Football

DEPLETED DEFENSE DOMINATES AS NO.5 CLEMSON WINS 12TH STRAIGHT, 31-3 AT BOSTON COLLEGE

2022-10-09 16:19:20
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By Trevor Groves

The crowd at Alumni Stadium was amped up for the Eagles' annual Red Bandanna Game, which honors the heroic sacrifice of BC alum Welles Crowther on 9/11. It's probably the only packed stadium they will see all season! And that energy permeated the BC team in the first half, aided by some miscues by the Tigers, to keep the Eagles in it.

The Tigers marched right down the field on their opening possession, looking as sharp as ever. DJ was 5-5 on the drive to the 13-yard line. He should have been 6-6 with a touchdown, but a perfectly thrown pass to the corner of the end zone fell right through the hands of Beaux Collins. Shades of last season! The Tigers would have to settle for a field goal, and it was like the offense was stuck in the mud after that for the rest of the half, like last season. They kept getting behind the chains with false starts, bad passes or bad play calls. DJ even threw his first interception in 110 passes, putting Boston College in range for a game-tying field goal. He was under pressure and simply did not see the linebacker drop into coverage as he tried to make a throw off his back foot. It was just his second INT of the season. There was even a muffed punt by Will Taylor after a teammate bumped into him on a fair catch! The Tigers dodged a bullet, though, as Taylor was quick and athletic enough to dive on the football for the recovery. The Tigers started one possession at midfield but still went 3 and out. It was like they were stuck in first gear.

The good news is that the Tigers' defense was incredible despite missing 5 starters, including 4 from the secondary and one All-American. Bresee, Venables, Mickens, Jones and Greene were all out, but you wouldn't know it from the way the defense performed. Freshmen Toriano Pride and Sherrod Covil are growing up before our eyes with all that they've had to play over the last few games. In sudden change after DJ's interception, the defense came out and forced a 3 and out, holding BC to a field goal instead of a touchdown for the lead. They gave up a bunch of completions and first downs in the first half to Jurkovec, Flowers and the BC offense, but they kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the rest of the half, giving the Tigers a 10-3 lead at halftime. With less than 5 minutes left in the half, Swanson's punt pinned the Eagles at their 7-yard line, and the defense forced a 3 and out. That gave the Tigers the ball at the BC 28 after a 20-yard punt return by Antonio Williams, who should be the regular punt returner in my opinion. He has just done a much better job than Will Taylor to this point. Taylor always seems to be catching the ball falling back, leaning to the side or diving forward. The freshman Williams has looked much more effortless in fielding punts, and he's had a couple great returns. Anyway, the Tigers made the excellent field position pay off with a 7-yard run by DJ, a couple of runs by Mafah and a one-yard run on 3rd and goal by Shipley for his 8th touchdown of the season with 45 seconds left in the half. The momentum had been all on the side of the home team before that punt by Swanson, the stop by the defense and the score by the offense. That's complimentary football! The Tigers took momentum into the locker room at halftime with a 10-3 lead, having won 64 straight when leading at the half.

The Tigers stormed out of the locker room much like they did against NC State last week. The defense forced a 3 and out, and the offense picked up where it left off at the end of the first half. Shipley ran 11 yards on the first play for a 1st down. On 3rd and 7, DJ made a great pass and Collins made a great catch on a jump ball for 21 yards. With a 1st down in BC territory, Streeter decided to take a shot on the very next play, and it paid off. Ngata beat his man on a stutter and go, and DJ hit him perfectly in stride for a 38-yard touchdown. Just like the NC State game, the Tigers owned the "middle 8" at the end of the first half and beginning of the second.

