Beck vs. Klubnik/Can the Dawgs D-line stop Clemson’s Mafah?
We are now just one day away from game day Dawg fans as our number one ranked Georgia Bulldogs will kick-off their 2024 season tomorrow in Atlanta, Georgia against the 14th ranked Clemson Tigers. From a pure talent standpoint both of these teams have top five rosters in the College Football landscape as both programs have recruited extremely well the last few years. With all of that talent on the field, it should make for a very fun match-up as this game is one of, if not the most highly anticipated game of week one. With that being said, let’s take a look at a couple of the key match-ups that could shape the outcome of tomorrow’s game.
Beck vs. Klubnik
One of the top match-ups for tomorrow’s game will feature a Quarterback duel between Heisman hopefuls, Carson Beck and Cade Klubnik. Klubnik is heading into this season in a different situation compared to Beck as Klubnik is still trying to fulfill his former 5-star rating. In Klubnik’s first full season as the starter for the Tigers in 2023, he completed 63.9% of his passes for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns while also throwing 9 interceptions as he ranked 80th in total QBR with a 55.0 rating. It’s no secret that Klubnik’s 2023 performance was a bit of a let down for Tiger fans as the expectations were set pretty high, especially when Clemson brought in highly touted coordinator Garrett Riley from TCU to call the plays on offense. Though Klubnik under-performed, he is still a very talented guy at the Quarterback position that is fully capable of fulfilling his 5-star rating as he should make a pretty solid jump this season. Klubnik now has a lot more experience under his belt and should have a little more confidence operating Garrett Riley’s offense in year two as Georgia’s defense will need to be dialed in all game tomorrow.
Unlike Klubnik, Carson Beck excelled in his first season as a full time starter. Beck completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns while limiting his interception total to just six. Beck finished his 2023 campaign with a 86.0 QBR as he ranked 5th in the country and proved he was one of the top Quarterbacks in the game. Due to his outstanding 2023, Beck is heading into 2024 as one of the most talked about Quarterbacks in the nation as he is a consensus top three preseason Heisman candidate along with sitting atop of multiple NFL draft boards. Beck has mentioned how he is heading into this season with a lot more confidence as he has solidified himself as “the guy”; which should cause serious concern for Clemson’s defense and the rest of the country as tomorrow’s game and the rest of season should be a fun one with him slinging the rock for this offense.
Phil Mafah vs. Georgia D-line
Another match-up worth keeping an eye on will be how Georgia’s defensive line handles Clemson running-back Phil Mafah. Mafah is coming off of a breakthrough Junior campaign where he rushed for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry for the Tigers. Mafah stands at 6’1, 230 pounds and is regarded as one of the top College Football running-backs heading into this season. The Loganville, Georgia native has solid downhill speed to go along with his physical style of running as Georgia’s d-line will have their work cut out tomorrow afternoon.
The Dawgs’ d-line is coming off of a 2023 where they finished 20th nationally in run defense. Though that ranking is far from terrible, it was obvious that the absence of an elite defensive lineman such as Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter was beginning to show within Georgia’s defense. Especially later on in the year where Georgia allowed 114 rushing yards against Alabama in the SEC championship. The Dawgs are now hoping that they have perhaps filled in some holes within that interior d-line this season as Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson have both returned for another season as they will add a lot of experience within the position group. There are a few other guys within that d-line room that are expected to get more snaps and make more of an impact this week and all season as well; those guys are Christen Miller, Jamaal Jarrett, and Jordan Hall. All three guys stand at a whopping 6’4 plus and weigh over 300 pounds as Coach Smart has built a great wall on the defensive side of the ball as it will be interesting to see if they can stop the physical Mafah.
As always, Go Dawgs!