ATHENS — As the last line of defense, it’s up to Georgia safety Lewis Cine to know exactly what he’s dealing with on game days.
Clemson, Cine is the first to acknowledge, presents plenty of challenges and the Tigers figure to be even more formidable with Justyn Ross recently cleared to play.
“Of course, as we already know they are a very explosive team,” Cine said. “They bring a whole lot of trouble to a lot of big-name teams they have played.”
Georgia and Clemson meet in both teams’ season-opening game at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
It’s the teams’ first meeting since 2014, when the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 45-21 in Athens.
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Ross, a 6-foot-4, 205-pounder who starred at Clemson in 2018 and 2019, has been out since March of 2020 with a spinal condition that has since been surgically repaired. Ross will return after sitting out another week on account of CVOID protocol.
The Tigers have plenty of other big targets, including 6-3 receivers EJ Williams, Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata.
Cine said he’s seen enough of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to know the successor to Trevor Lawrence is the real deal.
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Uiagalelei was 78-of-117 passing last season for 914 yards with 5 TDs and 0 interceptions in the 10 games he played. His 146.4 pass efficiency rating ranked fifth-best among ACC freshmen quarterbacks since 2002.
“I’ve watched a lot of film on them,” Cine said. “Their quarterback is big, explosive, he can run, very strong, and he has a cannon arm.
“He brings a whole lot to the table for their offense.”
Cine, of course, brings a ton to the defense, second on the team last season with 52 tackles.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he’s excited about playing a team of Clemson’s championship capabilities because it will show the Bulldogs where they’re at.
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“It’s a large game on the national media stage, (but) for us, it’s a chance to see where we are with this team,” Smart, 10-6 overall vs. Top 10 teams, said in an interview with CBS at the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
“This team is different, and their team is different. They just lost a franchise quarterback, so for both of us, it’s about finding out where we are. The best way to find that out is to play a really good team.”
