NO. 5 GEORGIA AT NO. 8 CLEMSON
8 p.m., ABC
Line: Georgia by 2
In the spotlight: Georgia free safety Tray Matthews
About Matthews: This 6-foot, 196-pound freshman signed with Georgia as a consensus four-star prospect and entered the university in January as a midyear enrollee. Matthews quickly impressed coaches and teammates with his athleticism and aggressive style. He earned the starting position at free safety during spring practice.
Why we'll be watching: Matthews already had a demanding challenge going against an explosive offense and prolific passing team like Clemson. But the task became even more daunting when Matthews ended up missing nearly three weeks of preseason camp. First he suffered a shoulder sprain and then he strained his hamstring. He returned the final week of practice.
Scouting report: The book on Matthews is that is an extremely aggressive and physical defensive back who was going to struggle with the NCAA's new targeting rule. He remains unproven as a pass defender.
What the coach says: "The hardest part about (Matthews' situation) is just the tempo we've been going at. It isn't a real good indicator of how he can run out, how he can burst full speed, how he long he can do that, whether can he do it for an entire ballgame. That's just the part that's difficult to gauge."
What the player says: Matthews has been unavailable for interviews since February when the rest of the Bulldogs' signing class joined him on campus. But here's what he said then: "I have high expectations for myself. Me and my parents set high goals for me. … I feel like with my work ethic and my ability I can come in and play."
