Beck, No. 1 Georgia manhandle No. 14 Clemson

ATLANTA — Carson Beck threw for 278 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, and No. 1 Georgia opened another season of enormous expectations by stifling 14th-ranked Clemson 34-3 on Saturday.

Leading only 6-0 at halftime, Georgia finally got its offense rolling in the third quarter with a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives, capped by Colbie Young‘s 7-yard reception and Nate Frazier‘s 1-yard run. Beck tacked on a 40-yard TD pass to London Humphreys that sent the Clemson side of Mercedes-Benz Stadium heading for the exits.

Clemson was held to 188 yards and Nolan Hauser‘s 26-yard field goal.

The takeaway

Clemson: With a chance to re-establish themselves as one of the nation’s top programs, the Tigers showed they still have a lot of work to do coming off a four-loss season in 2023. The offense, especially, was thoroughly outmanned by the Bulldogs. Sure, Georgia perennially has one of the top defenses in the nation, but Clemson looked downright feeble with the ball in its hands.

Georgia: The Bulldogs won impressively without their top two running backs, forcing the offense to become largely one-dimensional for much of the game. Trevor Etienne, a transfer from Florida, didn’t play while apparently serving a suspension stemming from an offseason arrest. Roderick Robinson also was sidelined after undergoing toe surgery.