Clemson grades vs. Georgia Tech: Tigers rate highly after most dominating ACC victory of 2023 season

CLEMSON – There wasn’t much to fault after Clemson’s 42-21 victory against Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

After a slow start, the Tigers clicked more often than not and posted their most decisive ACC victory of the season.

The victory guaranteed a bowl berth for the Tigers (6-4, 3-4 ACC) for the 16th consecutive season under Coach Dabo Swinney and provided a late-season jolt for a team hoping to reel off four consecutive victories to end the regular season.

Clemson made the grades with flying colors against the Yellow Jackets, which was appropriate for the program's Military Appreciation Day:

Offense: B+

After a three-and-out on its first possession, Clemson’s offense awakened in a big way for the remainder of the first half. The Tigers put together consecutive scoring drives covering 75, 42 and 92 yards to take command, and the 75-yard drive – which spanned the first and second quarters – consumed 9:51 off the game clock, making it the longest drive in program history.

The offense delivered a knockout blow with another touchdown on its second possession of the second half, then added another to extend its lead to 35-7 early in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers were well-balanced, ending the third quarter with 192 yards passing and 192 yards rushing and finished with 205 passing and 260 rushing. Quarterback Cade Klubnik went 23-of-34 for 205 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Defense: A-

Yet another outstanding effort by the Tigers’ defense, which leads the ACC and is seventh nationally in total defense.

Georgia Tech (5-5, 4-3) finished the first half with only one yard passing and Clemson harassed quarterback Haynes King all day, sacking him four times and recording 11 tackles for loss as well as forcing four interceptions.

The only points allowed by the first-team defense came in the first quarter when a fake punt attempt set the Yellow Jackets up at the Clemson 25-yard line. Georgia Tech was held to 254 total yards after averaging 534 yards during its previous three games.

Special teams: C

A ho-hum outing on special teams. A fake punt on fourth-and-10 in the opening quarter was questionable, particularly by putting the burden on punter Aidan Swanson to run the necessary 10 yards; he gained four, and Georgia Tech took over at the 25 and scored four plays later for a 7-0 lead.

Kicker Jonathan Weitz had a 47-yard field goal attempt blocked on the final play of the first half after making his initial kick, which was waved off because of a Georgia Tech timeout.

Coaching: B

Dabo Swinney showed patience, allowing the offense to gain momentum gradually and take command midway through the first half. The Tigers' 9:51 drive seemed to instill confidence, and Swinney sensed that, then allowed the offense a good mix of run and pass. It was also a boost to the team's psyche to roll the dice and attempt five fourth-down conversions, of which the Tigers converted four.

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Overall: A-

There wasn’t fault to find in Clemson’s decisive victory against one of the ACC's hottest teams. Georgia Tech, coming off victories against North Carolina and Virginia, was throttled by the Tigers' defense, running back Will Shipley returned to the lineup with a vengeance after missing last week in concussion protocol and several freshmen contributed to the win in big ways.

Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottKeepfer

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football grades: Tigers rate highly in rout of Georgia Tech