Clemson Football: 3 takeaways from dominant win over Georgia Tech

3. Clemson’s defense impresses

One of Clemson’s few concerns coming into the new season was the defense – and more specifically, the defensive line.

For at least one game, the defensive line and the rest of the defense put the questions to rest while they put the Georgia Tech offensive to rest.

The Tigers consistently broke through the Yellow Jacket offensive line and delivered pressure in the backfield on running and passing plays. This push on the line led to multiple turnovers and held the Georgia Tech offense to 294 yards for the entire game.

The defensive dominance was perfectly illustrated on a goal line stand in the second quarter. Following a Trevor Lawrence interception, Georgia Tech ran four plays inside the five-yard line and failed to convert. Ultimately, the possession ended in an interception.

The Georgia Tech offensive will certainly not be the most explosive unit the Tigers face this season, but the performance is impressive nonetheless considering little was known about the Yellow Jackets offense thanks to a new coaching staff and system.

Despite the positives, however, tackling was suspect throughout the game. Strong tackling is rare in the first game of the season, but the defensive staff should look to clean up the missed tackles heading into a game against a Texas A&M team with tons of playmakers.