ATLANTA (AP) — They are only about 70 miles apart, the Georgia and Clemson campuses, certainly close enough to be bitter rivals.
Yet, thanks to all the upheaval in college football over the past few decades, they rarely see each other anymore.
“Really, a great rivalry,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “A rivalry that when you look back, I didn’t realize how many years consecutively Georgia played Clemson for a long time.”
Indeed, these teams first met in 1897 and faced off nearly every season for a quarter-century through 1987, when expanding conference schedules forced them to abandon their annual meetings.
Since then, there have been only sporadic encounters, which heightens the anticipation even more for a season-opening showdown Saturday between No. 1 Georgia and the 14th-ranked Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“Usually, you only get opportunities like this in the postseason, in the playoffs, in the national championship,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s a great opportunity to play the best team in the country right out of the gate.”
Make or break
This feels like a crucial season for Swinney’s Tigers, who lost four of their first eight games a year ago to match their most defeats since 2011.
Clemson hasn’t made the College Football Playoff since a run of six straight appearances — which included two national championships — ended with a semifinal loss during the 2020 campaign. The Tigers hope to build on the momentum of five straight wins to close last season and re-establish themselves as one of college football’s powerhouse programs.
A upset of the mighty Bulldogs would certainly be a huge step toward that goal.
QB duel
Georgia is all set at quarterback with Carson Beck, who had a dynamic debut season as the starter and is considered one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy.
Beck is a bit of unicorn as a guy who is going into his fifth season with the same school after spending his first three years on the bench.
He skipped a chance to enter the NFL draft with his sights firmly set on bringing the Bulldogs another national championship. They fell just short a year ago when their only loss — to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game — knocked them out of the playoff and ended a shot at a threepeat.
“The main reason that I’m coming back is finishing the job and winning the national championship,” Beck said.
Clemson is a bit more unsettled at the most important position on the field.
Cade Klubnik’s first full year as the starter was marred by miscues and poor choices. Along with 12 interceptions, he had a costly fumble in an overtime loss to Florida State and failed on fourth down — trying to make something happen on his own — in an overtime loss at Miami.
The Tigers are counting on Klubnik and the rest of the offense to perform at a much higher level in the second season of coordinator Garrett Riley’s system.
“Obviously, I feel like we’ve got a little more of a pulse of our identity of who we are and who are playmakers are and what’s going to be our best personnel going up against Georgia,” Riley said.
Luke’s return
Georgia will see a familiar face on the opposite sideline: Matt Luke, the Bulldogs’ former associate head coach and offensive line assistant, is now coaching the line at Clemson.
Luke walked away from coaching after the 2021 national championship season, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. But, after getting the go-ahead from his wife and two children, Luke joined the Tigers in December ahead of their bowl game.
“The addition of Matt Luke, who’s a tremendous coach and was here with us, I think that makes them even more versatile,” Smart said.
Running back woes
After losing their top two running backs from a season ago, the Bulldogs could be further depleted in the backfield for the season opener.
Trevor Etienne, expected to take over as the top back after transferring from Florida, faces a possible suspension for his arrest in March on drunken driving charges. The DUI case was dismissed when he pleaded no contest to reckless driving, underage possession of alcohol and two other driving offenses.
The younger brother of former Clemson star and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne ran for 753 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore with the Gators.
Another Georgia back, Roderick Robinson, is sidelined after toe surgery.
The Bulldogs must replace Daijun Edwards (881 yards, 13 TDs) and Kendall Milton (790 yards, 14 TDs). If Etienne and Robinson do not play Saturday, Georgia would likely turn to sophomore Branson Robinson and junior Cash Jones to handle the bulk of the carries.
Loaded defenses
Clemson allowed just 287.8 yards a game last season, ranking eighth in the nation, and Georgia was right right behind the Tigers with an average of 289.1
Despite losing four players to the NFL draft, Georgia’s stellar unit features All-American defensive back Malaki Starks, lineman Mykell Williams and linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.
The Tigers are led by Barrett Carter at linebacker, safety Khalil Barnes in the secondary, and a deep line that includes ends Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.
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