ESPN announced on Tuesday, Clemson’s game against rival Georgia will be televised in primetime on ABC. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m., from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., as part of the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic.
The Sept. 4 season opener will mark just the seventh time in the history of the rivalry the Clemson-Georgia game will be televised at night. The first one coming in 1982 when the defending national champion Tigers kicked off the season at Georgia, who won the 1980 National Championship.
The 1982 game was on Labor Day Night. The game was originally scheduled for a 1:30 afternoon kick on Sept. 18 that year but was moved to Sept. 6 (Labor Day night) to accommodate ABC, who broadcasted the game in primetime.
It was the first time a college football game was broadcasted in primetime on Labor Day Night. Georgia won the game 13-7.
Thus began Clemson’s not-so-good trend against Georgia in night games. The Tigers are just 1-5 all-time against the Bulldogs in night games. Clemson’s only win came in 2013 when Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins led the Tigers to a 38-35 victory in a battle of top 10 teams.
Georgia, who leads the all-time series 42-18-4, beat Clemson in 1991 in Athens, 1995 at Death Valley and in 2002 and 2014 in Athens.
This will be the first time the two have played a night game on a neutral field. In fact, the two have not played against each other on a neutral field since 1916, when the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 26-0 in Anderson, S.C.
From 1907-1913, Georgia and Clemson met in Augusta. The Bulldogs were 1-5-1 in those seven meetings. The Tigers lone win came in 1909 when they won 5-0. Touchdowns were worth five points in 1909. The two tied, 0-0, in 1910.
Clemson vs Georgia in night games (1-5)
1982 at Georgia, L, 7-13 (Labor Day Night)
1991 at Georgia, L, 12-27
1995 vs. Georgia, L, 19-17 (100 years of Clemson Football celebration)
2002 at Georgia, L, 31-28
2013 vs. Georgia, W, 38-35
2014 at Georgia, L, 45-21
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