Game Preview and Final Score Prediction

One of the biggest Georgia Tech games in recent memory is nearly 24 hours away.

While the Yellow Jackets have played in big games under Brent Key, this one carries a significant amount of weight. Georgia Tech has not beaten Clemson since 2014 and a win here would vault Brent Key’s team into official contender status in the ACC and for the College Football Playoff. It feels like Key has been building his program up over the past couple of seasons for a moment like this and a win would be monumental.

Can they get it done though? Clemson comes into this game 1-1 ,and the vibes around the team have seemingly shifted. After being the runaway preseason favorite in the ACC and starting the year No. 4, the Tigers dropped a close 17-10 game to LSU in week 1, and then after falling behind 16-0 against Troy, they clawed back to win 27-16. It has been a tough start to the year offensively, and Clemson needs a win in this game to silence some of the doubt about them.

So who wins and why? Let’s break it down.

Georgia Tech comes into the game with one of the most explosive offenses in the country but from a talent standpoint, this is by far their biggest test. Clemson has a number of future NFL draft picks on this defense and blocking them is going to be a big test.

I expect Georgia Tech is going to want to slow things down in this game and let the run game dictate everything. Having Haynes King back is going to give Clemson a lot to think about and last season, they had their struggles against mobile quarterbacks, as the game against South Carolina would show. Now, King is not as dynamic of an athlete as LaNorris Sellers, but Buster Faulkner is as good as any OC in the country at attacking run game weaknesses.

Coming into the game, the numbers for Clemson’s defense don’t quite match up with their talent level. Clemson is 56th in PPG allowed, 40th in rushing yards allowed, 96th in passing yards allowed, and 74th in total yards allowed. Can Georgia Tech control the game with their rushing attack?

The Yellow Jackets enter the game 26th in PPG, 21st in rushing yards per game, 22nd in passing yards per game, and 10th in total yards per game. Again, they have not faced a defense as talented as Clemson’s, but they have been very good so far.

This matchup will come down to a few things. Can Georgia Tech avoid the early mistakes? They have five turnovers this season, all in the first quarter. Doing that against Colorado and Gardner-Webb is one thing, doing it against Clemson is another thing entirely. The Yellow Jackets can’t afford those early mistakes this week.

If Clemson slows down the rushing attack, can King make enough plays through the air? He was off the mark a bit in the win against Colorado and Clemson’s secondary is talented. At some point in this game, King is is going to have to make throws to move the offense. Can he do it against the Tigers.

Can Georgia Tech effectively block Clemson? While the numbers for the Tigers have not been great, they still have a lot of NFL talent in the front seven. This is going to be quite the challenge for the Yellow Jackets offensive line, who has had its share of mistakes and penalties so far this season.

Georgia Tech has an identity and they are going to try and impose it on Clemson. Will it work?

Clemson’s offense has not looked good to start the season, but is Georgia Tech’s defense good enough to exploit their weaknesses? We are about to find out.

Cade Klubnik is one of the more experienced QB’s in the country and is a good player, but when the lights have been brightest, he has not always been sharp. Now, some of those defenses were more talented than Georgia Tech’s and this is going to be a big test for first year defensive coordinator Blake Gideon.

The Tigers have a dangerous set of pass catchers that will challenge the Yellow Jackets secondary. Bryant Wesco, TJ Moore, and others are going to be attacking Georgia Tech. The big question for the Tigers is if Antonio Williams is going to be able to play. If he does, it will be that much harder for the Yellow Jackets.

Clemson comes into this game ranked 109th in PPG, 127th in rushing yards per game, 76th in passing yards per game, and 118th in rushing yards per game. Those are numbers that are pretty jarring for such an experienced group.

The offensive line for Clemson has been a big problem, but LSU has an elite defensive front. Can the Yellow Jackets give the Tigers trouble at the line of scrimmage? They were terrific last week against Gardner-Webb, but did not create much havoc against Colorado in the opener.

Can the defense make Klubnik uncomfortable? That is the No. 1 question for me heading into this game. I think Georgia Tech will slow Clemson’s run game down, but if they can get to Klubnik, they are good enough to take advantage of this Georgia Tech secondary.

This is a massive game for both teams and the stakes are enormous. I think Georgia Tech is going to employ a similar game plan that they used last year to upset Miami. The Yellow Jackets were outgained in that game, but won the time of possession, were great on the ground, limited penalties, did not turn the ball over, and stopped Miami in critical third and fourth down situations, especially in the red zone. I think Clemson’s offense will get yardage, but can they be trusted enough to take advantage of every opportunity?

I think Georgia Tech does all of those things and wins a low-scoring game.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21