Clemson had a fight on its hands against Boston College in the first half, but the Tigers inevitably came out on top, winning 31-3 on Saturday night in Chestnut Hill.
Clemson was not without its flaws on Saturday, putting up just 131 yards against the Eagles’ 168 in the first half. An interception by the Eagles early in the first quarter may have shaken Clemson off its game, but as the next three quarters transpired, the Tigers bounced back in dominant fashion.
Within three minutes of the first quarter, a 35-yard field goal by senior kicker B.T. Potter would set the lead for the Tigers. However, the Eagles kicked off the second quarter with a field goal of their own to tie the game.
Yet with just 45 seconds to spare before halftime, Clemson running back Will Shipley ran in a 1-yard touchdown, followed by Potter’s extra point to give the Tigers a 10-3 lead at the half.
Despite the first half being the lowest-scoring half Clemson has had all season, the Tigers seemed to find their groove when they returned from the locker room.
Following the break, Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei connected with wide receiver Joseph Ngata for a 38-yard score at the 11:50 mark in the third quarter. After another Potter extra point, the Tigers jumped out to a 17-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Set to take over the field in the fourth, Uiagalelei completed another passing touchdown, this time to wide receiver Beaux Collins early in the quarter. The junior signal-caller then followed it up with a third passing touchdown to wide receiver Brannon Spector to close out the game.
Clemson’s defense put up two sacks by Xavier Thomas and Tré Williams in the third, which helped keep the Eagles out of scoring for the entirety of the game. Another sack in the fourth quarter by senior K.J. Henry would allow for sophomore defensive tackle Payton Page to recover a fumble for Clemson.
“We feel we just did not play well,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said of the slow start. “We wanted to finish with a little bit of rhythm, and I thought we finished well.”
The Tigers left the Eagles scoreless after their initial three points in the first quarter, making the final score 31-3.
“Hopefully, good momentum going into next week… We have a lot to improve on (from) tonight,” Swinney added.
Clemson pulls away in second half to take down Boston College
Kiley Bouchard, Senior Reporter
October 10, 2022
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