Opponent Preview: No. 1 Clemson
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Clemson is once again steamrolling through the ACC. The No. 1 Tigers have scored 40+ points in each of their last five games and have won all six of their contests this season by 18 or more points. If they match or surpass that margin of victory on Saturday, they’ll join Florida State’s 1993 and 1995 teams as the only ACC squads to ever post that kind of point differential in their first seven games of the season.
Dabo Swinney and Co. will have to get it done without their superstar. The news broke Thursday night that Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend’s game. Per ACC protocol, the potential No. 1 overall pick will have to isolate for 10 days. In the meantime, five-star true freshman D.J. Uiagalelei is expected to fill in behind center.
Not only will Clemson be without its phenom quarterback, but the Tigers will also be missing graduate linebacker James Skalski and potentially a few more defensive playmakers. Still, the top-ranked Tigers are 24.5-point favorites. Saturday will be a true test of their depth.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Series History
Swinney’s first career win as the Tigers’ head coach came against BC in 2008. Since, Clemson has had BC’s number. A 16-10 loss to Frank Spaziani’s Eagles in 2010 ended up being a blip on the radar—the Tigers have rattled off nine consecutive victories and, over the course of the past four seasons, outscored BC, 176-31. Last year’s meeting was particularly ugly. The Eagles completed just six passes, went three-and-out seven times, and totaled 11 punts amid a 59-7 loss, the largest defeat in both the teams’ all-time series and Steve Addazio’s seven-year tenure at BC. The previous season, the Eagles and Tigers squared off under the lights of Alumni Stadium for a College GameDay-featured, top-20 matchup. Anthony Brown was knocked out of the game on BC’s first possession, and the Eagles fell, 27-7.
Clemson’s record: 6-0 (5-0 ACC)
Breaking Down the Tigers:
Offense: Lawrence’s midweek diagnosis hit the pause button on the best year of his career: The 6-foot-6 gunslinger has averaged an ACC-best 305.5 passing yards per game, completed 70.7% of his passes, and thrown 17 touchdowns—tied for the second most in the country. Uiagalelei has a chance to prove that he’s the heir to Lawrence’s throne this weekend. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound quarterback has a rifle for an arm and can cause headaches with his legs, especially near the goal line. Uiagalelei has appeared in five games this year, completing 12-of-19 attempts for 102 yards in cleanup duty. His two touchdowns on the season were the byproduct of quarterback-designed runs in the red zone against The Citadel.
A great running back makes any young quarterback’s job easier. Fortunately for Uiagalelei, he has Travis Etienne, who Jeff Hafley says is one of the most underrated players in college football. The shifty 5-foot-10 tailback has accounted for 816 scrimmage yards this year. He’s an every down back as well as a threat out of the backfield. In fact, Etienne has the second-most receptions (22) and receiving yards (294) on the team. Amari Rodgers leads that department with 33 catches, 520 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. Tight ends Braden Galloway and Davis Allen have combined for five scores this season. Keep an eye on them, too.
Defense: Losing Skalski hurts. For one, the fifth-year middle linebacker is tied for the team lead with 14 solo tackles. But, more importantly, he’s the heart and soul of this Clemson defense. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis sat out last week’s game against Syracuse with an ankle injury and could very well be sidelined for Saturday’s matchup. Linebacker Mike Jones injured his hamstring versus the Orange and, as Swinney hinted this week, will likely be a game-time decision. Brent Venables’ defense has been hit with the injury bug this year but enters this weekend ranked 10th nationally in total D.
The Tigers have given up a mere 274.7 total yards of offense per game this season. They’ve been especially stingy on 3rd Down. Clemson is allowing opponents to convert just 26.4% of 3rd Downs this season, a mark that ranks sixth among all FBS defenses. Additionally, the Tigers have the fourth-most takeaways (13) in the country. Syracuse is the only ACC team that’s forced more turnovers than Clemson this year. Baylon Spector leads the group with 31 total tackles, and fellow linebacker Jake Venables has logged the third-highest run stuff rate among Power Five LBs the past two seasons, according to ESPN’s David Hale. Then, of course, Myles Murphy has a team-best 3.5 sacks off the edge. What can’t be forgotten is that Clemson has the ACC’s best pass defense. The Tigers are allowing a meager 169.3 passing yards per game.
Special Teams: B.T. Potter is something else. The junior has been chewed out by Swinney on the sideline a number of occasions during his Tigers career. In the past two seasons, he’s missed seven field goals inside 40 yards. Although prone to head scratching misses, he’s got one of the biggest legs in the ACC. Potter was 3-of-3 from 50+ last year and is 4-of-5 from 40 on out this season. Plus, it’s worth noting that even though Potter is 8-of-12 this year, three of those misses were blocked kicks versus Miami. Will Spiers, who even saw a few snaps at quarterback in Clemson’s rout of Georgia Tech, has recorded the second-highest punt average in the ACC this season (47.7 yards per punt), but the Tigers rank 42nd nationally in net punting.
