CLEMSON, S.C. – After a dominant 38-10 win over UNC last week to capture the Clemson Tigers’ first conference victory, the men in orange will today travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to face the Boston College Eagles, 1-4, 0-3 ACC, at Alumni Stadium on Saturday night.
Heading into this matchup, the Tigers are on a 12-game winning streak, last losing to Boston College in 2010, 16-10.
Through five games, Boston College has one of the best air raid offenses in the country, ranking No. 10 nationally, averaging 313.4 passing yards per game, led by Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan.
Lonergan started his 2025 season off strong with the Eagles, completing 60-of-79 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games. However, since then he hasn’t played up to par, throwing for 619 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions en route to an 0-3 record during that time span.
On the ground, the Eagles boast one of the worst rushing offenses in the country, averaging only 85 rushing yards per game – sixth-worst in the country. Starting running back Turbo Richard has 331 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 64 carries, but has also been utilized as a receiving threat. He is fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards, recording 17 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, their biggest flaw has been allowing opposing quarterbacks to do whatever they want on the field. Boston College has allowed at least two passing touchdowns in three of five games so far and ranks 85th in the FBS for passing yards allowed.
With that, Clemson and their quarterback dilemma have smoothed out a little bit after last week’s win in Chapel Hill, as Cade Klubnik completed 22-of-24 passes for 254 yards and a season-high four touchdowns in the blowout win. This week, the senior has the perfect chance to exploit the shaky secondary and quiet critics after Clemson’s worst start in over two decades.
“I’m like, ‘Listen, man, you’re Batman,'” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “But my message was more, ‘You’re Cade Klubnik. Just be Cade.’ And so, he was awesome. It was obviously a tremendous performance.”
The run game didn’t look great last week, totaling just 89 yards and averaging 2.9 yards per carry. But luckily, the Eagles have a very mediocre run defense, allowing over 130 rushing yards per game, and most recently gave up 172 yards on the ground in their 48-7 blowout loss to Pittsburgh. As long as Garrett Riley can find a way to assert other backs in the mix alongside Adam Randall, the backfield should be in good hands.
“Again, I was pleased with the [UNC performance], but I felt like we should’ve rushed for 115, 120 in that game; we just left a little bit there,” Swinney noted. “The main thing I want to see is just being efficient. As an offense, you’re going to attack what you feel is the defense’s weakness, but you have to be efficient running the ball. Some games you’re going to have more explosives in the run game than the pass, but week to week we want to be precise in what we do, physical at the point, and be very efficient.”
Clemson has labored through some growing pains defensively to start the season, but showed improvement in their new outing, limiting UNC to just 10 points as defensive coordinator Tom Allen stepped onto the field to coach first-hand for the first time this season, proving a vast difference.
Through five games, the Tigers’ defense is allowing 343.6 yards per game (42nd) and 20.2 points per contest (30th). With those stats in mind, the biggest thing people want to see from Clemson’s defense in Massachusetts is the fundamentals, as those are what have plagued this team all season long. Take the right angles, wrap up tackles, and finish blocks; those are what will win the Tigers this game.
“Some of it is just finishing the plays we were there. Shots on goal, as Tom [Allen] likes to call it; we had a nice sack [but] if we attack the ball, we might have a sack-score in the last game. [The problem is] shots on goal, when we’re playing some zone coverage – it’s being a little better with our eyes – not guessing but anticipation that comes from your preparation and your film study,” Swinney emphasized. “It’s relentless, second guys getting to the ball carrier and stripping, getting your hands up, and then we got to finish some of the plays we’ve had an opportunity to finish on. We started off really good, then we anthem a little dry spell, so hopefully that’ll change this week.”
In terms of injuries, the only notable player who won’t be active is sophomore offensive lineman Elyjah Thurmon, who missed last week’s game at North Carolina after suffering an injury during practice.
“He’s just kind of day-to-day right today,” Swinney told the media. “He’ll be out this week. But it’s not long-term.”
Boston College, on the other hand, has a plethora of injuries to their roster with eight players already listed as OUT and 14 questionable.
today here’s everything you need to know for the Week 7 matchup against Boston College, including broadcast information and betting odds as well as other game day information for those attending the game.
Clemson Tigers vs. Boston College Eagles: What You Need to Know
Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
When: Saturday, Oct. 11, 7:30 EST.
Other Game Day Info:
movie: ACC Network
Stream: Via ESPN or the ESPN app
Weather: During the night it is expected to be mostly cloudy skies. The high will be around 67 and the low will be around 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds will be 5-10 mph, according to weather.com.
Radio: The ROAR: 105.5 WCCP-FM and WAHT(AM)
Odds: Clemson is considered a 14.5-point favorite over Boston College, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 54.5 points.
Disclaimer: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER
Series History: Clemson leads the series 21-9-2 over Boston College, dating back to 1939. Clemson is on a 12-game winning streak against the Eagles, winning, 31-3, in the series’ last matchup in 2022.
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