page_title: 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
section_title: Clemson
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team / Game summaries / Clemson
caption_attribution_description: The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to a college football game.
context_page_description: The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 114th overall season, 75th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 17th within the SEC Western Division. The team was led by head coach Nick Saban, in his second year, and played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  Alabama finished with an undefeated 12–0 regular season, their first since 1994, and won their first SEC Western Division Championship since 1999. They finished the season with a record of 12–2 after losses to Florida in the SEC Championship Game and to Utah in the Sugar Bowl.
  The Crimson Tide opened the season with an upset victory over No. 9 Clemson in the inaugural Chick-fil-A College Kickoff. After the win, Alabama returned home where they defeated non-conference opponents Tulane and WKU before they traveled to Fayetteville and defeated Arkansas for their first conference win of the season. The next week, The Crimson Tide upset No. 3 Georgia at Athens and moved into the No. 2 ranking.
context_section_description: In January 2008, officials from both Clemson and Alabama announced they would open the 2008 season against each other in the inaugural Chick-fil-A College Kickoff at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. With ESPN's College GameDay in town, and Clemson, selected as the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Crimson Tide upset the Tigers 34–10 to open the season.
  After opening the scoring on a 54-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal, Cory Reamer forced a Jamie Harper fumble recovered by Dont'a Hightower at the Clemson 31. The ensuing drive resulted in a 21-yard Tiffin field goal and a 6–0 lead. After holding the Tigers to a three and out, the Tide reached the end zone for the first time on the evening on a one-yard John Parker Wilson touchdown run to extend the lead to 13–0. After Mark Buchholz hit a 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter, Alabama extended their lead to 20–3 after Wilson hit Nick Walker for a four-yard touchdown reception on the following drive. After a missed 52-yard Tiffin field goal, Marquis Johnson intercepted a Cullen Harper pass on the next Clemson possession to set up a 34-yard Tiffin field goal as time expired to give Alabama a 23–3 halftime lead. Clemson opened the second half with C. J. Spiller returning the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 23–10. Alabama responded later in the third quarter with a four-yard Wilson touchdown pass to Julio Jones in extending the lead to 31–10. Tiffin added the final points of the evening on a 26-yard field goal to cap a 14 play, 78 yard drive in bringing the final score to 34–10.
  James Davis and C.J. Spiller, the duo known as "Thunder and Lightning," combined for only 20 yards on the ground, while the team's rushing total was 0. Clemson's redshirt senior quarterback, Cullen Harper, completed 20 of 34 passes but had no touchdowns and one interception. Alabama's John Parker Wilson completed 22 of 30 passes with no interceptions. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 12–3.
caption: The interior of the Georgia Dome prior to kickoff.
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