To outside observers, this week may seem like a prime letdown spot for Clemson.
It’s an understandable thought.
Clemson is coming off consecutive top-15 wins to begin the meat of its ACC schedule. The most recent was a fairly dominant home victory over NC State. Couple that with the win over Wake Forest the previous week, and the Tigers now have a leg up on the two teams that many considered in the preseason to be their stiffest competition for a run at the Atlantic Division title.
But Florida State is off to a 4-1 start that includes a win over LSU. The Seminoles, who have also won two of their first three conference games, will get their chance to host Clemson for the first time since 2018 next week in another nationally televised division clash under the lights at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Sandwiched in between that for the Tigers is a trip to Boston College on Saturday. One might look at that game as a step down in competition for Clemson, and, at least on paper, that’s true.
The Eagles rank in the hundreds nationally in yards and points while their rushing offense is the one of the three worst in the FBS (76 yards per game). That doesn’t figure to bode well against the nation’s No. 2 run defense.
With a healthy Phil Jurkovec back at quarterback and all-conference receiver Zay Flowers out wide, the best part of Boston College’s offense is the passing game. Yet even the production there has been average by FBS standards at 239 yards per game, good for 76th nationally.
Meanwhile, the defense has been so-so. Boston College is allowing 28.6 points and 373.2 yards each time out, both of which rank in the bottom half of the ACC.
In recent history, this series has been lopsided. Clemson has won 11 straight over the Eagles and 13 of the 14 meetings during Dabo Swinney’s tenure. Vegas has the Tigers as a 20-point favorite this week.
But don’t tell Swinney his team will have an easy time of it in Chestnut Hill.
“It’s one of those games where we’re going to have to play well to have a chance to win on the road,” Swinney said.
While it may not be the sexiest matchup on Clemson’s schedule, Saturday’s game isn’t any less important. It starts a stretch of three of the Tigers’ next four games on the road, one that ends with a marquee non-conference game at Notre Dame the first weekend in November following a bye week.
Take care of business, and Clemson keeps a stranglehold on its destiny. Drop one or two, and that grip loosens. Which is why the Tigers can’t afford to take anything for granted, particularly outside of the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.
“Three of the next four games are on the road for us,” Swinney said. “If we’re going to have the type of season we want to have, we’ve got to really bring the sense of urgency and bring our energy and juice each and every week.”
While the Tigers put together one of their more complete performances against NC State a week ago, there’s still room for improvement. D.J. Uiagalelei missed on a handful of shot plays in the passing game while the running game averaged just 3.8 yards per carry against the Wolfpack. For the nation’s 106th-ranked pass defense, there’s still work to do in a secondary that’s missing veteran corners Sheridan Jones and Malcolm Greene for the time being.
And then there are the penalties. Clemson has been flagged 19 times for 215 total yards in the last two games.
“We’ve got to really play with precision, and that’s what I want to see from us is just be a little more precise in some of our details and our discipline,” Swinney said. “Whether it be our eyes, our alignments, our technique, our leverage, whatever it is. We’ve got a lot of little things to clean up.”
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