Final thoughts, score prediction for the Clemson-Georgia Tech Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
Start on Monday night.
End on Monday night.
That’s the goal coach Dabo Swinney laid out for his 2022 Clemson football team, which opens its season in primetime Monday against Georgia Tech in the first leg of a journey that, he hopes, takes the Tigers to the College Football Playoff national championship game five months later.
“That would be awesome,” Swinney said this week, even humming out a few bars of ESPN’s famous Monday Night Football theme song from his podium for emphasis.
If Clemson’s going to play Monday, Jan. 10 in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, though, it obviously starts on Monday, Sept. 5 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Clemson gets a reasonably cushy opponent in Georgia Tech, deliverers of three consecutive three-win seasons.
Still, ESPN’s primetime lights will shine bright on the No. 4 Tigers in the sole Monday game on college football’s Week 1 slate. And with new coordinators and new starters and intriguing quarterback situation, there’s plenty to follow along with.
Some lingering thoughts entering Clemson-Georgia Tech:
I’m really interested to see how Clemson’s cornerbacks group performs after losing the first-team All-ACC duo of Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich. Senior Sheridan Jones and sophomore Nate Wiggins are listed as co-starters at one spot, and junior Fred Davis II and Wiggins are holding down the other. We’ve heard good things in camp about Jones’ experience (38 games, 11 starts), Davis’ maturity and Wiggins’ blazing speed. But it’s a mostly unproven group, and playing corner in college football is hard.
How do running back carries shake out? Will Shipley had to fight his way to the top of the rotation as a freshman, but now he’s the unquestioned starter and will receive volume as such, per first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. It’ll be interesting to see how that manifests itself with the overarching “hot hand” philosophy Clemson says it’ll stick to with backups Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah, talented in their own right.
A stable or standout DJ Uiagalelei performance would go a long way in repairing his quarterback image, if only temporarily. Break a big run or drop a dime in front of a huge national audience during what Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan has dubbed the “dessert” of the Week 1 slate, and Uiagalelei could definitely improve his standing a bit. On the contrary, no player will be under more scrutiny for his individual performance Monday.
Ruke Orhorhoro is listed as a co-starter at both defensive tackle positions with Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, respectively. Swinney said this week Orhorhoro could be “anywhere from a first- to fourth-round draft pick” this spring if he builds on the flashes he showed last year in replacing an injured Bresee. It’ll be intriguing to see the final snap counts between those three guys under first-year defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
Will Taylor and Antonio Williams are big-play threats, but Swinney highlighted the grouping of Joseph Ngata, Beaux Collins, EJ Williams and Brannon Spector as Clemson’s top four wide receivers. Consistency and health from some, if not all, of those players would go a long way. I’ll especially be watching to see if Williams can return to 2020 form and how Collins has grown after a solid true freshman season.
College football teams learn a lot about themselves in Week 1, given the lack of a preseason. And for anyone who isn’t opening against an FCS team, I think a steady defense offers a huge advantage.
Clemson’s defense will probably bail out its offense a few times this year in wins; that won’t be the case Monday, but I see that group making some big plays early while DJ and company settle in. I’ll predict a Cheez-It Bowl-esque game flow and score in Clemson’s opener.
— Prediction: Clemson 24, Georgia Tech 13 —
