The first half of the 2016 championship game is set in stone.
No. 4 Washington drew first blood in Atlanta against No. 1 Alabama, but the Tide rolled back to ground-and-pound the Huskies over 60 minutes to a 24-7 Peach Bowl victory.
Alabama DE Jonathan Allen on Washington: They were soft. No disrespect, but we could have played better
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 31, 2016
Bama sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough ran wild on the night, compiling a ridiculous 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
Washington kept it close early, but Tide senior linebacker Ryan Anderson intercepted Jake Browning and returned it for a touchdown to make it 17-7 before half.
The Huskies got a chance to get back into the game midway through the third quarter when senior defensive tackle Elijah Qualls stripped Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts at the Alabama 38-yard line. Unfortunately for Washington, Bama freshman offensive tackle Jonah Williams recovered the ball.
Hurts finished 7/14 for 57 yards and no interceptions. He added 45 yards on 18 carries on the ground.
Washington QB Jake Browning finished 20/37 for 150 yards, two interceptions (one on a last game heave), and one touchdown. His longest rush was 13 yards. The Tide sacked him five times.
The Huskies finished with 194 yards of total offense.
Alabama will play the winner of Clemson vs. Ohio State on Jan. 9th in Tampa Bay, Florida.
