Tag: Clemson Tigers

Ngata has career night amidst Tigers’ struggles

Despite third-ranked Clemson’s 10-3 loss Saturday night to No. 5 Georgia in its season opener, Clemson wide receiver Joseph Ngata had himself a career night. The junior wide receiver racked up six receptions for 110 yards, accounting for more than …

Despite third-ranked Clemson’s 10-3 loss Saturday night to No. 5 Georgia in its season opener, Clemson wide receiver Joseph Ngata had himself a career night.

The junior wide receiver racked up six receptions for 110 yards, accounting for more than half of Clemson’s 178 total receiving yards. 

While the offense as a whole struggled to put something together and make a trip to the end zone, Ngata was the Tigers’ difference-maker on the offensive side. His 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter got Clemson in prime field position to later kick a 22-yard field goal, cutting into the Bulldogs’ commanding 10-point lead and preventing the shutout at Bank of America Stadium.

With his performance Saturday, Ngata recorded career highs in both receiving yards and receptions within a single game as well as his longest career reception, which was previously a 22-yard grab versus Florida State in 2019 during his freshman campaign. 

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Clemson’s bad night was highlighted by Ross’ bad play

CHARLOTTE – D.J. Uiagalelei had no issue admitting he had a bad night. The Clemson quarterback owned up to his 19-of-37 performance for 178 yards. He even tried to take blame for the interception, which Georgia safety Chris Smith returned 74 yards …

CHARLOTTE — D.J. Uiagalelei had no issue admitting he had a bad night.

The Clemson quarterback owned up to his 19-of-37 performance for 178 yards. He even tried to take blame for the interception, which Georgia safety Chris Smith returned 74 yards for the game’s only touchdown.

Smith’s interception return was the difference in the third-ranked Tigers’ 10-3 loss to No. 5 Georgia Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

“We had a route there for (Justyn) Ross. He broke in. I put it right there and the DB made a good play on it,” Uiagalelei said after the game. “That was about it. The DB made a really good play on it and took it to the house.”

But that is not the way Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney or offensive coordinator Tony Elliott saw it. They both felt the interception was on Ross because he did not do what he was supposed to on the route.

“It was a situation where we were targeting Ross there and giving him the ability to read leverage,” Elliott said. “If you are going to read leverage and go inside, then you have to make sure you do a good job of protecting the quarterback by crossing any kind of inside leverage in the defender’s face and we did not get across his face. I think the quarterback was trusting his receiver. He delivered the ball, and we did not protect him from a receiver’s standpoint by crossing that guy’s face.

“It was just one of those critical plays that I was talking about that we did not execute at high enough level, and they ended up making a play.”

It was the play of the game. Like Uiagalelei, Ross also had a bad day.

In his first action in 19 months, Ross caught just four passes on 10 targets for 26 yards. It was not the kind of return Ross, nor his coaches, hoped for. The mistake on Smith’s interception was just part of what was not a good day for Ross or the Clemson offense.

“The pick-six was on the receiver. He really was supposed to sit down and turn out,” Swinney said. “It was an option route. He has an option there and he chose to run a slant. If you are going to run the slant, you have to run it off the defender. You have to be flat.

“Anytime a defender beats a receiver off the face on a slant route, that is all on the receiver. He just did not make the right decision and it was a critical play. D.J. gave it all he had. It was an incredible effort to try and go make the tackle. Great play by them and a bad play by us.”

It was just a bad day for the Tigers all around.

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Swinney takes responsibility for questionable fourth-down call

While the game’s lone touchdown, which culminated in Christopher Smith returning a D.J. Uiagalelei pass for a touchdown can be viewed as the game’s turning point. Dabo Swinney’s decision to go for it on fourth down can be viewed as the most pivotal …

While the game’s lone touchdown, which culminated in Christopher Smith returning a D.J. Uiagalelei pass for a touchdown can be viewed as the game’s turning point. 

