Clemson Tigers @ Boston College Eagles Football Preview

The Clemson Tigers do need some help from the North Carolina State Wolfpack. If the boys from the state of South Carolina receive the assistance they’re looking for, they must then take matters into their own hands when they venture to New England for a game that has “ambush” written all over it.

Yes, Clemson should dispatch the Boston College Eagles this weekend in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, but there’s a vast chasm between the likelihood of “should” and the certainty of actually getting the job done. Even though Boston College is reeling at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson must take the Eagles very seriously. Otherwise, the Tigers are in for another rude awakening at the expense of their northernmost ACC Atlantic Division foe.

Clemson has won the last two meetings between these schools, but it’s worth keeping in mind that Boston College made life miserable for Clemson the previous three seasons. The Eagles have rarely if ever dominated the Tigers; they’ve won in ways that have been far more painful for the people from the Palmetto State.

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In 2005, Boston College went into Death Valley and escaped a journey to the Deep South with a 16-13 overtime win over one of Tommy Bowden’s many snake-bitten Clemson teams. In 2006, the boys of BC prevailed yet again in overtime, winning a 34-33 thriller in Chestnut Hill by blocking a Clemson extra point in bonus panels. In 2007, Boston College went back to South Carolina and clipped Clemson 20-17 in a late-season thriller. The Eagles took the lead with 1:46 left in regulation on a 43-yard scoring strike from quarterback Matt Ryan to receiver Rich Gunnell, but Clemson figured to have the game won on the next possession when, in the final minute, quarterback Cullen Harper found receiver Aaron Kelly streaking down the left sideline a good three steps beyond an out-of-position Eagle cornerback. The ball hit Kelly in the worst possible place – the hands – and the ball clanged to the turf as an incomplete pass. Clemson felt its stomachs sicken on that play, and when a stopped drive forced a desperate 54-yard game-tying field goal attempt, no one inside the domain of Death Valley felt very confident. Sure enough, the long field goal missed badly, and the Eagles walked out of town with the ACC Atlantic championship in their hands.

As you can see, there have been many years when Clemson expected to beat Boston College, but didn’t take care of business. Yes, Clemson needs help from North Carolina State on Thursday night – the Tigers need Florida State to get knocked off in order to catch the Seminoles en route to the successful defense of their 2009 Atlantic Division title. If NC State does its part, Clemson can’t fall asleep at the switch when it plays a noon (Eastern time) kickoff in the Northeast. The Tigers need to be determined and not drowsy against a Boston College team with a dysfunctional quarterback situation and a panicky vibe that are enfolding Frank Spaziani, the team’s increasingly uncomfortable head coach.

Yes, Clemson is expected to beat Boston College. That hardly guarantees that the Tigers will live up to expectations. A little follow-through is needed on a day that could be very significant, provided that NC State beats Florida State on Thursday.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer