Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Prediction: Tigers host Jackets on Military Appreciation Day

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Nov 10 12:30:14 GMT-04:00 2023

Saturday marks the 41st consecutive season that Clemson has played Georgia Tech, a series that has seen the Tigers win eight in a row over a program that sits just a few hours down the interstate. Can the Tigers make it nine in a row?

Saturday is also special because it’s Military Appreciation Day, and the crowd should be decked out all in purple. And, just in case you wanted to be just a little sad, it’s the penultimate home game of the season. Where did the time go?

CLEMSON (5-4, 2-4 ACC) vs. GEORGIA TECH (5-4, 4-2 ACC)

WHEN: SATURDAY, NOV. 11, NOON ET
WHERE: MEMORIAL STADIUM (81,500), CLEMSON, S.C.

TELEVISION: ABC (Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, Quint Kessenich)
RADIO: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather)
SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM 119 or 193

CLEMSON/GEORGIA TECH SERIES HISTORY

OVERALL: Clemson trails series, 35-51-2
HOME: Clemson leads series, 17-6
ROAD: Clemson trails series, 16-44-2
NEUTRAL: Clemson leads, 2-1
LAST MEETING: Sept. 5, 2022 (41-10, W)
STREAK: Clemson, Won 8

NOTABLE

*The game will be the 89th all-time meeting between Clemson and Georgia Tech, a series that dates back to the teams' first meeting: a 23-0 Clemson win in 1898 in Augusta, Georgia. This will be the 41st consecutive season the programs have met, a streak that is set to end next year under the ACC's new 17-team scheduling model that left the Clemson-Georgia Tech rivalry unprotected. Clemson is 24-17 against Georgia Tech since the Yellow Jackets joined the ACC in 1983.

*Clemson entered the 2023 season riding the longest streak of consecutive seasons with a postseason win in FBS history, one ahead of Florida State's 11 from 1985-95. Clemson has won at least one postseason game (either a conference championship game or bowl game) in 12 consecutive years. Clemson's hopes of extending that streak this season will be predicated upon Clemson's ability to qualify for bowl eligibility. Clemson needs one more win to become bowl-eligible.

A bowl selection would mark Clemson's 19th consecutive year going to a bowl game. However, Clemson has been bowl eligible in 24 consecutive seasons, as the last time Clemson did not appear in a bowl game came in 2004 when the program was 6-5 but opted not to participate in postseason play.

*Saturday's game will be the fourth this season in which Clemson will face an opposing head coach for the first time, a list that includes Duke’s Mike Elko, Charleston Southern’s Gabe Giardina, Florida Atlantic’s Tom Herman and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key. Since 2011, Clemson is 44-7 when facing an opposing head coach for the first time.

MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY

Clemson, formally founded as Clemson Agricultural College in November 1889, was originally a military school, reflecting a belief at the time that a military atmosphere produced the highest academic excellence. Beginning with the first graduating class of 1896, more than 10,000 Clemson men and women have served in the armed forces. Throughout the decades, Clemson's military heritage has remained, even as the university transitioned to a coeducational civilian institution in 1955.

Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech will be Clemson's 30th Military Appreciation Day. The history of the special day dates to 1994, when Clemson had a special flyover for the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game on Nov. 12, just one day after Veterans Day. The flyover of four F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base during pregame was the highlight of the celebration that day.

Clemson has celebrated its military history every year during games held in November or when Clemson plays host to a school with its own military heritage. The Tigers don purple uniforms for the Military Appreciation Day game in reverence to the Purple Heart, the oldest United States military decoration. General George Washington awarded the first purple-colored, heart-shaped badges to soldiers who fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Clemson has a 25-4 record in the previous 29 Military Appreciation Day games. The Tigers have won 15 such games in a row, with the last loss coming against Virginia Tech in 2007.

WHAT CLEMSON NEEDS TO DO WHEN GEORGIA TECH HAS THE BALL

Georgia Tech brings the ACC’s second-best offense (465 yards per game, second only to UNC’s 518 yards per game) into the game in Death Valley. Quarterback Haynes King has been a dual threat to lead Georgia Tech in both passing and rushing. He has 2,330 passing yards (258.9 ypg), completing 63.3% of his passes and collecting 22 touchdown passes and ten interceptions this season. He's rushed for 545 yards (60.6 ypg) on 76 carries with five rushing touchdowns.

