They tried the inevitable onside kick, but the Tigers recovered, and got the necessary 1st down to run out the game clock, and go into their 1st CFP Playoff game as the ACC Champions, and undefeated No. 1 seed. The Tigers would once again face the Oklahoma Sooners of Coach Bob Stoops, Champions of the Big 12, now with the Air Raid offense of Offensive Coordinator Lincoln Riley being run by QB Baker Mayfield.

The Clemson defense had no shortage of stars, as there were many future NFL'ers across the board. But, in a team of leaders, a freshman defensive tackle with a big game and an even bigger personality, had emerged as one of those leaders, in the person of one Christian Wilkins. We actually had a three man NFL rotation at DT, with DJ Reader, Carlos Watkins, and Wilkins. Same story at DE, with Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd, and future Power Rangers Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant. The whole defensive secondary would at least get looks in the NFL. The linebacker corps had another future NFL'er in BJ Goodson, and the emotional leader of the team in Ben Boulware, whose impact went far beyond his personal talent. This is what Baker Mayfield would have to contend with in the Orange Bowl semifinal game.

Oklahoma had NFL talent all over the field themselves. They got the opening kickoff, and methodically marched down the field on a 10 play, 75 yard drive ending in a Samaje Perine 1 yard run for the TD, PAT good for a 7-0 Sooner lead. Clemson made one 1st down on the initial Tiger possession before having to punt it away. On the next Oklahoma possession, Shaq Lawson sacked Mayfield all the way back at the Oklahoma 4, and then their punter hit a 24 yard shank that put Clemson in business at the Sooner 28 yard line. Clemson got it all the way to the 6, but there the drive stalled, and we had to settle for a 26 yard Huegel field goal, Oklahoma still led 7-3.

The 2nd quarter began with Clemson receiving a punt on the 4 yard line. But, from there, Deshaun Watson orchestrated a 96 yard drive. He started it himself with a 46 yard run out to midfield on 1st down. Clemson stalled at the OU 44, and sent out Teasdall to punt it away. But, instead, he threw the ball to an eligible Christian Wilkins on a fake punt play, with Wilkins making the catch and rumbling all the way to the Sooner 13. Two plays later, Watson took it in from 5 yards out, PAT good for Clemson's 1st lead, 10-7. Field goals followed, first a Clemson 36 yarder, 13-7 Tigers, then an OU 22 yarder, 13-10 Tigers. Clemson got another one from 43 yards out, 16-10 Tigers.

But then, the Sooner offense finished a drive, only taking 4 plays to go 75 yards. The big play was a 42 yard bomb from Mayfield to Dede Westbrook, followed by an 11 yarder from Mayfield to Mark Andrews for the score, PAT good, as Oklahoma regained the lead, 17-16. Clemson got the ball back with 1:34 to go in the half, and Watson furiously drove the Tigers down the field, all the way to the Sooner 15. But, on 3rd and 8, the Sooner defense made a play of their own, intercepting Watson in the end zone to end the Clemson threat, later downing the ball to run out the first half.

Clemson came out of the locker room on a mission, taking the ball right down the field on an opening 12 play, 75 yard drive that even featured a 3rd and Renfrow, getting a first down at the Sooner 4 on that Hunter Renfrow catch. Wayne Gallman later took it in from the 1 yard line, to reclaim the lead for the Tigers, PAT good, Clemson leads 23-17. Clemson forced a 3 and out, but missed a chance for points on that possession when a 47 yard field goal was missed by Huegel. On the next OU possession, the Sooners went for it on a 4th and 1 from the Clemson 30, and was stuffed for no gain, to turn it over on downs.

Deshaun Watson would find Hunter Renfrow twice on this Tiger possession, with the second time being a 35 yard touchdown pass. PAT good, Clemson led 30-17. Baker Mayfield drove the Sooners down the field with the next possession, only to be picked off by BJ Goodson at the Clemson 29. But, the OU defense forced a 3 and out, as did the Clemson defense for the next OU possession. Clemson had flipped the field, and took over at midfield following the OU punt. There were no completed passes on the ensuing Clemson possession, but OU was flagged for pass interference against Hunter Renfrow on an attempted one, which was a big play in the drive. Watson and Wayne Gallman kept alternating runs until Gallman finally took it in from 4 yards out, PAT good, Clemson leads 37-17 with 10:48 to go in the game.

Baker Mayfield took the Sooners down the field again on the next OU possession, all the way to a 1st and goal at the Clemson 5 yard line. But, once again, the Tiger defense made a key play, with Ben Boulware intercepting Mayfield on the next play, and returning it to the Clemson 11. That was OU's last gasp, as the teams traded punts on ensuing possessions, before Clemson ran out the clock to end the game at 37-17. Clemson would go on to play Alabama for the National Championship. Oklahoma would end their season at 11-2 with a No. 5 ranking.

Alabama arrived at the National Championship by going 11-1 in the SEC regular season, with their only loss being a 43-37 upset loss to No. 15 Ole Miss, Coached by Hugh Freeze, and led by transfer QB Chad Kelly. Bama won the SEC West, and defeated No. 18 Florida 29-15 in the SEC Championship Game. They were the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoffs, and faced No. 3 seed, the 12-1 Big Ten Champion Michigan State Spartans of Coach Mark Dantonio. They defeated Iowa, 16-13 to win the Big 10 title. Their only loss on the year was a 39-38 road loss to Nebraska.

