Fresh off a second national championship in three years, No. 1 Clemson will return to the gridiron on Thursday night to take on Georgia Tech.
The Tigers became the first team to go 15-0 in the College Football Playoff era and capped the year with an emphatic 44-16 beatdown of reigning national champion Alabama. Head coach Dabo Swinney enters his 11th full season as coach of Clemson.
The triple-option is dead in Atlanta as Geoff Collins replaces Paul Johnson as head coach. Collins went 15-10 in two years at Temple prior to coming to Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets finished 7-6 last season.
The Match-Up
Who: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0-0) at No. 1 Clemson Tigers (0-0)
When: Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina
Network: ACC Network
What’s at Stake for Georgia Tech: Upsetting Clemson at home would be a monumental way to start the Geoff Collins era. The contest should give Georgia Tech an idea of where it stands as a program.
What’s at Stake for Clemson: Including conference championship games, Clemson has won 15 straight ACC games. A loss would lead to a drastic drop in the polls.
The History
All-Time Series: Georgia Tech leads 50-31-2
Longest Streak: Georgia Tech won 15 straight from 1908-34.
Largest Margin: Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 73-0 in 1903.
The Last Five
(3) Clemson 49, Georgia Tech 21
Sept. 22, 2018
The Clemson offense averaged better than seven yards per play and easily disposed of Georgia Tech in Atlanta early on in the 2018 season. Trevor Lawrence passed for four touchdowns in the victory while Travis Etienne rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. Defensive end Clelin Ferrell set the tone with a fumble recovery for a touchdown early on.
Georgia Tech 10, (7) Clemson 24
Oct. 28, 2017
Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a low-scoring contest in late-October 2017. The Tigers’ defense held Georgia Tech to just 230 yards of total offense. Clemson’s Tre Lamar finished the day with 11 total tackles and two sacks.
(5) Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 7
Sept. 22, 2016
Clemson’s 2016 ACC opener saw Deshaun Watson pass for 304 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the Clemson defense that dominated the game. On a Thursday night in Atlanta, the Tigers held Georgia Tech to just 124 total yards and 2.5 yards per carry. Ben Boulware led Clemson with 10 tackles and Van Smith came away with an interception. Dedrick Mills finished with 75 yards rushing and a touchdown for Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech 24, (6) Clemson 43
Oct. 10, 2015
No. 6 Clemson totaled 537 yards of offense when it hosted Georgia Tech in October 2015. Quarterback Deshaun Watson passed for 265 yards and two scores. Running back Wayne Gallman added 115 yards rushing and a pair of scores on just 13 carries. Justin Thomas passed for 159 yards and two touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets in the loss.
(19) Clemson 6, (22) Georgia Tech 28
Nov. 15, 2014
The last win for Georgia Tech in the series was a top-25 match-up in Atlanta in 2014. Synjyn Days led Paul Johnson’s offense with 89 yards rushing. As a team, Georgia Tech rushed for 251 yards, but it was the defense that surprised. Clemson managed just 190 yards while Jamal Golden and Chris Milton each returned Cole Stoudt interceptions for a touchdown. For Georgia Tech, Justin Thomas was 8-for-11 passing for 102 yards and a score.
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