That took a lot of life out of the home crowd, and the Tigers' defense just completely suffocated Jurkovec and the Eagles' offense for the rest of the game. Part of that was thanks to the long-awaited season debut of Xavier Thomas! I've been asking for weeks if this would be the game he comes back, and Dabo's been telling us for weeks how close he was. I knew that whenever he did return, he would be a force to be reckoned with and practically unblockable. Ironically, I was at practice the day before XT was injured in August, and I remarked to another media member how incredible XT looked physically--especially compared to a couple years ago. Well, we finally got to see that monster in a game, and it was about as auspicious a return as anyone could hope for. He only played about 8 plays, all on 3rd down, because Dabo wanted to ease him back into game action. In fact, XT didn't even think he would make the trip, let alone play, but Dabo suggested that he make the trip just to get back into the routine. After warmups, XT looked and felt good, so Dabo decided to play him. Boy, did he make those 8 plays count! He had 2 sacks and a forced fumble. XT told us after the game that there's still some soreness, and he's about 90 percent. I can't wait to see what he's like at 110 percent! By the way, shout out to the Nate Wiggins and the secondary! Despite missing 4 starters, they contained Zay Flowers in the second half and did a great job without committing a single pass interference. Wiggins made a tremendous PBU in the end zone in the first half, preventing BC from taking a 10-3 lead and giving even more life and confidence to the home team and crowd.

The score would remain 17-3 until the first play of the 4th quarter when DJ found Beaux Collins in the end zone on 3rd and 8 for a 10-yard score. DJ did a great job of looking the safety or linebacker off with his eyes to open up the middle of the field for Collins, who posted his 5th TD of the season. Coincidentally, he and Shipley each scored in the first 4 games, neither scored last week and both scored again tonight.

With a 24-3 lead in the 4th, freshman QB Cade Klubnik made his first appearance since the LA Tech game, as I wrote that he would. However, he only got 2 plays before DJ came back in the game on 3rd and 8. After the 3 and out, Cade would not re-enter the game. I guess Dabo wanted to give the starting offense more reps because of how poorly they played in the first half. With 6 and a half minutes left in the game, the Tigers drove 88 yards for a touchdown to end on a high note. DJ completed a 24-yard pass to Spector and then, on 3rd and 3, ran for 40 yards to the BC 13-yard line. It was another impressive rushing night for DJ, following up his 73-yard game last week with 69 yards this week. On the very next play, DJ made a great 13-yard pass to Spector in the end zone to make it 31-3.

The Tigers were outstanding defensively all night and great offensively in the second half. Special teams were a mixed bag. There was the aforementioned muffed punt, and after Barrett Carter forced a sack fumble recovered by Payton Page, Potter missed his second field goal of the season from 42 yards. Personally, I thought it was over the left upright, but the refs called it no good. On the plus side, Etinosa Reuben blocked a field goal, Antonio Williams had a nice punt return to set up the TD before halftime, and Swanson pinned BC at the 7 to set up that punt return and score. By the way, the Tigers now have 4 blocks this season on special teams to lead the nation!

The Tigers extended the nation's longest win streak to 12 and their win streak over BC to 12 as well! They are 98-3 as a top 5 team against unranked teams under Dabo. They will have a bigger road test next week against a much-improved FSU, once again in primetime!

Be sure and click HERE for my Sunday evening Zoom call with Dabo. In the meantime, post-game interviews, highlights and notes are below!

WITH THE WIN...

Clemson extended the nation's longest active winning streak to 12 games.
Clemson has now posted the sixth winning streak of 12 or more games in program history.
Clemson has now opened a season 6-0 for the 17th time in program history (1900, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1948, 1981, 1987, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020).
Clemson won its 750th regular season game all-time (750-442-45).
Clemson improved to 21-9-2 all-time against Boston College, dating to the teams’ first meeting in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day in 1940.
Clemson improved to 10-6-1 all-time in road games against Boston College.
Clemson won its 12th consecutive game against Boston College, dating back to 2011. Clemson’s 12-game winning streak against Boston College is its second-longest active streak against an ACC opponent, trailing Clemson’s 14-game active winning streak against Wake Forest.
Clemson improved to 14-4 against Boston College since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005.
Clemson is now 14-1 against Boston College under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.
Clemson improved to 45-2 in its last 47 games against ACC Atlantic Division teams, including games against typical Atlantic division foes in the division-free season in 2020.
Clemson improved to 33-4 in true road games since 2015.
Clemson earned its fifth consecutive road win. Clemson's four-game road winning streak entered Saturday tied for the third-longest active streak in the country.
Clemson won its 37th consecutive game against unranked opponents when ranked in the AP Top 5, the longest active streak in college football according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Clemson improved to 121-13 against AP-unranked teams under Dabo Swinney, including a 98-3 mark against unranked teams since the start of the 2012 season.
Clemson improved to 25-4 in night games since the start of the 2018 season and 44-7 at night since 2015.
Clemson is now 72-4 when scoring first since 2015.
Clemson led at halftime, 10-3, and has now won 102 of its last 104 games (including each of its last 65) when leading at halftime.
Clemson improved to 123-2 since 2011 when leading after three quarters.
Clemson has now won 102 of its last 103 games when holding teams under 23 points (dates to 2010).
Clemson now has a 120-2 record when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011 and has won its last 61 such contests.

