The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Boston College vs. Clemson
Leading up to this Saturday’s matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Boston College Eagles, there’s excitement but also a level of nervousness over Cole Stoudt’s second "debut." After beginning the season as the starter, this Saturday will be his first start since the Florida State game.
Though how Stoudt plays is the biggest factor for Clemson, there are also a couple of other things the Tigers need to focus on before this weekend’s conference matchup.
Since we mentioned Stoudt, we will start with him.
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How Cole Stoudt Plays
He didn’t play very well against Louisville, but we'll give him a pass considering the shoulder injury and missed practices. With that in mind, the Tigers can’t afford for Stoudt to play like that again. The run game isn’t strong enough at this point to play conservatively, so the senior quarterback will need to make plays through the air.
Clemson won its last game with superb defense and consistent special teams, but you can’t count on the defense to play that well every game. With a full week of practice and a mind-set as the starting quarterback, Stoudt will play better this week.
Tigers’ Ability to Stop the Run
If I told you after the Georgia game—when Clemson gave up 328 yards on the ground—that the Tigers would have arguably the best rushing defense in the nation by mid-October, would you believe me? Well believe it or not, they are right there in that discussion.
Per ESPN.com’s David Hale, the Tigers have allowed the fewest rushing yards since the season opener.
The defense will face a tough test this weekend against Boston College, though. The Eagles rank fifth in the nation in rushing, averaging 315.7 yards per game. Quarterback Tyler Murphy leads the attack with 711 yards and eight touchdowns.
Running the ball is what helped Boston College upset Southern California—it had 452 yards on the ground in that game—so it’s likely that the Eagles try to do the same thing in this upset bid.
| Georgia | 41 | 328 | 8.0 |
| S.C. State | 28 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Florida State | 27 | 13 | 0.5 |
| North Carolina | 30 | 84 | 2.8 |
| N.C. State | 38 | 119 | 3.1 |
| Louisville | 38 | 52 | 1.4 |
If I’m Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, I am going to load the box and dare Murphy to throw the ball downfield. He hasn’t been particularly successful in that aspect, throwing six interceptions and only three touchdowns.
Special Teams
Like I mentioned earlier, special teams were crucial in the last game. The touchdown on Adam Humphries’ punt return and Ammon Lakip’s three field goals were ultimately the difference in winning and losing.
Lakip struggled in the two road games earlier this year—he missed three out of four kicks against Georgia and Florida State—so it will be interesting to see how he performs in this game. While it’s worth noting his struggles in those two games, he has been near perfect at home, only missing one kick.
This game feels like it could come down to the final quarter—it always seems that way with Boston College—so special teams are vital.
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