Clemson Tigers One-Up Woeful Season-Opening Performance From Last Year

The Clemson Tigers are finding the points hard to come by when it comes to their season openers the past two years.

Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sacks Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers found themselves floored, 34-3, against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in the Aflac Kickoff Game.

It was as woeful an offensive performance as the Tigers have had since, well, their last season opener in 2023 against Duke.

In that game, Clemson went to Duke and opened the year in ACC action and fell to the Blue Devils, 28-7.

So, in their last two season-opening games, the No. 14 Tigers have been outscored 62-10.

But there was a difference between last year and this season.

The Tigers moved the football against the Blue Devils. Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 209 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. The Clemson run game gained 213 yards, led by Will Shipley’s 114.

The Tigers were even efficient on third down, going 7-15, nearly 50 percent.

Mistakes got to Clemson against Duke. The Tigers had three turnovers and the Blue Devils were able to turn those into points.

Against Georgia, though, the Tigers were just anemic on offense.

Where there was balance against Duke there was none against Georgia, which boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Klubnik threw for 142 yards and an interception. The run game was basically shut down. Phil Mafah rushed for 59 yards, but as a team the Tigers gained just 46 yards on the ground.

After racking up yards against Duke a year ago, the Tigers couldn’t clear 200 against the nation’s No. 1 team as they finished with just 188 total yards.

Clemson only committed one turnover, not that it mattered.

The offensive short-circuit led to questions about Tigers offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who was imported from TCU after he helped the Horned Frogs reach the national championship game two years ago. That Horned Frogs team became the first Big 12 team to win a College Football Playoff game and had one of the most explosive offenses in the country that season.

Riley’s system hasn’t translated yet at Clemson. Saturday’s loss felt like a nadir.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was asked to evaluate Riley’s performance on Saturday and, for that matter, since he arrived.

Swinney’s answer was short.

"I'd say there's a long season ahead,” Swinney said.

The long season continues on Saturday against Appalachian State.

Last year, Clemson followed their loss to Duke with a 66-17 thumping of FCS school Charleston Southern. The Tigers will get no such break from the Mountaineers, who are one of the top Group of 5 schools and a power in the Sun Belt Conference.