Georgia and Clemson will renew their 127-year-old, 65-game rivalry Saturday in Atlanta. It will be the second consecutive time – but only the 10th time overall – the game will be played at a neutral site. They last played in Charlotte in 2021, which also was a season opener. For seven years in a row from 1907-13 the teams met in Augusta on their states’ border.
The teams arrive at Mercedes-Benz Stadium having won four of the past eight College Football Playoff championships. Georgia won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 under ninth-year coach Kirby Smart. The Tigers won in 2016 and 2018 titles under 16-year coach Dabo Swinney. The Bulldogs, who are 42-2 over the past three seasons, are the consensus pick as No. 1 in all the preseason polls.
It’s somewhat ironic that the past two games these proud programs have played were conducted at neutral sites a considerable distance away from their respective campuses. Clemson’s Memorial Stadium and Georgia’s Sanford Stadium are located less than 75 miles apart, with Interstate 85 running between them.
The Aflac Kickoff game, which is run by Atlanta’s Peach Bowl Inc., made it worth the schools’ while. Each team will receive a $5 million payday for agreeing to stage the competition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kicking off on television right after ESPN’s “College GameDay,” organizers believe they’re getting plenty of bang for their bucks.
“I think we’re in for a great game,” Peach Bowl President Gary Stokan said. “Both teams have top-10 defenses and great quarterbacks. I think the game will be won by a defense giving their offense a short field on a turnover or special-teams play and which quarterback is going to be able to handle those defenses.”
Here’s what you need to know
When: noon Saturday
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
What: Aflac Kickoff game
TV: ABC
Weather: Sunny and 92 degrees outside; clear and 72 degrees inside
Tickets: Game is sold out. Seats were available Friday on secondary market sites for as low as $84 each.
Top storylines ahead of Georgia-Clemson
Trevor Etienne’s status: Officially, it remains unknown heading into pregame warmups. Unofficially, the consensus is the high-profile running back transfer from Florida is expected to serve a one-game suspension due to underage possession and reckless driving violations stemming from an incident in March.
Injury situation: The Bulldogs will be without sophomore running back Roderick Robinson (toe) and defensive linemen Jordan Hall (leg) and Xzavier McLeod (unknown). The status of Clemson defensive backs Shelton Lewis and Jeadyn Lukus is uncertain because of apparent leg injuries.
UGA backs: With Etienne and “Rod-Rob” out, Georgia will have to start Branson Robinson or Cash Jones at running back on Saturday. Branson Robinson is one year removed from a ruptured patella tendon injury that forced him to miss the 2023 season. Jones is a former walk-on who has played extensively the past two seasons. Freshman Nate Frazier wowed observers in the preseason and will play. But expect to see receiver Dillon Bell also get some snaps.
Quarterbacks: Georgia’s Carson Beck and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik are each second-year starters. Beck, who last season completed 73% of his passes for 3,941 yards, 24 TDs and six interceptions, is considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. Klubnik threw for 2,844 yards, 19 TDs and nine interceptions on 63.9% passing last season.
Clemson stars: Phil Mafah, a 6-1, 215-pound senior from Loganville, will be the Tigers’ featured back. He rushed for 965 yards and 13 TDs last season. Linebacker Barrett Carter, defensive back Khalil Barnes and defensive tackle Peter Woods are players to watch on defense.
Georgia stars: Safety Malaki Starks, defensive end Mykel Williams, guards Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild and tackle Earnest Greene are preseason All-Americans. Senior nose guard Nazir Stackhouse, cornerback Daylen Everette and linebackers CJ Allen and Smael Mondon are players to watch.
Notable: Twenty-four players on Clemson’s roster hail from Georgia.
They said it: “I don’t know what the ticket breakdown is or how all that worked out. I don’t know if there’s some back-door funneling to Georgia fans. But, you know, Clemson will have a ton of fans there; Georgia obviously will have a ton of fans there. It’ll be an awesome environment, a great crowd.” – Clemson coach Dabo Swinney
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