No. 4 Clemson saw a six-year streak of ACC championships and college football playoff appearances come to an end in 2021, but even in that “low year,” the Tigers bounced back with a six-game winning streak to end. with 10 wins for the 11th consecutive season. The standard of excellence under coach Dabo Swinney is why the Tigers have entered 2022 again in the position of playoff contention, even after experiencing the most significant personnel turnover in a single season since Swinney he was named head coach.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables was hired to replace Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma, and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott got the job at Virginia replacing Bronco Mendenhall. Swinney also lost a defensive line coach with Venables’ departure, and an offensive line coach took on an off-field role as part of the larger shakeup. Though for all the changes in titles and responsibilities, Clemson mostly stuck to internal promotions to fill vacancies and put together the next era of Tigers football.
The national stage on Monday night provides the setting for Clemson’s debut in this new era, as Swinney himself has said “the torch has been passed” to a new team of players and coaches. The foe of this stage is a familiar one: the Tigers’ annual interdivisional rival, Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have their own motivations heading into the 2022 season, which is crucial for coach Geoff Collins as he sets up a grand conclusion for the five-day weekend that is Week 1 of college football after Labor Day.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: I need to know
DJU looks for a rebound: Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, and like a true freshman in 2020, he acted in relief for Trevor Lawrence when the Tigers’ starter was sidelined. with Covid. However, last season was a huge disappointment, as Uiagalelei threw just nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions and finished last in the ACC in passing efficiency. He dropped a bit of weight in the offseason and won the starting job heading into this opener, which is a much more significant note now that five-star rookie Cade Klubnik has arrived to present some real competition. Monday night against Georgia Tech will be the first of many data points for comparison between these two Clemson quarterbacks, and if DJU wants to grab the QB1 responsibilities, he can do so with form closer to that impressive debut. in 2020.
Collins enters a pivotal year for Georgia Tech: There was always going to be a longer leash for Collins after he took over the program from Paul Johnson and vowed to steer the Yellow Jackets away from the optional offense. Doing so would require rebuilding the roster with multiple draft classes, so when the wins didn’t stack up early, there wasn’t much of a panic in Atlanta. But this is Collins’ fourth season and Georgia Tech has yet to win more than three games in a season with him at the helm. Collins hit the transfer gate for instant impact help on the depth chart, but he also lost his best offensive weapon when running back Jahmyr Gibbs was traded to Alabama. The Clemson game itself isn’t going to determine whether Geoff Collins is on the bench at the end of the season, but how the team competes against the ACC favorites will be a sign of where they are in the pecking order and what to expect. in the future.
Clemson’s D should be among the best in the country: One of the reasons AP voters and preseason forecasters across the country put Clemson in the top five nationally despite the quarterback’s poor play in 2021 is because of a strong defense that should stay salty. even after the loss of Venables. Clemson returns with six players with early experience along the defensive line, has top-tier talent at the back seven and, as a group, should be one of the top five defensive units in the country. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Trenton Simpson earned first-team All-ACC honors in preseason voting, as well as CBS Sports Preseason All-America honors. That group is expected to lead the Tigers to the exit when Clemson’s 2022 offense finds its place here in the season opener.
How to watch Clemson vs Georgia Tech live
Date: Monday, September 5 | Weather: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Try it for free)
Clemson vs Georgia Tech Prediction, Picks
featured game | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Clemson Tigers
Georgia Tech gave Clemson the scare of a possible upset last season, coming up short in a 14-8 game at Death Valley. I think there will be more points in this year’s deal, but the Yellow Jackets aren’t scoring enough to get this game over. Clemson is more than happy to take advantage of its elite defense and solid running game for comfortable wins, and that script is well under 51 points. Prediction: Under 51
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