It may not have been the offensive explosion Clemson fans were hoping for, but the Tigers got into the win column Saturday night, defeating Georgia Southern 22-7 at Memorial Stadium.
The game got off to a much later start than expected after lightning delayed kickoff for nearly two hours. The Tigers finally took the field just after 9:30 p.m., the latest home kickoff in Clemson history, and the game did not end until 1:07 Sunday morning.
Clemson struck first when quarterback Christopher Vizzina connected with T.J. Moore on a 10-yard touchdown pass. Vizzina later left the game with an injury, opening the door for freshman Tait Reynolds. Reynolds completed 16 of 27 passes for 178 yards, while Moore finished as Clemson’s leading receiver with seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
The star of the night, however, was Clemson kicker Nolan Hauser. Hauser connected on all five of his field-goal attempts, including kicks from 50 and 49 yards in the fourth quarter, helping Clemson put the game away.
Clemson’s defense also turned in a strong performance. The Tigers held Georgia Southern to just 22 rushing yards and forced eight three-and-outs. Defensive end Will Heldt led the charge up front with three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Georgia Southern’s only touchdown came in the second quarter when quarterback Max Johnson found Ashton Hollins for a 42-yard score. Johnson finished with 244 passing yards, but the Eagles could never establish a running game against the Clemson defense.
The win moves Clemson to 1-1 on the season after the Tigers opened the year with a 51-10 loss at LSU. Clemson will stay at Death Valley this Saturday when the Tigers open ACC play against North Carolina, with kickoff scheduled for noon on ESPN. You can listen to Clemson and North Carolina starting with a the tiger tailgate show at 9am on Kool 102.7.
