Jake Briningstool claims Clemson is 'not the underdog' against Georgia

At the sportsbooks, Clemson is about a two-touchdown underdog for its season opener against Georgia. However, Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool doesn’t see it that way.

“Nah, we’re not the underdog,” Briningstool said earlier this week. “We’re just laying low right now. We’ll be ready.”

The senior Briningstool is clearly confident as Clemson prepares to take on the Bulldogs. He believes that if the Tigers play their game, they will come out on top.

Clemson is wrapping up fall camp and starting Georgia preparation this week, although several players have said that they watched film of the Bulldogs throughout the summer.

“Any time you transition out of camp into the first game it’s kind of nice to start looking at a different team, looking at different players,” Briningstool said. “I think the biggest thing is just we play Clemson every week. We’ve just gotta find a way to execute, do what we do really well, and then just go out there and do what we do.

“I don’t think the fact that it’s the No. 1 team or anything like that puts any more pressure on us or makes us focus even more. I just think we’ve gotta focus on us and focus on Clemson and let’s go out there and do it.”

Fellow Clemson tight end Josh Sapp also made it clear that he is confident ahead of the matchup. Sapp knows what a win against the Bulldogs would mean and he plans on earning one.

“They were the No. 1 team, so that’s a good start for us to knock them off the mountain,” he said. “I definitely know we’ve got a chip on our shoulder, coming in, being that underdog. And that’s what we like around here at Clemson, being the underdog.”

Sapp has also already started watching film of Georgia. He admits that the Bulldogs have plenty of talent, but he also feels like Clemson will be up for the challenge.

“We’ve got a good game plan going in. Camp’s been good, so now it’s time to turn that page, for sure, get ready for Game 1. Everybody’s on the same page and everybody’s ready,” Josh Sapp said.

“They’re overall a solid defensive team. They’ve got a lot of players everywhere, so we’ve just got to be prepared for everything. Honestly that’s all that I can say.”

Georgia and Clemson are playing in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 31 to open the season. Kickoff is set for Noon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.