Same early struggles. Same final result.
Clemson didn’t exert the wall-the-wall dominance it would’ve liked against host Boston College on Saturday night, but a 31-3 win kept the Tigers in control of their ACC destiny and in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei connected with receivers Joseph Ngata, Beaux Collins and Brannon Spector for second-half touchdown passes and the Tigers defense pitched a second-half shutout as No. 5 Clemson moved to 6-0 and 4-0 in conference play.
No. 22 Syracuse, which is idle this week, is the only other undefeated team in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and the only ranked opponent left on Clemson’s schedule as of Saturday night.
Boston College (2-4, 1-3 ACC) stayed within one possession of Clemson through halftime, but Uiagalelei’s 38-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Ngata in the opening minutes of the third quarter gave the Tigers a two-score advantage they never lost.
Uiagalelei, who threw for 220 yards, also hit a wide-open Collins for a 21-yard touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter and Spector for a 13-yard score in garbage time to help Clemson extend the country’s longest active winning streak to 12 games.
Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers have now won 12 straight games against Boston College dating back to 2011, 45 of their last 47 games against ACC Atlantic teams and 37 straight games against unranked teams while ranked among the AP poll’s Top 5.
“It was tough sledding tonight but good finish for the guys and hopefully good momentum going into next week,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “Really proud of our defense. What a great game ... this is not an easy place to play. Never has been. That’s a tough, tough bunch over there.”
Clemson walloped Boston College by an average of 36 points from 2015 to 2019, but the Eagles kept the series significantly closer with six-point losses in 2020 and 2021. Saturday night’s result was closer to the former than the latter … but not without its rough patches.
Following a trend in earlier wins this season against Georgia Tech, Furman and Louisiana Tech, Clemson played to the level of its opponent during a lackluster opening 30 minutes.
Collins dropping a sure touchdown pass in the end zone, Uiagalelei throwing his second interception of the season directly to a BC defender and special-teamer Elijah Rodgers colliding with punt returner Will Taylor (who muffed but recovered the ball) were the lowlights of a largely forgettable first and second quarter at Alumni Stadium.
Clemson netted its fewest points in a half all season (10) and Uiagalelei his fewest passing yards in a first half (80), but B.T. Potter kicked a 35-yard field goal after Collins’ drop and Shipley scored a one-yard rushing touchdown right before halftime to keep the Tigers in the lead, 10-3.
Before Shipley’s go-ahead touchdown, Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins had an excellent pass breakup on third down and defensive end K.J. Henry pressured Jurkovec into an incompletion on fourth down to stymie Boston College’s best touchdown chance of the half.
The Eagles could only muster a 30-yard field goal in the first half, with kicker Connor Lytton also missing wide left on a 35-yarder after BC picked off Uiagalelei in the first quarter.
Clemson’s defense limited Boston College to 86 total yards in the second half despite being down a number of key contributors. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, safety Tyler Venables, safety R.J. Mickens and cornerback Sheridan Jones all missed Saturday’s game with injuries.
Senior defensive end Xavier Thomas, who missed Clemson’s first five games with a foot injury, returned with a vengeance, though, and logged a team-high two sacks. The Tigers also recorded 13 quarterback pressures, forced a fumble and blocked a field goal in the win.