Three Storylines:
Can the Eagles keep the chains moving?
BC moves the sticks on 3rd Down 46.3% of the time, the fourth-best clip of any ACC team this season. Clemson is a different breed, though. Luckily for the Eagles, they finally got their run game going against Georgia Tech. Venables will silence a one-dimensional offense. If BC can find balance early Saturday, it will put itself in position to sustain long drives. Controlling the clock is the Eagles’ best bet, even with Lawrence out.
How will Uiagalelei perform in his first career start?
In Swinney’s statement about Lawrence’s COVID-19 diagnosis, he said that Saturday is “an opportunity for other guys to step up.” Uiagalelei’s name immediately comes to mind (if you know how to pronounce it, that is). The St. John Bosco High School product will be in the spotlight on Halloween. He’s flashed potential in garbage time this season, but the college football world will get its first real look at Uiagalelei against BC.
Who will win the turnover battle?
BC needs to play a clean game to have a chance on Saturday. With the exception of their five-turnover loss at Virginia Tech, the Eagles have shown they’re capable of taking care of the ball this year. Shooting themselves in the foot is a recipe for disaster in Death Valley. Clemson ranks 11th nationally in turnover margin. That said, with a true freshman in at quarterback—no matter how highly touted—mistakes can happen. If they do, BC will have to capitalize.
Line: Clemson (-24.5)
ESPN FPI: The database gives Clemson a 97% chance of beating the Eagles.
Outlook: Clemson doesn’t need a star quarterback to win ACC games. And, who knows, Uiagalelei might thrive as QB1. He certainly has all the intangibles. Clemson’s injuries on defense are more glaring, particularly at the linebacker position. BC has an opportunity to exploit matchups in space with pre-snap motion and layered patterns. This Eagles offense is far less predictable than its past iterations. Time of possession, limiting turnovers, and special teams will be key for BC. It’ll take a perfect game for the Eagles to pull off the upset. A slow start, and this one could get out of hand. The Tigers are coming off a mistake-filled win over Syracuse. Clemson doesn’t make the same errors two weeks in a row.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Clemson is once again steamrolling through the ACC. The No. 1 Tigers have scored 40+ points in each of their last five games and have won all six of their contests this season by 18 or more points. If they match or surpass that margin of victory on Saturday, they’ll join Florida State’s 1993 and 1995 teams as the only ACC squads to ever post that kind of point differential in their first seven games of the season.
Dabo Swinney and Co. will have to get it done without their superstar. The news broke Thursday night that Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend’s game. Per ACC protocol, the potential No. 1 overall pick will have to isolate for 10 days. In the meantime, five-star true freshman D.J. Uiagalelei is expected to fill in behind center.
Not only will Clemson be without its phenom quarterback, but the Tigers will also be missing graduate linebacker James Skalski and potentially a few more defensive playmakers. Still, the top-ranked Tigers are 24.5-point favorites. Saturday will be a true test of their depth.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Series History
Swinney’s first career win as the Tigers’ head coach came against BC in 2008. Since, Clemson has had BC’s number. A 16-10 loss to Frank Spaziani’s Eagles in 2010 ended up being a blip on the radar—the Tigers have rattled off nine consecutive victories and, over the course of the past four seasons, outscored BC, 176-31. Last year’s meeting was particularly ugly. The Eagles completed just six passes, went three-and-out seven times, and totaled 11 punts amid a 59-7 loss, the largest defeat in both the teams’ all-time series and Steve Addazio’s seven-year tenure at BC. The previous season, the Eagles and Tigers squared off under the lights of Alumni Stadium for a College GameDay-featured, top-20 matchup. Anthony Brown was knocked out of the game on BC’s first possession, and the Eagles fell, 27-7.
Clemson’s record: 6-0 (5-0 ACC)
Breaking Down the Tigers:
Offense: Lawrence’s midweek diagnosis hit the pause button on the best year of his career: The 6-foot-6 gunslinger has averaged an ACC-best 305.5 passing yards per game, completed 70.7% of his passes, and thrown 17 touchdowns—tied for the second most in the country. Uiagalelei has a chance to prove that he’s the heir to Lawrence’s throne this weekend. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound quarterback has a rifle for an arm and can cause headaches with his legs, especially near the goal line. Uiagalelei has appeared in five games this year, completing 12-of-19 attempts for 102 yards in cleanup duty. His two touchdowns on the season were the byproduct of quarterback-designed runs in the red zone against The Citadel.
