First look: Top story lines, betting odds for UGA vs Clemson 2021 football game
Despite it being the season opener, No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 5 Georgia is one of the most anticipated games of the year.
While Saturday’s Top-5 matchup isn’t expected to affect either team’s chance of making it to the College Football Playoff, it does set the tone for the season and could be a preview of the two meeting again at the end of the year.
It’s the first meeting between the two schools that are 70 miles apart since 2014.
Clemson vs Georgia game, TV info
Who: Clemson Tigers (0-0) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (0-0)
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
When: 7:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 4
TV: ABC
Series history: Georgia leads 42–18–4
Bulldogs strong on offense
Kirby Smart begins his sixth season at Georgia with a rather full cupboard on offense. In addition to returning quarterback J.T. Daniels, the Bulldogs get back seven of their top eight receivers. Kearis Jackson leads the bunch following a 2020 season where he caught 36 passes for 514 yards and three scores. Zamir White bolsters the rushing attack after accounting for almost 45% of the Bulldogs’ yards on the ground with 779.
Could this be Georgia’s year?
Georgia entered the preseason polls ranked fifth and could be in for a big year. The biggest challenge won’t come until the SEC championship game where the Bulldogs will likely face Alabama. Having Clemson as a test right out of the gate can help the squad sharpen its strengths and expose weaknesses to improve on over the season.
Who runs out first for Clemson?
The Tigers must replace ACC all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne at running back. The competition is wide open with senior Lyn-J Dixon, sixth-year senior Darien Rencher, sophomore Kobe Pace and freshman Will Shipley up for the job. Each brings their own flavor to the position, but Pace and Shipley have been the most talked-about this fall. Shipley’s speed has impressed coaches and teammates alike, while Pace’s freshman season as a reserve gives offensive coordinator Tony Elliott high hopes for the Georgia native.
Who starts at center is also something to watch. Redshirt sophomores Hunter Rayburn and Mason Trotter were listed as potential starters on the pre-fall depth chart, but redshirt senior Matt Bockhorst was first at center during one of the fall scrimmages. Bockhorst was listed at left tackle and started all 12 games there last year.
Will Tigers defense match the hype?
This year’s Clemson defense has the potential to be one of the best the program has ever. The Tigers return nine of their 11 starters with an extended supply of not just depth, but experience at just about every position with players like linebacker James Skalski, cornerback Andrew Booth and defensive linemen Xavier Thomas, Bryan Bresee and Justin Foster. If they’re going to prove they’re the best and make their own legacy, playing Georgia right away will be a good measuring stick.
What does offense look like with DJ Uiagalelei?
Clemson sophomore quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei performed well last season, especially in his two starts while Trevor Lawrence was out. This year, Lawrence is gone and Uiagalelei is the permanent starting quarterback.
Still, Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney is expecting no less than a smooth transition to the Southern California signal caller, who he said has more arm talent than former Tigers quarterbacks, Lawrence, Tajh Boyd, Kelly Bryant and Deshaun Watson. It’s high praise for Uiagalelei and seems to be warranted given his two starts last year. He had a career-high 439 passing yards against Notre Dame, the most thrown by a Fighting Irish opponent and a Clemson freshman, despite the 47-40 overtime loss.
Tigers and Bulldogs players to watch
▪ QB J.T. Daniels: For the first time since his true freshman season with the University of Southern California 2018, J.T. Daniels is healthy. He only started and played in the Bulldogs’ final four games of the season but averaged 307.8 yards per outing. This year, the projected first-round 2022 NFL Draft pick has the keys to Georgia’s offense and ready to capitalize on it.
▪ CB Derion Kendrick: For the first time in his college career, the Rock Hill native will be wearing a jersey that isn’t orange, purple and/or white. He had an up-and-down 2020 season with Clemson, recording 20 tackles, six pass breakups, a quarterback sack, interception and fumble recovery and by March, he was no longer part of the team. Three months later, Kendrick announced he would be transferring to Georgia, where he’s projected to be a starter.
▪ DT Jordan Davis: While Davis was projected to be a top-50 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he opted to return to school for a fourth year, which could pay off. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound lineman played and started in seven games last season, totaling 16 tackles, one for loss, with a quarterback sack while dealing with an injury. This year, Davis is expected to be the anchor of the Bulldogs’ defense that returns only one other starting defensive lineman.
▪ WR Justyn Ross: When the Tigers and Bulldogs kick off, it will have been 975 days since Justyn Ross has played in a football game. His presence will be welcome by a Clemson wide receiving core overflowing with talent and experience.
▪ DE Bryan Bresee: After starting in 10 of 12 games played and totaling 33 tackles and four quarterback sacks, Bryan Bresee earned freshman All American and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Bresee has a chance to follow it up with a big sophomore season.
▪ LB James Skalski: If anyone has experience playing in big games, it’s James Skalski, who Swinney considers a coach on the field. The sixth-year senior’s leadership and performance — 44 tackles in nine games played in 2020 — will be key in settling the defense early.
Vegas odds: Clemson vs UGA and other ACC, SEC point spreads
Clemson is a 3-point favorite over the Bulldogs, according to Vegas Insider, with an over-under of 52.5 points. The line has been as large as 4.5. Other lines from both conferences:
- NC State (-18) over South Florida
- North Carolina (-5.5) over Virginia Tech
- Wake Forest (-31.5) over Old Dominion
- Duke (-6.5) over Charlotte
- Alabama (-18.5) over Miami
- Pitt (-38) over UMass
- Syracuse (pick ‘em) vs Ohio
- Georgia Tech (-17) over Northern Illinois
- Notre Dame (-8) over Florida State
- Ole Miss (-9) over Louisville
- Texas A&M (-29) over Kent State
- LSU (-4) over UCLA
- Auburn (-37) over Akron
- Florida (-24.5) over Florida Atlantic
- Tennessee (-34) over Bowling Green
- Kentucky (-29.5) over Louisiana-Monroe
- Arkansas (-19.5) over Rice
- Missouri (-13) over Central Michigan
- Mississippi State (-24) over Louisiana Tech
