College football fans around the country were in for a surprise on Monday night as Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers won the school’s third national championship and handed Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide their biggest loss ever, defeating them 44-16.

As this was the fourth modern championship episode of the growing rivalry between the Tigers and the Tide, some football fans may have found the repetition of this match up to be stale. But, with a deeper knowledge of college football history, specific players, and important game statistics, it is evident that this year’s face-off, and Clemson’s victory, was not so boring, afterall. Here are three facts, with the help of NCAA’s team of journalists, that made this game unique from its predecessors:

1. For starters, Clemson’s national championship tallied their season record to an undefeated 15-0, which hasn’t been done since 1897 when the University of Pennsylvania Quakers had their own perfect season. And, football was much different 121 years ago— five point field goals different. Therefore, when the Tigers prevailed, they not only claimed a national title but a historical milestone as well.

1. Trevor Lawrence may have been a name many hadn’t learned yet, but after Monday night’s win, it’s one fans should be expecting to hear a lot in the future. Along with the team’s broken record, Clemson’s freshman quarterback shattered a few himself: Lawrence is the first true freshman quarterback to win a national championship since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985. And— not only did he win this game— he dominated. With 347 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 20-of-32 pass completions, Lawrence excelled against a defense who allowed an average of 187.6 passing yards a game. It is clear that he stepped up to the rigor of performing on college football’s greatest stage, and his performance was one for the history books.

1. Not only was Alabama’s loss to Clemson on Monday the largest margin of defeat the team has had in the Nick Saban era, but it also tied the most points the Tide allowed in a half by their opponent in this era. The Tigers scored 31 points in the first 30 minutes of the championship match, which hadn’t been done since the 2014 Sugar Bowl where Oklahoma racked up 31 points in the first half.

The 2019 College Football Championship was one for the history books. Though the match up was one seen in the past and the game was a blowout, the game made its mark in college football.

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