Clemson Tigers Completely Dominated By Georgia Bulldogs in Season Opener

The Clemson Tigers had a forgettable day against the Georgia Bulldogs to start the year in a blowout 34-3 loss.

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) talks to head coach Dabo Swinney against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

There was no time to settle into the season with a cupcake game for the Clemson Tigers as they faced the Georgia Bulldogs to open the 2024 campaign.

The Tigers' offense came out flat, albeit against one of the most talented defenses in the country, which made it hard to stay in this contest once the Bulldogs woke up.

Clemson fell 34-3 in a blowout loss.

A lot of the talk throughout this offseason was if Cade Klubnik was ready to run this offense, and if he was good enough to lead them to an ACC championship.

Saturday's performance certainly won't be one to silence his doubters.

He finished the day 18-29 with 142 yards through the air and an interception that added insult to injury.

It was a lackluster day on offense overall, but Klubik didn't do enough to take over the game at any point. There were only three gains of at least 15 yards through the air.

The loss isn't entirely on him, though, as the receivers also didn't get much separation throughout the contest.

Antonio Williams was the only wide out who made much of an impact in the game. He finished with six catches for 76 yards on seven targets.

Nothing seemed to come easy for the Tigers, including when they finally scored their first points in the third quarter. It took a one-handed catch from tight end Jake Briningstool and a roughing the passer call to get them deep into Georgia territory.

They worked their way down the field after that, but after a couple of unsuccessful goal-to-go plays, they were forced to settle for a field goal.

Clemson's defense started the day out nicely, holding Georgia to just six points in the first half, but the Tigers just ended up getting worn down as the day went on.

A standout on the defensive side of the ball for Clemson was graduate senior safety R.J. Mickens. He led the secondary with two passes broken up to go along with five tackles.

Sophomore defensive lineman Peter Woods got his name called a couple of times and it was always something impressive when he did. He finished the day with four tackles, two went for a loss and one was a sack.

At the end of the day, the Bulldogs are a powerhouse team that is always going to be a tough draw at the start of the season.

The Tigers have to be ready to win these types of games, though.

While the loss does put Clemson a bit behind to start the year, there's still plenty to play for in the new expanded playoff era.

The committee is not likely to hold a loss to Georgia over their head come the end of the season if they are able to take care of business against other teams on their schedule.

Dabo Swinney and the rest of the Tigers' coaching staff have plenty of film to look over ahead next week's home opener against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.