Carson Beck threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and the top-ranked Bulldogs stifled Clemson's offense en route to an easy 34-3 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for their 40th consecutive regular-season victory.
Georgia got on the board with two field goals by Peyton Woodring in the first half and scored the game's first touchdown on a 7-yard scoring strike from Beck to Colbie Young in the third quarter. Beck, who completed 23-of-33 passes, connected again with London Humphreys on a 40-yard catch and run with 9:57 left to put the game away.
Clemson could do nothing on offense for most of the afternoon, running for 46 yards on 23 carries. Cade Klubnik threw for 142 yards, was picked off once, and sacked twice, as the Tigers went 4-13 on third down and had only 188 yards of total offense.
It marked coach Dabo Swinney's third-worst loss of his 17-year tenure at Clemson.
Georgia takes on Tennessee Tech next week before going on the road and opening up conference play at Kentucky on Sept. 14. The Tigers will try to bounce back at home against Appalachian State next Saturday.
Here's how other Top 25 teams performed and how Georgia's impressive season-opening win unfolded.
The Bulldogs' season-opening win was heavy on highlights for Georgia, and light on highlights for the Tigers.
Here are the kickoff times and TV info for Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern):
The Tigers drove to Georgia's 18-yard line but could get no closer. A negative run and two incomplete passes turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs, who can now just run the clock out.
After Nate Frazier picked up 57 rushing yards on the first three plays of the drive, Georgia went with Brandon Robinson for one carry (6 yards) and Cash Jones for the next, which ended up being a 15-yard touchdown.
This one is all but over with the Bulldogs now winning 34-3. This will be Georgia's 40th consecutive regular-season win, the second-longest streak in college football history.
Georgia freshman running back Nate Frazier has received the majority of the work out of the backfield Saturday in Trevor Etienne's absence. Frazier has 83 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries, an average of 7.5 yards per carry.
The first turnover of the game came at the most inopportune time for Clemson. Two plays into the Tigers latest possession, quarterback Caleb Klubnik fired deep along the right sideline and was picked off in spectacular fashion by Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
On the Bulldogs' first two plays after Starks' interception, running back Nate Frazier burst through the defense for a 40-yard run and then a 16-yard run. The Bulldogs are in the red zone once again.
Georgia has all but sealed the deal in Atlanta.
London Humphreys took a shallow cross from Carson Beck and strode 40 yards into the end zone to give Georgia a 27-3 lead, capping off a 54-yard, five-play drive.
These are the offensive leaders as the game enters the fourth quarter.
Georgia
Clemson
Big plays aided Georgia’s next scoring drive as Carson Beck completed passes of 24, 23 and 13 yards, along with scrambling for 10 yards. Nate Frazier got in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run to officially put Clemson on the ropes. The eight-play, 75-yard drive took 3:19 off the clock and extended the Bulldogs' lead to 20-3.
Georgia junior wide receiver Dillon Bell was noticeably limping and being helped by staffers on the Bulldogs sideline with about six minutes left in the third quarter. The ABC broadcast reported it as cramps.
Bell has four receptions for 32 yards and a rushing attempt that went for 27 yards.
The Tigers finally showed life on offense and are on the scoreboard.
Clemson answered Georgia’s touchdown with an 11-play, 66-yard drive, resulting in a 26-yard field goal by Nolan Hauser, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 13-3.
The big play on the scoring march was a 19-yard catch by Jake Briningstool, aided by a roughing the passer penalty by Georgia. Phil Mafah helped picked up the slack on the ground, carrying five times for 18 tough yards. Clemson still only has 38 rushing yards for the game.
It was the Arian Smith show on the first possession of the second half for Georgia as the senior wide receiver had a 7-yard run and a 32-yard catch during the scoring drive. The Bulldogs hit paydirt to extend their lead to 13-0 as Carson Beck found Colbie Young on the right side for a 7-yard scoring strike, to conclude the 75-yard drive.
Georgia
Clemson
After Smith's offensive pass interference, the Bulldogs stalled out at their own 43-yard line to force the third punt by Brett Thorson. One second remains in the half.
The Bulldogs appeared to get a huge play on a 40-yard pass from Carson Beck to Dillon Bell that would have put Georgia at the Clemson 13-yard line. However, fellow receiver Arian Smith was called for offensive pass interference to negate the play and give the Tigers a sigh of relief.
The Tigers went three-and-out again as the clock ticks closer to halftime.
