ATLANTA — Carson Beck completed 23 of 33 passes for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as No. 1 Georgia steamrolled No. 14 Clemson 34-3 on Saturday.
Georgia outscored Clemson 28-3 in the second half, extending its regular-season winning streak to 40 games. Nate Frazier added 83 rushing yards and a score for the Bulldogs, who won their third straight in the series.
Clemson was outgained 447-188, as junior quarterback Cade Klubnik was 18-for-29 for 142 yards. He also threw an interception to Malaki Starks.
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs ate up 6:26 with a 12-play, 68-yard drive. On third-and-4 from the Clemson 8-yard line, Peter Woods sacked Beck for a 4-yard loss, setting up Peyton Woodring’s 30-yard field goal for the game’s first score at the 8:49 mark of the second quarter.
Another Clemson three-and-out led to Georgia’s five-play, 31-yard drive that was capped with Woodring’s 55-yard field goal, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead with 4:16 left.
Georgia out gained Clemson 160-76 in the first half. The Clemson offense managed just two first downs in the opening half, to Georgia’s eight.
On the opening drive of the second half, Beck found Arian Smith for 32 yards, then Dillon Bell’s 27-yard run set the Bulldogs up on the Clemson 9. Two plays later, Beck connected with Colbie Young for a 7-yard pass, extending Georgia’s lead to 13-0 at the 12:01 mark.
Clemson’s offense finally threatened on the ensuing drive, as Klubnik’s 19-yard pass to Jake Briningstool and a roughing-the-passer penalty moved the ball to Georgia’s 36. However, after reaching the Georgia 7, the drive stalled and Clemson settled for Nolan Hauser’s 26-yard field goal with 6:34 left.
Beck and company then answered with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive, which included 24-yard and 23-yard passes to Frazier and London Humphreys, respectively. The drive was stamped with Frazier’s 1-yard rushing score.
Georgia capped off the blowout with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns — a 40-yard pass from Beck to Humphreys and then Cash Jones’ 15-yard rushing score.
The 31-point loss was Clemson’s largest defeat since a 51-14 loss to Florida State in 2013. Georgia now leads the all-time series 44-18-4.
Trevor Etienne, a transfer from Florida, didn’t play Saturday for Georgia, a punishment for his arrest on DUI and other driving charges in March, ESPN reported.
The Bulldogs also were limited by the absence of running back Roderick Robinson II, who is recovering from surgery for turf toe.
–Field Level Media