By Will Vandervort.
Here is an inside look at the Clemson-Georgia Tech series as the No. 17 Clemson Tigers visit the No. 22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta today at noon. The game will be televised by ESPN.
About Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have won three straight games over Pittsburgh, Virginia and NC State and come into this game with Clemson with their eyes still set on the ACC Coastal Division title as they sit a game back of first place Duke, plus, like Clemson, they are in line for a possible Orange Bowl bid if Florida State is selected for the College Football Playoffs.
Georgia Tech’s offense: The Jackets’ average 335.6 yards a game on the ground, which ranks second in the country. Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas has rushed for 781 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He has also thrown for 1,294 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions. B-Backs Zach Laskey and Synjyn Days have totaled 1,098 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver DeAndre Smelter is averaging 22.0 yards per catch and has six touchdowns.
Georgia Tech’s defense: The Yellow Jackets have not been very good on defense this year. They rank 10th in the ACC in rushing defense (169.0), 13th in passing defense (239.7), 11th in scoring defense (25.9) and 13th in total defense (408.7). However, they rank second in the ACC in interceptions with 13 and have forced 21 turnovers overall, including 11 in the last three games. They returned two interceptions for touchdowns in last week’s win over NC State and have three returns for touchdowns overall.
Records: Clemson 7-2, 6-1 ACC; Georgia Tech 8-2, 5-2 ACC
Series record: Georgia Tech leads 50-27-2
Last year: Clemson won 55-31
First meeting: 1898: Clemson won 23-0 in Augusta, Ga.
Last Georgia Tech win: 2011: 31-17 at Wake Forest
Stat worth noting: Since Georgia Tech began ACC play in 1983, the Yellow Jackets and Tigers have played 32 times and the series is an even 16-16 in those 32 meetings.
Second stat worth noting: Clemson has not won at Georgia Tech since 2003 – a 39-3 victory. Charlie Whitehurst threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, including one to current Clemson running backs coach Tony Elliott.
Third stat worth noting: Clemson’s defense has been outstanding all year, but especially in the fourth quarter over the last five games. In that time, Clemson has allowed just 157 yards rushing, 172 yards passing, 17 first downs, nine total points and just one touchdown.
Memorable game: Woodrow Dantzler had one of the best all-around games of his career with 164 yards rushing and 254 yards passing in Clemson’s 47-44 overtime victory in Atlanta in 2001. He threw for two scores and ran for two, including a 38-yard “Hail Mary Run” on the last play of the first half to cut Tech’s lead to 19-14 at intermission. His 63-yard scoring pass to J.J. McKelvey with 1:58 left put Clemson ahead by three, but Tech tied the count with a 20-yard field goal with just six seconds left. Dantzler’s winning 11-yard touchdown in overtime gave Clemson the victory.