Can We Just Blame It On Howard's Rock?

What happened to Georgia? 

From the moment Clemson players ran down the hill past Howard's Rock, past the jeering Bulldogs massing near the field goal, you knew it was going to be a real matchup. Clemson was intent on one thing: shutting down Murray. Their defense rose to the occasion and Clemson never lost the lead after establishing it. UGA faces No.6 South Carolina next week in Athens--a must-win game.

Here's what others are saying:

The most important sequence came late in the third quarter, when trailing by three points, Georgia rolled to a first down at the 5 – and came away with nothing. Three runs managed 3 yards. A high snap foiled a field-goal attempt. Death Valley roared. A little while later, after the Tigers grabbed the onside kick (after that abominable two-minute defense) and ran out the clock, it really got loud. Considering the challenge – Murray entered the season as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and Gurley might be the nation's best running back – the celebration was warranted. George Schroeder USA Today

As far as Tajh Boyd is concerned, Clemson's victory against Georgia wasn't a statement as much as a step toward much greater goals. Boyd threw three touchdown passes and ran for two others as Clemson defeated No. 5 Georgia 38-35 on Saturday night. It was the Tigers' second straight win against a top-10 opponent from the Southeastern Conference. While the victory against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl left Clemson with a strong finish to last season, this win gave the Tigers a strong start on what they hope is a special season. "I think it was a good win," Boyd said. "Nothing that we didn't expect as a program, but it turned a lot of heads in college football." The Associated Press

“The difference was we gave up too many easy points on a missed tackle, wheel routes, eyes were not where they needed to be,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “The teams we’re getting ready to play don’t really care if we’re freshmen or not.” Eighth-ranked Clemson’s offense kept going. No. 5 Georgia, which lost receiver Malcolm Mitchell to a knee injury that could keep him out against South Carolina and perhaps longer, couldn’t keep pace until the Bulldogs drove and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Aaron Murray with 1:19 remaining and pulled within a field goal. Murray completed 20 of 29 passes for 323 yards. He was sacked four times, lost a fumble that led to a Clemson touchdown and threw a second-quarter interception when Georgia had the ball at the Clemson 30. Georgia was penalized nine times for 84 yards. Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner Herald

What do you think happened? Is Clemson just better?