Three Boston College Players Who Could Give Clemson Problems This Week

The Eagles have some talent that the Clemson Tigers will have to keep in mind on Saturday

It won't be a total cake walk for the Clemson Tigers up in Boston | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

After an encouraging 38-10 ACC win over the University of North Carolina, the Clemson Tigers hope to keep the ball rolling as they head to the Northeast to face the Boston College Eagles.

Clemson on SI takes a look at three notable opposing players to keep an eye on.

Lewis Bond, Wide Receiver

The Eagles may have the worst rushing offense in the ACC, but they also have the conference’s leading receiver.

Bond leads the ACC and ranks among the FBS’s top ten with 38 receptions while totaling 366 receiving yards.

According to Pro Football Focus, the vast majority (74.4%) of Bond’s targets have come from within ten yards. This season, he has seen just two deep targets (beyond 20 yards) and did not haul in either pass. 

As a polished and twitchy route-runner, Bond excels in the slot while exploiting the unoccupied zones of opposing defenses. The 5-foot-11 and 190-pound speedster is also effective after the catch, comfortably catching passes in stride and often making the first defender miss before knifing up the field to gain as many yards as possible.

Sedarius McConnell, Defensive Line

Coming off a solid junior season with the Eagles, McConnell has become a major disruptor for Boston College’s defensive front. 

McConnell is currently the Eagles' highest-graded defender (70.0), leading the team in sacks and coming second in tackles-for-loss.

Through five games, he has made 10 tackles, two sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and forced one fumble. At 6-foot-3 and 279 pounds, McConnell is more nimble than most defensive linemen, often winning the battle in the trenches with a quick get-off and advantageous leverage.

Luckily for the Tigers, their offensive line is the team’s biggest strength, so McConnell may not be able to make the same impact that he has in previous weeks.

Omar Thornton

As Clemson looks to continue their recent success through the air, it will have to watch out for safety Omar Thornton.

The South Florida native currently has the highest coverage grade on the team (64.5) and is also Boston College’s second-leading tackler.

Up to this point of the season, Thornton has made 31 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, an interception, a sack and two forced fumbles.

The best game of his career came against Michigan State earlier in the season, when he earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors after racking up 11 tackles and a sack.

As a sideline-to-sideline tackler who is also regularly trusted in man coverage, expect Thornton’s name to be called frequently on Saturday.