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Georgia Tech Football vs Clemson: Jackets defense to face steep and difficult test

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 22: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers passes against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 22: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers passes against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Geoff Collins’ first Georgia Tech defense will be given their toughest test of 2019 to start their season on Thursday when they take on the Clemson Tigers offense.

Last season, Clemson’s offense was among the best the nation had to offer. The Tigers averaged 44.3 points per game (4th in the country) while totaling over 500-yards of total offense per game. Numbers that were nearly unmatched. That was all despite the offense seeing a quarterback change, a quarter of the way through the season from Kelly Bryant to Trevor Lawrence.

This offseason, the Tigers lost a few key offensive members but the Tigers shouldn’t miss a beat as they return one of the most talented teams in the country including the nation’s top quarterback and there’s no secret about that as sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, is legitimately one of the best quarterback prospects to come through the college ranks this millennium and will be playing on Sundays in the not too distant future.

The future first overall pick put up tremendous, absolutely tremendous numbers as a true freshman. He completed 65.2% of his passes (259-of-397) for 3,280-yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s the Heisman front runner in our mind and has a chance to be one of the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time by the time his career is finished.

Right behind Lawrence in the backfield, the Tigers have another Heisman candidate, this time in running back Travis Etienne. Last season, Etienne carried the ball 204 times for 1,658-yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 12 receptions for 78-yards and two scores. Total, the Doak Walker Award candidate had over 1,700-yards of total offense and an astonishing 26 total touchdowns.

The Tigers are deep at wide receiver as anyone in the country, if not the deepest in all of the country. Three of the Tigers top four receiving threats return in 2019 and all have the potential to be future first-round draft picks when their careers at Clemson are over. Those three wide receivers are Tee Higgins (59 receptions, 936-yards, and 12 touchdowns), Amari Rodgers (55 receptions, 575-yards, and four touchdowns), and Justyn Ross (46 receptions, 1000-yards, and nine touchdowns.). That’s just the top of the Tigers depth chart, while it’s not that DEEP throughout, it’s a pretty deep group that keeps getting better every season. At tight end, there is a bit of a question mark as junior tight end J.C. Chalk is set to become the Tigers starting tight end. He has just four career receptions for 40-yards.

The Tigers offensive line in 2019 should once again be one of the strongest in the country. Last year, they helped lead the way to the Tigers averaging nearly 250-yards per game on the ground while allowing just 17 sacks on the season.

Overall, the Clemson offense should once again be among the nation’s best, if not the country’s top offense in 2019. Throughout their offensive depth chart, they are deep and rich in talent that can only be rivaled by the likes of Alabama. Trevor Lawrence already has one year under his belt and it’s scary to think about how good he could with such experience.

On Thursday night, the Jackets defense will surely have a hard time stopping this Tigers offense that seems destined to return to the National Championship game in 2019. That being said, everyone will have a hard time stopping this Clemson offense.