D.J. Uiagalelei had been down before.
In his first start with Clemson last season, he rallied the Tigers in the second half for a comeback victory over Boston College.
Boston College, however, isn’t fifth-ranked Georgia.
A valiant fourth-quarter effort from the No. 3 Tigers was matched by the Bulldogs’ defense, which picked up where it left off last year. The group, which was the top-ranked rush defense a year ago, recorded seven sacks and scored the team’s first points in the season-opening 10-3 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium.
It took the Tigers’ offense a while longer to get rolling, but found some momentum after a 44-yard snag from Joseph Ngata near the beginning of the fourth quarter. While the squad didn’t reach the end zone by the end of the series, it settled for a 22-yard field goal from BT Potter for the 10-3 deficit.
On Clemson’s next drive, the Tigers went for it on fourth-and-five from their 45-yard line, but Uiagalelei’s pass attempt to E.J Williams fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. From there, the Bulldogs stuck with their usual offensive M.O. and kept the ball on the ground, forcing Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to use all of the team’s timeouts during the drive.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s lone first-half points came via a 74-yard pick-six from safety Christopher Smith. Much like it was Uiagalelei’s first career interception in college, it was Smith’s first as well.
Clemson struggled to get its offense going and was held to negative rushing yardage for the majority of the game thanks to the Bulldogs’ overpowering defensive line.
The Tigers found some positive momentum in the air with wide receiver Joseph Ngata being one of Uiagalelei’s more reliable targets. It wasn’t enough, however, as Clemson couldn’t put it all together to score.
On the other side, the Tigers’ defense also imposed their will and prevented the Bulldogs’ offense from scoring. The closest Georgia got was third-and-goal from the 8 and settled for a 22-yard field goal late in the second quarter.
2010
The Bulldogs posted a shutout in the first half. It’s the first time the Tigers have been held scoreless after two quarters for the first time since playing NC State on No. 6, 2010 at home. Clemson went on to win that contest, 14-13.
44
Joseph Ngata’s 44-yard catch in the fourth quarter propelled Clemson to score its first points of the game via BT Potter’s field goal with 9:06 left in the game.
2014
The last time Clemson lost its season opener was 2014, which was also to Georgia. The Tigers bounced back, however, and finished the season 10-3. They beat Oklahoma, 40-6, in the Russell Athletic Bowl that year.
NEXT
Who: South Carolina State at Clemson
When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
TV: ACC Network