Clemson Tigers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Preview

It’s one of the South’s best, yet underrated rivalries, and featuring teams going in quite different directions.

Clemson at Georgia Tech.

Eleven of the last 12 meetings between Clemson and Georgia Tech have been decided by a touchdown or less, with the Yellow Jackets winning six of the last eight in the series.

No. 6 Clemson (8-0, 5-0 ACC) rides into the 8 p.m. Eastern matchup in Atlanta with their highest Bowl Championship Series ranking in school history at fifth overall, just behind Boise State and just ahead of Stanford according to the numbers. The Tigers are attempting to surpass their best start since winning the national title in 1981 Saturday night.

Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) matched Clemson step-for-step up to week seven this season, when Virginia snuck up on them to a 24-21 loss in Charlottesville, and the Yellow Jackets’ meltdown in Miami to a 24-7 defeat last week.

Since finishing September as the No. 1 total offense in the country (630.5 yards per game), Georgia Tech has averaged almost half that at 326.5 yards per game with a 2-2 October record.

The Yellow Jackets outscored opponents 53.3 to 23.5 points per game in September – and were outscored themselves 24.8 to 23.5 in October.

Sophomore Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington’s passing numbers have been at the center of the struggles, as he completed 64 percent of his passes for 205.3 yards per game with eight touchdowns to one interception in September – 35 percent of his attempts for 79.5 yards per game with two touchdowns to four interceptions in October.

Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson pulled Washington in the fourth quarter against Miami, only for redshirt freshman Synjyn Days to complete one first-down pass and fumbled the next play on a keeper, sustaining a game-ending injury as well.

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Meanwhile, it’s been smooth sailing for the Clemson offense through three-quarters of the season at 15th nationally in total and passing offense (482.50 and 303.63 yards per game respectively).

In ACC play, the Tigers have cruised to a 16-point scoring margin, but still allowing 26 points per game.

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd is tied with Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore for the most passing touchdowns in the nation (24), and only thrown three interceptions with 2,379 passing yards on the season.

Freshman Tigers receiver Sammy Watkins ranks 16th nationally and second-only to Wake Forest’s Chris Givens in conference hauling in 102.4 yards per game on an ACC-leading 6.8 receptions per game.

The bend-but-don’t-break 3-4 defense of Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh meets its toughest challenge of the season, countering with an eighth-ranked pass defense nationally – due in part to a stout secondary, and a lackluster run defense (77th nationally giving up 170.50 yards per game).

Groh might get a break on that end this week as one of the ACC’s top rush threats, Clemson running back Andre Ellington, is listed as questionable after spraining his ankle last week against North Carolina.

Johnson’s Yellow Jackets aim to get their fifth-ranked rushing offense going early and often to pull off the upset, after Clemson held them to 242 rushing yards (nearly a 100 yards under its average) in a 27-13 loss up Interstate 85 in Death Valley last season.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Staff Writer