2022 Opponent Preview Series: Get to Know Clemson
Boston College has knocked on the door of a Clemson upset two years in a row. BC hasn't topped the Tigers since 2010, but the teams' last two matchups have both been decided by six points.
Clemson failed to win the ACC for the first time in seven years last season. Still, Dabo Swinney's squad—in spite of its 82nd-ranked scoring offense—reached the 10-win mark.
Clemson is the preseason favorite to reclaim its throne atop the ACC this season.
In the final year of ACC divisions, before the conference switches to its 3-5-5 scheduling model, the Eagles will get their annual crack at Swinney and Co.
It's no longer about BC going toe-to-toe with the Tigers. It's about beating them.
WHEN IS BC PLAYING CLEMSON?
Saturday, Oct. 8, TBA
WHERE IS BC PLAYING CLEMSON?
Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
SERIES HISTORY
Clemson leads the all-time series, 20-9-2. BC won its first three games against the Tigers after joining the ACC in 2005. Since, however, the Eagles have won just once. Things got ugly in the 2010s. That decade, the Tigers beat BC by an average of 21.2 points per game. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Eagles mustered just one touchdown. That included their top-20, "College GameDay"-featured matchup, in which BC starting quarterback Anthony Brown was sidelined on BC's first offensive series. In 2020, the Phil Jurkovec-led Eagles staked themselves to a 28-10 lead in the first half but couldn't hold on in Memorial Stadium. Last year, BC was 11 yards away from the Death Valley upset, but a mistimed snap cost Dennis Grosel and the Eagles the monumental win.
BREAKING DOWN THE 2022 TIGERS
Clemson's 2022 Record: 10-3 (6-2 ACC), 3rd in the Atlantic Division
Offense: Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had Heisman Trophy expectations entering last season because of the way he performed in Trevor Lawrence's COVID-19 absence. But, boy, did Uiagalelei fall far short of those. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound dual threat completed just 55.6% of his passes while throwing for 2,246 yards, not to mention just nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in a 2021 season that was carried by the Tigers' defense. Uiagalelei also added 308 yards and four scores on the ground, reaching or eclipsing the 50-yard rushing mark on three separate occasions.
He'll need to step up his game if he wants to keep his job. After all, the Tigers have five-star Cade Klubnik in the fold. To be fair, Uiagalelei was playing behind a shaky offensive line at the start of last year. But that group is bringing back four starters, headlined by center Will Putnam and left tackle Jordan McFadden. Clemson's receiving corps wasn't always healthy in 2021. On the bright side, they return pretty much everyone besides Justyn Ross. So that means Uiagalelei will have a formidable receiver pairing of Joseph Ngata and Beaux Collins, plus tight end Davis Allen, who was third on the team with 28 receptions last season.
Clemson should be able to achieve a nice run/pass balance this year. If anything, the Tigers could better off leaning on a running game that will be spearheaded by Will Shipley, Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah. Shipley and Pace combined for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, with both averaging at least five yards per carry.
Defense: Now, for the strength of this Tigers team. Of course, it's important to mention the obvious: Longtime defensive coordinator Brent Venables is gone—he left to become Oklahoma's head coach. Regardless, there are still a bunch of pieces remaining from a unit that was tops in the ACC and eighth in the nation in total defense. It starts up front with a defensive line that could be the best in the FBS this season.
Bryan Bresee is back after tearing his ACL in 2021. The defensive tackle is the face of this Tigers' defense. Pair him with Tyler Davis, and you have quite the 1-2 interior punch. On the edge, Clemson has its options, but Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas come to mind first. Murphy and Thomas teamed up for 10.5 sacks last year. Don't forget KJ Henry, either. He had 4.5 sacks in 2021.
Clemson lost veterans James Skalski and Baylon Spector in the second level. That said, they have reinforcements that could make the position group even better. Trenton Simpson was behind those two last year with 65 total tackles, including six sacks. He'll be joined by Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. It's a similar story in the backend, where the Tigers lost the highly-touted duo of Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth to the NFL. Guys like senior Sheridan Jones and sophomore Nate Wiggins will try to fill their shoes and uphold a secondary that had Clemson ranked 34th in pass defense.
Special Teams: Somehow, BT Potter is still kicking for Clemson. Potter, now in his fifth year, has gotten better and better during his time with the Tigers. His field goal percentage has gone up from 61.9% (2019) to 78.3% (2020) to 80.8% (2021). Potter is 7-of-9 on kicks from 50 yards or longer in his career. Weirdly, though, he struggles the most in the 30-39 range, where he is 13-of-22 in a Tigers uniform. Potter might even take over punting duties this year. That's been Will Spiers' job the last five years, but he graduated. Watch out for Shipley and Collins in the return game. Also, quarterback-turned-wideout Will Taylor returned six punts for 64 yards in 2021 before his season-ending injury last October.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
6.0 — yards per pass attempt Clemson averaged i 2021, which was tied for 119th in the nation. The last time the Tigers averaged fewer than seven yards per pass attempt was 2010.
42 — sacks piled up by Clemson last year, tied for the ninth most in the FBS.
64.5 — opponents' red zone scoring percentage against the Tigers last season. That was the second-lowest clip in the country.
ESPN FPI
The database gives Clemson a 90% chance of beating BC in Week 6.
OUTLOOK
Clemson's defense has the look of a national title contender. The question is, can that defensive front stay healthy? And, on the other side of the ball, can Uiagalelei find his footing as a junior?
The Tigers' offense doesn't need to be as explosive as it was when Lawrence or Deshaun Watson were quarterbacking the team, but it needs to be consistently functional, which wasn't the case last year.
For the first time since 2018, BC gets Clemson at home. It should be a lot closer than ESPN's FPI suggests. The fourth quarter will likely, once again, prove to be the difference.