NO.14 CLEMSON RUNS OUT OF GAS IN 34-3 LOSS TO NO.1 GEORGIA

ATLANTA, GA – Ouch. I think Dabo is as shocked as I am with that second-half “butt-kicking” the Tigers took from the Bulldogs. This was the worst loss for Dabo since National Champ FSU in 2013 and the first time they were held to 3 points and the first time they were shut out in a half since the last meeting with Georgia to open the 2021 season. Unlike that 10-3 game in which neither team scored an offensive touchdown, the Tigers ran out of gas after halftime. It was a tale of two halves. The first half went about as I expected, a defensive fist fight. The Tigers were outstanding defensively and could have taken a lead into halftime if not for some critical mistakes on offense. I was surprised that Dabo won the toss and elected to start on offense. That was counter to his modus operandi—especially against an elite defense with an amped up crowd. He told us after the game that he felt that the offense could move the ball and get some early momentum for the Tigers, but it did not go that way. Right out of the gate, Cade made a bad pass to Mafah on a short pass that probably would have gone for 15 or 20 yards. On another play that would have gone for a first down, Briningstool dropped a pass that hit him in the hands. Randall had two pre-snap penalties, including one that negated a big third down conversion in Georgia territory and resulted in a punt. There was also a deep pass to Cole Turner, who might have been able to make the catch in the red zone but gave up on the route. The Tigers also came up just one yard short of the line to gain on a couple of completions, forcing punts. The Tigers punted on every possession in the first half, but the defense did an amazing job holding Georgia to just two field goals in the first half, including one from 54 yards. Woods was playing on the edge, ala Christian Wilkins in 2017, and looked right at home, coming up with the Tigers’ only sack and adding 1.5 tackles-for-loss. I was also impressed with Mickens and Lukus in the first half, making great open-field tackles and PBU’s.

However, the second half was a different story from the opening possession. Georgia made some offensive adjustments and marched right down the field for the game’s first touchdown, putting the Tigers in a 13-0 hole and adding that much more pressure on Cade and the offense to keep pace. I can admit when I’m wrong, and I was skeptical that Carson Beck would be as efficient as he was last season without the likes of Bowers and McConkey in the passing game. Beck was sensational. He made pinpoint passes when the Tigers had excellent coverage and made some big plays with his legs as well. If he plays like that in every game this season, he will win the Heisman. I also didn’t expect true freshman Nate Frazier to have the impact that he did. I knew he was extremely talented, but that was a hell of a performance for a true freshman in his first game on that stage against a great Clemson defense. The Bulldogs were even outstanding on special teams. Their punter gave the Tigers lousy field position, and their kicker made a 54-yard field goal in the first half. The Bulldogs were a complete team on Saturday and lived up to their No.1 ranking in every facet.

As for the Tigers, don’t go into a depression just because the game got away from them in the second half against a Georgia team that has lost just 2 games in the last 3 seasons and is coming off back-to-back historic recruiting classes. It was anyone’s game at halftime, and the defense just ran out of gas with the offense unable to put together any scoring drives. The offense ran just 52 plays, and that will wear any defense out. Wait and see how the offense performs against App State in Death Valley next Saturday night before jumping off any cliffs.

There were some positives to take away from Saturday, even on the offensive side of the ball. I thought that the offensive line played reasonably well against an elite defense. Georgia posted just two sacks, and neither was on the offensive line. Linthicum made his first career start and, outside of a hold, played well. Mafah also had some good, tough runs against that defense. Antonio Williams had a great first half, and freshmen receivers Brian Wesco and TJ Moore got into the game late, each making a catch. Most importantly, the Tigers protected the football against an elite defense. They didn’t put the ball on the ground once, and the only turnover was a late interception on a circus catch by the DB. Cade made good decisions for the most part. The Tigers were sloppy with the football in the opener at Duke last season, which cost them the game, and the same affliction cost them their other 3 losses. If they protect the football for the rest of the season like they did against Georgia, I don’t see them losing again until the playoff.

