The first marquee matchup of Saturday's Week 1 college football slate looked like a good one heading into opening weekend. No. 1 Georgia was to take on No. 14 Clemson in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The Bulldogs, looking to bounce back in 2024 after missing the College Football Playoff in '23, wanted to get off to a good start and avoid any real upset concerns. The Tigers boasted high expectations as well, with Dabo Swinney putting together a very talented roster despite a public aversion to the transfer portal and all things NIL.
In other words, it felt like there was a lot at stake for a mere Week 1 matchup, even one that pits two ranked teams against one another. Then the game got started, and Georgia wound up dominating, winning 34–3.
The first half was slow, as both teams struggled to find their footing. The Bulldogs entered the half up 6–0. But once the second half started, the No. 1 team in the country rolled.
Georgia was powered by an efficient Carson Beck and an utterly absurd defensive showing. Beck passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns, completing 23 of 33 pass attempts. He accounted for more yards by himself than Clemson did as an offense; the Bulldogs' defense held the Tigers to 188 yards in total.
Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik had himself a tough day. He threw for 142 yards and an interception as he was battered by Georgia's fierce defensive front all game long. In total, the only bright spot for Clemson was Antonio Williams, who put up 76 yards on six catches against the stout Bulldogs defense. Otherwise, it was tough sledding for Swinney's squad, who were forced to punt seven times.
Here's a taste of Georgia's dominance on that side of the ball today.
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart must be very pleased with how his team started the 2024 season. There were some rough spots, especially in the first half, but the defense played an excellent game and the Bulldogs can beat anybody when they're rolling like that. Clemson, meanwhile, clearly has some work to do before they can hang with the big-time title contenders in college football.
Georgia will next play Tennessee Tech on Sept. 7, and Clemson will host Appalachian State.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Georgia Cruises to Blowout Win Over Clemson Behind Dominant Defensive Performance .