Clemson got a 7-yard run on first down by Phil Mafah, but Cade Klubnik followed with two incompletions to bring Aidan Swanson out for his fifth punt.
After Clemson went three-and-out for the second time in the game, Georgia completed a 31-yard catch to Lawson Luckie, but went nowhere on the next three plays. The Bulldogs settled another field goal, this time from a whopping 55 yards just inside the left goal post by Peyton Woodring.
The Bulldogs strike first.
Georgia put a dent in the scoreboard by going 68 yards in 12 plays and settling for a 30-yard field goal by Peyton Woodring. Carson Beck completed eight consecutive passes at one point and is 12-for-14 for 95 yards overall. The running game has yet to get going as the Bulldogs have 12 yards on seven carries.
The Bulldogs and Tigers are through one quarter and defense (or inept offense) has been the name of the game.
There have been five punts and Clemson leads in totals yards (61-43). Georgia leads in first downs (3-2).
After the big play to Antonio Williams, an illegal formation penalty negated a first-down catch and a third-down pass to Williams fell well short of the first down.
Clemson’s average starting field position in its three possessions is its own 15-yard line.
The first big play of the game came from the Tigers, who got a 36-yard pass play from Cade Klubnik to receiver Antonio Williams. The catch was reviewed and confirmed and gave Clemson a first down at the Georgia 49-yard line.
The Tigers are in business.
Georgia’s second possession ended like its first, with a short run and two completed passes that fell well short of the sticks. Carson Beck has completed five of his first six passes but for only 20 yards.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has completed two of his first five passes for only 8 yards as the Tigers also try to establish the run with Phil Mafah, who has 15 yards on four carries.
After gaining one first down on its second drive, Clemson was forced to punt again after Klubnik’s third-down completed pass fell short of the first-down marker.
The top-ranked Bulldogs got busy early as quarterback Carson Beck completed an 11-yard pass to Arian Smith and, on third-and-10, Beck scrambled up the middle for a 13-yard gain. But Beck’s third-down pass on the drive’s seventh play went incomplete to bring the end to the drive and Georgia was forced to punt.
The Tigers received the opening kickoff and went nowhere on their first possession, going three-and-out with an incomplete pass, a dropped pass and an illegal motion penalty.
On third-and-10, Clemson’s check-down pass went nowhere and the Tigers were forced to punt.
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There are three big showdowns this weekend with early College Football Playoff implications. Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of Saturday’s ranked games.
Georgia junior running back Trevor Etienne will not play in Saturday's game for the top-ranked Bulldogs against Clemson in Atlanta, reports ESPN.com.
Etienne was arrested on March 24 on charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving.
Georgia, who will also be without injured tailback Roderick Robinson II, will need to count on Branson Robinson, Nate Frazier, and Cash Jones to pick up the slack in the running game.
Here’s who our staff is predicting will win this matchup, and other Top 25 games for this week:
The Georgia Bulldogs are favorites to defeat the Clemson Tigers in Saturday's college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the top college football betting apps in 2024 offering the top NCAA football betting promos and bonuses in 2024.
— Richard Morin
The two programs have faced off 65 times since 1897, with Georgia sporting a 43-18-4 record against Clemson. The Bulldogs have won the past two meetings, the last coming in 2021 and ending in a 10-3 win for UGA. Clemson’s last win against Georgia came in 2013, 38-35 at home, and it is the Tigers’ only win against the Bulldogs in eight meetings dating back to 1991.
Once again, we’re here to help you prioritize your viewing options.
Standard disclaimer: This is simply a ranking of what we think will be the best contests, based on national interest, championship impact and entertainment potential. As always, there are sure to be surprising developments in games not listed here, so keep one eye on the scoreboard and one hand on the remote to keep up with all the exciting plays and fantastic finishes. — Eddie Timanus
The experts at USA TODAY Sports offer predictions for the season ahead, including which 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. Who wins the national championship?
Georgia’s campus is in Athens, Georgia, and Clemson sits about 80 miles northeast of Athens in the northwest corner of South Carolina.
Which games are going to be the ones that matter the most when all is said and done?
Each week will provide at least one critical game that shapes the Playoff picture. Our task here is to identify which one on the schedule ultimately has the biggest impact on the races for the top seeds, the at-large bids and the battle to be the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.
Here are the 15 games that will determine the Playoff field, according to Erick Smith.
Offense
Defense
Specialists
Offense
Defense
Specialists
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