Atlanta, GA — In a highly anticipated showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs overwhelmed #14 Clemson Tigers with a decisive 34-3 victory. Entering as double-digit underdogs, the Tigers struggled against the formidable Georgia defense, which stifled Clemson’s offense throughout the game.
The first quarter saw both defenses asserting themselves, resulting in a scoreless tie. However, Georgia broke through in the second quarter with a pair of field goals, from 30 and 55 yards, to take a 6-0 lead into halftime.
Georgia extended their advantage in the third quarter with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Colbie Young. Clemson responded with a 26-yard field goal, making it 13-3, but the Bulldogs continued to dominate. Georgia capped a decisive 8-play, 75-yard drive with another touchdown, pushing the lead to 20-3.
The fourth quarter proved too much for the Tigers as Georgia added two more touchdowns, sealing a commanding 34-3 victory. Clemson managed only a field goal throughout the game, failing to score a touchdown.
“A loss is a loss. I hate to lose, period, to anybody, anytime, anywhere. I hate to lose. We work too hard. So it hurts. It’s going to leave a mark. This will be one I’ll never forget, that’s for sure.”
Dabo Swinney
Despite the loss, there were notable individual performances for Clemson. Wide receiver Antonio Williams recorded a team-high six receptions for 76 yards, tying his career-best performance from the 2022 Florida State game. Williams’ six catches were the third-most of his career, and his 36-yard reception in the first quarter matched his longest since November 2022.
Running back Phil Mafah added 59 yards on 16 carries, while freshman wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore each made a reception in their collegiate debuts. Quarterback Cade Klubnik passed Homer Jordan for the 13th-most career passing yards in Clemson history, finishing with 142 yards.
Defensively, Clemson saw standout performances from defensive lineman Peter Woods, who recorded a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and the team’s first sack of the season. Linebacker Wade Woodaz led the team with a career-high eight tackles.
Punter Aidan Swanson averaged 43.1 yards on seven punts, including two over 50 yards. Freshman kicker Nolan Hauser made his debut by scoring Clemson’s first points of the season with a 26-yard field goal, extending Clemson’s streak of consecutive games scoring points to 281, the 17th-longest in FBS history.
The game marked the end of a 100:53-minute streak where Clemson had held Georgia scoreless in terms of offensive touchdowns. The matchup featured the only two active coaches with multiple FBS national championships, Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart.
Clemson fell to 95-26-8 in season openers and 12-4 under Swinney. The Tigers also dropped to 8-8 against AP Top 5 teams since 2015.
The Tigers will return to Death Valley to host App State for an 8 o’clock kickoff in their home opener.
