ATLANTA — DJ Yougalley threw for one touchdown and ran for another, overcoming a slow start in the season opener to lead No. 4 Clemson to a 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech on Monday night.
Yougalley completed 19 of 32 passes for 209 yards 6-yard scoring play b Beaux Collins led the Tigers with two touchdowns in the first half.
Georgia Tech, looking to improve on the three consecutive three-win seasons that put coach Geoff Collins on the hot seat, made it a lot closer than expected.
But the Yellow Jackets couldn’t overcome two blocked punts, both of which resulted in short touchdown runs by Will Shipley.
Georgia Tech pulled within 14-10 in the third quarter, culminating in Jeff Sims’ 13-yard TD pass to 6-foot-7 transfer EJ Jenkins.
But Ugaleley, in what was probably the game of the game, He was seen heading to the sack When cornered by two Georgia Tech defenders on third-and-4. But the quarterback managed to stay upright long enough to turn it over to Shipley, who scampered 10 yards to keep Clemson’s offense on the field.
“I was trying to get out of the pocket, trying to buy some time to get the ball,” Ugalelei said. “As I was walking to the ground I looked to my left and there was Shipley. I just explained it to him. He had a good run.”
The Tigers eventually drove 74 yards, burying the Yellow Jackets. Yougalley ran it in from 9 yards out to push Clemson’s lead to 24-10.
Coach Dabo Swinney said: “I’m really happy with DJ. “Oh, run a little. The next thing you know, it’s a little tight. The attack must be answered. “
After both teams struggled early on offense, Clemson scored its first touchdown on special teams.
Carson Donnelly broke the streak and beat a punt by David Shanahan. Brannon Spector fumbles the ball at the Georgia Tech 18 and downs 5.
Sims threw a hack On Georgia Tech’s first play of the season, an ill-advised deep pass by Andrew McCuba under pressure.
With the Yellow Jackets’ third-year quarterback considered key to the team’s postseason chances, Collins has a specific goal of getting consistent play off the bench by bringing in Chip Long as offensive coordinator and Chris Weinke as quarterbacks coach. Sims
He showed flashes of throwing and running, but it wasn’t enough to pull off the upset. Sims threw for 164 yards and led the team in rushing with 41 yards.
The second Chick-fil-A Kickoff game was played on Labor Day weekend in front of a crowd of 47,712 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the upper deck closed to make it look like a Clemson home game.
As it is, it looks like at least half the crowd is decked out in orange.
CADE’S DEBUT
The rest of the Clemson crowd got a big cheer when highly-touted freshman Cade Klubnik stepped in at quarterback for the win.
Klubnick led the Tigers on their only possession, completing 4-of-6 passes for 49 yards, including a 3-yard score to Will Taylor.
“We weren’t trying to run up the score,” Sweeney said. But we just had to let him play, so we could get real meaningful images out there.
The take
Clemson: Coming off a 10-3 season that was considered disappointing by the Tigers’ highest standards, this team still looks like a work in progress.
For the first time in Swinney’s 14 full seasons as coach, Clemson is breaking in two new coordinators, so it may take a while to get everyone on the same page.
But the offensive line didn’t look dominant until the fourth quarter, and there was a huge gap between the nation’s third- and fourth-ranked teams. No. 3 Georgia beat No. 11 Oregon 49-3 in Saturday’s first kickoff.
Georgia Tech: Collins doesn’t seem to have done much to fix some of the common problems that plagued his first three years in Atlanta.
There were too many penalties, several false starts, an unnecessary pass interference penalty, a drive that extended the Yellow Jackets’ possession, and a targeting call that led to Charlie Thomas being sacked.
Also, the special teams were a mess. Two banned points are no excuse.
“We have to fix this. Those things can’t happen,” Collins said. “So sad.”
Implications of public opinion
Clemson remains where it is in the Associated Press rankings after falling to the last point in the expected range.
Next
Clemson: Takes on FCS Southern Conference member Furman in its home opener Saturday. The campus is 35 miles from Death Valley, a short drive for the Paladins.
Georgia Tech: Another Southern Conference team will play its campus opener Saturday when Western Carolina visits Bobby Dodd Stadium.
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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
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