Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Complete Game Preview

The Clemson Tigers are in position to get out of their offensive slump this week, as they get back starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Georgia Tech—who has defeated Clemson four straight times in Atlanta—will look to move to 9-2 and keep itself in contention for the ACC Coastal title.

Clemson has won all three starts since Cole Stoudt took over at quarterback, but none of the three wins have been pretty. The Tigers defeated an overmatched Wake Forest team 34-20 last Thursday, but they will have to play much better against Georgia Tech this weekend.

Clemson's Keys to Victory

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Win the Turnover Battle

Playing at Georgia Tech will not be an easy task, so the Tigers can’t afford to beat themselves with turnovers like last week. Against Wake Forest, the Tigers had an interception and a muffed punt that set the Demon Deacons up with a short field, and those kinds of mistakes can’t happen against a talented Georgia Tech team.

Play Disciplined on Defense

The Tigers defense has been dominant across the board all season, but defending the triple option will be a challenge. The Tigers allowed the Yellow Jackets to average 5.5 yards per rush in last year’s game, and Georgia Tech is averaging 335.6 yards per game on the ground this season. The defense has been in attack mode this season, with 35 sacks and 91 tackles for loss, but defending the triple option will also require the ability to stay at home and be patient.

Georgia Tech's Keys to Victory

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Win the Time of Possession Battle

The Yellow Jackets will need to find ways to sustain drives in this game to win. This means getting solid yardage on first down and converting on third down, which isn’t an easy task against the Tigers. Clemson’s defense ranks first in the nation in third-down defense, only allowing opponents to convert on 23.19 percent of their third-down opportunities.

Get Pressure on Deshaun Watson

The Tigers have talent across the board at running back and wide receiver, but the one area of concern has been up front. The offensive line, thin due to injuries and a lack of depth, has not performed great all season, and Georgia Tech will need to attack that weakness. Watson will find guys down the field if they give him time to throw, so expect Clemson’s quarterbacks to see a number of blitzes on Saturday.

Clemson Players to Watch

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Deshaun Watson

This is the guy we are all excited about watching. The offense has put up much better numbers with No. 4 at quarterback, and the Tigers need him to play well again on Saturday to win. It will be interesting to see how the offense changes with him behind center production-wise and also from a play-calling perspective. The Tigers haven’t been nearly as aggressive without Watson running things.

Mike Williams

Williams is probably the happiest guy with Watson back in the lineup. In the two games that Watson started, the sophomore wide receiver hauled in 12 catches for 277 yards and four touchdowns. With Stoudt as quarterback the last three games, Williams has just 16 catches for 229 yards and zero touchdowns. We could see him become a major factor in the offense again on Saturday.

Georgia Tech Players to Watch

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Justin Thomas

The Georgia Tech quarterback is extremely athletic, and he can make big plays happen with his legs. He has totaled 781 rushing yards on the season, also adding five touchdowns. He isn’t going to consistently beat you through the air, but he is improving as a passer. Over the last four games Thomas has thrown seven touchdowns and just one interception.

Paul Davis

The Tigers have struggled to run the ball effectively in the first half, and Davis will try to keep that trend going. The sophomore linebacker has 77 tackles on the season, with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The Tigers will need to keep him out of the backfield, and given the pass protection struggles, he is definitely a player to watch.

What They're Saying

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Clemson Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris

On getting Watson back: “We’re excited about getting Deshaun back. We know how he was playing before he got hurt and kind of what he brought to the whole dynamic of things.”

On how the play-calling differs with Watson back: “Losing Deshaun didn’t help matters, so we did have to go back. You want him to play fast and play comfortable, so we’ll see how the game planning goes but we’ll definitely open some things up.”

Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watson

On his mindset entering Saturday’s game, per David Hood of TigerNet.com: “My mentality is still to dominate, and best is still the standard. If I have to run, I will run. If I have to slide to protect myself, then I will slide.

On how he approaches the game after the injury, per Hood: “If I go in the game worried about re-injuring it or messing it up, then I won’t play the best I can.”

Predicted Outcome

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This game should make Tigers fans very nervous, especially given how well Georgia Tech has played as of late. The noon game in Atlanta just has a different feel to it, and this game will likely be close either way.

The biggest factor in this game will be how well Watson is able to play. If we see the same Watson as before, I like the Tigers by 10 points, but I have a feeling that there may be some rust to shake off early in this game.

I like the Tigers by a field goal, mainly because of their defense. They do an excellent job up front of making plays in the backfield, and the negative plays will put Georgia Tech in uncomfortable passing situations.

Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 24