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Clemson and Georgia Tech will take the spotlight on Monday night as they play in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. While Georgia Tech is designated as the home team, the game will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Clemson has won 7-straight meetings over the Yellow Jackets. However, Georgia Tech still holds a 50-34-2 all-time advantage in this series.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech preview
Clemson’s defense is the headliner in this matchup. The Tigers return numerous potential first-round picks on that side of the ball, including Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson. However, all eyes will be on the Tigers’ offense — a unit that struggled mightily a year ago, especially early in the season.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is on uncertain footing to begin the year due to the presence of 5-star freshman Cade Klubnik. If Uiagalelei struggles against Georgia Tech, it’s possible Clemson will look toward Klubnik to help spark the offense. Elsewhere in the unit, Clemson’s offensive line, receivers and running game are all expected to be improved this season for a variety of reasons.
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Other key players on Clemson’s offense to watch out for are running back Will Shipley, right tackle Blake Miller and receiver Joseph Ngata. Miller, a true freshman, won Clemson’s right tackle job after a phenomenal fall camp and will be making his collegiate debut on Monday night.
This will be the first game for new Clemson coordinators Brandon Streeter and Wes Goodwin. They were promoted this offseason to replace the departed Tony Elliott and Brent Venables, respectively.
Georgia Tech enters this Week 1 showdown with a lot of uncertainty as well. The Yellowjackets play perhaps the toughest schedule in the country this season and coach Geoff Collins has won just 9 games in his first 3 years on the job.
The Yellow Jackets are led by a dynamic quarterback in Jeff Sims. Last season, Sims completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,408 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 372 yards and 4 more scores. If Georgia Tech has any chance of upsetting Clemson on Monday night, it will be because Sims played extremely well.
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It’s worth noting that Georgia Tech played Clemson close in this game a year ago. The Tigers were fortunate to win, coming away with a 14-8 victory thanks to a stout defensive performance.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech prediction
Clemson has the talent on both sides of the ball to dominate Georgia Tech. It did last year, too, but the Tigers are now more experienced on both sides of the ball. Georgia Tech will be desperate for a good showing in Atlanta, but Clemson is just too good.
Prediction: Clemson 38, Georgia Tech 10
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
