ATLANTA — In a competitive first half featuring only six points and eight punts, No. 1 Georgia surged ahead to a convincing 34-3 victory over No. 14 Clemson in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Linebacker Wade Woodaz stood out defensively for Georgia, recording a career-high eight tackles, while sophomore defensive lineman Peter Woods led Clemson with 2.5 tackles for loss. On the offensive side for Clemson, Antonio Williams made six catches for 76 yards, matching his second-best receiving performance to date.
The first quarter ended without any points as both teams exchanged punts on the first five possessions. Georgia kicked off the scoring with a 30-yard field goal by Peyton Woodring at 8:49 in the second quarter. Woodring followed this with a 55-yard field goal, bringing the score to 6-0 with 4:16 left in the half. The teams went into halftime with Georgia holding a narrow lead, having combined for just 50 plays, 10 first downs, and eight punts.
The Bulldogs widened their lead to 13-0 at the start of the second half when Carson Beck connected with Colbie Young for a seven-yard touchdown, marking Georgia’s first offensive touchdown against Clemson in over 100 minutes of gameplay stretching back through previous meetings.
Clemson responded on its initial possession of the second half with freshman Nolan Hauser kicking a 26-yard field goal, his first in college, making the score 13-3. However, Georgia quickly pushed the lead to 20-3 with a one-yard touchdown run from Nate Frazier late in the third quarter.
London Humphreys then caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Beck with 9:57 remaining in the game, increasing Georgia’s advantage to 27-3. The game’s only takeaway occurred when Georgia’s Malaki Starks intercepted a pass, leading to Cash Jones finishing the following drive with a 15-yard rushing touchdown, finalizing the score at 34-3.
Next, Clemson will prepare for its home opener against Appalachian State on Saturday, September 7. This match, which is designated as Football Reunion Day & First Responders Day, is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ACC Network. Ticket packages for this game and other Clemson home matches at Memorial Stadium are currently available.