Preview and Prediction: Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Clemson will kick off its 2021 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 4 with one of the nation's most anticipated games of the season, as the No. 3/2 Tigers face the No. 5/5 Georgia Bulldogs in a neutral-site rivalry renewal.

For head coach Dabo Swinney it is not the opponent that makes this week big, it is the fact that it is the first of 12 opportunities that his Tigers have to take the field.

Saturday's matchup will represent the first time the two schools will meet with both programs in the AP Top 5.

Including games against No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Ohio State to end last season, the opener against No. 5 Georgia will be Clemson's third straight contest against an AP Top 5 opponent. The stretch marks Clemson's first time in school history facing three consecutive AP Top 5 opponents. 

Series History

Georgia holds a 42-18-4 advantage in the series dating to the teams' first meeting in 1897. Georgia won the first three games in the series, all in Athens between 1897 and 1899. Clemson’s first win was a 39-5 triumph in Athens in 1900 behind Head Coach John Heisman. The victory gave Heisman a 4-0 record to open his first season. Heisman was a perfect 4-0 against Georgia as Clemson's coach. 

Clemson won seven games in a row in the series between 1900-06 and held a 7-3 lead in the series through 10 games. The two teams were 8-8-1 against each other from 1897-1914 before Georgia went on a 21- 1-2 run in the series between 1915-73. Clemson’s only win during that time was a 26-7 win in 1955. 

Clemson broke an eight-game losing streak in the series in 1974 with a 28-24 win at Death Valley. The two teams split 11 games (5-5-1) between 1977- 87. The 11 games were separated by 12 total points as Georgia outscored Clemson by a cumulative score of 171- 159 in those games.

When Danny Ford and Vince Dooley coached against each other nine times in that period, the aggregate score was 153 for Georgia and 152 for Clemson. Ford and Dooley were 4-4-1 against each other in that time span. 

Clemson broke a five-game Georgia winning streak in the series in 2013 with a 38-35 victory at Memorial Stadium. Prior to that win, the Tigers had last beaten Georgia in 1990 by a 34-3 score under first-year coach Ken Hatfield. Clemson’s defense, led by future pros Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel, Brentson Buckner, Chester McGlockton and Robert O’Neal, held the Bulldogs out of the end zone.

What to watch for

- Clemson attempting to improve to 13-4 against SEC opponents in the College Football Playoff era. Clemson has won its last six games against SEC East foes and is also 6-2 against the SEC West since the start of the 2016 season. 

- Clemson attempting to extend its regular season winning streak against SEC opponents to 11 games. Clemson's current 10-game regular season winning streak against SEC teams dates to 2014. 

- Clemson attempting to improve to 27-6 in games following a loss under Dabo Swinney, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale.

- Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei entering the game with zero interceptions on 117 career pass attempts. He needs 48 more pass attempts without an interception to tie the Clemson record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a career, presently held by Cullen Harper (first 165 passes of his career that spanned 2005-07). 

- Uiagelelei entering the game having thrown for 300 yards in both of his two career starts. He is already one of only 13 Clemson quarterbacks with a 300-yard passing game to their credit and one of only seven with multiple 300-yard passing games. Another 300-yard passing game would be his third and would bring him within one of tying his position coach — Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Brandon Streeter (four) — for fifth-most in school history. 

- Uiagalelei attempting to become the first quarterback in Clemson history to record 300 passing yards in each of his first three career starts.

Preview and Predictions

With a No. 5 ranking in both the AP and Coaches Polls, this 2021 Georgia squad will tie for the second highest-ranked opponent Clemson has faced in a season opener in school history. Prior to 2021, Clemson's highest-ranked season opener according to the AP Poll came in 1963, when Head Coach Frank Howard's Tigers fell on the road to No. 4 Oklahoma, 31-14. Clemson's three next highest-ranked season openers have all come against Georgia, including contests against No. 5 Georgia in 2013, No. 6 Georgia in 1982 and No. 8 Georgia in 2002. 

The contest will be Clemson's first since a 49-28 defeat at the hands of Ohio State to end the 2020 season, but Clemson has historically responded well following losses under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney's Clemson teams are 26-6 in games following a loss, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale. Clemson has played 127 games since losing back-to-back contests, the longest active streak in the nation and the longest in ACC history, per ESPN. Clemson’s last time losing back-to-back games came in 2011, a note Clemson will try to keep active with a victory on Saturday.

Zach Lentz: Clemson 24-17

This game has the feeling it could be a 17-13 game or just as easily a 31-9 game. With so many unknowns on the offensive line for the Tigers and a bevy of run-stopping dawgs for Georgia, the Tigers get to 24 and hang on, as Brent Venables' defense washes the bad taste from their last game out of their mouth. 

Brad Senkiw: Clemson 28-24

Both teams enter this game hungry and unproven in some spots, and the availability of personnel is unknown. Still, Clemson is the team to trust in this early-season situation, and if the Tigers can protect D.J. Uiagalelei, the ACC team will hit enough big plays to win a close one. 

Jason Priester: Clemson 21-16

With these two defenses, I am expecting a fairly low-scoring affair, at least compared to many of the offensive shootouts we see these days. However, I think this Clemson defense is just a little bit better. D. J. Uiagalelei and the offense make just enough plays and the Tigers get out of Charlotte with a close win.