Clemson Looks to Keep Building Momentum

Clemson has its second straight road test after the huge win in Chapel Hill. This weekend, the Tigers head up north to face Boston College. The Eagles are the second team in a row that Clemson faces, whose head coach has had a stint in the NFL.

Bill O’Brien went 52-48 as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020. Now, he is in his second season at Boston College. It’s been a struggle this season, as O’Brien attempts to create his version of a pro-style program at the collegiate level. This is a key game for two teams trying to inject life back into historic ACC programs.

Clemson vs Boston College

Clemson vs Boston College History

This will be the 33rd meeting between Clemson and Boston College. The Tigers lead the series with a 21-9-2 record against the Eagles. The first game between these programs was in the 1940 Cotton Bowl. It was a tight contest, which Clemson won 6-3.

Right now, the Tigers hold a 12-game win streak against Boston College. The streak started with a 36-14 home victory in 2011. Most recently, these two teams faced each other in 2022 at Boston College. Clemson won that matchup 31-3. This weekend, the Eagles and Tigers will meet in Chestnut Hill once again.

Why Clemson Needs This Win

Clemson needs this win in order to keep building momentum before heading into a tough four-game stretch. After this game, Clemson faces three of the top eight teams in the ACC and the 25th-ranked team in the country. These teams are SMU, Duke, Florida State, and Louisville.

All those teams have winning records, unlike Boston College. Each of those games is winnable for Clemson. But, only if the Tigers play with the same energy they had against North Carolina. Getting two straight conference wins in impressive fashion could be what this team needs to get its confidence back.

Even if those wins are coming against struggling programs, the morale that is built can go a long way. If Clemson wants to go on a run through the second half of the season, it needs these confidence boosters. Winning one game is great for the moment, but winning two in a row is what builds true momentum.

How Clemson Gets the Win

Clemson needs to find ways to replicate the performance from last week. It doesn’t have to look exactly the same, but the Tigers need to dominate the game once again.

The offense has to come out firing like last weekend. The best thing that the unit did last week was get so many players involved. Cade Klubnik threw to ten different receivers against the Tar Heels. Getting weapons like TJ Moore, and Antonio Williams the ball early helped open things up for other pass catchers, too.

Tristan Smith was more involved in the game plan, which was great to see. Also, Christian Bentancur had a bit of a coming-out party with his two touchdown receptions. Spreading the wealth is something the Tigers need to continue doing offensively. Mixing in more runs early in the game to keep the defense honest will help keep this offense improving as well.

Defensively, Clemson needs to keep the Eagles’ offense off schedule. The more third-and-long situations Clemson can put Boston College in, the harder it will be for them to put any solid drives together. Eagles quarterback Dylan Lonergan is at his best when he is on schedule and everything is going right on offense. He is not great at creating things out of bad situations, though.

Lonergan threw nine touchdown passes and just one interception in the first three weeks of the season. As the competition got tougher, though, his numbers have plummeted. The sophomore has thrown no touchdown passes and three interceptions in two games. If the Clemson defense gets after Lonergan and gives him a long night, the Tigers will get two straight wins for the first time this season.