Clemson vs Boston College: 5 Things to Watch For

Boston College visits No. 25 Clemson (2-2, 1-1) this weekend with the hope of doing what it came, oh so close, to doing one season ago.

The Eagles (4-0) came into Death Valley last season and sent the Clemson faithful into shock by taking an 18-point lead into halftime over the then third-ranked Tigers. However, in his first career start, quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and Clemson overcame the deficit, coming away with 34-28 win.

After an incredibly slow start on the offensive side of the ball this season, Dabo Swinney's Tigers will be looking for more of the Uiagalelei they got in that game a year ago than what they have seen this season.

5 Things to Watch

1. Offensive Gameplan: Very close games, combined with the offensive line woes, the inconsistent quarterback play, and the inexperienced running backs, have led the coaches to be ultra-conservative on offense. Understandably so, considering the three games Clemson has played against Power-5 competition have basically all been one-score affairs. However, with the Tigers now sitting at 2-2, it could be time to open the playbook up a little more. With any hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance all but shot, the pressure is off. Maybe it's time to take the reigns off and let these kids go out and have a little fun.

2. Clemson Run Defense: With Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis now both out injured, it's hard to imagine the Tigers not taking at least a small step backward when it comes to defending the run. Boston College comes in averaging more than 220 yards per game on the ground. If the Tigers have any hope of winning this game, they must slow down Patrick Garwo, who is averaging more than six yards per carry. How Ruke Orhorhoro, Tre Williams and Justin Foster hold up on the interior of that defensive line could go a long way towards deciding the outcome.

3. Secondary Must Hold Up: If Boston College is going to win this game, it will likely be backup quarterback Dennis Grosel who is the deciding factor. Brent Venables is not going to let the Eagles beat the Tigers on the ground, he is going to force Grosel to beat them through the air. Emeka Emezie had a field day last weekend in Raleigh by finding holes in the pass defense. The backend can not let the same thing happen this week with Zay Flowers.

4. Debut of Freshman Phil Mafah: With Will Shipley out with an injured knee, the redshirt is coming off of the freshman running back. Mafah is a dynamic back, who some think was vastly underrated by the recruiting services last year. While he may not have the speed of Shipley, he has plenty of quickness and at 220 pounds, also has the physicality to make a living running between the tackles.

5. Streaks On Line: The Tigers come into this matchup with a number of streaks on the line. Clemson has won 10 straight against Boston College, 30 straight at home, and have not lost back-to-back games in the same season since 2011. Dabo Swinney is also 8-0 at home against the Eagles.

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