It’s not the way we wanted the season to start, but that’s the risk you run when you open with an opponent like this. Dabo could have scheduled a cupcake game like Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State and many other top ranked teams, and we’d all be feeling great about the team right now. The benefit of an opener like this is that the Tigers will get better from this. It exposed weaknesses and will light a fire under the entire team for the rest of the season. Nick Saban said on GameDay that it’s always easier to coach a team after a loss than a win, and he pointed to how badly they played early last season, losing at home to Texas by double digits and barely beating USF. That same team beat Georgia, made the playoff and came within overtime of beating Michigan in the Semifinal. Like Dabo told us after the game, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s more true than ever this season with the 12-team playoff. The Tigers could lose 3 games in the regular season and still win the ACC for a first-round playoff bye! And they already have a leg up in the ACC race with FSU losing its ACC opener to Georgia Tech last week. Cade told me after the game that he told his teammates not to give up on him or each other because he will never give up them. I challenge the fans to do likewise! Before making knee-jerk conclusions about the players and the play calling, wait and see what the Tigers look like against a solid App State program next Saturday night. I think we will all be pleased with what we see! The other silver lining from Saturday is that the Tigers came out of a rugged game healthy. OG Marcus Tate was banged up, but Dabo said that he will be fine.

Be sure to check in Sunday evening for my weekly Zoom call with Dabo. In the meantime, our post-game interviews and notes are below!

GAME NOTES

• Wide receiver Antonio Williams recorded team highs with six receptions for 76 yards.
• Williams’ 76 yards tied his performance against Florida State in 2022 for the second-most receiving yards in a game in his career. 
• Williams’ six receptions were the third-most of his career and his most since his seven catches in last year’s season opener at Duke.
• Williams recorded a 36-yard reception in the first quarter, his longest catch since a 36-yard catch against Louisville in November 2022.
• Running back Phil Mafah recorded 59 yards on 16 carries.
• Freshman wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore each recorded a reception in their collegiate debuts.
• With 142 passing yards in the contest, quarterback Cade Klubnik (3,683) passed Homer Jordan (3,643 from 1979-82) for the 13th-most career passing yards in program history.
• Defensive lineman Peter Woods recorded a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss, the most by a Clemson player since Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s 2.5 tackles for loss against Notre Dame last year.
• Woods recorded Clemson’s first sack of the season on the first sack of his career.
• Linebacker Wade Woodaz was credited with a team-high and career-high eight tackles. His previous career high as awarded by gameday stat crews was six against North Carolina in the 2022 ACC Championship Game.
• Punter Aidan Swanson averaged 43.1 yards on seven punts, including two punts of 50-plus yards.
• Freshman kicker Nolan Hauser made his career debut. He scored Clemson’s first points of the season by converting his first career field goal attempt, a 26-yarder that was the culmination of a 12-play, 66-yard scoring drive.
• Hauser’s field goal pushed Clemson’s streak of consecutive games scoring points to 281, passing the 1984-2008 Washington State Cougars for sole possession of the 17th-longest streak in FBS history.
• Clemson surrendered a seven-yard passing touchdown with 12:01 remaining in the third quarter. It snapped a streak of 100:53 of elapsed game time spanning three meetings (2014, 2021 and 2024) in which Clemson had held Georgia without an offensive touchdown.
• Head coaches Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart met in a matchup of the only two active coaches with multiple FBS national championships to their credit.  Swinney and Smart represent two of only three active coaches with at least one FBS national championship and have combined for four of the five national championships won by that group (Mack Brown, one).
• Clemson dropped to 95-26-8 all-time in season openers and 12-4 in openers under Swinney.
• Clemson dropped to 8-8 against AP Top 5 teams since 2015. Despite the defeat Saturday, Clemson trails only Alabama (16) and Georgia (nine) for the most wins nationally against AP Top 5 teams since 2015.
• Swinney is now 21-16 all-time against coaches with an FBS national championship to their credit (regardless of if the national title preceded or followed each matchup). 
• Clemson opened its season away from home for the fifth consecutive year, matching Clemson’s longest streak of season openers away from home all-time (1959-63). Clemson last opened a season at home in 2019. 
• The game was the 56th all-time matchup between two teams ranked inside the AP Top 15 in Clemson history.
• Clemson and Georgia met with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the sixth time in series history.
• Clemson played its fourth neutral-site season opener in school history (Alabama in Atlanta in 2008; Auburn in Atlanta in 2012; Georgia in Charlotte in 2021). It was Clemson's sixth off-site season opener all-time, including one against Alabama in Birmingham in 1904 and a road game against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2022.
• Clemson played its eighth August game all-time. 
• Captains for the contest were linebacker Barrett Carter, running back Phil Mafah, defensive  tackle Payton Page and offensive lineman Walker Parks.