But, the Spartans were hopelessly outclassed in the CFP Semifinal Cotton Bowl Classic, being shut out 38-0 by Alabama. Bama featured Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry at running back, OJ Howard at tight end, and Calvin Ridley at wideout, all future NFL players. In all, just in the 2015 draft, 7 Crimson Tide players were selected in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Even though Clemson was ranked No. 1, Bama came into the CFP Championship game as a near 7 point betting favorite.

Alabama and Clemson exchanged punts in their first possessions. But, the 2nd Bama possession was the Derrick Henry Show, as he covered all 59 yards on the drive in 3 plays, the last being a 50 yard gallop to the end zone, PAT good, Bama led 7-0 over a stunned Clemson team. But, the Tigers showed this would be a game, as they compiled a 6 play, 54 yard scoring drive of their own, following a 43 yard Artavis Scott kickoff return. Watson to Hunter Renfrow covered the last 31 yards for the score, PAT good, game tied 7-7.

After a missed Bama field goal, Clemson rolled down the field again, with Hunter Renfrow catching an 11 yard pass for his 2nd TD of the game, PAT good, Clemson now led 14-7. The Clemson defense forced an Alabama punt, but on the 2nd play of the possession, Watson was picked off at the Clemson 42 by Eddie Jackson. The Tide would take advantage of the short field, covering those 42 yards in 7 plays, Derrick Henry taking it in from the 1, PAT good, game tied again at 14-14. From this point, the teams traded 4 punts until the last possession of the first half, where Clemson got in position for a 44 yard field goal, which was blocked by Bama. So, the half ended with the teams tied 14-14.

Clemson received the 2nd half kickoff, but could do nothing with it, punting it away on a 3 and out. Bama struck quickly, a 3 play drive where Clemson somehow forgot to cover the tight end, and OJ Howard caught the pass and rumbled 53 yards for the score. PAT good, Bama led 21-14. Clemson drove to the Bama 21 on the next possession, but three plays netted only another yard, and the Tigers had to settle for a Huegel field goal to trail 21-17. But, the Clemson defense forced a quick 3 and out, and Watson took the Tigers on a 9 play, 60 yard drive, with Wayne Gallman taking it the last yard for the TD, PAT good, Clemson regained the lead at 24-21.

Then, the defenses took over for awhile, as four consecutive punts took the game into the 4th quarter. Bama got possession with 13:07 to go, and would move to the Clemson 16 before the Tiger D forced them to settle for a tying field goal from 33 yards, game knotted again at 24-24. Then, came probably the most pivotal play in the game, as Bama caught the Tigers napping, and executed a perfect onside kick. While the Tigers were still reeling from that, they forgot to cover OJ Howard AGAIN, and he got ANOTHER long TD catch and run, this one from 51 yards out, PAT good, as Bama now led by a touchdown at 31-24.

The next Clemson drive stalled at the Bama 14, and settled for a Huegel field goal to still trail 31-27. But, on the ensuing kickoff, Kenyan Drake got loose for a 95 yard kickoff return touchdown, to almost break the backs of the Tigers, PAT good, Bama now led by two scores, 38-27, with only 7:31 remaining in the game. The Tigers used up nearly 3 of those minutes on a 75 yard TD drive, the last 15 yards a TD pass to Artavis Scott. But, a two point conversion attempt failed, leaving Clemson still down 38-33.

The Clemson defense desperately needed a stop, but Derrick Henry and company were having none of it. The 8 play, 75 yard TD drive took another 3:33 off the clock, and pushed the lead back up to 45-33. And that, for all intents and purposes, was the game. Deshaun Watson would not give up, and got the Tigers another score, but it had taken all but 12 seconds of the remaining time. When Bama recovered the onside kick attempt, they were able to kneel down and preserve a 45-40 victory. It had been one of the most entertaining games in college football history, but also one of the most disappointing for a Clemson team that was trying to become the first ever 15-0 National Champions. That goal would have to pass on to some other team. Deshaun Watson had torched a Nick Saban defense for 405 passing yards, but the Tigers would have to settle for their 2nd highest finish ever in the polls, at No. 2. All 2015 results below.

Wofford No. 12 W 49–10
Appalachian State No. 12 W 41–10
At Louisville No. 11 W 20–17
No. 6 Notre Dame No. 12 W 24–22 (The BYOG Monsoon Game!)
Georgia Tech No. 6 W 43–24
Boston College No. 5 W 34–17
At Miami No. 6 W 58–0 (Once again, Miami is not really back.)
At NC State No. 3 W 56–41
No. 16 Florida State No. 1 W 23–13
At Syracuse No. 1 W 37–27
Wake Forest No. 1 W 33–13
At South Carolina No. 1 W 37–32 (Clemson leads the series 71-42-4.)

No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 10 North Carolina
ACC Championship Game
W 45–37

December 31
No. 1 Clemson vs No. 4 Oklahoma
Orange Bowl–CFP Semifinal
W 37–17

January 11, 2016
No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 2 Alabama
National Championship
L 40–45

Coach Dabo Swinney made a statement after this game that was very un-Swinney like. He said, "It had been 31 years since Clemson played for a National Championship. I promise you, it won't be 31 more." That is the words of a coach who knew he had the better team, but was out coached at key points in the game by one of, if not THE best to ever do it. Clemson would be on a mission in 2016 to get back to this game and try again.