It’s Game Day in Death Valley where No. 3 Clemson battles S.C. State as the Tigers look to move to 3-0 on the season.

Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium

Kickoff:  7:30 p.m.

Television:   ESPN

Announcers:  David Flemming, Jesse Palmer, Laura Rutledge

2016 Record: Clemson  3-0  Georgia Tech 3-0

ACC Record: Clemson 0-0

Series History: Georgia Tech leads 51-28-2

Last Meeting:  Clemson won 43-24 in 2015

Clemson Georgia Tech Series

•Georgia Tech holds a 51-28-2 lead in the series against Clemson. The Yellow Jackets have beaten Clemson more than any other school. Forty-four of the wins have taken place in Atlanta where the Yellow Jackets hold a 44- 13-2 lead in the series. Clemson has a winning record over Georgia Tech in games at Clemson, 13-6. Tech never came to Clemson to face the Tigers until 1974.

•Since Georgia Tech joined the ACC for the 1983 football season, the teams are tied with 17 wins apiece.

•This has been a home stadium advantage in recent years. The home team has won each of the last seven games in the series.

•Twelve of the last 20 games have been decided by five points or less, including a six-game streak between 1996-01 in which every game was decided by exactly three points. That might be a first in college football history. We aren’t talking by three points or less, but exactly three points. Eleven of Georgia Tech’s last 14 wins in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less.

•Over the last 20 years Clemson and Georgia Tech have played 12 games decided by seven points or less. Georgia Tech is 9-3 in those games.

Heisman Worked at Both Schools

John Heisman coached at both Clemson and Georgia Tech. He coached the Tigers program from 1900-03 and led to a 19-3-2 record and two conference championships. Clemson won the SIAA conference title in 1900 and 1902 under Heisman and played in its first “postseason” game ever in 1903.

Clemson played Cumberland in Montgomery, AL on November 26, 1903 in what was called “the championship of the South.” The contest ended in an 11-11 tie. That was his last game as Clemson coach, as he left after the season to become the first full time football coach at Georgia Tech, who paid him $2,250 per year and 30 percent of the net gate receipts for home games.

Later as Georgia Tech coach in 1916, Heisman defeated Cumberland 222-0 in the highest scoring game (by one team) in college football history. His Clemson team of 1901 defeated Guilford College 122-0 and that is the highest scoring game by the Tigers in history. So, Heisman coached the highest scoring game in each school’s history.

Heisman had a 102-29-7 record at Georgia Tech for a .779 winning percentage. His 19-3-2 record at Clemson computes to a .833 winning percentage. He is the winningest coach in Clemson history on a winning percentage basis (minimum of four seasons) and is the winnningest coach in Georgia Tech history on a percentage basis.

Clemson Graduate is Georgia Tech Assistant

For the third time in four games, Clemson will go against a coaching staff that includes a former Clemson assistant coach. a Georgia Tech offensive line coach is Ron West, who coached at Clemson as a full time coach under Tommy Bowden from 1999-2008. He was offensive line coach from 1999-03 and outside linebackers from 2004-08. He is the only assistant coach in Clemson history to coach at least four seasons on both sides of the ball.

West’s ties to Clemson go back to his days as a player. He was an offensive lineman who was on the Clemson bowl teams of 1977 and 1978. He lettered in 1978 when he was an off and on starter.

Swinney vs. ACC Teams

Dabo Swinney is 49-15 overall against ACC teams since he became Clemson head coach. That includes a 47-14 mark in regular season games and 2-1 in ACC Championship games. His .766 winning percentage in ACC games is fifth best in ACC history.

The Clemson head coach has faced 13 different ACC teams since he became head coach in 2008 on an interim basis. That includes Maryland, who is no longer in the league. When the Tigers face Pittsburgh in November, he will have faced a 14th different ACC team.

Swinney has a winning record against every ACC team with the exception of Georgia Tech and Florida State. Ten of his 15 losses against ACC teams have been against those two schools. He is 4-5 against Georgia Tech and 3-5 against Florida State.

Swinney Looks for 50th ACC Win

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney can become just the eighth coach in ACC history to record at least 50 wins over ACC teams if his Tigers defeat Georgia Tech on Thursday night. Swinney has a 49-15 mark against ACC teams since he became head coach on an interim basis in 2008.

Bobby Bowden, who coached at Florida State as an ACC coach from 1992-2009, had 118 ACC wins and just 27 losses. Other ACC coaches with at least 50 wins in league play are George Welsh of Virginia (85), Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech (72), Frank Howard of Clemson (66), Earle Edwards of NC State (55), Bill Murray of Duke (54), and Bill Dooley of North Carolina and Wake Forest (52). Dooley also coached at Virginia Tech, but the Hokies were not in the ACC when he was there coach.

In terms of overall wins as an ACC coach, Swinney is now ninth with 78. The win over SC State moved Swinney out of a tie for ninth with Jerry Claiborne and Earle Edwards, who both had 77. Bobby Bowden is the all-time leader in total wins as an ACC coach with 173.

It is interesting to note that former Clemson coaches Danny Ford and Frank Howard both had the same amount with 96, tied for fifth best in ACC history. Howard had 165 wins in his career, but the first 14 years of his career Clemson was not in the ACC.

Ninety-two Players Saw Action vs. South Carolina State

Clemson played 92 players in the victory over South Carolina State, believed to be the most in a single game in school history. Twenty-four players saw the first action of their careers. There were many examples of the depth the Tigers showed in that game.

A record five different quarterbacks completed passes, and a record 15 different players caught passes. Deshaun Watson, Nick Schuessler and Kelly Bryant all threw touchdown passes. It was the first time since the 2010 Presbyterian game that three different quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in the same game

TCI Predictions 

Robert – Clemson 45 Georgia Tech 24

Gavin – Clemson 34 Georgia Tech 13

Will – Clemson 31  Georgia Tech 27

Qualk – Clemson 31 Georgia Tech 20