Clemson will get things started this season in ACC play when the Tigers meet Georgia Tech on Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Tigers will be looking to run their win streak to eight in the series. What will Clemson have to do to do that? Here are three keys:

Take what Tech’s defense is willing to give

Whether it’s on the arm of D.J. Uiagalelei (or Cade Klubnik) or the legs of Will Shipley and company, Clemson needs to make the plays that are there against Georgia Tech’s defense, which took an interesting approach in last year’s matchup. A season ago, the Yellow Jackets, whose defnese is still coordinated by Andrew Thacker, often dropped eight into coverage and dared the Tigers to beat them on the ground. Whether or not the Yellow Jackets take the same approach this time around, particularly given Clemson’s issues throwing the ball for much of last season, remains to be seen, but this is Uiagalelei’s first opportunity to move on from last year’s struggles.

Uiagalelei actually had one of his most efficient games last season against Tech (18 of 25 passing, no turnovers) but was largely forced to dink and dunk (125 yards passing). The running game (3.9 yards per carry) didn’t do much to help, but Clemson returns all but one of its starters along the offensive line as well as its three primary running backs in Shipley, Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah. First-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said Clemson will be ready for whatever Tech throws at it this time around, and the Tigers have to do a better job of maximizing their opportunities.

Contain Jeff Sims

Clemson isn’t going to see the same quarterback it saw last season against Tech, though they’re not completely unfamiliar with the new signal caller. Out is Jordan Yates, who transferred to Sam Houston State in the offseason, and in is Sims, who, at 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, is a bigger quarterback with a bigger arm than Yates. But whether it’s designed quarterback runs or extending plays outside the pocket, Sims is also capable of doing damage with his legs.

He ran for nearly 400 yards and 5.3 yards per carry in the seven games he played in a season ago. Sims played in Tech’s loss to Clemson in 2020, finishing just 6 of 13 passing and accounting for just 58 yards of offense. Sims was a true freshman then and has 17 games worth of experience to his name now, but if Clemson can repeat that success this time around, the
Tigers would drastically increase their chances of shutting down the Yellow Jackets’ offense, which also lost top running back Jahymr Gibbs, who’s now at Alabama.

Win the turnover margin

Clemson is the more talented team across the board in this matchup. And while this is being dubbed a home game for Tech, Clemson is expected to have more fans in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So it’s hard to envision a scenario where Clemson loses this game unless the Tigers give the Yellow Jackets some help in the form of turnovers. They’re the great equalizer that allow less talented teams to hang around. And if Clemson’s offense doesn’t perform any better than it did for most of last season, the Tigers won’t be able to afford coughing up extra possessions anyway.

This feels like a game in which Clemson would have to beat itself in order to walk out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a loss late Monday night. But when the Tigers don’t do that, they’ve been almost unbeatable. Clemson is 81-6 all-time under Dabo Swinney when it wins the turnover battle.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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