Georgia Tech plays its final road game of the season Saturday when it makes the short drive up I-85 to play at Clemson. Kickoff is scheduled at noon, and the matchup will be televised live by ABC.
Tech (5-4, 4-2 ACC) will be looking for a third win in a row after downing North Carolina and Virginia, respectively, its past two times out. The Yellow Jackets, who haven’t won three consecutive since they won four in a row in 2018, can become eligible for a bowl game by beating Clemson.
The Tigers (5-4, 2-4 ACC) also are going for bowl eligibility and put themselves in that position by knocking off Notre Dame at home Saturday. Clemson was the preseason favorite to win the 2023 ACC championship.
Here are five more things to know about Saturday’s contest:
1. Rivalry renewed before removed
Tech and Clemson have been rivals for a long time. And mostly on an annual basis. That ends in 2024 with the ACC’s new scheduling format.
The Tigers and Jackets are not scheduled to play next season, ending a run of 41 consecutive seasons the two programs separated by about 120 miles have met. Tech and Clemson also met twice during the 2009 season, including the ACC Championship game.
The Jackets didn’t shy away from this matchup having more juice to it than most.
“Maybe a little bit more this year than others, just going in with the expectation of winning,” Tech safety LaMiles Brooks said. “Clemson kind of being our in-conference rival, we would say, I think that kind of naturally brings out a little bit extra in everyone, naturally.”
Having first squared off in 1898 and then again in 1899, both times at neutral sites, the two teams began playing annually in 1983. The Jackets have won 50 of the previous 87 meetings and are 44-17-2 in Atlanta. But they have struggled when crossing the state line, having gone only 6-16, including seven consecutive defeats at Memorial Stadium.
That streak has indeed been mentioned this week.
“I heard it means a lot here,” Tech freshman wide receiver Eric Singleton said. “And I heard coach (Brent) Key talking about the record (Tuesday) at practice and that we need to go out and win. That’s all.”
Tech is scheduled to host Clemson in 2025 and travel to Clemson in 2026. The two won’t meet in 2027 or 2030, but are scheduled to resume the series in 2028 (at Bobby Dodd Stadium) and in 2029 at Memorial Stadium.
2. The Tech offensive line faces stiff challenge
The Jackets up front have played some exceptional football in recent weeks. Guards Joe Fusile and Connor Scaglione, center Weston Franklin and tackles Jordan Williams, Corey Robinson, Ethan Mackenny and Jakiah Leftwich have formed a quite the septet as Tech’s primary offensive line.
They have become a confident bunch, too, as Tech has asserted itself in the ground game in wins over North Carolina and Virginia, respectively, using an old-brand of smashmouth football to wear down the opponent.
“I think that just comes with the experience we’re building as we go and just the confidence we have in each other knowing what each other can do out there on that field,” Williams said. “I feel like the success is gonna come no matter what, just by the way we prepare, just by the way we attack every day.”
Geep Wade, who hadn’t had a coaching job at the Power 5 level before this season, has been given a lot of credit by Key and Tech players for the cohesiveness of a group that had some experience before 2023, but not necessarily in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense.
“(Wade’s) really placing an emphasis on really knowing your assignment. If you mess up, make sure you go 100%, and we’ll fix it later,” Williams said. “That was really the biggest thing with our O-line, just making sure everybody’s playing fast, running to the ball. If you make a mistake, just make it 100 mph, and we’ll correct it in the meetings.”
As well as the Tech offensive front has played, it hasn’t faced a defense quite as extraordinary as Clemson’s. The Tigers have the nation’s 20th-best rush defense, 67 tackles for loss and 20 sacks. They also have given up only 26 runs of 10 yards or more, the ninth-fewest nationally.
Clemson has only allowed one opponent (Miami) to rush for more than 200 yards this season.
3. Terrible twosome
Clemson will give Tech’s defense not one, but two problems to solve Saturday in the form of running backs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah.
Shipley and Mafah have combined for 1,140 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Shipley, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, missed last week’s game against Notre Dame with a possible concussion but is expected to play Saturday. Mafah, gaining 5.7 yards per rush, has eight rushing touchdowns, four of which have come in the previous two games.
In two previous games against Tech, Shipley has 31 carries for 130 yards and four scores.
“That’s a huge challenge for us,” Key said about stopping Clemson’s backs. “You’ve got, really, several capable backs on their team that are spearheading their offensive attack so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
4. Welcome to the Klubnik
Cade Klubnik likely won’t make a list of top quarterbacks in the ACC for the 2023 season. But the Clemson sophomore quietly has put together a solid campaign that should have the attention of the Tech defense.
Klubnik has thrown for 2,056 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 62.8% of his passes. More important, perhaps, he has shown glimpses of growth in interception-free wins against Charleston Southern, Florida Atlantic, Syracuse and Wake Forest.
“He’s calm, he’s got a level head on him, you can tell. They’ve got in some holes in the season at some times, and he’s stayed level-headed with it,” Key said. “He’s been able to move ‘em and move the offense.”
An Austin, Texas, native and a former five star recruit, Klubnik (6-2, 205) was the 2022 ACC Championship game MVP by throwing for 279 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina.
5. Purple out
Clemson will don purple jerseys as part of military appreciation day, a nod to the United States military’s Purple Heart decoration.
Saturday will mark the 30th military appreciation day in Clemson history with the first coming Nov. 12, 1994, when the Tigers hosted Tech – Clemson won that game 20-10.
Clemson has a 25-4 record in the previous 29 military appreciation day games and has won 15 such games in a row, with the last loss coming against Virginia Tech in 2007.
