Keys to Victory: No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia

Each week, we review the game’s history, three keys to success, and Swanny’s prediction.

The Match-Up:

No. 14 Clemson (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. No. 1 Georgia (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

Georgia holds a 43-18-4 advantage in the series dating to the teams' first meeting in 1897. Georgia won the first three games in the series, all in Athens between 1897 and 1899. Clemson’s first win was a 39-5 triumph in Athens in 1900 behind Head Coach John Heisman. The victory gave Heisman a 4-0 record to open his first season. Heisman was a perfect 4-0 against Georgia as Clemson's coach.

The two teams split 11 games (5-5-1) between 1977- 87. The 11 games were separated by 12 total points as Georgia outscored Clemson by a cumulative score of 171- 159 in those games. When Danny Ford and Vince Dooley coached against each other nine times in that period, the aggregate score was 153 for Georgia and 152 for Clemson. Ford and Dooley were 4-4-1 against each other in that time span.

Series History:

• OVERALL: Clemson trails series, 18-43-4
• HOME: Clemson leads series, 10-9-2
• ROAD: Clemson trails series, 7-27-1
• NEUTRAL: Clemson trails series, 1-7-1
• LAST MEETING: Sept. 4, 2021 (10-3, L)
• STREAK: Georgia, Won 2

Roster:

Stat of the Week:

As part of its season-ending five-game winning streak last year, Clemson defeated both South Carolina and Kentucky in its final two games of the 2023 season. According to Stats Perform, there have been 18 previous instances since 1980 in which a non-SEC team has played SEC opponents in three consecutive games. With a win today, Clemson will become the first non-conference program in that span to play three consecutive games against SEC teams and win all three.

Chasing History:

A Clemson upset win would mark only the sixth time in the history of the AP Poll (which dates to 1936) that a team has defeated the preseason (and active) AP No. 1 in the top-ranked team's season opener.

Clemson (798-472-45) needs two more wins to become the first ACC program to record 800 all-time victories. Across all conferences, 12 teams have reached that all-time mark, and Clemson (798) and Auburn (799) can reach 800 early this season.

Memorable Moments: 

1903: Clemson beat Georgia 29-0. In the first 10 minutes, Clemson fumbled the ball three times. After the game, Georgia's team made a deal with Clemson. They would give the Clemson team a bushel of apples for every additional point Clemson would defeat Georgia Tech by above the 29-point margin by which it defeated Georgia. The score turned out to be Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 0. Apples were plentiful around Clemson that winter - 44 bushels

1974: Clemson defeated Georgia in Death Valley, 28-24, giving Clemson wins over Georgia and Georgia Tech in the same season for the first time since 1914.

1981: Clemson forced nine Georgia turnovers, the most ever by a Clemson opponent, in handing Herschel Walker his only regular season loss as a Bulldog, 13-3. The Bulldogs were the defending national champions and ranked fourth in the nation entering the contest.

1985: Clemson and Georgia met in the first nationally televised football game from Clemson, when Georgia won the game, 20-13, on CBS thanks to a fourth-quarter fumble recovery by offensive lineman Peter Anderson. It was in CBS production meetings before this game that Brent Musberger tabbed Clemson's pregame tradition of running down the Hill as "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football."

1986: Clemson defeated Georgia, 31-28, as David Treadwell kicked a 46-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. Athens, Ga. native Norman Haynes led Clemson in tackles with 14, while Terrance Flagler led the offense with nearly 200 all-purpose yards.

1987: David Treadwell struck again, booting a 21- yard field goal with two seconds left to beat Georgia on national TV, 21-20.

2013: Clemson defeated No. 5 Georgia, 38-35, in front of 84,350 fans at Death Valley. Clemson was ranked No. 8 and the win gave the Tigers consecutive wins over top-10 SEC teams. Sammy Watkins had a 77-yard receiving touchdown from Tajh Boyd, who threw three passing touchdowns and ran for two others. Danny Ford was inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor prior to the game.

Key 1: Run--the bawl

Like Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said after the Yellow Jackets stung Florida State last Saturday, 24-21, “Run the bawl." Entering the contest in Atlanta, the Tigers don’t have a ton of advantages across the board, but one position where I’m confident Clemson is the better team is at running back. 

Phil Mafah enters this season as the unquestioned leader in the running back room for Clemson. Behind Mafah is a stable of unknowns that the coaching staff, specifically Dabo Swinney, seem to really believe have a chance to make an impact—in their own way—with Keith Adams Jr. likely being the first back off the bench.

As for Mafah, when he was given opportunities last season, he proved to be the better of the two backs in Tiger Town alongside current NFLer Will Shipley. Clemson’s offensive line needs only to create small gaps, and Mafah has the speed and power to move the chains or break open lengthy runs. 

Georgia’s defensive line is formidable, but I don’t believe it’s as good as it’s been in the past. If the Tigers don’t get forced out of the running game by falling behind, I expect a heavy dose of Mafah all afternoon in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Key 2: Win the 50-50

Last season, the Tigers' biggest issue seemed to be pressure situations for Cade Klubnik. From the opening game at Duke, when the going got tough, Klubnik often faltered—until the final drive of the season. Part of Klubnik’s biggest issue to me was feeling like he had to do too much, including putting the ball into traffic in the downfield passing game.

This year, the Tiger wideouts have claimed it to be a “Prove It” year, thanks to shirts that were given to the unit by junior Adam Randall. As Tyreese Ingram wrote earlier this month:

“Once feared by defenses across the nation, Clemson’s receiving corps has faced adversity in recent years. Injuries, inconsistency, and the emergence of other programs claiming the WRU mantle, but as the 2024 season approaches, Clemson's wide receivers are determined to resurrect the program's storied reputation.”

Now, with freshmen Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore looking to make an impact along with healthy versions of Antonio Williams, Cole Turner, and Troy Stellato in the fold, the group looks more formidable. Sophomore Tyler Brown, who had a breakout campaign last season, also needs to be sharp. In the long run, to win this game and cover for Klubnik’s risky business, the Tigers need to turn 50-50 balls into 80-20 plays preserving possessions against a tough Bulldog defense.

Key 3: Defensive Disruption

I don’t think this Georgia offense is as good as it was a season ago, but there is no question: as beloved as Stetson Bennett is in Athens, Carson Beck is the better pro prospect. In order for Clemson to win today, the Tigers’ defense needs to have a significant impact on the game. We’re talking disruptive sacks, negative plays, and forced turnovers. Even that might not be enough to top No. 1 Georgia if Clemson cannot win Keys 1 and 2, as mentioned above.

Prediction:

The Tigers haven't been an underdog of this magnitude since the 2012 season, and there is a reason for that; Clemson’s been really good, and their competition hasn’t been what they will face today in Atlanta. Outside of matchups with Alabama and LSU in national championship games, this is the best team the Tigers have faced in recent memory. 

I mentioned that the defensive line isn’t as good as it was in 2021, but I do think the Dawgs are better than that group that went on to win back-to-back national titles. Kirby Smart’s bunch was close to being the first team since Minnesota in the 1930s to win three straight titles, and even if the Bulldogs aren’t as good as they were a year ago, they are still the cream of the college football crop. 

As for my prediction, I get the sneaky feeling I’ve overestimated the final score. I’m not sure either team will score more than 28 points, but either way, I think Georgia wins it, and the Tigers play well enough that the season looks more promising even in defeat.

Georgia 35, Clemson 24

Swanny’s Predictions: 

✅ = Correct Prediction

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