CLEMSON, S.C. — A promising start evaporated three plays into Saturday afternoon as Clemson suffered a stunning 20-6 home loss to Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium.
Already missing four offensive starters—wide receiver Tyler Brown, running back Gideon Davidson, Harris Sewell, and Elyjah Thurmon—the Tigers (6-4, 4-3 ACC) lost starting quarterback Tait Reynolds on their opening possession and failed to reach the end zone. Georgia Tech (3-7, 2-5 ACC) piled up 409 total yards, including 271 on the ground, while holding Clemson to 228 yards and two field goals.
Quarterbacks: D+ Reynolds looked sharp before his abrupt exit, completing his lone pass for 3 yards to Olsen Patt-Henry and breaking loose for a 24-yard keeper on Clemson’s second snap before getting hurt on the third offensive play. Fifth-year quarterback Trent Pearman struggled in immediate relief, finishing 2-of-6 passing for 6 yards with minus-3 rushing yards on five carries and two fumbles (both recovered by Clemson). Senior Christopher Vizzina provided a second-quarter spark—opening 6-of-7 for 80 yards—before stalling after halftime. Vizzina finished with 133 passing yards, absorbed three sacks, lost 13 yards on a second-quarter fumble, and threw a late fourth-quarter interception to Kealan Jones that ended Clemson’s final comeback bid.
Running Backs: C- With Davidson sidelined, Clemson’s ground attack generated just 86 net rushing yards on 33 attempts (2.6 yards per carry) and zero touchdowns. Jarvis Green handled the bulk of the workload with 39 yards on 13 carries (long of 8) alongside two receptions for 15 yards, though he also fumbled once before recovering it himself. Jay Haynes added 16 yards on two carries, while wide receiver Chris Johnson Jr. lost 6 yards on a rush and receiver Chris Denson gained 3 yards on a direct snap.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: C Playing without Brown and catching passes from three different quarterbacks, Clemson’s pass-catchers totaled 142 receiving yards on 15 receptions without a score. Juju Preston led the unit with four catches for 56 yards, highlighted by a 33-yard reception on third-and-14 in the second quarter. Bryant Wesco Jr. caught three passes for 25 yards on nine targets, while tight end Christian Bentancur (one catch, 17 yards) and Gordon Sellars III (one catch, 17 yards in his return to action) provided chain-moving gains. T.J. Moore added two catches for 7 yards, Patt-Henry had one for 3 yards, and Logan Brooking had one for 2 yards, while Naeem Burroughs and Tristan Smith were held without a reception on three combined targets.
Offensive Line: D Clemson’s depleted front—missing Sewell and Thurmon—was overpowered at the line of scrimmage. The Tigers averaged just 1.4 yards per carry in the first half (26 net yards on 18 attempts) and 2.6 yards per rush overall, gave up three second-half sacks of Vizzina, and allowed Georgia Tech defenders including Cayman Spaulding, Brayden Manley, Taje McCoy, Tawfiq Thomas, and Andre Fuller Jr. to repeatedly blow up plays in the backfield.
Defense: C- Clemson’s defense struggled to contain Georgia Tech’s ground game, yielding 271 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per play as Justice Haynes (13 carries, 116 yards, 53-yard TD), Grady Adamson (19 carries, 87 yards, 3-yard TD), and Trelain Maddox (12 carries, 50 yards) controlled the clock. Even so, the unit kept the Tigers within striking distance for three quarters by holding the Yellow Jackets to 3-of-13 on third down and forcing two turnovers. Safety Corey Myrick intercepted Alberto Mendoza in the second quarter and led all defenders with seven tackles in the first half, while linebacker Sammy Brown recovered an Adamson fumble in the fourth quarter to give the offense a late lifeline. Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson also recorded first-half tackles for loss.
Special Teams: B Placekicker Nolan Hauser supplied all of Clemson’s points, drilling field goals from 40 and 47 yards while missing only from 52 yards wide left late in the second quarter. Hauser also averaged 47.8 yards on four punts—with a long of 57 and two pinned inside the 20—while Jack Smith placed all three of his punts inside the 20-yard line (36.7-yard average). Robert Gunn III added a kickoff inside the 20, and Wesco Jr. averaged 5.5 yards on two punt returns after recovering his own first-quarter muff.
Grading Clemson’s Shocking 20-6 Home Loss to Georgia Tech After Tait Reynolds Injury