Five takeaways from Clemon’s brutal Week 1 beat down by the Georgia Bulldogs

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Dabo Swinney and the No. 14 Clemson Tigers endured a rough start to their season on Saturday, suffering a 34-3 defeat at the hands of No. 1 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Clemson’s defense held strong in the first half, limiting Georgia to just 160 yards and six points. However, despite the defense’s efforts, the Tigers’ offense struggled to find its footing, leading to a 6-0 deficit at halftime.

The second half was a different story as Clemson’s performance fell apart. Georgia outscored the Tigers 28-3, with their offense racking up 287 yards and four touchdowns. Clemson’s defense, which had kept the team in the game early on, wore down under the pressure while the offense continued to falter. Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 18 of 29 passes for 142 yards and an interception, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia’s Carson Beck found his groove, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

Clemson’s inability to establish a running game further hindered their chances, with Phil Mafah managing just 59 yards on 16 carries. Overall, the Tigers’ offense could only muster 188 yards, while Georgia doubled that with 447 yards, dominating on both sides of the ball. Clemson now faces the challenge of bouncing back in Week 2 against App State.

Here are five takeaways from Clemson’s brutal loss to Georgia.

Clemson’s defense was fantastic, until it wasn’t

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The first half was outstanding for Wes Goodwin’s defense, who held the Bulldogs to 160 yards and 6 points. The second half, however, was not so good for Clemson’s defense. It all went downhill in the second half, with Carson Beck and Georgia’s offense lighting them up for 287 total yards and 28 points. It was inevitable that the Bulldogs would put up some touchdowns with the way Clemson’s offense was playing, just…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-takeaways-clemons-brutal-week-194945697.html

Author : Clemson Wire

Publish date : 2024-08-31 19:49:45

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