Head coach Kirby Smart and the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs face the No. 14 Clemson Tigers led by Dabo Swinney as these perennial college football powers square off in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. This game kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 31 with a live broadcast on ABC, and streaming live on ESPN Plus.
Georgia enters the game as the No. 1 team in the country, while Clemson is ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll. The last time these two teams met was back in 2021, when Georgia won 10-3. The Bulldogs are 12.5-point favorites in the latest Georgia vs. Clemson odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 48.5.
Georgia Running Back Situation
A lot of eyes will be on the Georgia running back situation, as Georgia running back Trevor Etienne is not expected to play on Saturday. The transfer running back is likely to be Georgia’s starting tailback this season, but he will suspended for the opener after an offseason arrest.
Kirby Smart has not publicly indicated anything on Etienne’s status for this weekend. Etienne is one of four Georgia players who had a driving-related arrest this offseason, with inside linebacker Smael Mondon, wide receiver Sacovie White and Bo Hughley being the other three. It is believed that those three have a better chance of playing than Etienne.
Georgia is also likely to be without running back Roderick Robinson, as he had toe surgery. If Georgia is without Etienne and Robinson, Georgia will turn towards Branson Robinson, Nate Frazier and Cash Jones at the position.
Key Matchups
The Georgia Bulldogs have finished the fall camp portion of the preseason as they prepare for their season opener against the No. 14 ranked Clemson Tigers. Georgia enters the season as the No.1 ranked team on the consensus rankings and will be a multi-score favorite over the Tigers.
Georgia's Defense vs. Clemson's Offense
Even if Georgia's offense isn't in midseason form, its stifling defense is likely to pick up the slack and slow down the Tigers' offense. Led by All-American safety Malaki Starks, who had 52 tackles and three interceptions last season, the Bulldogs should maintain their elite level of the last half decade. It seems like a stretch for Clemson to win a high-scoring team against a high-caliber Georgia unit which only allowed 16.6 points per game last season.
Clemson's Defense vs. Georgia's Offense
The Tigers are the rare team who didn't add any players in the transfer portal this offseason. They have recruited well enough to replace their entire defensive line with highly-touted recruits of the last several years. Clemson ranked seventh nationally, giving up fewer than 280 yards per game in 2023 and shouldn't see much of a drop despite losing more than half of their starters from last season.
Prediction
Final Thoughts
The Bulldogs will be led on offense by quarterback Carson Beck, who threw for 3,941 yards last season. Georgia does have to replace Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, but Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett and Oscar Delp are back as Beck’s top pass catchers.
Defensively, Mykel Williams and Malaki Starks will lead one of the most talented defenses in the country. Georgia’s secondary will look new, as the Bulldogs have to replace three starters from last season’s team.
Ultimately, this game will be a close one. The Bulldogs have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but the Tigers are a tough opponent. It will be interesting to see how Georgia’s running game performs without Etienne. If the Bulldogs can establish a solid rushing attack, they should be able to win this game. However, if Clemson’s defense can slow down Georgia’s offense, the Tigers will have a good chance to pull off an upset.
