Burrow powers LSU to 42-25 win over Clemson for first College Football Playoff national title

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - With a 30th consecutive win and a second straight national championship on the line, Clemson looked had one last obstacle in the form of top-ranked LSU.

That obstacle proved to be far too much to overcome as the Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow lit up the Tigers’ defense for five touchdowns in LSU’s 42-25 win over Clemson.

Clemson opened the scoring at the Superdome on their third drive of the night. The ACC champs marched 67 yards down the field in five plays and capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on the option keeper to take the early 7-0 lead.

LSU tied it up much to the delight of the home crowd. Ja’Marr Chase raced down the field and hauled in the 52-yard reception to make it a 7-7 game.

The second quarter saw the scoring pick up. Clemson responded with 10 quick points that including a 52-yard BT Potter field goal and a 36-yard run by Tee Higgins to go up 17-7.

But LSU wasn’t shaken. Ed Orgeron’s guys only needed 81 seconds to put together a 5-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a 3-yard run by Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. With that, LSU trailed 17-14.

LSU took their first lead of the night when Burrow and Chase hooked up for the second time. The 14-yard pass put his team ahead 21-17 with 5:19 left in the half.

LSU tacked on one more score before the half was over. Burrow tossed his third touchdown pass of the night when he connected with Thaddeus Moss from six yards out making it 28-17. LSU finished the half with 359 total yards.

The second half saw Clemson cut the lead once again. After forcing a three-and-out, Lawrence and company took advantage of having great field position and pushed the ball 50 yards. Punctuating the drive was Travis Etienne’s 3-yard touchdown run. Clemson went on to add a 2-point conversion slicing LSU’s lead to 28-25 with 10:49 left in the third.

Burrow tacked another passing touchdown with 5:13 to go in the quarter. He found Terrace Marshall, Jr. for the 4-yard scoring pass to wrap up a 68-yard drive making it 35-25.

Burrow added one more touchdown in the fourth for good measure. He finished with 463 passing yards and five touchdowns.

LSU finishes the season 15-0 after securing the program’s fourth national championship. All four titles have been won in New Orleans.

Clemson finishes the year 14-1. They are now 2-2 in College Football Playoff championship games.

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