A great running back makes any young quarterback’s job easier. Fortunately for Uiagalelei, he has Travis Etienne, who Jeff Hafley says is one of the most underrated players in college football. The shifty 5-foot-10 tailback has accounted for 816 scrimmage yards this year. He’s an every down back as well as a threat out of the backfield. In fact, Etienne has the second-most receptions (22) and receiving yards (294) on the team. Amari Rodgers leads that department with 33 catches, 520 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. Tight ends Braden Galloway and Davis Allen have combined for five scores this season. Keep an eye on them, too.
Defense: Losing Skalski hurts. For one, the fifth-year middle linebacker is tied for the team lead with 14 solo tackles. But, more importantly, he’s the heart and soul of this Clemson defense. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis sat out last week’s game against Syracuse with an ankle injury and could very well be sidelined for Saturday’s matchup. Linebacker Mike Jones injured his hamstring versus the Orange and, as Swinney hinted this week, will likely be a game-time decision. Brent Venables’ defense has been hit with the injury bug this year but enters this weekend ranked 10th nationally in total D.
The Tigers have given up a mere 274.7 total yards of offense per game this season. They’ve been especially stingy on 3rd Down. Clemson is allowing opponents to convert just 26.4% of 3rd Downs this season, a mark that ranks sixth among all FBS defenses. Additionally, the Tigers have the fourth-most takeaways (13) in the country. Syracuse is the only ACC team that’s forced more turnovers than Clemson this year. Baylon Spector leads the group with 31 total tackles, and fellow linebacker Jake Venables has logged the third-highest run stuff rate among Power Five LBs the past two seasons, according to ESPN’s David Hale. Then, of course, Myles Murphy has a team-best 3.5 sacks off the edge. What can’t be forgotten is that Clemson has the ACC’s best pass defense. The Tigers are allowing a meager 169.3 passing yards per game.
Special Teams: B.T. Potter is something else. The junior has been chewed out by Swinney on the sideline a number of occasions during his Tigers career. In the past two seasons, he’s missed seven field goals inside 40 yards. Although prone to head scratching misses, he’s got one of the biggest legs in the ACC. Potter was 3-of-3 from 50+ last year and is 4-of-5 from 40 on out this season. Plus, it’s worth noting that even though Potter is 8-of-12 this year, three of those misses were blocked kicks versus Miami. Will Spiers, who even saw a few snaps at quarterback in Clemson’s rout of Georgia Tech, has recorded the second-highest punt average in the ACC this season (47.7 yards per punt), but the Tigers rank 42nd nationally in net punting.
Three Storylines:
Can the Eagles keep the chains moving?
BC moves the sticks on 3rd Down 46.3% of the time, the fourth-best clip of any ACC team this season. Clemson is a different breed, though. Luckily for the Eagles, they finally got their run game going against Georgia Tech. Venables will silence a one-dimensional offense. If BC can find balance early Saturday, it will put itself in position to sustain long drives. Controlling the clock is the Eagles’ best bet, even with Lawrence out.
How will Uiagalelei perform in his first career start?
In Swinney’s statement about Lawrence’s COVID-19 diagnosis, he said that Saturday is “an opportunity for other guys to step up.” Uiagalelei’s name immediately comes to mind (if you know how to pronounce it, that is). The St. John Bosco High School product will be in the spotlight on Halloween. He’s flashed potential in garbage time this season, but the college football world will get its first real look at Uiagalelei against BC.
Who will win the turnover battle?
BC needs to play a clean game to have a chance on Saturday. With the exception of their five-turnover loss at Virginia Tech, the Eagles have shown they’re capable of taking care of the ball this year. Shooting themselves in the foot is a recipe for disaster in Death Valley. Clemson ranks 11th nationally in turnover margin. That said, with a true freshman in at quarterback—no matter how highly touted—mistakes can happen. If they do, BC will have to capitalize.
Line: Clemson (-24.5)
ESPN FPI: The database gives Clemson a 97% chance of beating the Eagles.
Outlook: Clemson doesn’t need a star quarterback to win ACC games. And, who knows, Uiagalelei might thrive as QB1. He certainly has all the intangibles. Clemson’s injuries on defense are more glaring, particularly at the linebacker position. BC has an opportunity to exploit matchups in space with pre-snap motion and layered patterns. This Eagles offense is far less predictable than its past iterations. Time of possession, limiting turnovers, and special teams will be key for BC. It’ll take a perfect game for the Eagles to pull off the upset. A slow start, and this one could get out of hand. The Tigers are coming off a mistake-filled win over Syracuse. Clemson doesn’t make the same errors two weeks in a row.
