If you are looking for a fast-paced, high-scoring football game with a ton of explosive plays through the air, Clemson versus Georgia Tech may not be the game for you...
Instead, expect for it to be more of a old-school, ground-and-pound approach from both sides. This is especially true for the Tigers, who have started to find success moving the football with their run game.
The team that is able to do two of the most important things in football will be the one that wins this matchup. That is to run the ball effectively on offense, and stop the run on defense.
Running the ball is how Clemson can move the sticks on Georgia Tech
Much like Clemson, Georgia Tech’s pass defense has been the strongest attribute of its team. The Yellow Jackets' defense only gives up just 196.1 passing yards per game. That makes them the fifth-ranked pass defense in the ACC. Not bad for a team that only has two wins on the season.
Although he has started to improve, Tait Reynolds still struggles quite a bit pushing the football down the field. Trying to put the ball in the air against this Georgia Tech secondary will not be easy, even with the mass firing of the defensive staff. Brent Key is down four assistants as of Monday afternoon.
Instead of leaving it up to chance through the air, Clemson must continue to make the game easy for its first-year starting quarterback and lean on his legs in the run game. The Yellow Jackets' defense has given up over 250 yards rushing in each of their last three outings.
Reynolds, as well as running backs Jarvis Green, and Chris Johnson Jr all need to have a big day on the ground Saturday afternoon. If this offense cannot be dominant on the ground in this game, it will be a long day in Tigertown.
Stopping the run will force Alberto Mendoza to have to make some plays
On the other side of the ball, Clemson has to be able to stop the run on defense. Georgia Tech’s biggest offensive threats are its two running backs, Justice Haynes and Trelain Maddox. Those two playmakers have rushed for a combined 950 yards so far in 2026.
Slowing down Haynes and Maddox would put the game all on quarterback Alberto Mendoza’s shoulders. So far the younger brother of last year’s Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, has yet to show he is ready to carry that kind of a workload.
He has been accurate with the football, completing 68.7 percent of his passes for 1,943 yards and 11 touchdowns. He just has not always thrown it to the right team, with six interceptions on the season already.
Clemson just needs to continue playing defense the way it has over the last month and change. The defensive backs must continue to be excellent in pass coverage and help in the run game. Meanwhile, the first and second-level players focus on shutting down the run and getting after the quarterback.
If Haynes and Maddox are not allowed to take over the game, Clemson should have another great day defensively.
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