CLEMSON, S.C. — In a late-night battle at Memorial Stadium in front of 81,150 fans, Clemson pushed past Georgia Southern 22-7. The Tigers relied on a dominant defense and special-teams heroics to survive a grueling matchup defined by field goals, penalty flags, and missed opportunities.
Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Saturday’s game.
The Good
- Nolan Hauser’s Automatic Leg: Kicker Nolan Hauser provided nearly all of Clemson’s scoring, going a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts. Hauser connected from 20, 34, 38, 50, and 49 yards, along with one extra point, accounting for 16 of the Tigers’ 22 points.
- T.J. Moore’s Big-Play Ability: Wide receiver T.J. Moore served as the focal point of Clemson’s air attack, hauling in 7 receptions on 10 targets for 103 yards and the game’s opening touchdown. His night was highlighted by a game-long 45-yard reception in the second quarter.
- Stifling Clemson Defensive Front: Clemson completely erased Georgia Southern’s rushing attack, holding the Eagles to just 22 net rushing yards on 18 attempts (1.2 yards per carry). Defensive end Will Heldt spearheaded the front four, recording 3 solo tackles, 2.0 sacks for 12 yards lost, and 3.0 tackles for loss.
- Defensive Standouts for Georgia Southern: Linebacker Rashon Myles Jr. delivered a game-high 13 total tackles (8 solo) and 1.0 tackle for loss. Defensive back Jakyri Jones turned in an impactful performance with 7 tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
The Bad
- Third-Down Inefficiency: Both offenses struggled to sustain drives. Clemson converted just 2 of 14 third downs (14%), while Georgia Southern managed 4 conversions on 17 third-down attempts (24%).
- Georgia Southern’s Nonexistent Ground Game: The Eagles could not establish any momentum on the ground. Leading running back David Mbadinga managed only 11 yards on 3 carries, while Taeo Todd was held to 6 yards on 4 carries.
- Red-Zone Touchdown Drought: Despite penetrating the red zone 5 times, Clemson managed only a single touchdown, settling for field goals on 3 of those chances and turning the ball over on downs once.
The Ugly
- Penalty Problems: Discipline was a major issue for both squads, as they combined for 18 penalties totaling 177 yards. Clemson was cited 10 times for 100 yards, while Georgia Southern racked up 8 penalties for 77 yards.
- Early Muffed Punt: Georgia Southern’s night got off to a disastrous start when Antavious Murphy muffed a punt at his own 32-yard line. Jackson Reach recovered the loose ball at the 27-yard line, setting up Clemson’s only touchdown drive of the game.
- Fourth-Quarter Turnover on Downs: Georgia Southern had opportunities to cut into Clemson’s lead late in the fourth quarter but failed on consecutive fourth-down attempts inside Clemson territory. Quarterback Max Johnson threw an incomplete pass on 4th-and-5 from the Clemson 30-yard line, and again on 4th-and-3 from the Clemson 3-yard line with 1:14 remaining.