GAME NOTES

Clemson scored 28 unanswered points over the game’s final 31 minutes to earn the victory.
Clemson reached the 30-point mark for the 11th time in a 12-game span, dating to last season. Clemson has averaged 36.5 points per game during its active 12-game winning streak.
Clemson went 4-for-4 in the red zone to improve to 32-for-32 in red zone scoring this season, adding to Clemson’s longest streak of the Dabo Swinney era..
The three points allowed were Clemson’s fewest of the season and its fewest since a 30-0 shutout of South Carolina last November. It was the fewest points allowed by Clemson to an ACC opponent since a 52-3 win against Wake Forest in 2019.
The three points were Clemson’s fewest surrendered to Boston College since shutting out the Eagles, 13-0, in 1952 at Braves Field.
Clemson limited Boston College to 254 yards, including only 34 yards on the ground.
Clemson held Boston College to 1.1 yards per carry, Clemson’s 32nd time holding an opponent below 2.0 yards per carry since 2014, second-most in the nation. Clemson is 31-1 in those games in that span.
Clemson has now held consecutive opponents below 2.0 yards per carry for the first time since last year’s games against UConn and Wake Forest.
Clemson outrushed Boston College, 144-34, and has outrushed its opponent in 10 straight games, dating to last season. It is Clemson's longest streak since the final two games of the 2005 season and the first eight games of 2006.
Last week, Clemson surged to a 30-20 victory thanks to a 14-7 advantage in the “Middle Eight,” defined as the final four minutes of the second quarter and the first four minutes of the third quarter. Clemson outscored Boston College, 14-0, in the Middle Eight and is now 60-2 since 2015 when outscoring opponents in that window.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei completed 18-of-32 passes for 220 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Uiagalelei also rushed for 69 yards on 12 carries. He became the first Clemson quarterback with at least 50 rushing yards in four straight games since Deshaun Watson's nine-game streak to end the 2015 season.
Uiagalelei improved to 17-4 as a starter, tying Bobby Gage (17-7) for the 13th-most wins by a Clemson starting quarterback since World War II.
On his 12th completion of the game, a 21-yard third-down conversion to Beaux Collins, Uiagalelei (408) passed Kyle Parker (401 from 2009-10) for the eighth-most completions in Clemson history.
Uiagalelei’s third touchdown pass of the game tied him with Mike Eppley (28 from 1980-84) for ninth-most career touchdown passes in Clemson history.
Uiagalelei’s interception on his eighth pass attempt of the game ended a streak of having thrown 110 consecutive passes without an interception. His career-long streak is 128, set across the 2020-21 seasons to open his career.
Following the Uiagalelei interception, Clemson did not allow any points on the ensuing Boston College possession that began at the Clemson 24-yard line. Clemson has allowed only three points off turnovers this season.
Running back Will Shipley scored the game’s first touchdown on a one-yard run with 45 seconds remaining in the first half.
The rushing touchdown was Shipley’s eighth of the season and his 19th of his career.
Wide receiver Joseph Ngata recorded his first receiving touchdown of the season on a 38-yard pass from Uiagalelei on Clemson’s first second-half possession.
The touchdown was Ngata’s fifth of his career and his first since Oct. 15, 2021 at Syracuse.
The 38-yard touchdown was Ngata’s longest scoring play of his career, edging out his first career touchdown, a 37-yard touchdown pass from Chase Brice against Charlotte in 2019.
Wide receiver Beaux Collins added to his single-season career high with his fifth receiving touchdown of the season on a 10-yard pass from Uiagalelei.
Collins became the first Clemson player to catch a touchdown in five of the first six games of a season since DeAndre Hopkins in 2012. Hopkins finished that 2012 season with 18 receiving touchdowns, an ACC record.
Wide receiver Brannon Spector added his second touchdown reception of the season — and of his career — on a 13-yard pass from Uiagalelei in the fourth quarter.
