First
Kelly Bryant
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) sacks Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) in the first half of the Sugar Bowl semi-final playoff game for the NCAA college football national championship  in New Orleans  Monday  Jan. 1  2018. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Photo: The Associated Press)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For Clemson quarterback  Kelly Bryant   replacing Deshaun Watson was never going to be easy.
 Bryant  played well enough to get Clemson to a third straight College Football Playoff meeting with Alabama — and then it all went wrong.
 He  was intercepted twice — with both turnovers leading to Alabama touchdowns — and was sacked a season-high five times in a 24-6 loss in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night.
This season  they met in a CFP semifinal with  Bryant  hoping to lead the ACC champs past an Alabama squad that made it this far despite finishing second to Auburn in the Southeastern Conference's West Division.
Coming in   Bryant  had accounted for 3 504 yards and 24 touchdowns from scrimmage this season: 2 678 yards and 13 TDs through the air  and 826 yards and 11 TDs on the ground.
 "Kelly Bryant   I think  he  is actually a little more athletic than Deshaun Watson.  He 's definitely faster and  he  likes to run " Alabama defensive back Anthony Averett said. "We disguised very well and confused  him  a little bit and I think that made a difference."
 Bryant  finished with 18 completions on 36 passes for 124 yards.  He  also was held to 19 yards rushing against Alabama  whose swarming defense unsettled  him  much of the night.
"It was just us making critical errors and shooting ourselves in the foot "  Bryant  said. "We had great play calls but everybody wasn't on the same page. We'll learn from it."
Both of  Bryant 's interceptions occurred on altered or tipped passes.
The first came when Jennings hit  Bryant 's arm as he released the ball. The errant pass fluttered to Payne  who returned his interception 21 yards — 2 yards more than  Bryant 's longest completion of the game.
Later   Bryant 's pass intended for Deon Cain was tipped by Levi Wallace and intercepted by middle linebacker Mack Wilson  who ran it back 18 yards to make it 24-6 in the third quarter.
 Bryant  was nearly intercepted again  one play after Jennings had taken the QB down for the fifth time in the game.  Bryant 's pass under duress almost looked as if it were intended for Alabama's Wilson  who saw a chance for his second interception of the game bounce off his hands.
 Bryant 's New Orleans nightmare ended with a fourth-down incompletion from the Alabama 5-yard line with 1:43 to go. But even if he had finally gotten the Tigers in the end zone  it would have been far too late.
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) sacks Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) in the first half of the Sugar Bowl semi-final playoff game for the NCAA college football national championship  in New Orleans  Monday  Jan. 1  2018. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Photo: The Associated Press)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For Clemson quarterback  [TGT]replacing Deshaun Watson was never going to be easy.
 [TGT]played well enough to get Clemson to a third straight College Football Playoff meeting with Alabama — and then it all went wrong.
 He  was intercepted twice — with both turnovers leading to Alabama touchdowns — and was sacked a season-high five times in a 24-6 loss in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night.
This season  they met in a CFP semifinal with  [TGT]hoping to lead the ACC champs past an Alabama squad that made it this far despite finishing second to Auburn in the Southeastern Conference's West Division.
Coming in [TGT]had accounted for 3 504 yards and 24 touchdowns from scrimmage this season: 2 678 yards and 13 TDs through the air  and 826 yards and 11 TDs on the ground.
 "[TGT]I think  [TGT]  is actually a little more athletic than Deshaun Watson.  [TGT] 's definitely faster and  [TGT]  likes to run " Alabama defensive back Anthony Averett said. "We disguised very well and confused  [TGT]  a little bit and I think that made a difference.[TGT]finished with 18 completions on 36 passes for 124 yards.  [TGT]  also was held to 19 yards rushing against Alabama  whose swarming defense unsettled  [TGT]  much of the night.
"It was just us making critical errors and shooting ourselves in the foot [TGT]said. "We had great play calls but everybody wasn't on the same page. We'll learn from it."
Both of  [TGT] 's interceptions occurred on altered or tipped passes.
The first came when Jennings hit  [TGT] 's arm as he released the ball. The errant pass fluttered to Payne  who returned his interception 21 yards — 2 yards more than  [TGT] 's longest completion of the game.
Later   Bryant 's pass intended for Deon Cain was tipped by Levi Wallace and intercepted by middle linebacker Mack Wilson  who ran it back 18 yards to make it 24-6 in the third quarter.
 [TGT]was nearly intercepted again  one play after Jennings had taken the QB down for the fifth time in the game.  [TGT] 's pass under duress almost looked as if it were intended for Alabama's Wilson  who saw a chance for his second interception of the game bounce off his hands.
 [TGT] 's New Orleans nightmare ended with a fourth-down incompletion from the Alabama 5-yard line with 1:43 to go. But even if he had finally gotten the Tigers in the end zone  it would have been far too late.