Clemson keeps falling. And falling. And falling.
Ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll, a big loss to LSU and narrow victory over Troy sent the Tigers plummeting down to the 12-spot. They'll look to bounce back in their first road outing of the season, when they'll face a 2-0 Georgia Tech team that's not super-certain who'll be lining up behind center.
The Yellow Jackets relied on a freshman QB Aaron Philo last week. as QB1 Haynes King was dealing with a lower-body injury. Philo delivered, contributing a freshman school-record 373 passing yards en route to their 59-12 beatdown of Gardner-Webb. With King trending to return, things could get interesting at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The contest kicks off at noon ET, and can be seen on ESPN.
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Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Prediction, Preview for Week 3
Saturday marks the 90th meeting between the Tigers and Yellow Jackets. In their last clash on November 11, 2021, Clemson dominated, 42-21. Dating back to 2015, Clemson has won nine straight against Tech.
Clemson Preview
- QB Cade Klubnik completed just 50% of his passes against LSU in Week 1. The battle of the Tigers went to LSU. as head coach Brian Kelly’s squad got the best of his counterpart, Dabo Swinney. After his team gave up 16 unanswered points to Troy, Klubnik put together a much better performance as the Tigers racked up 27 unanswered.
- Clemson has one of the most one-note running games in the nation. Senior RB Adam Randall leads the team with 26 carries for 128 yards, making him the only RB on the roster to have more than three rushing attempts.
- Heading into the Georgia Tech game, Swinney knows the Tigers need to, “[M]inimize their run game. That’s how they’re built. I don’t know that you stop it, but you have to minimize explosives and make them beat you other ways."
Georgia Tech Preview
- Brent Key came into the 2025 season claiming he had, “[The] best quarterback room in the nation.” The third-year HC delivered on that promise when Philo shocked the CFB viewing public with his performance last week. After King led his team to victory over Deion Sanders’ Colorado in Week 1, Key likely feels the team is in good hands.
- The main storyline heading into Week 3 is King's health. Key recently spoke of his availability, saying, “Looks good, feels good. We’ll make a determination this weekend.”
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik Projection: 250.5 Passing Yards
- Klubnik has yet to reach the 250-yard mark this season, posting 230 in Week 1 and 196 last Saturday. The Tigers QBs topped 250 yards seven times last season.
- Georgia Tech’s defense has given up just 368 total yards in their first two games. and allowed no more than 164 yards through the air.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King Projection: 191.5 Passing Yards
- The senior threw just 20 passes in Tech's Week 1 matchup against Colorado, ending the contest with 143 passing yards, his lowest total since October 12, 2024.
- Clemson’s defense had no issue getting to the quarterback last week — the Tigers sacked LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier just once in Week 1, Troy’s Goose Crowder went down 4 times. A sack-a-thon will be especially problematic if King's “lower body injury” remains an issue.
- The Bulldogs have allowed 223-plus yards against the first two quarterbacks they faced.
Clemson RB Adam Randall Projection: 68.5 Rushing Yards
- Randall’s projection comes as no surprise after he exploded for 112 yards last week. The senior RB had a 30-yard run against Troy, in contrast to his 16-yard, 5-carry performance against LSU in Week 1.
- The Yellow Jackets have allowed 117-plus rushing yards in each of their first two games. Knowing Randall remains the lone rushing threat on this team, an encore performance of last week would allow him to smash his projected total.
Make Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Picks on PrizePicks
After a slow start in the first two weeks, Clemson has a chance to right the ship long-time rivals. On the other side of the field, Georgia Tech looks to build upon their Week 1 victory over the Buffaloes.
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