On a 35-yard field goal on Clemson’s first drive, B.T. Potter (2,373 yards on 64 career field goals) broke the Clemson career record for yards on field goals set by Nelson Welch from 1991-94 (2,370).
On that field goal, Potter (64) passed Obed Ariri (63 from 1977-80) and Chris Gardocki (63 from 1988-90) for sole possession of third in Clemson history in career field goals.
On his fourth point of the game, the PAT which followed Shipley’s second quarter touchdown, Potter (403) joined Chandler Catanzaro (404 from 2010-13) and Travis Etienne (468 from 2017-20) as the only players in school history to score 400 career points.
Potter (403) became the 11th player (and 10th kicker) in ACC history to reach 400 career points.
That opening-drive field goal by Potter gave Clemson points on its opening possession for the 10th time in its last 11 games, dating to last season.
Clemson recorded a season-high 13 quarterback hurries, Clemson’s first time being credited by a gameday stat crew with double-digit pressures since the Tigers’ 2017 game against Boston College.
After 11 quarterback hurries with no sacks through the game’s first 34 minutes, defensive tackle Tré Williams recorded Clemson’s first sack of the game. For Williams, a New England native, it was the first sack of the season and the second of his career.
Defensive end Xavier Thomas made his season debut after suffering a foot injury in fall camp. In the third quarter, Thomas recorded his first sack of the season, his first since recording one against Boston College last October.
On the play, Thomas forced the fifth fumble of his career. It was his first forced fumble since Oct. 30, 2021 vs. Florida State, and it brought him within two forced fumbles of tying Levon Kirkland, Keith Adams and Vic Beasley (seven each) for seventh-most in a career in Clemson history.
Thomas added his second sack of the game in the fourth quarter. His two sacks tied his single-game career high set at NC State last season.
Linebacker Barrett Carter recorded a sack/fumble in the fourth quarter. It was his second sack of his career and his second in as many weeks. It was also his second forced fumble of the season and of his career, joining a forced fumble in the season opener against Georgia Tech.
The fumble forced by Carter was recovered by Payton Page, his first career fumble recovery.
The fumble evened the turnover margin at 1-1. Clemson finished even or positive in the turnover margin for its 10th consecutive game, dating to last season. It represents Clemson's first time doing so over 10 games since an 11-game streak across the 1996-97 seasons. Clemson's last game in which it lost the turnover margin was on Nov. 6 last season at Louisville.
Defensive tackle Etinosa Reuben blocked a third-quarter field goal, Clemson’s second blocked field goal of the year and its fourth overall block this year including two blocked punts.
Clemson’s four combined blocks on punts and placekicks are its most in a season since 2016 (five).
Wide receiver Antonio Williams recorded a 20-yard punt return in the second quarter on his second career punt return.
Clemson committed only two penalties for 10 yards. The two penalties were Clemson’s fewest in a game since 2020 at Georgia Tech (two).
Clemson and Boston College met in Chestnut Hill for the first time since 2018. From 2019-21, the teams met in Death Valley in three consecutive years for the first time in series history, as the Eagles joined Duke (1986-88), Virginia (1972-74) and Wake Forest (1957-59 and 1983-85) as the only ACC programs ever to face Clemson in Death Valley in three consecutive seasons.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney coached his 192nd game to pass North Carolina and Wake Forest’s Bill Dooley (191) for third-most career games as an ACC head coach.
Captains for the contest were offensive tackle Jordan McFadden, defensive end Myles Murphy, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and kicker B.T. Potter.

MORE CLEMSON FOOTBALL COVERAGE HERE

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