Know Your Opponent: Clemson
By Ben Neuwirth
First posted on Bostoncollege.247sports.com
The Boston College Eagles travel to Death Valley, South Carolina for a matchup with the defending National Champion Clemson Tigers. The game is scheduled to start Saturday at 3:30.
The Tigers come into this game sporting a perfect 3-0 record and shiny #2 ranking in the national polls. Although this year’s team in quite different from last year’s squad, they are similarly effective. Clemson is fresh off a trashing of a ranked Louisville team on the road, already their 2nd win against a top 15 opponent this year and many expect to see them in the College Football Playoffs.
Every week this season, Heights247 will take a look at the Eagles’ upcoming opponent to open the week. Here’s a few thing to know about Notre Dame before we get into a deeper look the rest of the week.
Overview:
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney(92-28, tenth year)
2016 record: 14-1
2016 bowl: National Championship
Returning starters: 2 (5 offensive, 7 defensive)
Offense:
Many expected a drop off from the prolific Tiger offense after legendary QB Deshaun Watson and monstrous wideout Mike Williams were drafted into the NFL. However, 3 weeks into the season, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as young players have stepped up big. Junior signal-caller Kelly Bryant looks like Watson-lite, throwing for over 730 yards and rushing for 162 more, while racking up just a single pick, a major key for a QB of such a talented team.
His top target has been junior WR Ray-Ray McCloud, who caught a 79-yard bomb last week in Louisville and leads the team with 16 catches and 220 receiving yards. The Tigers are extremely athletic, fast and deep, almost all of their receivers have the ability to take any pass to the house.
Clemson is a run-heavy offense, they have 28 more attempts on the ground than through the air this season. They run a multi-pronged attack headed by freshman back Travis Etienne and sophomore RB Tavien Feaster (great name). Both are relatively small backs, each under 6 foot, who use speed and shiftiness to break down defenses. C.J. Fuller and Adam Choice may come in for a couple change-of-pace carries.
Defense:
Clemson had a defense good enough to win a title last year and many are saying this year’s unit is just as great, if not better. Senior stalwart LB Dorian O’Daniel is the star of this defense, racking up 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pick so far this year. He is helped out by a dominant defensive line that goes after the quarterback, 4 sacks so far for junior DE Austin Bryant, and smothers opposing running backs at the line, junior DT Christian Wilkins has 3.5 tackles for loss.
The one potential weakness of this defense is their secondary. Their starting CB, FS and SS are all sophomores and their inexperience showed last week, as despite the win, Louisville QB Lamar Jackson was able to throw for over 300 yards. A QB who can avoid the fearsome Tiger pass rush and keep his eyes down the field may be able to do some damage.
Betting Line:
Sportsline: CLEM -34.5
O/U: 52.5