2021 Opponent Preview: No. 25 Clemson
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Staff Writer
Boston College is a two-touchdown underdog against Clemson. Cornerback Brandon Sebastian said this week that the Eagles have a bad taste in their mouth after blowing an 18-point lead to the Tigers last year.
Meanwhile, No. 25 Clemson is anxious to silence a grumbling fan base that hasn’t seen Clemson miss the College Football Playoff since 2014.
The stakes will be high in Death Valley. For both teams.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
Series History
Clemson has won 10 straight against BC and leads the all-time series, 19-9-2. The Eagles’ last win over the Tigers came in 2010, Dabo Swinney’s second full season as the Tigers’ head coach. From 2016 to 2019, BC didn’t score more than one touchdown in each of its meetings with the Tigers. During that span, Clemson outscored the Eagles, 176-31. Last year, though, BC nearly pulled the upset in Death Valley. Under head coach Jeff Hafley, the Eagles staked themselves to a 28-10 lead before stalling in the second half. No. 1 Clemson orchestrated a come-from-behind victory, led by DJ Uiagalelei, who was filling in for Trevor Lawrence (out with COVID-19). Saturday’s game marks BC’s third straight trip to Memorial Stadium.
Clemson’s Record: 2-2 (1-1 ACC)
Breaking Down the Tigers:
Offense: As Hafley says, Uiagalelei can muscle “98 mile-per-hour fastballs.” He’s got arguably the strongest arm in the ACC. But he hasn’t been efficient this year. Uiagalelei is completing just 56.3% of his attempts, with a meager 3:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Uiagalelei has been missing what Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney calls the “layups.” All three of his picks have come within 10 yards or behind the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, he’s posting an 85.7 Pro Football Focus passing grade on throws of 20-plus yards. He’s a legitimate dual threat. Even at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, the highly-touted sophomore can move. Uiagalelei has rushed for 109 yards the last two games combined and ripped off a 30-yard zone-read touchdown against BC last year.
Clemson’s offense is missing Travis Etienne. Anyone would. He’s the ACC’s all-time leading rusher. But he was also dynamite in the screen game, something the Tigers still lean on, especially on second down. Four-star true freshman running back Will Shipley is out for the next three-to-four weeks with a knee injury, so Kobe Pace will likely shoulder the bulk of the work out of the backfield. Clemson ranks 99th nationally in rushing offense. The Tigers’ normally vaunted offensive line has struggled mightily. Communication up front has been a problem, and Swinney threw out this week that “We might start a whole new five.” That’s likely just a cheeky comment, but, the point is, anything’s on the table in the trenches. Clemson is giving up 2.3 sacks per game, which is a weak point for a group that normally keeps its quarterbacks upright pretty much at all times.
The Tigers lost Cornell Powell and Amari Rodgers this offseason, but they still have preseason All-ACC wideout Justyn Ross, who leads the team with 22 catches. Joseph Ngata has him beat with 222 receiving yards, though. EJ Williams has just two grabs this year, but he and Frank Ladson Jr. are guys that Hafley has his eyes on as well. Don’t forget about the tight ends, either. Davis Allen (six catches, 45 yards) and Braden Galloway (four catches, 14 yards) are both capable.
Defense: Injuries, man. They’ll bite you in the butt. And that’s what has happened to defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ unit. Clemson is without its top-two defensive tackles: Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis. Bresee tore his ACL and is out for the year, while Davis had surgery to repair a torn bicep and won’t be back for a few months. James Skalski, the new “Hunter Renfrow”—a Clemson player with seemingly unlimited eligibility—is the heart and soul of the Tigers’ defense but has been battling a nagging shoulder injury this year. Swinney says the sixth-year linebacker is fine, but his status will be something to monitor Saturday.
Even with those gut punches, the Tigers have more than held down the fort defensively. Despite being on the field, on average, for more than 34 minutes per game, Clemson is allowing just 12.0 points per game, good for fifth nationally and first in the ACC. Venables and Co. have had to put the Tigers on their backs considering that Clemson has yet to score more than three touchdowns against an FBS opponent.
Skalski is surrounded by immense talent at the linebacker position. Baylon Spector, the reigning ACC Co-Linebacker of the Week, is second behind Skalski for the team lead in tackles with 28, including 11 solos. Spector is great in coverage, where he’s registered a 76.6 PFF grade so far this year, and nabbed one interception. Then there’s LaVonta Bentley, who isn’t far behind with 24 total tackles, not to mention a sack and a forced fumble. The Tigers’ secondary is experienced and hard to beat. They’ve allowed an average of 180.5 passing yards per game this year, which ranks 32nd nationally and fourth in the ACC. Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich line the perimeter, while sixth year Nolan Turner and true freshman Andrew Mukuba fill out the back end at safety. Goodrich has the highest PFF coverage grade (75.9) of the lot, conceding a mere 5.4 yards per reception.
Special Teams: You probably know the names by now. BT Potter is Clemson’s senior kicker, and Will Spiers is the Tigers’ sixth-year punter. Potter is 1-of-2 on the year with a 22-yarder against then-No. 5 Georgia and a miss from beyond 50 versus South Carolina State. He’s a perfect 12-of-12 on extra points. Potter has had an up-and-down Clemson career but was great in 2020, converting 78.3% of his field goals, including a 50-yarder to cut the Tigers’ deficit to 15 before the half against BC. Spiers is 12th in the ACC in punt average (41.9 yards) this year, but that’s more a byproduct of circumstance than leg strength. Spiers has five punts of 50-plus yards this fall, and he’s landed seven inside the 20-yard line.
Punt return man Will Taylor is new, however, and he’s got an interesting story. Taylor entered as a quarterback but will make the transition to wide receiver in 2022. He’s also slated to play baseball at Clemson, too. He’s been returning kicks this year and ranks fourth in the ACC in punt return average (10.7 yards).
Three Storylines:
Will Dennis Grosel stay composed and limit turnovers?
Grosel was 3-of-14 the last time he started in Death Valley. He looked like a deer in the headlights. Now, it was his first road start, and the Eagles’ defense was abysmal that year. Both have grown significantly since then. If BC can get its run game going, Grosel will have to manage the game like he did against Missouri. But if the Eagles have to go to the air to keep pace, the redshirt senior will have to put on the best performance of his career.
Is Clemson’s offense going to finally snap out of its funk?
Uigalelei hasn’t looked like the top-rated quarterback from last year’s freshman class. The Tigers’ offensive line has been underwhelming. The play-calling has raised questions about offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s future. But Hafley believes Clemson is “inches away” from putting it all together. Will that happen against BC? It could.
Can BC run against this Clemson defensive line?
It helps the Eagles’ cause that Bresee and Davis aren’t there, but Clemson has the talent to restock and refuel. The Tigers are 43rd nationally in rush defense this year, giving up 116.8 yards per game on the ground. BC will probably need to eclipse that number to keep things rolling offensively.
Line: Clemson (-14.5)
ESPN FPI: The database gives Clemson an 88.2% chance of beating the Eagles.
Outlook: This is the biggest BC football game since 2018 “College GameDay” when the then-No. 17 Eagles hosted then-No. 2 Clemson with real Atlantic Division title implications. This time, BC hits the road after its first 4-0 start since 2007. By the way, that’s the year the Eagles last beat Clemson in Death Valley. The Tigers haven’t budged at home since 2016. They’ve rattled off 30 consecutive victories in Memorial Stadium. Snapping that streak would vault BC into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018 and make the Eagles a legitimate ACC contender.