No. 1 Georgia rolls No. 14 Clemson in second half for 34-3 win (2024)

The Bulldogs' defense suffocated Cade Klubnik and the Tigers' offense, allowing only 188 total yards. Clemson averaged just 3.6 yards per play compared to Georgia's 7.5.

The Tigers have failed to record a touchdown in their last two matchups against the Bulldogs, scoring a combined six points between today's game and their last matchup in 2021.

Georgia's offense is running away with it after a 40-yard touchdown pass to Vanderbilt transfer London Humphries. Carson Beck has 278 yards and two touchdown passes for the Bulldogs, who lead 27-3.

On the other hand, Cade Klubnik is yet to eclipse 100 passing yards as Georgia is suffocating the Tigers' offense.

.@LHumphreys312 with a 40-yard catch and run!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/UFjKcKd6FV

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024

Georgia responds quickly with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. True freshman running back Nate Frazier ran it in for the Bulldog's first rushing touchdown of the season. Georgia leads 20-3 late in the third quarter.

Kirby Smart's squad is averaging 10.7 yards per play in the second half after recording only 4.5 per play in the slow first half.

First collegiate TD for the freshman. #GoDawgs | @NateUA1_ pic.twitter.com/r3VunzlLmO

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024

A 12-play, 66-yard drive ends with a 26-yard field goal from Clemson's Nolan Hauser. Georgia leads 13-3 late in the third quarter.

First career field goal attempt for @NolanHauser is good from 26 yards out.

+3 on the board. pic.twitter.com/F8XQsrnW4P

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) August 31, 2024

Georgia pieces together a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped off with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Miami transfer wide receiver Colbie Young. The Bulldogs lead 13-0 early in the third quarter.

Carson Beck to Colbie Young. Get used to it🗣️

pic.twitter.com/kpAfMqmeIP

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2024

Two Peyton Woodring field goals are all that separates No. 1 Georgia and No. 14 Clemson after two quarters.

Carson Beck, one of the Heisman favorites, is 15 of 19 for 126 yards, while Clemson's Cade Klubnik is 7 for 12 for 54 yards. Both teams have struggled on the ground with only 56 rushing yards between both teams.

Clemson's sophom*ore Peter Woods has a sack and two TFLs. The Bulldogs are yet to record a sack on Klubnik.

At the break. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/V2bSc3wANs

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024

Peyton Woodring squeezes a career-high 55-yarder to extend the Georgia lead to 6-0.

Peyton Woodring good from 55 pic.twitter.com/cqG1nG1Jrt

— 704 Dawg (@FSFRecruits) August 31, 2024

A 30-yard field goal from Georgia's Peyton Woodring breaks the stalemate. Clemson's Peter Woods came up with a huge third-down sack to hold Georgia to just three points.

The Bulldogs lead 3-0 halfway through the second quarter.

.@WoodringPeyton connects from 30 yards out. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/nr96qoN0PN

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024

Georgia and Clemson have traded punts in the first four drives of the game. There have been only 57 total yards between each team's first two drives.

Tune into ABC at 12 p.m. ET to catch all of the action.

The road to the playoff starts in Atlanta. 🏆@ClemsonFB 🐅 vs. @GeorgiaFootball 🐶

Aug. 31 @ 12 PM on ABC | #AflacKickoff pic.twitter.com/c6K6b3qV0C

— Aflac Kickoff Game (@AflacKickoff) August 29, 2024

Offseason changes

• 🐶 Georgia
  • The Bulldogs lost eight players to the 2024 NFL draft, including the only two-time Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers at tight end.
  • Kirby Smart's squad returned seven of its 11 defensive starters from last season, highlighted by First Team All-American safety Malaki Starks.
  • Returned Heisman favorite Carson Beck at quarterback, but the Bulldogs dipped into the transfer portal for a newrunning back, acquiring Florida transfer Trevor Etienne.
• 🐯 Clemson
  • The Tigers lost six players to the draft, including running back Will Shipley. Shipley was one of three players in the nation to record over 1,200 all-purpose yards each season from 2021-23.
  • Dabo Swinney's squad returned eight starters on offense, but just three on defense. However, preseason All-American linebacker Barrett Carter stayed for his senior season and should provide a spark for a young defensive core.
  • The Tigers are still led under center by junior Cade Klubnik, but they will look to replace Shipley with 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior Phil Mafah at running back.

Barrett Carter and Peter Woods were named Monday to the watch list for the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award.

📰: https://t.co/mfCABu4oDN
🏆: https://t.co/aRPQtHbrb4 pic.twitter.com/ndAvZK9hUK

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) August 12, 2024

Familiar Foes

This will be the fourth time these two teams have opened the season against one another since 2013. Kirby Smart is 8-0 in season openers — and Georgia is 10-0 in the past decade. The Bulldogs' last loss in a season opener was to the Tigers, 38-35, in 2013.

Georgia and Clemson have faced off five times since 2000, all in season openers. Clemson's only win came in 2013.

• Aug. 31, 2002: Georgia 31, Clemson 28
• Aug. 30, 2003: Georgia 30, Clemson 0
• Aug. 31, 2013: Clemson 38, Georgia 35
• Aug. 30, 2014: Georgia 45, Clemson 21
• Sept. 4, 2021: Georgia 10, Clemson 3

Let's take a look at two of those big games:

• 2021:Georgia 10, Clemson 3
  • The last time these two historic programs matched up, both defenses shined. Georgia's Christopher Smith provided the only touchdown of the season opener with a 74-yard pick-six.
  • There were just 436 yards of total offense between both teams. This would end up being the closest regular season game the Bulldogs played all season, outscoring every remaining opponent by at least three touchdowns.

GEORGIA 74-YARD PICK-SIX TO THE 🏠

(via @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/ZaPUDMOZLy

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 5, 2021

• 2013:Clemson 38, Georgia 35
  • The last time Clemson beat Georgia was a completely different game than their 2021 matchup. The two top-10 ranked teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense.
  • Clemson's quarterback Tajh Boyd tallied five total touchdowns in the statement win, but the Tigers' loss to the eventual national champions, Florida State, thwarted their title hopes later in the season.

Border rivalry of the 1980s

• Brief history
  • These two programs sit just 70 miles apart, andthe twoplayed every season from 1973 to 1987, creating an intense rivalry between two of the top teams of the '80s.
• 1980:Georgia 20, Clemson 16
  • These two powerhouses met up early in the 1980 season, and Georgia would squeeze out a four-point win en route to an undefeated season capped off with the national championship.
• 1981:Clemson 13, Georgia 3
  • The following year, Clemson was more than prepared for Georgia's offense, as the Tigers forced 9 turnovers against the Bulldogs. This win sparked Clemson to make its own undefeated national championship run just one year after the Bulldogs.
• Total
  • Every game between 1979 and 1987 was decided by a touchdown or less, including a 16-16 tie in 1983.

• 🗓️Date:Saturday, Aug. 31
• ⏰ Time:12 p.m. ET
• 📺TV:ABC
• 💻Stream:ESPN+
• 📍Location:Mercedes-Benz Stadium inAtlanta, Georgia

👉 Click or tap here to follow live

Here is the full AP Top 25 Poll heading into Week 1. Georgia and Clemson are in bold.

Others receiving votes:Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.