TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Across three seasons, two schools, and four matchups, R.J. Godfrey has scored 42 points against the Alabama Crimson Tide – 19 of which came in Clemson’s 90-84 loss at Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday.

Godfrey, the Tigers’ (7-2) leading scorer against the No. 12 Crimson Tide, opened his night with 10 of Clemson’s first 16 points, in a lopsided half where scores evaded the Tigers and seemed effortless for the Tide (6-2).

By the time Godfrey knocked down his ninth and 10 points with a hook-shot in the paint with 8:59 left in the first period, Alabama had already drained seven three-pointers to stretch its lead 31-16.

“(Godfrey) just plays with tremendous heart and energy, and our team was really lacking that early on,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “We just didn’t have it and I don’t know why. I thought we were soft.”

Godfrey’s career against the Tide however, has been anything but soft. As a sophomore in 2023, the Suwanee, Ga., native handed coach Nate Oats’ squad 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting en route to a 85-77 Tigers win. Four months later, he added 12 points in 15 minutes in an Elite Eight loss to the Tide that ended Clemson’s historic season. One year later at Georgia, Godfrey notched 10 points in a 90-69 loss at Alabama. 

Godfrey has never played the Tide at home, but the hostile moments at Coleman Coliseum, in addition to hallmark comeback wins under Brownell, has helped the senior become a “next-play” leader.

“R.J. is a next-play guy,” Brownell said. “He’s such a positive personality that he always believes that we’re going to come back, that we’re going to have a chance, and certainly that that carries a lot of weight in our program and you can see with the way he leads our team.”

That mentality was crucial for the Tigers after they faced a 19-point deficit with 4:39 left before a much-needed halftime break. Instead of accepting a blowout loss, a snack for the road, and a quiet ride back to Clemson, the Godfrey-led Tigers went on a 32-14 run over the next 15 minutes of play to take a late lead. 

“They gave us everything we could handle tonight,” Oats said postgame, putting it simply. “You got to give them a lot of credit.” 

Much of that credit should be given to Godfrey’s second-half performance. The veteran notched nine points, including five free throws, and grabbed four rebounds after the break. Although he missed two from the charity stripe that would have cut Alabama’s lead to one point with just two minutes left, the Tigers would have never been in a position to steal a victory without their leading scorer.

Godfrey’s 19 points marked a season-high, just two points shy of his career-best against North Florida last season, and the most he has ever scored against a Power Conference opponent. The game also followed four straight double-digit outings, including a 12-point display against his former team, Georgia, to clinch an overtime win in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Nov. 23.

“Clemson’s good. They’re going to win a lot of games this year and they’re tough,” Oats said. “They are a veteran group, you know, any team coached by Brad’s not going to quit.”

That no-quit attitude carried from Clemson to Tuscaloosa, but it will have to make a much chillier trip next week when the Tigers travel to Madison Square Garden to take on No. 9 BYU in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Godfrey may have completed his four-game career against Alabama, but he will have a chance to open a fresh chapter with a brand-new team next week.

The Tigers and Cougars will tip off at 7:30 p.m. and coverage will be shown on ESPN.