Dabo Swinney knows there are only so many days out of the calendar year that his team actually gets to play in games that his team spends many more other days preparing for.
So, Clemson’s head coach doesn’t take a single game for granted – especially not one like this year’s highly anticipated Aflac Kickoff Game between the 14 th -ranked Tigers and No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 31.
“First of all, you’re excited to just play. In our world, unlike baseball or basketball where you play every day or every other day, football, you might have 15, 16, 17 days out of a year that you actually get to play the game that you spend all this time working, preparing, training for. So, it’s always exciting to get that first game,” said Swinney, who answered questions leading up to the Aflac Kickoff Game, Week 1’s highest-ranked matchup.
“And then you throw in the fact that hey, you’re playing in a kickoff classic, a neutral site and a great venue like Mercedes-Benz – and oh, by the way, you’re playing the No. 1 team in the nation – you better believe that adds a little spice to it for everybody. So, it’s a lot of fun.”
The marquee matchup between Clemson and Georgia features two regional rivals that have accounted for four of the last eight national championships, and it is the lone regular season matchup of the 2024 season between two head coaches who have won multiple national titles, in Swinney and Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
It will mark the 66th meeting between Clemson and Georgia dating to 1897. In the series’ 17 installments since 1980, the winner of this contest went on to win the national championship three times.
Fans have scooped up tickets for the Aflac Kickoff Game – this week, a sellout was announced.
“A lot of eyeballs, a lot of TV sets tuned in, a lot of viewers. People love college football. You can just track college football in general and you can get some of the craziest matchups, and people still will watch,” Swinney said.
“You throw in two teams that have won more national championships than anybody – I mean, we’ve won two national championships in the last eight years, and they have as well. And then it’s Clemson-Georgia, that are about 80 miles apart with a lot of history, a lot of tradition – you best believe people are going to tune in to watch that one.”
The Tigers are looking to earn their first win against Georgia since 2013. The Bulldogs won the most recent meeting, a 10-3 victory in the two teams’ 2021 season opener.
This year’s matchup is set to kick off at 12 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.
“It’s great for college football. It’s a great stage, it’s a big-time matchup early on,” Swinney said. “Obviously the team that can find a way to win the game, you create a lot of early momentum in your season.”
A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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