Jamal Haynes is the team’s leading rusher and has carried the ball 115 times for 664 yards (73.8 per game), with six touchdowns this year. On the receiving side, Eric Singleton Jr.'s team-leading 552 receiving yards (61.3 yards per game) have come on 33 receptions with six touchdowns. The Jackets also feature an offense that averages 200 yards passing and rushing per game – 261 yards per game through the air and 204 yards per game on the ground.

Clemson is third in the conference in rush defense and second in pass defense. So, how do you defend the Jackets? It all starts with King – put a spy on him, create pressure in the passing game and slow down the run game. Sounds easy, right? It won’t be.

WHAT CLEMSON HAS TO DO WHEN IT HAS THE BALL

Remember the stat where Georgia Tech averages 200-200? Well, the defense does that, too. The Jackets give up 235 yards per game through the air, and a whopping 220 yards per game on the ground. That last number is 132nd (out of 133 teams) nationally, and the Tech defense is dead last in the ACC in total defense, the only unit in the league to give up over 400 yards per game (455).

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has racked up 2,056 passing yards (228.4 yards per game) while connecting on 201 of 320 passes (62.8% completion percentage), with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. Phil Mafah has 109 attempts for a team-high 625 rushing yards (69.4 per game) and eight touchdowns, and he had a career-day last week with 36 carries for 186 yards and two scores.

And for all the talk about how bad the Tiger offense is, it’s been turnovers and lack of red zone success that have killed drives. They’ve gotten better over the last few weeks, and we should see plenty of Mafah and Will Shipley this week.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Georgia Tech keeps it interesting – they have the type of offense that can gain chunk plays on this Clemson defense, and they are hot right now. It’s going to be up to the Clemson offense to control the clock and keep the Tech offense off the field.

Klubnik has a better day, hitting a few deeper shots than last week, after the defense forces the issue to try and stop the run game. Tigers win, but don’t cover.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON 34, GEORGIA TECH 24

TigerNet picks

David Hood - TigerNet senior writer - 34-24 Clemson
Mickey Plyler - The Roar 105.5 morning show host - 31-21 Clemson
Nikki Hood - Staff writer - 40-24 Clemson
Brandon Rink - Associate editor - 34-21 Clemson
Tony Crumpton - Associate editor - 34-20 Clemson
Pigskin Prophet - 44-27 Clemson
Ryan Kantor - Contributing Writer - 28-21 Clemson
Ariana Pensy - TigerNet Intern - 27-21 Clemson
Merrell Mann - Photographer - 35-14 Clemson

PREDICTION TRACKER

Game	Actual	David Hood	Plyler	Nikki Hood	Rink	Crumpton	Prophet	Kantor	Pensy	Mann
Duke	28-7 DU	38-20 CU	31-17 CU	45-17 CU	31-16 CU	34-20 CU	37-17 CU	41-17 CU	35-10 CU	35-13 CU	-
CSU	66-17 CU	56-3 CU	56-0 CU	42-10 CU	52-3 CU	45-6 CU	60-13 CU	41-10 CU	21-14 CU	45-3 CU	-
FAU	48-14 CU	38-10 CU	49-14 CU	49-17 CU	42-17 CU	42-10 CU	44-3 CU	41-10 CU	45-14 CU	42-14 CU	-
FSU	31-24 FSU OT	30-24 FSU	31-30 CU	28-20 FSU	30-28 FSU	28-27 CU	30-27 CU	31-28 FSU	37-34 FSU	29-28 CU	-
SU	31-14 CU	30-20 CU	34-17 CU	35-17 CU	28-23 CU	31-21 CU	34-23 CU	28-17 CU	35-31 CU	28-24 CU	-
WF	17-12 CU	37-13 CU	47-17 CU	38-10 CU	38-16 CU	42-13 CU	45-9 CU	35-10 CU	35-14 CU	38-17 CU	-
MIA	28-20 MIA 2OT	31-20 CU	31-21 CU	30-17 CU	24-20 CU	28-20 CU	27-17 CU	24-17 CU	28-24 CU	31-17 CU	-
NCSU	24-17 NCSU	28-13 CU	31-13 CU	28-17 CU	26-16 CU	27-17 CU	38-10 CU	24-14 CU	28-24 CU	24-14 CU	-
ND	31-23 CU	27-17 ND	20-17 ND	28-24 CU	23-16 ND	24-21 ND	27-24 ND	28-14 ND	31-24 ND	24-21 CU	-
Points	-	7	8	8	5	4	6	9	7	5

* Points: 3 pts for best correct prediction of the week (tiebreaker is Clemson score), 2 pts for picking score exactly, 1 pt for picking the correct winner