Dabo Swinney’s decision to go for it on fourth down can be viewed as the most pivotal in Georgia’s 10-3 win over Clemson.

Fourth-and-5 from the Georgia 45-yard line.

Clemson had all three timeouts and could have theoretically pinned Georgia inside its own territory. The Bulldogs offense hadn’t done much of anything for the game’s first 55 minutes. Brent Venables’ unit was able to consistently get big stops when called upon.

In his postgame press conference, Swinney talked about Clemson’s inability to make critical plays at critical junctions.

This was one of them. 

Still, Swinney stuck to his guns, and he and his coaching staff’s decision to go for it.

“We felt like we were in a good rhythm,” he said. “We had just missed…we had the third down play and we dropped the ball there.”

Swinney is referring to a pass that Braden Galloway probably should have caught. One that fell incomplete after Lewis Cline knocked it out of the senior tight end’s hands.

They just needed five yards to prolong a six-play, 30-yard drive.

“Just trying to stay aggressive and go win the game,” Swinney added. “We thought we had a good call, but certainly that’s something you can definitely second guess right there. Punt the ball and maybe get it back with a little bit of time to go score.”

D.J. Uiagalelei rolled out to his right, pressure coming down on him, as it had been all game. He looked for his teammate, sophomore receiver E.J. Williams, trying to move the chains during the game’s most important play for the Tigers.

Incomplete.

Turnovers on Downs.

While the play broke down, yet again, Swinney claimed full responsibility. The buck stops at the feet of Clemson’s head coach.

“It didn’t work out, so that’s on me,” he said. “We hit it and it’s a great decision. Those are in-game tough moments, tough decisions. Again, with the rhythm, we had right there and the play call, we felt like we had them a little bit on their heels right there.”

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Georgia stifles Clemson to cap atrocious Week 1 for ACC football

Ranked ACC teams, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Miami (Fl) all lost in Week 1 of the college season

Clemson misses Trevor Lawrence. That was apparent Saturday as Georgia thwarted D.J. Uiagalelei and the Tigers’ offense in a 10-3 victory played in Charlotte, NC.

The loss, in a contest between top-five teams, capped an awful Week 1 of the college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which saw three ranked teams lose.

  • On Friday, 10th-ranked North Carolina fell at Virginia Tech, 17-10, as the Hokies picked off Heisman hopeful Sam Howell three times.
  • The Miami Hurricanes came into Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Alabama ranked 16th. The Crimson Tide made the Hurricanes look like candidates for the Bottom 10 in a 44-13 thrashing. Alabama lashed the Miami defense for 501 yards of total offense in a game that was not as close as the final score.
  • And the second-ranked Tigers (USA Today poll) sputtered and were stymied at every turn by a ferocious Bulldog defense.

Uiagalelei never had a chance, going 19-of-37 for 178 yards, while being sacked 7 times and throwing a pick-six to Christopher Smith, which turned out to be the lone touchdown in the contest.

A field goal in the fourth quarter prevented the Tigers from being shut out for the first time since 2003.

So, if you are counting, the ACC saw the second-, 10th-, and 16th-ranked teams fall in Week 1 of the season.

You can add another insult to the brutal weekend as Duke was upset by Charlotte, 31-28, on Friday,

The victory was the first for the 49ers over a Power 5 program.

There is the potential for more shame on Sunday when Notre Dame, back to being an independent, travels to Florida State. On Labor Day, Louisville meets Ole Miss in Atlanta.

Georgia vs Clemson: Behind 7 sacks, Bulldogs smother Tigers

Bulldogs smother Tigers

How ’bout them Dawgs?

No. 5 ranked Georgia (1-0, 0-0) took down No. 3 ranked Clemson (0-1, 0-0) Saturday night in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium by a score of 10-3.

It was not always pretty, but it sure was effective. We just witnessed maybe the greatest display of defense in the history of Georgia football.

Going up against a Clemson team that’s expected to be an offensive powerhouse, the Georgia defense did not flinch.

