CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said composure will be the biggest factor in determining the outcome of his team’s game against Clemson.

The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs play the No. 3-ranked Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Smart appeared on ESPN College GameDay to preview the matchup and discuss what is only the fourth season-opening game in college football since 2000 featuring top-5 ranked teams.

“You pace yourself, we talked about composure all week,” Smart said. “The team that handles the other team’s shots the best is going to come out ahead.

“Clemson is going to make plays, we’re going to make plays … A lot of these kids have never had to respond in this kind of atmosphere of seeing a crowd go nuts, because last year it wasn’t that way.”

Crowds were restricted in 2020 on account of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and on Saturday night, an anticipated crowd of more than 75,000 will be required to wear masks.

The focus of Smart and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney -- two of the top four winningest active coaches at the FBS level — will be squarely on the field before them.

“It’s a top-five matchup, the stakes are high, but the stakes are always high in college football,” Smart said. “So much goes into each game, it’s different than the NFL, because games mean so much more because there are fewer.

“But for us, it’s a non-conference game, so it’s a great chance to represent our program against a powerhouse program that’s been one of the top programs, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”

Smart expressed optimism that quarterback JT Daniels could be effective operating a somewhat inexperienced offense that had him under center for the final four games of the 2020 season.

“We’re most excited to have him back to have some continuity,” Smart said. “We had spring practice, and we didn’t have that before.

“Coach (Todd) Monken has done a great job preparing those guys, (and) the offense staff has done a great job,” Smart said. “We’re playing a defense that has a lot of people coming back and a lot of talented players.

“You don’t play (teams) very often that have 25 or 30 starts across the board and 11 returning starters, so we have to be smart about that, as well.”

Clemson tied for the most sacks in the nation last season, and Smart explained why defensive coordinator Brent Venables unit was able to do so.

“They are very aggressive, they attack, attack, attack, they come after you and they don’t give you much opportunity to breathe,” Smart said. “Their system is built to be very quick and athletic and fast and come after you.

“They play teams so well because they play teams so aggressive and they com after you.”

Daniels has the power at the line of scrimmage to change protections, plays and adjust routes, so there will be a chess match of sorts going on throughout what’s expected to be one of the most exciting games of the day.