After being named Clemson Tigers head coach on a full-time basis in December 2008, Dabo Swinney ushered in not only an era of college football excellence, he created a dynasty.
That dynasty produced six straight ACC titles and subsequent trips to the College Football Playoff, four appearances in the national championship game, and two national titles.
Both of those national championships were won against the Swinney’s alma mater, the Alabama Crimson Tide, where Swinney was a walk-on receiver in 1989 and played for legendary coach — and Bear Bryant protégé — Gene Stallings.
Under Swinney, Clemson has had no shortage of moments over the past 17 seasons — and counting — that Tigers fans can describe in lurid detail from the snap of the ball right up to the final whistle.
Only one of those plays made ESPN’s list of the top 25 college football plays from the first quarter of the 21st century, though. The play? The one known as ‘Orange Crush.’
Hunter Renfrow’s title-winning catch named a top ESPN college football play from past 25 years
ESPN ranked Hunter Renfrow’s game-winning touchdown catch with one second remaining against Alabama in the 2017 College Football Playoff Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as the sport’s 13th best play since 2000. The Tigers won their first national championship since the 1981 season with a 35-31 victory over Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Renfrow finished the night with a game-high 10 catches for 92 yards. Deshaun Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns on 36-of-56 passing, and the Tigers snapped a 26-game Alabama winning streak.
ESPN’s Andrea Adelson described Renfrow’s game-winning catch this way:
The play forever known as “Orange Crush” delivered Clemson its second national title in school history in the 2017 national championship game and the first under coach Dabo…
Source link : https://clemsonwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/clemson/football/2025/06/10/clemson-football-hunter-renfrow-deshaun-watson-espn-top-25-plays/84133800007/
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Publish date : 2025-06-10 18:57:00
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