Clemson's Peach State starting linebacker duo ready to renew Georgia rivalry

Spector and Skalski are back and looking to make a big impact out of the gates.

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Tue Aug 31 19:10:39 GMT-04:00 2021

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott says the Clemson-Georgia rivalry is marked by the proximity of the two universities and the fact that they often fight over the same recruits within their two states and regionally.

The Tigers currently have 26 players who hail from Georgia listed on their roster as they prepare this week to take on the No. 5-ranked team in the nation, the most players from any state besides South Carolina on the roster. Some notable names who decided to jump ship and cross the state line to play for head coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson include James Skalski, Baylon Spector and Brannon Spector, running backs Phil Mafah, Kobe Pace and Lyn-J Dixon, as well as a duo of tight ends in Davis Allen and Jaelyn Lay.

Although the rivalry has hit the backburner by not playing as often as they did back in the 1980s and ‘90s, you can feel it in the air around campus and the college football landscape. This is a huge game with playoff implications on the line. The last time the two met, back in 2014, the scoreboard did not favor Swinney and the Tigers as a big fourth quarter on the ground for the Bulldogs helped them get revenge in Athens (45-21 Georgia) from the previous year in Death Valley (38-35 Clemson).

When what seems like an eternity ago in 2015 when Skalski committed to play for the Tigers out of Sharpsburg, Georgia, the game in Charlotte had yet to be scheduled. Now that the game is just four days away, Skalski is looking forward to the challenge of taking on the Bulldogs to open the season.

“I said 'Let’s go, that’s awesome,'” the sixth-year senior said when asked about what he thought when this game was announced. “I have a bunch of buddies that grew up Georgia fans. They’re a great opponent to start the season against and we can’t wait.”

Skalski’s starting linebacker teammate Baylon Spector also knows what it feels like to grow up in the Peach State as well. Spector, who played his high school ball in Calhoun, Georgia, had a cousin play for the Bulldogs in the late 2000s, so Saturday night will be a family affair for him.

“It’s very exciting and I can’t wait for kickoff,” Spector said. “You grow up dreaming about these games and these situations. I had a family member play at Georgia, so just super excited is all I can say.”

Spector’s father, Robbie, played for the Tigers from 1988-90 and had a few games against the Bulldogs himself back in the day. The graduate senior said that his dad used to talk about those games against Georgia, and even though the rivalry has taken a hiatus as of late, he still knows just how big this game is for both teams.

“It’s a huge rivalry even though we don’t play each other every year,” said Spector. “Being so close definitely means something to both states. My dad used to talk about the intensity of playing them every year and how exciting and big those games would be. I don’t know why they got away from it (the rivalry), but I’m glad it’s back.”

The duo of linebackers, also known as the “Bruise Brothers” a la Jake and Elwood Blues from the hit comedy “Blues Brothers,” were fantastic together when they both were on the field healthy. Skalski and Spector flew around the field and wreaked havoc in the opponent's backfields all of last year, and they are hoping to bring that same energy to Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night against the Bulldogs.