By Johnny Falduto
Clemson (5-4, 2-4 ACC) will look to win its second consecutive game as Georgia Tech (5-4, 4-2 ACC) travels to Memorial Stadium on Clemson’s Military Appreciation Day on Saturday, with kickoff set for noon ET.
Saturday’s game will be the 89th all-time meeting between the two programs and will make 2023 the 41st consecutive season in which the programs have met. That streak is set to end next season under the ACC’s new 17-team scheduling model that left the Clemson-Georgia Tech rivalry unprotected.
Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 51-35-1, but it’s the Tigers who come in winners of the last eight meetings between the two programs, most recently last year’s season-opener in Atlanta by a score of 41-10. Clemson is 17-6 against Georgia Tech at home and has the opportunity to qualify for bowl eligibility with a win on Saturday.
Injury Updates on Will Shipley, Others
Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney met with the media post-practice on Wednesday and updated the status of RB Will Shipley and several others.
According to Swinney, Shipley has “looked good” and has been able to practice all week, so he is “trending in a good direction” to be able to go Saturday. He had been in the concussion protocol following a hit to the head/neck area against NC State.
DE Justin Mascoll (undisclosed injury) is also trending in a good direction to play Saturday barring any setbacks.
Swinney had previously said at his Tuesday press conference that both S Jalyn Phillips and CB Sheridan Jones are out Saturday, but he is hopeful S RJ Mickens will be good to go. WR Antonio Williams (toe) remains out this week, though there is still hope he can return before the end of the season, and OL Marcus Tate (knee) can possibly get back for a bowl game. S Tyler Venables (hip) has started practicing after an offseason surgery.
Georgia Tech by the Numbers
Georgia Tech is one of 13 teams in the nation to both rush and pass for 200+ yards per game, at 204.1 YDS and 261.2 YDS, respectively. Furthermore, they are one of two teams (UCF) to rush and pass for 200+ yards per game AND allow 200+ rushing and passing yards per game. Their 465.3 YDS/GM on offense ranks second in the ACC and 14th in FBS, and their 30.1 PTS/GM given up on defense ranks second-to-last in the ACC. They also rank dead-last in the ACC giving up 455.2 YDS/GM.
The Yellow Jackets rank second in the ACC and inside the Top-20 in FBS at 47.5% third down efficiency (56-118), as well as twelfth nationally in forced fumbles. In the red zone, Tech ranks seventh in the ACC with an 82.4% scoring rate on offense while allowing points on 91.7% of opponents’ red zone trips, the third-highest mark in the conference.
Player Spotlight: Haynes King
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King is quietly putting together one of the more impressive and underrated quarterback performances of the 2023 season, both in the ACC and nationally.
The former Texas A&M transfer ranks third in the conference and Top-30 in FBS with 2,330 passing yards and first in conference and eighth nationally with 22 touchdown passes. He’s also first among ACC QB’s with 545 rushing yards on 7.2 yards per carry.
Dabo Swinney spoke of King’s ability to use his legs on Tuesday: “If you give him any type of free lane, he’s going to hurt you. And it’s not going to be five yards, it’s going to be 15, 25 yards. He’s got that type of ability.”
Over the Yellow Jackets’ previous four games, King has rushed for 369 yards on 35 attempts, finding the endzone four times. Georgia Tech has gone 3-1 in that stretch, including wins over Miami and No. 24 North Carolina. Against the Tar Heels, King went 23-30 for 287 YDS, 4 TD and 1 INT through the air and rushed 8 times for 90 yards (11.3 AVG).
Betting Lines, Projections
As of Wednesday night, FanDuel Sportsbook has Clemson as a 14.5-point favorite, with the O/U set at 55.5.
ESPN’s FPI gives the Tigers an 80.5% chance to win the game outright. The SP+ projection shows a 34-19 Clemson win and gives them an 82% chance to win outright, and the FEI model projects a 27-18 victory for the Tigers, with a 73.9% chance to win the game.
Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for noon on Saturday. For complete pre-game coverage followed by the live play-by-play call, tune into the Clemson Athletic Network right here on theroarfm.com, 97.5/105.5 in the Upstate, or on The ROAR mobile app.
