One Last Rewind: Boston College: Balance leads to Homecoming cruise
It didn’t take long for Clemson to assert their will against Boston College last weekend. The Eagles’ first drive resulted in a three-and-out, which took a total of 26 seconds, and it never got much better.
That series was a microcosm of how the night would go for the visitors from Chestnut Hill as Clemson led 38-7 at halftime. The Tigers wouldn’t look back cruising to a 59-7 win on Homecoming over the Eagles.
Power against power
K’Von Wallace and Isaiah Simmons said that Clemson’s tackling needed to improve as the Tigers move forward. There’s no better way to do that than against a physical running attack, which averaged 278.3 yards per game. It’s safe to say the defense got their issues corrected as they stymied AJ Dillon, giving up just 76 yards on 19 carries to the talented back.
Boston College’s most impressive possession was a 15-play drive in the second quarter to cut Clemson’s lead to 17-7. But, Clemson was dominant for the majority of the night. It's important to note it was all done without Xavier Thomas for the second straight week. It’s looking like Thomas will be available this weekend vs. Wofford in some capacity.
A performance like that helps a young Clemson defensive front grow. This includes Logan Rudolph, who got in on the scoring action on a strip-sack in the second half. Tanner Muse said earlier this week that Rudolph “throws his whole body” into everything he’s doing.
“He’s always going to give you 100% every single play when you’ve got some guys who are standoffish, they try to play smoother and things like that. He’s just like gung-ho and real gritty and just gets after it,” Muse said.
Simple and easy
One of Clemson’s scoring drives in the first half looked simple, and that’s because it was. A screen to Tee Higgins setup Lyn-J Dixon for a big run. Then Diondre Overton, who had a career game, put six on the board with a fantastic out route for a touchdown.
Outside of Overton’s three-touchdown performance, the story of the night was the balance of Clemson's offense. They were able to spread the wealth around and take advantage of matchups in space. When you combine that with the Tigers’ talent, things are going to go well.
Speaking of going well. How about Amari Rodgers? Right now, you could argue that he looks faster than he did before his ACL injury. His burst is incredible right now as he showed on a big catch and run touchdown.
Clemson amassed 674 yards of total offense in the game, and Trevor Lawrence finished 16 for 19 for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and wait for it...no interceptions. The sophomore settled in early and took what the defense gave him. The criticism of Lawrence has been valid at times, but he was able to quiet it on Saturday with an excellent performance.
“After that first drive, we drove the ball all the way down there, settled for a field goal but then five touchdowns in a row. I think it’s definitely the best game we’ve played so far," co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. "We were able to get a glimpse of what it looks like when we don’t have penalties and turnovers and things that really set us back and put us behind the chains.”
Over the last few weeks, Clemson’s offense has been putting up numbers and points in bunches. Saturday was their best performance in my estimation.
Looking Ahead
Last Saturday was Clemson’s most complete game as the Tigers did what they wanted to do right out of the gate.
This weekend’s matchup with Wofford will offer little resistance, and you shouldn’t see Trevor Lawrence and most of the starters taking too many snaps, if any, in the second half. What is more interesting is if they play more than expected in hopes of keeping their rhythm. The Tigers appear to be hitting their stride and you don’t want to throw that off by not letting the guys get into the flow of the game.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. in Death Valley for the Tigers and Terriers.