Game To Watch: #3 Clemson vs #5 Georgia: September 4, 2021
Clemson and Georgia will play in the marquee game of week 1 in Charlotte on Saturday at 7:30 EST. Clemson has dominated the ACC and been a title contender for the past six seasons, they will look to continue this trend when they kick off the DJ Uiagalelei era on Saturday night. Georgia is entering the season with great expectations this year and will attempt to start a big run with a big win. All eyes will be on this game Saturday night and both teams will look to add a big win to their resume and make an early impression in 2021.
Recent History
Georgia has won 42 of the 60 games between the two teams, though only four of those are within the last 20 years. The last meeting was a 45 – 21 home win for Georgia in 2014. The Tigers won 38 – 35 at home in 2013, their only win against Georgia in the last seven meeting between the two teams.
Top 25 Players
What To Watch For…
DJ Uiagalelei vs JT Daniels
Clemson and Georgia come into this season with high expectations for their quarterbacks. Both played well in 2020, but DJ Uiagalelei and JT Daniels only combined to start six games. For Clemson, Uiagalelei is replacing number one overall pick, Trevor Lawrence, so he will have big shoes to fill. He started two games last year when Lawrence was out and played well in those two starts. Uiagalelei completed over 66 percent of his passes and passed for 914 yards and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions as a true freshman in 2020. The expectation is that with a full off-season he will build on that success and lead the Clemson offense to big things in 2021. Meanwhile, Georgia couldn’t turn to Daniels early last season because he was still recovering from an injury and the team struggled offensively. Daniels was finally able to take over down the stretch and averaged 10.3 yards per attempt while throwing 10 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions in his four starts. Georgia was 4 – 0 during that stretch and will look to continue that streak in week 1. Uiagalelei and Daniels will need to be at their best Saturday night for what should be a great game.
Can Georgia’s Receivers Make Plays Against Clemson’s Secondary?
Georgia will be without a few key receivers on Saturday night. George Pickens and Dominik Blaylock are out with injuries and tight ends Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert are doubtful and questionable, respectively. With several key weapons possibly out of the lineup, Georgia will need some of their talented younger players to step up and fill the void. Kearis Jackson and Jermaine Burton played well in 2020 and will look to elevate their play with Pickens out of the line-up. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Adonai Mitchell will be called on to provide production in Pickens’ spot on the outside. They will take on a Clemson secondary that lost Derrion Kendrick, who transferred to Georgia this off-season. Andrew Booth made big plays during the 2020 season and Mario Goodrich, Sheridan Jones and Nate Wiggins will all look to step into a bigger role this season. Nolan Turner returns to lead the secondary from his safety spot and this group will look to bounce back after a rough game to close the 2020 season. Daniels needs his receivers to win this match-up and help him get Georgia’s passing game going in 2021, but that will be tough against an angry and tough secondary.
Clemson’s Defensive Line Against Georgia’s Offensive Line
Clemson’s defensive line has the potential to be the best in college football this season. With a healthy Tyler Davis and Bryan Bresee building on an excellent true freshman campaign the Tigers have two of the best defensive tackles in the country. Like Bresee, Myles Murphy starred at defensive end as a true freshman and will start opposite Xavier Thomas who missed 2020 with an illness and will look to re-establish himself as a premiere end. The Tigers have strong depth behind those starters and will keep coming at the Georgia offensive line in waves for four quarters. Fortunately for Georgia, their offensive line is also one of the best in college football. Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer and Warren McClendon are three of the best blockers in the SEC and will anchor a good offensive line. Georgia will need to find success in the running game early to wear down the defensive line and keep them from being able to only rush the passer. This match-up is strength against strength and will be critical for both teams to win.
Prediction
Early season match-ups like this make college football awesome. Both teams are going to feel each other out early, but the talent will show and the big plays will come. Clemson and Georgia will trade blows but the Tigers seem like they are in a better spot health wise and have a slight advantage Saturday night. Clemson 31 Georgia 26.
Clemson receiver EJ Williams in warmups image taken by Tigernet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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