CLEMSON — Clemson football quarterback Cade Klubnik reminded the Tigers of their month-long preparation for their season-opening game against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday.

No. 14 Clemson face the Bulldogs in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (noon ET, ABC). The game is the highest-ranked matchup of Week 1 and features two teams that have won two national championships in the College Football Playoff era.

Despite the magnitude of the game, Klubnik wants the Tigers to have the same mindset they have had since the beginning of preseason practices when they face the Bulldogs.

"I just spoke that to the team like, 'Hey, if you're waking up with a different energy today than you have been every single day at fall camp, then we've been doing fall camp wrong,'" Klubnik said Wednesday about a conversation he had with teammates Monday. "We should have had that mentality all fall camp."

Defensive lineman Peter Woods agreed with Klubnik's message, saying Clemson has been preparing for Georgia since defeating Kentucky in the Gator Bowl in December.

Klubnik's message is another example of his maturation as a leader. He has become more of a vocal presence on and off the field this offseason. Offensive lineman Marcus Tate says Klubnik's leadership is "genuine," which has translated on the field.

"He's just really has taken off as a leader," wide receiver Adam Randall said. "We've rallied behind him. His spoken leadership has increased a lot because he really has found his voice."

MORE: Why double-digit underdog Clemson football believes it can beat the odds, No. 1 Georgia

If Clemson upsets Georgia, it would mark the sixth time in the AP Poll's history that a team has defeated the preseason AP No. 1 in the top-ranked team's season opener. The Tigers lost their most recent game against Georgia, 10-3 in 2021 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Saturday's game will be the first of five scheduled meetings between Clemson and Georgia during the next 10 years.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football's Cade Klubnik has message to Tigers about Georgia game