Dabo Swinney Says That Clemson Will Have to "Play its Best Game Yet" If They Want To Beat Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech has started its season off 2-0 and got a dominant victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday. Next up for the Yellow Jackets is a date with long-time rival Clemson. Georgia Tech has not beaten Clemson since 2014, and with the way the Tigers have struggled to start the season, this seems like a prime opportunity for Brent Key to get a big ACC victory at home.

Dabo talks Georgia Tech

Dabo Swinney Clemso — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney runs down the hill at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, September 6, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is expected to be a close football game and on his radio appearance last night, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said that Clemson would have to play its best game to beat Georgia Tech and gave a lot of praise to Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Georgia Tech: "We're gonna have play our best game yet to beat them"
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) September 9, 2025

Dabo Swinney's initial thoughts on Georgia Tech and QB Haynes King: "I think he's an elite player. He's as tough a player as there is in college football."
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) September 9, 2025

Dabo Swinney on Georgia Tech, continued: "Just a tough, strong, physical offense that, again, is very committed to their style of play. Every single snap you have the threat of the quarterback, the running back, and some type of outlet."

Says there are pitches, RPOs, etc.
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) September 9, 2025

Swinney also said that Tigers wide receiver Antonio Williams is day to day. Williams has not played in the first two games of the season so far for Clemson.

Will the Yellow Jackets beat the Tigers?

Georgia Tech vs Clemso — Clemson corner back Avieon Terrell (20) intercepts a Georgia Tech pass during the third quarter Nov 11, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; at Memorial Stadium. | Ken Ruinard- staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia Tech is an underdog according to the oddsmakers, but SP+ thinks the Yellow Jackets are going to pull off the upset this weekend. SP+ is giving Georgia Tech a 51% chance to win the game.

WEEK 3 SP+ PICKS

GT 28.2, Clemson 27.7?
Vols 25, Dawgs 24??
Irish 28, Aggies 25
LSU 28, Florida 25
Bama 33, Wisconsin 16
Pitt 30, WVU 26
Miami 38, USF 24
SC 30, Vandy 21

Not as many disagreements this week. Clemson aside, anyway. Full list: https://t.co/7pOK9K2Aj8 pic.twitter.com/ZlruRlTHTs
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) September 7, 2025

What is SP+? Here is how Connelly describes it:

"In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.

SP+ is indeed intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise."

The Tigers dropped their season opener to LSU and were down 16-0 vs Troy before they were able to mount a comeback and defeat the Trojans 27-16. They are the favorite to win the ACC, and at Fanduel Sportsbook, they are starting out as 6.5-point favorites vs the Yellow Jackets. In the offseason, Clemson was at one point a 9.5 point favorite over Georgia Tech, but the Tigers struggles have lowered that number.

This would be one of the biggest wins of Key's tenure as the head coach at Georgia Tech. While he has gotten several ranked wins against ACC opponents, the fact that Georgia Tech has not beaten the Tigers in a long time in the rivalry would add something special to this win if they earned it. Not only that, but Georgia Tech would have the tiebreaker over the Tigers and would join Miami and Florida State as favorites in the ACC.

Faster Start

Georgia Tech needs a faster start in this game. In each of their first two games. Against Colorado and Gardner-Webb, the Yellow Jackets turned it over on their first two possessions and have five first-quarter turnovers in each game. Key talked about the slow starts in yesterday's press conference:

"We have turnover drills and ball security drills in practice. All offensive guys don't go to defense and try to get the ball turned over. They're trying to protect it. Look, this is uncharacteristic of our football team and what we take pride in and what we work into the day. It's got to be fixed. We've got to continue to work these things. We've got to continue to put the players in positions that practice is game like and where they're they feel that pressure and the decisions and whatnot.

You look, some of the things from last week were drastically cleaned up this week, and then you know something else, and like I said, you know, Aaron comes to the sideline after the second one. Hey, man, you did it. They're over with. All right, now let's go play ball.

First time guys get in there, when you really-- it's a little different when you're the guy as opposed to coming off the bench. So I was proud of the way that he settled back into the game and was able to compete the rest of the day."

Georgia Tech vs Clemson will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN).

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Dabo talks Georgia Tech

Will the Yellow Jackets beat the Tigers?

Faster Start

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