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Herschel Walker predicts the outcome of Georgia vs. Clemson

SimonGibbs_UserImageby: Simon Gibbs09/04/21SimonGibbs26
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Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM.

Herschel Walker on Saturday joined FOX Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff and made his pick for Saturday night’s contest between the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 3 Clemson Tigers.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Georgia football legend selected the Bulldogs to emerge victorious in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.

“Normally, I’m picking Georgia by 14 [or more], [but] I’m picking Georgia by seven,” Walker said. “I think this is going to be a knock-down, dragged-out fight here. It may be Georgia by seven.”

A former Bulldog, his storied career was one of the most decorated in program history. Walker arrived at Georgia in 1980, and in his freshman season he amassed 1,616 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns — both of which were single-season career-lows. In his sophomore and senior seasons, Walker had 1,891 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, then 1,752 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, respectively.

Despite only playing three seasons for the Bulldogs, Walker finished third in Heisman Trophy voting as a freshman, second in Heisman Trophy voting as a sophomore before winning the Heisman in 1982, his junior season.

Walker led the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record in 1980, his freshman season, and after defeating No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia claimed the national championship crown. His tenure in Athens was among Georgia’s best years, as the Bulldogs had a 33-3 overall record over the course of three seasons.

“Well, I think it just takes them coming together as a team,” Walker said, when asked what it would take to get Georgia back to being a national championship contender. “I think the guys just have to believe that they can do it. One of the big problems is always Alabama. And I think they’ve got to prove that they can beat Alabama, because they can. They had them on the ropes a couple of times, and what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to put the knockout punch to them. And once they’ve got to know that they can win because they’ve got the talent.”

The Georgia Bulldogs, led by head coach Kirby Smart, finished last season with an 8-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory. Clemson, on the other hand, finished the 2020 season with a 10-2 record and made it to the College Football Playoff, where it was eliminated by Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.