College football is back after an exciting Week 0 soft opening, and the Georgia Bulldogs will look to kick off their hunt for a CFP National Championship berth with an electric matchup against Clemson in the season opener. The two perennial top programs will square off in the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Kirby Smart is looking to make a return to the national championship, but the Dawgs will need to take care of the Clemson Tigers first. Dabo Swinney leads his team into the matchup with a roster full of returners but question marks about his lack of portal usage will be louder if the Tigers have a poor showing against Georgia.
Clemson Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs Announcers, Broadcast Details, and More
- Start time: 12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024
- Channel: ABC/ESPN+
- Radio Stations: WCCP 105.5 FM, 95.5 WSB
- Announcers: Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath
- Betting lines: Georgia -13.5
- Over/Under: 49.5
- Moneyline: Georgia (-610), Clemson (+440)
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Georgia Bulldogs vs Clemson Tigers Game Preview
The Bulldogs missed the playoff last season after losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game but return a bevy of players and most importantly Carson Beck at quarterback. Beck is a Heisman frontrunner and he’ll have Trevor Etienne lined up in the backfield to help carry the offensive load for the Bulldogs. The addition of Colbie Young at wide receiver and a deep Georgia offensive line could make this unit explosive in 2024.
Smart’s defense should be stellar again with Malaki Starks back at safety. The converted corner is one of the top defenders in the country and was 22nd overall on CFN’s Top 100 players in college football. Mykel Williams, Smael Mondon Jr., and CJ Allen will all return to help anchor a Georgia defense that has wreaked havoc in the SEC during their reign.
For Clemson, the offense will be driven by the play of Cade Klubnik, the highly heralded signal caller who steps into his third season with the Tigers. His 2023 season was up and down, highlighted by curious decision-making.
He will need to step up and produce more for an offense that has to replace Will Shipley in the run game. Phil Mafah will help anchor the run game, and Jake Briningstool should take another big step forward as the tight end showed some impressive flashes last year.
Defensively, the Tigers will count on Peter Woods on the interior of the defensive line. Woods was terrific as a freshman and was named CFN’s 2023 Freshman Interior Defender of the Year. He should have help on the outside with T.J. Parker, another young star for the Tigers’ defense. If both players can continue their production, it should lead to another great haul of defensive linemen leaving for the NFL eventually.
The Bulldogs come into this game with a healthy advantage in the spread and a chip on their shoulders following a massive victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl last year. It will be up to Carson Beck to continue his monster play against a young Clemson front seven, which could be a great test for the Bulldogs offensive line.
The addition of Etienne gives the Bulldogs an elite running back to go with the potency of Beck’s aerial abilities. For Klubnik and Clemson, it’s about shaking off the memories of 2023 and starting this year with a bang. No better way to do that than to upset Georgia, but the Tigers will have to be at their absolute best to squeeze out a victory.
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