Advertisement

Clemson football: Tigers host Georgia Tech, could be set for strong finish

By The Sports Xchange
Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this weekend. File photo by Susan Knowles/UPI
Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this weekend. File photo by Susan Knowles/UPI | License Photo

Clemson's 24-22 victory against then-No. 6 Notre Dame last Saturday has many prognosticators projecting a big finish for the Tigers, and the evidence certainly stacks up in the Tigers' favor.

The 4-0 Tigers have moved up to No. 6 in both polls and face just one ranked opponent over the final eight games -- Florida State on Nov. 7 -- and that game is at home. Clemson's final eight opponents have a combined winning percentage of 62.2 percent, which is the lowest among any team in the current Top 10.

Advertisement

But despite Clemson's strong start and upward mobility in the polls, coach Dabo Swinney doesn't want to hear any talk of championships or the College Football Playoff.

"Everybody wants to end the season after three or four games," he said. "It's so funny to see some of this rhetoric -- 'OK, these teams are in!'

Advertisement

"Every weekend is a season of its own. Just look around college football. I don't know who was sixth last week, but where are they now? You just got to go play the games. It's great to know that we're in the mix. We want to be in the conversation, but we've played four games -- not even half our season yet -- so we've got to keep our head down and keep chopping and grinding away."

Next up for Clemson is Georgia Tech, an opponent that looms large despite a 2-3 record. Georgia Tech has been a thorn in Clemson's side in recent seasons, and the Tigers are just 3-5 against the Yellow Jackets under Swinney.

"You'd better be ready to play Georgia Tech," Swinney said.

"They lost at Notre Dame. They lost to North Carolina, who's probably in the lead in the Coastal (Division) right now. They lost to Duke, who has just a loss to a ranked Northwestern team. They've played good teams. We have a ton of respect for their program and who they are. Their record has nothing to do with this game. If we have a letdown, we're going to get our butts kicked."

Advertisement

Swinney only has to point to recent history to drive that point home to his team. Georgia Tech routed Clemson 28-6 last season in Atlanta, capitalizing on the absence of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered a knee injury in the first quarter with Clemson leading 3-0 and missed two of the Tigers' next three games.

Watson is back at full strength, but Swinney is taking nothing for granted.

"We're not a national championship team yet," he said. "But we don't have to be on Oct. 6. We just need to find a way to beat Georgia Tech this weekend and build on the positives that we've had through the first four games."

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--QB Deshaun Watson will be intent on righting last year's wrong. He suffered a knee injury, without contact, early in the Georgia Tech game and missed two of the next three games, including Clemson's bowl win over Oklahoma. "I just got to play a couple of drives last year," Watson said. "It's my home state, so I always want to get the victory." Watson still wears a brace on his left knee after undergoing knee surgery last December, but he hasn't been slowed this season; in fact, he's coming off a career-best 93 yards rushing against Notre Dame.

Advertisement

--DE Kevin Dodd will be a key figure against Georgia Tech. He'll be counted on to "set the edge" against the Yellow Jackets' option offense, and knows that will be no small task. "The triple-option is a tough scheme to defend," Dodd said. "Reaction time is big, and you've got to be disciplined. You've got to read your keys; if you don't read your keys, you get exposed. It's another game for me to take a stand and show people who Kevin Dodd is." Dodd has been making a name for himself in his first year as a starter, with 26 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

--WR Artavis Scott is a big-play producer whether he's catching passes or returning kicks. He amassed 171 all-purpose yards in the Tigers' win over Notre Dame and has jumped to the forefront amid a receiver corps that continues to miss injured preseason All-ACC selection Mike Williams.

Latest Headlines