Clemson football once again stumbled out of the gate offensively and trails Georgia Tech 13-7 at halftime in Atlanta. It’s the second straight week the Tigers have faced a deficit at the break after struggling to generate much consistency early.
The offense finally found something late in the second quarter, putting together a 75-yard drive that chewed up nearly seven minutes and ended in a touchdown. Before that possession, Clemson had managed just 83 total yards. Cade Klubnik has tried to spark things with his legs, but ball security has been an issue — he’s already put the ball on the ground twice, losing one.
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Senior back Adam Randall has been the bright spot, powering his way to 51 rushing yards, including a 30-yard burst on a 3rd-and-22. He’s averaging better than seven yards a carry and has shown how tough he is to bring down.
One costly sequence came in the first quarter when Dabo Swinney called a timeout before a 53-yard field goal attempt. After the pause, Nolan Hauser’s kick missed, and Georgia Tech quickly turned the short field into a touchdown to jump ahead 10-0.
Defensively, the Tigers have had trouble wrapping up, with missed tackles leading to several big gains for the Yellow Jackets. Tech has 189 total yards and is averaging over six yards per snap. Clemson has improved on third down after a shaky start, holding Tech to just 1-of-4 on its last attempts, but the defense has yet to force a turnover after producing five in the first two games.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: No. 12 Clemson Tigers trail Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the half