In fact, it simply dominated.

A ferocious pass rush, which recorded 7 sacks, held Clemson to just 180 yards of total offense.

Every time the Tigers thought they were about to move the ball, Georgia simply did not let them.

Only six points were scored offensively by both teams combined. The difference was a second quarter pick-six by Georgia junior defensive back Christopher Smith. That proved to be enough.

Oh, and Clemson only rushed for two yards the whole night.

Tigers’ quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, a preseason Heisman hopeful, looked far from it. Georgia held the young quarterback to 178 yards on 19/37 passing.

But what about Georgia’s offense?

Well, Clemson fans surely are not hanging their heads because of their team’s defensive effort.

Georgia’s high powered offense struggled.

JT Daniels, another preseason Heisman hopeful, only threw for 135 yards on 22/30 passing. He definitely struggled.

Zamir White put the Dawgs on his back at the end of it. He did not have huge numbers on Saturday – 74 yards on 13 carries – but he stepped up when it matters.

Georgia has work to do offensively. But then again, this was definitely the best defense the Dawgs will play all season.

Celebrate. We just beat Clemson.

Instant Replay: No. 3 Clemson 3, No. 5 Georgia 10

Third-ranked Clemson fell to No. 5 Georgia, 10-3, on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Here’s a look back at how the Bulldogs came out on top in the marquee season-opening matchup: What happened? …

Third-ranked Clemson fell to No. 5 Georgia, 10-3, on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Here’s a look back at how the Bulldogs came out on top in the marquee season-opening matchup:

What happened?

Georgia entered the halftime locker room with a 7-0 lead thanks to stellar defensive play. The Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie with 2:58 to play in the second quarter on a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown by Christopher Smith.

Georgia added to its lead with 2:38 to go in the third quarter when Jack Podlesny knocked in a chip-shot 22-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game.

Clemson’s offense finally got something going late in the game against Georgia, putting together a drive to get on the scoreboard and cut into the Bulldogs’ lead. B.T. Potter booted a 22-yard field goal at the 9:08 mark of the fourth quarter to trim the Tigers’ deficit to 10-3.

However, it was too little, too late. Clemson got the ball back with 7:36 remaining, but later failed to convert a fourth-and-5 attempt. It resulted in a turnover on downs, and the Bulldogs ran out the clock to seal the victory.

What went right?

The performance of Clemson’s defense was commendable and kept the Tigers in the game despite not much help from the offense. Clemson held Georgia to three offensive points and didn’t allow a defensive touchdown.

Offensively, wide receiver Joseph Ngata was a bright spot, tallying six receptions for 110 yards on eight targets.

What went wrong?

Clemson’s offense was stifled for most of the game and failed to capitalize on a couple of key opportunities – specifically, the special teams miscue by Georgia late in the second quarter and the interception by Baylon Spector early in the third quarter.

After Georgia muffed a punt around the five-minute mark of the second frame that was recovered by Clemson, the Tigers took over at the 50-yard line, but the possession ended in the aforementioned pick-six that resulted in the first points of the game for the Bulldogs.

In the third quarter, following the interception by Spector, Clemson gained possession at the Georgia 33-yard line. But again, the Tigers were unable to take advantage when back-to-back sacks pushed Clemson out of field goal range and forced a punt.

All in all, Clemson’s offense totaled only 180 yards — including just 2 rushing yards — while allowing seven sacks and turning it over once.

Game-changing moment:

The critical turning point in the game came late in the second quarter when Smith jumped in front of a Uiagalelei pass intended for Justyn Ross and intercepted it before returning it 74 yards for a pick-six.

The game-changing play occurred after what appeared to be a potential game-changing play in the Tigers’ favor. Around the five-minute mark of the second quarter, Georgia muffed a punt and gave the Tigers the ball at midfield, but Clemson was unable to take advantage due to the pick-six.

