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The Georgia Bulldogs and Clemson Tigers are historical college football rivals, having met 65 times, including 26 consecutive meetings from 1962 to 1987. The rivalry has been played sparingly since then, but the stakes have never been higher as both programs have combine to win four national title over the past decade.
The Bulldogs enter ranked No. 1 in the nation, and as the prominent program in the SEC. Led by quarterback Carson Beck, the Dawgs are seeking to open the season strong on the road to what they hope will end in a third national title in four years.
The Tigers, on the other hand, enter ranked 14th, and have seen their momentum slip over the past three years after ruling the ACC through the second half of the 2010s. Dabo Swinney is relying on second year starter Cade Klubnik and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to bolster an offensive unit that will be the key to Clemson returning to the top tier of college football.
The game will kick off at noon ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday. Here is a look back at the recent games between these two rivals and how the overall series has played out to this point.
2021: Georgia 10, Clemson 3
A blockbuster matchup to open the 2021 season, the third-ranked Tigers met the fifth-ranked Bulldogs in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Bank of America Stadium.
The game itself was a defensive struggle, with Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei struggling to create much of anything in the passing game and being sacked seven times by the Georgia defense. Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels struggled to create an offensive spark himself, though freshman tight end Brock Bowers did show off his talents, hauling in six catches.
The game’s lone score came on a pick-six from safety Christopher Smith in the second quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead going into halftime. The Bulldogs stopped Clemson with over four minutes remaining, and running backs James Cook and Zamir White iced the game away from there.
Georgia would go to win the national title game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, while Clemson would fail to reach the ACC title game, and finished the year 10-3 with a win over Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl.
2014: Georgia 45, Clemson 21
The 12th-ranked Bulldogs took on the 16th-ranked Tigers in Athens in the second part of a home-and-home between the two to open up the 2014 season. Both teams introduced new eras at quarterback, with Hutson Mason and Cole Stoudt taking over for Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Stoudt’s backup, highly touted recruit Deshaun Watson, would also see playing time.
The Tigers held a 21-14 lead midway through the second quarter before Todd Gurley ran a kickoff back 100 yards for arguably his most iconic touchdown scored as a Bulldog. The momentum sparked a second half route by the Bulldogs, as Todd Gurley ran for two scores and freshman Nick Chubb added another on the way to a 45-21 victory for Georgia.
Gurley finished with 198 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns, plus the kickoff return score. Freshman tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel would add a combined ten carries for 103 yards. The Bulldogs would total five sacks defensively including two each for Leonard Floyd and Amarlo Herrera in the opening game of Jeremy Pruitt’s two-year stint as defensive coordinator. Many in the national media saw this game as a breakout for Mark Richt’s Bulldogs and they were widely considered as a team to watch in the opening College Football Playoff race.
The Bulldogs would finish a somewhat disappointing 10-3, and would defeat the Louisville Cardinals in the Belk Bowl behind a 266 yard rushing performance from Chubb. Clemson would also finish 10-3, crushing the Oklahoma Sooners 40-6 in the Citrus Bowl.
2013: Clemson 38, Georgia 35
The fifth-ranked Bulldogs met the eighth-ranked Tigers in a primetime matchup between two teams coming off of great years that saw them fall just short to the top teams in their conferences, those being Alabama and Florida State. Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd both returned for their final years with an eye set on revenge.
The whole game was back and forth, and the score was tied at 21 at the half. Todd Grantham’s young defense struggled mightily to contain the Tigers’ passing game and Clemson would take a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter. Georgia would work their way back to have a chip shot field goal to tie the game, but a low snap caused a turnover on downs, and the Tigers ran out the clock to win 38-35.
Boyd was the star of the show, passing for 270 yards and three touchdowns and scoring two more on the ground. Todd Gurley opened with a 75-yard touchdown for the Bulldogs but was in and out of the game with a quad injury, finishing with 154 yards on 12 carries. The Dawgs also lost wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell to a torn ACL celebrating that score.
Georgia would suffer a rash of injuries that season leading to four more losses, including one to end the season against Nebraska in the Gator Bowl to finish 8-5. The Tigers would finish 11-2, falling short again to rivals Florida State and South Carolina, and would defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Orange Bowl 40-35 to end their season.
2003: Georgia 30, Clemson 0
The Bulldogs entered ranked 11th in the nation, coming off of a 2002 season in which they won the SEC title and finished 13-1, and entering year three under Mark Richt. The Tigers were unranked heading into Tommy Bowden’s fifth year after finishing 7-6 in 2002.
The Bulldogs had their way with the Tigers, as quarterback David Greene led the Dawgs to a 30-0 victory in Death Valley. Greene would pass for a 56-yard score to Fred Gibson and run in another touchdown, and kicker Billy Bennett would add three field goals. Clemson’s Charlie Whitehurst struggled mightily, including throwing an interception grabbed by Bulldog All-American David Pollack.
The Bulldogs would finish the year 11-3, winning the SEC East title but losing to Nick Saban’s LSU Tigers in the SEC title game. They would end the year with a 34-27 Outback Bowl win over Purdue. The Tigers would rebound to finish 9-4, and would defeat sixth ranked Tennessee in the Peach Bowl 27-14.
All-time series: Dawgs dominate
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 43-18-4 over the Tigers. The Bulldogs are 7-3 in the last ten matchups dating back to 1987. The two currently have a home-and-home scheduled for 2029 and 2030, and fans would love to see more frequent matchups between the historical rivals.
This article originally appeared on Bulldogs Wire: Georgia vs. Clemson football series history