Tigers Top Yellow Jackets
ATLANTA, Ga. – The No. 3/2 Clemson football team opened 2018 ACC play with a 49-21 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday. With the win, which marked Clemson’s fourth straight victory over Georgia Tech for just the third time in program history, Clemson remained undefeated at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, while Georgia Tech dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Offensively, Clemson was powered by Trevor Lawrence and his receiving corps, as the freshman quarterback completed 13 of 18 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. The Tiger defense did not allow a Yellow Jacket pass completion until late in the third quarter and limited the Georgia Tech offense to just over three yards per play for the game. J.D. Davis led the team with 10 total tackles, including eight solo tackles.
The Tigers scored the only points of the first quarter when Clelin Ferrell recovered a Yellow Jacket fumble in the endzone to give Clemson a 7-0 advantage. The second quarter saw Clemson score three times, with all three coming in the form of passing touchdowns by Lawrence. The first was a 17-yard connection with Hunter Renfrow with nine minutes left in the first half, and the second came two minutes later when Lawrence found Justyn Ross with a 53-yard scoring pass.
Georgia Tech got on the board with just two minutes left in the opening half on an 11-yard rush by TaQuon Marshall. However, Clemson quickly got the score back on its third touchdown of the quarter, a three-yard pass from Lawrence to Travis Etienne, who pushed his way into the endzone in the final seconds of the half to bring the score to 28-7 at the break.
Clemson scored three times during the second half, with two coming courtesy of Tavien Feaster and Etienne on the ground, and the third when Tee Higgins hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass from Lawrence.
Georgia Tech found the endzone twice in the second half, once in the third quarter on a Nathan Cottrell two-yard rush, and once in the fourth when Tobias Oliver found Clinton Lynch with a five yard scoring pass.
The Tigers open up home ACC play next Saturday when they play host to Syracuse at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff against the Orange is set for noon.