College GameDay arrives on the Boston College campus for the first time since 2009 on Saturday as the Boston College Eagles host the Clemson Tigers.
This Saturday is lining up to bring a lot of excitement for the Boston College Eagles football team.
The traveling circus of ESPN’s College GameDay is in town, elevating an already hyped up game between the 17th-ranked (CFP) Eagles and the 2nd-ranked Clemson Tigers to lunatic levels.
Oh, and first place for the Atlantic Division of the ACC is also on the line.
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A win by the Eagles (7-2, 4-1) would vault Boston College into first place. If Clemson (9-0, 6-0) wins, the Tigers lock up the division for the fourth straight season.
This game could have it all. A high-octane Clemson offense pitted against an outstanding defense. Two star running backs hoping to leave their mark. And a top-rated Clemson defense against a reliable Boston College offense.
The Eagles have settled into a heavy run-first routine of years past, relying on the play of AJ Dillon, Travis Levy and others.
Clemson brings a defense loaded with NFL-ready talent and has allowed only 13.3 points per game in 2018.
Boston College hopes to avoid a repeat of last season, in which the Eagles let a close game get away from them late.
The game was tied at 7 early in the fourth. This was before Clemson turned it up a notch, scoring four more touchdowns in ultimately defeating Boston College 34-7.
Time, location and where to watch
Location: Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA
Time: 8 pm (EST)
Television: ABC
Boston College Eagles
A huge factor in this game is going to be how well Boston College plays on offense.
The play of quarterback Anthony Brown has already been discussed so its time to focus on what is central to the Eagles offense: the running game.
AJ Dillon is one of the best in the nation, though he has been hampered by injury and dinged up as of late. Dillon had 96 yards in last week’s victory over Virginia Tech. These numbers came despite sitting out much of the fourth quarter.
Dillon has 897 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018 and has been complemented nicely by players such as Ben Glines, David Bailey, and Travis Levy. Levy had his best running game of the season last week, rushing for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Whatever combo of players is used in the backfield need to help control the clock while also being productive. This also means the offensive line will be in the spotlight not only opening holes for the backs but for keeping Brown clean in the pocket as well.
The Eagles have allowed 14 sacks in 2018 and are averaging 225 yards per game on the ground.
Boston College’s front seven and its run defense are in for a battle. The defense allows 151.8 rushing yards per game and are facing a Clemson team averaging 265 rushing yards.
In last season’s loss to the Tigers, the defense ran out of gas by the fourth quarter. When the game was all said and done, the Eagles had allowed 342 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
One player who didn’t play in last season’s game was Connor Strachan. The quiet leader of the defense, Strachan has 74 tackles and 3 sacks in 2018.
Clemson Tigers
A narrow 27-23 victory over the Syracuse Tigers seems like a lifetime ago for these Clemson Tigers. Since that game, the phrase “being on a roll” might be an understatement for Clemson
They are averaging 60 points in four games since, dropping 77 on Louisville just last week. Overall, Clemson averages 47.8 points per game.
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This is largely thanks to a run game averaging 265.3 yards. Topping it off, players are toting the ball for 6.9 yards per carry.
Travis Etienne is tops in the yards department, totaling 998 on the season. He has 15 rushing touchdowns and averages 8.6 yards per carry.
Etienne’s average looks paltry compared to Lyn-J Dixon. Dixon averages 11.1 yards per carry and has 457 rushing yards.
Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasn’t contributed much to the run game, but his passing has been on point. Lawrence has thrown for 1549 yards with 18 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
His top target is Tee Higgins, who has 35 receptions, 514 yards, and 7 scores.
The success on offense has been great, but the Tigers defense is just as strong. They allow only 13.3 points and 269.2 yards per game while racking up 32 sacks in 2018, good for third in the nation.
Junior linebacker Tre Lamar leads the team with 51 tackles. Two other players to keep an eye on are defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (35 tackles, 9.5 TFL) and defensive end Clelin Ferrell (33 tackles, 7.5 sacks).
Prediction
Can Boston College get it done?
Yes, but it’s going to take a lot. They’ll need to see if they can rattle Lawrence with sacks and pressure, hopefully leading to a few turnovers. If they do this — with a perfect game from the offense and special teams — an upset can happen.
Even then, it might not be enough. Prove me wrong, Eagles. Clemson 35 Boston College 24