In the opening game of their 2019 season, the Clemson Tigers defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a score of 52 to 14. As the scoreline suggests, the Tigers were in control of their opening game from the opening kickoff. The moment was simply too big for Georgia Tech, and the Tigers capitalized on every Yellow Jacket mistake.
The Yellow Jackets’ first touch of the game was a muffed punt by Juanyeh Thomas that set the Tigers up for their inaugural touchdown of the season. After taking over deep in Yellow Jacket territory, Trevor Lawrence faked the defense on a read option, tucked the ball and ran for a six yard score.
While the scoreline suggests a flawless game from the Tigers, it was far from it. Clemson turned the ball over three times in the first half alone, including two interceptions by Lawrence. On the first interception, Georgia Tech cornerback Tre Swilling jumped an out-route and seemed to be in the clear for a pick-six. Instead of shrugging his shoulders after the interception however, Lawrence immediately took off and hunted Swilling down at the two yard line.
On the ensuing drive, the new-look Clemson defense proved that they’re ready to fill the shoes of their predecessors. With four attempts to score from the Clemson two yard line, Georgia Tech failed to convert. The drive ended with a tip-drill interception by Denzel Johnson, stopping Georgia Tech’s best scoring chance of the night in its tracks.
While the offense looked rusty at times, it certainly flashed its explosiveness on Thursday night. After losing a fumble early on, Travis Etienne ripped off a 90-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead. Facing a first and long, Etienne took the ball on a delayed handoff and took off down the home sideline. The run was just the beginning of Clemson’s success in the running game. In the opening drive of the second half, Etienne burst through the line and waltzed into the endzone with a 48 yard score. Etienne finished the night with an astounding 205 yards and three touchdowns, while the offense as a whole racked up 398 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
After spending most of the first half looking for passes near the line of scrimmage, Lawrence finally connected on a deep ball with Tee Higgins in the second quarter. Under heavy pressure, Lawrence lofted a pass towards Higgins who proceeded to toss a defender aside en route to a 62 yard score. Aside from the Higgins touchdown and a late Chase Brice to Frank Ladson connection, the Clemson passing game was mostly underwhelming however. Lawrence was just a bit off target throughout the night, but found a way to keep the Clemson offense rolling.
If you don’t know the name Isaiah Simmons, remember it now. Simmons has been labeled as the next defensive stud coming out of Death Valley, and he looked the part on Thursday. Simmons was all over the field, making tackles sideline to sideline. With Simmons serving as the ball hawk, Xavier Thomas and the Clemson defensive line went to work. The group tallied an impressive three sacks, eight tackles-for-loss, and a forced fumble on the night.
The second half was a back and forth battle between Georgia Tech’s starters and Clemson’s backups. The Clemson offense was methodical, picking apart the Georgia Tech defense with the running game. While many fans beat the traffic in the fourth quarter, Clemson showed some promising signs late in the game. From Ladson’s first career touchdown to Lyn-J Dixon’s 18 yard touchdown, the second half proved just how deep the Tigers are. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the second half came from the right foot of Clemson kicker BT Potter. After taking over the kicking duties this offseason, Potter connected on a 51-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.
While the opening game of the 2019 season was certainly impressive, there is a lot of room for improvement. With an extended week, the Tigers will look to iron out the wrinkles ahead of what will likely be their biggest test of the season in the Texas A&M Aggies. The Tigers will take on the Aggies next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Death Valley.
