Clemson football: UGA expert breaks down injuries, game matchups & predicts a Dawgs win

The Clemson football team will open up the 2021 season with a big-time matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs this Saturday in Bank of America Stadium.

The Clemson football program is looking to right a wrong from this past January when they were blown out by Ohio State in the CFB Playoff semifinals and it’s just about time for them to get back on the field and prove the doubters wrong.

As we head into this game, there has been plenty of talk from both sides expressing both excitement and nervousness.

To break down the game more in-depth on the Georgia front, we talked with our friends over at Dawn of the Dawg to get an idea of their perception coming into the matchup.

Here’s what Site Expert Savannah Leigh Richardson had to say about the matchup against Clemson football.

1. What are you hearing in terms of the injury front for UGA?

Savannah: Georgia has quite a few injuries, but the most significant ones have to be George Pickens, one of the Dawgs’ leading receivers with 36 catches for 513 yards and six scores. He was one of the quarterback’s favorite targets last season. He has a torn ACL and will miss a few games.

Two other guys to note are Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith. Washington had seven catches for 166 yards last year, but he was one of Georgia’s biggest weapons — literally and figuratively as he could play linebacker or defensive line at 6-7, 260-pounds.

Smith was set to be one of the guys Georgia could rely on in their secondary after losing all five starters to either the NFL or transfer. Both of them have a foot injury and could be back either Week 2 or 3, depending on how they heal.

There are other injuries, but these three are the biggest blows to Georgia’s team right now.

2. Is the loser of this game out of the CFB Playoff?

Savannah: Absolutely not. The only way the loser is out of is if they lose another game down the road. Both Clemson and Georgia have schedules that could set them up to win out regardless of what happens here in Week 1. I think this game will be a battle between the two teams and one we will remember for a while.

Georgia has a more challenging track because having to play Alabama in December could cost them it all. It’ll just depend on the scoring from this game and that game, whether the playoff committee will put them in or not. We all saw what happened when they put Notre Dame into the final four in 2018 instead of a much better 11-2 Georgia.

3. What is different about this UGA team from teams past?

Savannah: Oh goodness, what a question, but I think their attitude and selflessness are what stand them apart from others. This group seems to have the same kind of team mindset that the 2017 squad had. It’s not just about individual stats but about how they can win as a group — offensively and defensively.

They don’t have a me-me-me mentality — Kirby implemented a new mindset, which seems to have sunk into the entire team’s brain. After losing to Florida last year, something changed, and they got a bit of reality to the face, so it’s evident they’ve really changed their mindset.

I also think Georgia has a quarterback that understands leadership on another level. While Jake Fromm was an excellent leader, there is something about how JT Daniels carries himself and the respect he shows this team. It’s evident he understands what it means to have this position.

4. What are your biggest concerns heading into the game?

Savannah: My biggest concern for this game is whether or not the offense will be able to produce against Clemson’s extremely talented defense. Georgia has some veterans on the offensive line, but they haven’t faced someone like Clemson’s front seven.

Georgia has weapons, but it’ll be interesting to see who steps up where.

The other concern is the secondary because while experienced — it’s not like last year when they had head hunters like Richard LeCounte and company. Also, missing a veteran like Tykee Smith hurts even if he just transferred into the program.

However, they’re an older group, so they know the system even though they’ve been the back ups a while.

5. What are the areas you think UGA can exploit against Clemson football?

Savannah: While both teams have talented offenses, this will be a defensive battle. I believe Georgia can exploit the most will be Clemson’s offensive line. Georgia has a veteran defensive front in Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker, who are monsters off the snap.

Davis is a freaking mountain of a man at 6-6, 330-pounds, and he has proven to be quite a force up front. Georgia needs to put pressure on DJ Uiagalelei, so it all starts with getting push back from the offensive line, and I think those three guys can do it, so Adam Anderson, Nakobe Dean and company can cause some havoc.

6. What’s your thoughts on the Clemson-UGA rivalry? Is it coming back to life or is it a thing of the past?

Savannah: I 100% love this rivalry and think it is one. Some Dawg fans don’t consider it a rivalry, but I do, and I think it’s something they should do yearly. These two teams remind me of when my grandmother would talk about the matchup in the 80s and how competitive they were. Seven or fewer points decided 10 games from 1962 to 1987, and I think if these two played yearly now, it would result in similar results.

Playing each other as two of college football’s biggest stars would only increase their playoff schedules. Both teams are two of the top recruiting programs, ranked in the top-10, so it would just make each team’s schedules harder, helping them in the committees’ eyes.

Q. If these teams meet again in the CFP — let’s say the loser wins out and gets in as a one-loss team— how will things be different at that time (postseason) versus nowhere in the season-opener for UGA?

Savannah: I think if Clemson football beats Georgia now, Kirby Smart would have his team even more prepared for the second time around. By then, the Bulldog’s offense should be a well-oiled machine and clicking on all cylinders, so it would be able to give Clemson’s defense a challenge.

Depending on injuries and such, I think the game would produce similar results and be an extremely tight ball game. These two teams measure up pretty equally in terms of talent and coaching, so I think both games will come down to coaching.

If the Dawgs lose Week 1, ask Auburn what happened to them when they beat Georgia in the regular season and then in the SEC title game. Georgia knows how to get revenge, so to be, the winner of this Week 1 game needs to make sure they are extra prepared if they do end up meeting again in the playoffs.

7. What’s your score prediction for the game?

Savannah: I’ve got Georgia winning by a last-minute field goal 31-28.

We’d like to thank Savannah for her time and encourage you if you’re looking for the best coverage of Georgia football on the internet, please check out Dawn of the Dawg. Also make sure you’re checking back here on Rubbing the Rock as we continue to breakdown Clemson football heading into the matchup.