Georgia vs Clemson Stat Breakdown: Everything You Need to About the Matchup

Everything you need to know from a statistical perspective about Georgia's week one matchup against the Clemson Tigers.

Jonathan Williams | Aug 26, 2024

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Everything you need to know from a statistical perspective about Georgia's week one matchup against the Clemson Tigers.

Week one of college football has finally arrived and the Georgia Bulldogs are getting their season started with one of the biggest games of the weekend against the Clemson Tigers. Both teams are ranked headed into this game and there is a long line of history between these two programs. Right now, Georgia is the big-time favorite, but outside of a point spread, here are what the other numbers say about this football game.

🧵: What the stats say about Georgia’s matchup against Clemson.

Enjoy!
— Jonathan Williams (@Dr_JWill) August 26, 2024

Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is 8-0 in week one games and the Bulldogs are averaging 35.3 points per game and 7.8 points allowed per game. Georgia has played a power four team in five of their opening games so far. As for Clemson, they are 6-2 in week one games since 2016 and have averaged 32.8 points per game and 12.3 points allowed. Let's get a deeper look at this game now that the basis has been set.

Georgia played against five ranked opponents last season and Georgia was dialed in for every single one of them. Georgia ranked 1st for points per game (41.4) and ranked 4th for points allowed (15.6) in the country against ranked opponents last season. Clemson played three ranked teams and ranked 31st for points per game (24.0) and ranked 17th for points allowed (26.0). Here are Carson Beck and Cade Klubnik's stats in those games:

Quarterback Stats vs Ranked Opponents in 2023:

Carson Beck: 1,304 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT and a 72.4 completion percentage
Cade Klubnik: 655 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs and a 62.3 completion percentage

Beck was the only quarterback in the country last season to complete over 70% of his ball against ranked opponents with more than 130 attempts.

Over his career, coach Smart is 9-1 vs the ACC and has not lost to a team from that conference since his first season in 2016. In those games, Georgia is averaging 38.1 points per game and just 13 points allowed. Dabo Swinney is 19-12 vs the SEC. He is 13-5 vs the conference since 2016. In those games, his team is averaging 26.4 points per game and 22 points allowed.

Given that Georgia is averaging over 38 points per game against ACC opponents, Clemson is 4-8 in games in which their opponent scores 28 or more points. Clemson lost those games by an average of 13 points. Since 2020, UGA has scored 28 or more points in 42/54 games. They only lost one of those games. UGA is 9-3 in games they didn’t score 28 or more.

Many are expecting a close football game for this matchup, and if it is, Georgia certainly has the upper hand. Kirby Smart is 18-8 in one-score football games. Prior to last season’s SECCG loss, Kirby Smart had not lost a one-score football game since 2019. Swinney in his career is 40-22 in one-score football games. Since 2020, he is 13-7.

Both teams are expected to have two of the nation's best defenses so the offense likely will be the difference maker in this game. In 2023, Georgia averaged 7.26 YPP on offense which ranked 4th in the country. It would have led the SEC every other year since 2010 except for four of them. Clemson averaged 5.25 YPP which ranked 96th. Only 16 P4 teams ranked behind them. The 2nd worst average under Dabo since 2011.