By William Qualkinbush.
5: Tackles for loss the Clemson defense accumulated last year against Georgia. That was a season low for the defense that led the nation with 123 tackles for loss on the season. The Tigers were able to control the line of scrimmage and get in the backfield for much of the season but struggled to do so – especially early – against the Bulldogs in 2013. Clemson will need to see an increase here to find success in Athens.
7: Since 1970, this is the number of times the Tigers have begun a season away from Memorial Stadium. Clemson is 2-5 in those games, including a 1-1 record in neutral site games. Georgia has beaten Clemson twice (1982 and 2002) during this span, and this will be the Tigers’ first true road game to begin a season since that loss in Athens 12 seasons ago.
97: Career receptions for wideout Adam Humphries. He is only three catches away from reaching the century mark in the first game of his senior season, a feat former Tiger Tyler Grisham also accomplished in 2008. Grisham, the newest member of the Clemson coaching staff, has made an impact on Humphries’ preparations for the season. Humphries has credited Grisham, who is now a video assistant, with being able to point out intricacies in his game that can be tweaked to produce a finer product.
150: Total number of rushing yards that has signified a Clemson win during the Chad Morris era. Since 2011, the Tigers are 25-1 when rushing for at least 150 yards, including a perfect 18-0 over the past 2 seasons. Clemson rushed for 197 yards as a team against the Bulldogs last year.
258: Number of combined career pass attempts for Cole Stoudt and Hutson Mason in five years of experience between them. A lack of meaningful repetitions at the collegiate level has both fans bases questioning the value they will get from their respective quarterbacks this season. Both Stoudt and Mason are seniors who have spent plenty of weeks and months poring over film and going through drills. A high-magnitude game like Saturday’s, however, is a different animal altogether.