Clemson Uses Dominant Second Half to Beat Boston College 31-3

No. 5 Clemson overcame a slow first half as the Tigers go on the road and beat Boston College 31-3 in the annual Red Bandana game.

BOSTON- Boston College made it tougher on the Tigers than many expected. At least for a half. 

After struggling to move the ball with any consistency much of the first half, the No. 5 Tigers relied on a stingy defensive effort to come away with a 31-3 win over a highly motivated Boston College in the annual Red Bandana game.

Clemson held the Eagles to just 34 rushing yards on the night in earning its 12th consecutive win in the series. Phil Jukovec did throw for 188 yards, but the Tigers made the quarterback earn most of those. Jurkovec constantly had pressure in his face as Clemson had 12 QB hits in the game while sacking the redshirt junior three times. Boston College was also held to just 5-of-18 on third downs on the night.

It was a slow start for the offense, though. The Tigers did manage to march straight down the field on its opening possession of the game, but Beaux Collins dropped a perfectly thrown ball by DJ Uiagalelei in the end zone and Clemson had to settle for a B.T. Potter 35-yard field goal to take a 3-0. The Tigers would not score again until Will Shipley ran it in from one yard out with 45 seconds remaining in the first half to give Clemson a 10-3 lead.

The Tigers would then respond on its opening possession of the second half as Uiagalelei found a streaking Joseph Ngata down the sideline for a 38-yard touchdown, giving Clemson a 17-3 lead. Uiagalelei would finish the night 18-32 for 220 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. The quarterback also led the Tigers with 69 rushing yards on 12 carries.

On the night, the Tigers recorded 364 yards of total offense, with 144 of those coming on the ground. However, the Eagles held the Tigers running backs in check as Shipley and Phil Mafah combined for just 69 yards on 17 carries.

The win moves Clemson to 6-0 on the season and 4-0 in ACC play. Boston College falls to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in league play. 

Player of the Game: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was making players all over the field in this one. The sophomore LB helped lead a stout defensive effort, finishing the night with 4 tackles, 1.5 TFL and a forced fumble.

Key Play: Up 10-3 early in the third quarter and facing a 3rd and 7 from their own 41, Uiagalelei connected with Collins on a 21-yard completion, setting the Tigers up with a first down at the BC 38. The very next play Uiagalelei hit Ngata on a 38-yard touchdown putting Clemson up by two touchdowns and putting the momentum squarely on the Tigers' side.

Freshman Impact: Freshman wideout Antonio Williams led the Tigers with 5 catches on the night, and also added a 20-yard punt return in the winning effort. Willaims continues to show excellent hands and an ability to make plays for the Tigers.

Stat of the Game: The Clemson defense held Boston College to just 1.1 yards per carry in the contest.

Up Next: Clemson is on the road for the second straight week as the Tigers will travel to Tallahassee to take on a resurging Florida State team. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ABC.

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