Clemson at Georgia Tech: Preview and predictions

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, left, and quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) after the game with Troy at Memorial Stadium Saturday, September 6, 2025 in Clemson, S.C.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, left, and quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) after the game with Troy at Memorial Stadium Saturday, September 6, 2025 in Clemson, S.C. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 12 Clemson hits the road for the first time in 2025 with a short trip down Interstate 85. The 2-0 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets await a Tiger team that hasn’t looked sharp in the first two weeks of the season, and now faces a stiff test in the first ACC game of the season.

Clemson has won the last nine meetings with the Yellow Jackets, although the two teams didn’t play in 2024, ending a 41-year series streak. This border war rivalry dates back to 1898. 

Health report

Clemson released its first ACC-mandated availability report on Thursday. An update will be provided again on Friday, with a final gameday addition coming Saturday morning. 

Receiver Antonio Williams, safety Khalil Barnes, and offensive tackle Tristan Leigh all missed last week’s game against Troy. They’re listed as “questionable” for the Georgia Tech game. 

Check back with Rubbing The Rock later for injury updates. 

Tiger time

Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta

When: Saturday, September 13, 2025

Kickoff time: Noon

Where to find the game: ESPN

Betting spread: Clemson -3

Predictions

Zach Lentz: This game has upset written all over it. You have a 2-0 Tech squad playing in front of a sold-out, whited-out, rabid fan base that has lost nine in a row to the Tigers, taking on a Clemson squad whose offense has not looked like the Ferrari that was promised all offseason. Instead, they have looked like a Pinto. The LSU game you could have said was a result of playing against an elite defense and it should have been taken with a grain of salt, but what do we do with the game the following week against Troy, which made the offense look like what we saw in Week 1 was not an anomaly but was what we can expect. The Tigers have entered the prove it to me phase, and until they do I don't see them winning.

Final score: Clemson Tigers 17, Georgia Tech 24

Brad Senkiw: It’s awfully early, but his could be one of the key games in the ACC this season. Things have not gone well for the Tigers so far this year, losing to LSU and needing a dramatic 13-point second-half comeback last week to beat Troy, but the running game fired the Clemson offense up in the final 30 minutes and that sparked QB Cade Klubnik. Behind that, and a salty defense that is forcing turnovers, it will be just enough to pull the Tigers through and escape Atlanta with a 1-0 ACC record. 

Final score: Clemson Tigers 24, Georgia Tech 20

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