Sixth-ranked Clemson will host Georgia Tech on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) in Death Valley. Here is a look at some of the numbers you need to know as you head into Clemson for the ball game or before you sit down to watch it on television.
3.9: Yards per carry for Georgia Tech against Power 5 opponents. Tech’s rushing attack has set the standard in many ways over the past few seasons, but this year, its lofty standing is a product of gaudy numbers against vastly inferior opposition. The Yellow Jackets are tied for 16th in the country with an average of 5.7 yards per carry for the entire season, almost 50 percent higher than the number once the competition level increased. In its two games against Power 5 competition, the Clemson running game is averaging 5.0 yards per carry, meaning it has actually moved the ball better on the ground against its peers than Georgia Tech has to this point.
7: Consecutive victories for Clemson when facing an unranked opponent in the week following a game against a ranked opponent. Overall, since Dabo Swinney became the full-time head coach in 2009, the Tigers are 9-3 in such contests. The last loss came at Florida State on November 13, 2010 after a home win over N.C. State. Three of these wins came against non-Power 5 teams, but in the four conference games, Clemson’s average margin of victory has been an impressive 16 points.
18: Consecutive seasons in which Georgia Tech has qualified for a bowl game. That streak is tied with Georgia for the third-longest in the nation behind only Florida State and Virginia Tech. Clemson’s 16 straight bowl bids sits right behind the Yellow Jackets in a tie for fifth with Oklahoma. Tech’s streak may be in jeopardy given its current situation. The Yellow Jackets are underdogs on Saturday and still must play Florida State and go to Athens to take on Georgia. The margin for error on this streak is incredibly small, creating an air of desperation the Yellow Jackets will almost certainly bring into Saturday’s contest.
211.5: Passing yards per game so far this season for Clemson. If that average stands, it would be the lowest season average through the air since 2010. In fact, in four seasons with Chad Morris at the helm of the offense, the Tigers averaged 299.4 passing yards per contest. In contrast, this squad’s rushing average is currently at 194.0 yards per game, which would be the highest for a Clemson team since the 2006 season and the second-highest average since 2000. The emphasis on the run has been a welcome sight, but the passing game must be able to supplement it if Clemson wants to meet its goals this season. Expect a bit more disparity in output skewed towards the pass against Georgia Tech.
12,000: Weekly allotment of student tickets at Memorial Stadium. Every last one of them was utilized in last week’s victory over Notre Dame, but that probably won’t be the case this time around. Fall break will rear its ugly head—as it does in many seasons—but this time, it will do so on a week in which Clemson already appears susceptible to a letdown. There was a time when this would be an easily identified trap game for the Tigers, and this matchup looks to have that type of potential. The non-student crowd will have to supply a good amount of energy in this game, even after creating such a raucous atmosphere a week ago.