2019 Recap: LSU Downs Clemson In National Title Game

Clemson and LSU both came into the national title game sitting at a perfect 14-0. The LSU offense would prove to be to much in this one however, as Clemson lost 42-25 as their bid for a second straight national title fell one game short.

Author:
JP Priester
Updated:
Jun 16, 2020 11:29 AM EDT

The staff at AllClemson is taking a look back at the 2019 season game-by-game, featuring the highlights, momentum-changing moments and stars. Today, we take a look back at the CFP National Championship match-up with LSU.

Leading one of the most explosive offenses that college football has ever seen, LSU's Joe Burrow turned in what might have been the best season the sport has ever seen by a quarterback.

Burrow finished the season with more than 5,600 passing yards while completing almost 70 percent of his passes and throwing for 60 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

To win a national title, however, the Heisman winner would have to get through the unbeaten and defending national champion Clemson Tigers, a team that featured one of the best defenses in the country led by mastermind Brent Venables.

In what was considered a transition season on that side of the ball, the Tigers had allowed more than 300 yards of offense only twice all season.

However, this was LSU's night. Clemson grabbed a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter, but LSU would score 21 unanswered points to end the half, giving them a lead they would never relinquish.

Clemson was able to cut the lead to 28-25 early in the third, but would never score again as LSU went onto win 42-25.

It was over when...

Up 35-25 early in the fourth quarter, Joe Burrow threw up a perfectly placed jump ball to Terrace Marshall Jr. for a 24 yard touchdown, putting LSU up 42-25.

Play of the game:

With under thirty seconds left in the first half and facing 3rd and 10 at the Clemson 35 yard line, Joe Burrow scrambled for a 29 yard gain, picking up the first down and setting up LSU at the Clemson 6-yard line. Burrow then hit Thaddeus Moss for a touchdown on the very next play, putting Clemson in an 11 point hole at halftime.

Player of the game:

Joe Burrow: LSU had a 100-yard rusher, a 100-yard receiver, and a 200-yard receiver, but this night was all about Burrow. The senior quarterback finished 31-49 for 463 yards and threw five touchdown passes in one of the best outings ever seen by a quarterback in the national championship.

What was that?

Considered a long-shot to make the playoff, LSU was not even the favorite to win their division. They beat Texas, Alabama Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson on their way to 15-0, and most of those were in blowout fashion.

Freshman impact

With linebacker Chad Smith not playing in this game, Jake Venables was forced into action and finished with 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and one of the teams 5 sacks on the night.

Stat of the Game: 25

Clemson losing snapped a 25 game unbeaten streak for Trevor Lawrence as the Tigers starting quarterback. It was his first loss at the collegiate level.