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Georgia D-Line dominates line of scrimmage

CHARLOTTE – Georgia’s defense proved too much for Clemson on Saturday in the season opener at Bank of America Stadium as the Bulldogs bested the Tigers 10-3. Clemson lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2011 when it fell to N.C. State …

CHARLOTTE – Georgia’s defense proved too much for Clemson on Saturday in the season opener at Bank of America Stadium as the Bulldogs bested the Tigers 10-3.

Clemson lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2011 when it fell to N.C. State and South Carolina, the loss broke a 127-game streak.

It marked one of the worst performances in terms of offensive production by a Clemson team. The Tigers rushed for two yards the fourth fewest rushing yards in program history.

It was also the first time since the 2017 Sugar Bowl loss to Alabama that it did not score an offensive touchdown.

The difference in the game proved a defensive touchdown by Georgia when Christopher Smith intercepted a D.J. Uiagalelei pass with 2:58 to play in the first half and returned it 74 yards for a score to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

Georgia built a 10-0 advantage with a 22 yard field goal by Jack Podlesny with 2:38 to play in the third quarter.

Clemson responded with a 10 play 82-yard drive in 3:48 to cut the deficit to 10-3 with 9:08 remaining in the contest.

On the following drive the Tigers forced Georgia to punt and took over at its own 25 with 7:36 remaining on the clock.

Clemson picked up a first down but stalled out at the Georgia 45 and elected to go for it with 4:49 left. The decision proved fatal for the Tigers as Uiagalelei overthrew E.J. Williams after feeling pressure from Warren Brinson.

The Bulldog’s defensive front showed out in Clemson’s first loss to start a season since 2014. They sacked Uiagalelei seven times for a loss of 46 yards, the total tied the most against the Tigers since Florida State and Virigina hit the same mark in 1997.

Uiagalelei finished the game 19-of-37 for 178 yards and an interception.

Clemson returns to action next Saturday at Death Valley against South Carolina State at 5:00 p.m.

Georgia defense dominates in 10-3 win vs. Clemson

The Georgia Bulldogs rode a dominant defensive performance to a 10-3 win over Clemson

It was a top-five slugfest that lived up to the hype, but only if you like the gridiron equivalent of a pitchers’ duel.

No. 5 Georgia rode a dominant defensive performance to a 10-3 victory over No. 3 Clemson, keeping the Tigers out of the end zone on a night where the only touchdown they would need came in the form of a pick-six.

The Bulldogs’ star-studded defensive front, led by some of the top defensive prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class (Adam Anderson, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith) held Clemson’s talented offense to just 180 total yards, while Tigers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was sacked a whopping seven times.

Christopher Smith’s 74-yard interception return for a touchdown just a few minutes before halftime proved to be the difference in a game that could have College Football Playoff implications later in the season.

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J.T. Daniels throws a pick, Georgia defense saves day with two sacks

J.T. Daniels throws a pick, Georgia defense saves day with two sacks

J.T. Daniels threw an interception that gave Clemson the ball at the Georgia 34-yard line.

It could have been very costly.

Thankfully for Georgia, its defense is absolutely ferocious tonight.

Instead of Clemson coming away with points or even sniffing the end zone, the Dawgs’ defense got to Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei twice and forced Clemson into another punt.

That’s five sacks for the Dawgs tonight.

Bart Boatwright’s First Half Photo Gallery: No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 5 UGA

CHARLOTTE – No. 3 Clemson trailed No. 5 Georgia, 7-0, at the end of the first half on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. The lone points came on a pick-six by Georgia’s Christopher Smith, who returned an …

CHARLOTTE — No. 3 Clemson trailed No. 5 Georgia, 7-0, at the end of the first half on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.

The lone points came on a pick-six by Georgia’s Christopher Smith, who returned an interception thrown by D.J. Uiagalelei 74 yards to give the Bulldogs the lead at the 2:58 mark of the second quarter.

Check out photos from the first-half action in Bart Boatwright’s photo gallery: LINK.

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