LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s Game Day in Death Valley where No. 2 Clemson battles Boston College in an Atlantic Division showdown.

Location: Memorial Stadium (Death Valley)

Kickoff:  3:30 p.m.

Television:  ESPN2

Announcers:  Dave Lemont, Kelly Stouffer, Kris Budden

2017 Record: Clemson  3-0,  Boston College 1-2

ACC/SEC Record: Clemson 1-0,  Boston College 0-1

Series History: Clemson leads 15-9-2

Last Meeting:  Clemson won 56-10 in 2016 at Boston College

Clemson vs. Boston College Series

•Clemson has a 15-9-2 lead in the series with Boston College that dates to the 1940 Cotton Bowl. Clemson has won each of the last six games, including 56-10 last year
in Boston the most points Clemson has scored against BC and the largest margin of victory in the series.
•Clemson won the last time the two teams met in Clemson by a 34-17 score in 2015. Boston College’s last win in the series took place in 2010, a 16-10 Boston College in
Boston. The Eagles have not won at Clemson since 2007, a 20-17 Eagles win that determined the ACC Atlantic championship.
•The Tigers have won eight of the nine games played since Dabo Swinney became
Clemson head coach on an interim basis on October 13, 2008. Clemson won 27-21 in
Chestnut Hill on November 1, 2008 and 25-7 at Clemson in 2009. The 2008 win in Boston was Swinney’s first career win as a head coach.  Clemson’s only loss in the Swinney era to the Eagles as head coach came in 2010 in Boston.

Dabo Swinney’s First Win was in Chestnut Hill
Clemson 27, Boston College 21
At Chestnut Hill, Nov. 1, 2008

C.J. Spiller totaled 242 all-purpose yards and Clemson scored the game’s final 10 points to defeat Boston College 27-21 at Alumni Stadium on November 1, 2008. It was Clemson’s first win over the Eagles since 1958, snapping its six-game winless streak, and the first win for Dabo Swinney as Clemson’s interim head coach.

Boston College Update

Boston College enters Saturday’s game with Clemson with a 1-2 record, but their victory was an overtime thriller on the road against Northern Illinois, the team that won at Nebraska last weekend.  The Eagles are coming off a 49-20 loss to Notre Dame. The
Irish, who have two Associated Press Preseason All-Americans in the offensive line, were able to run the ball against the Eagles, as Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush had 207 yards on the ground, most ever by a Notre Dame quarterback. The Irish had over 500 yards rushing.

McCloud Establishes Career High

Ray-Ray McCloud is coming off his most productive game as a Clemson Tiger. The junior had a career high 115 receiving yards in the win over Louisville, just the second 100-yard receiving game of his career. He had those yards on seven catches, the second highest total of his Clemson career.

McCloud had a highlight play in that contest, a 79-yard scoring pass from Kelly Bryant. That was the longest pass play for the Tigers since 2013 when Tajh Boyd connected with Sammy Watkins on a 96-yard scoring pass at Charlottesville.

Elliott and Scott Successful at Co-Coordinators

Clemson co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott were teammates at Clemson from 2000-02. In fact, they were pregame stretch partners during that time. Now they have partnered to make Clemson one of the top offenses in the nation.

They began as co-coordinators for the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl. They succeeded Chad Morris, who left after the 2014 regular season to become the head coach at SMU. In that first game, the Tigers scored 40 points in a 40-6 win over 25th ranked Oklahoma. That tied for the largest margin of victory in school history over a top 25 team.

Elliott and Scott have now been co-coordinators for the Tigers for 34 games and the Tigers are 32-2 in those games. That includes 12 wins over top 25 teams with just one loss (Alabama in 2015 season National Championship game when Clemson scored 40 points and had over 500 yards). The Tigers have scored at least 40 points in 17 of the
34 games, including twice this year.

Clemson Offense Has Been Outstanding

Many national pundits wondered how Clemson would be on offense this year with the graduation of Deshaun Watson, the No. 2 ranked player in Clemson history in total offense and touchdowns responsibility, Wayne Gallman, the No. five ranked rusher in school history, Mike Williams, the No. 4 ranked player in Clemson history in receiving yards, Artavis Scott, Clemson’s all-time leader in receptions, and Jordan Leggett, the
school record holder in every receiving category for a tight end.

The answer is the Tigers have been just fine, thank you. Clemson is averaging 249 yards a game rushing and 271 passing. The Tigers are one of four schools averaging at least 240 yards of each. The others are South Florida, Oregon and Duke.

Through three games Clemson has averaged 519.7 yards per game of total offense, ahead of the 504 yards per game by the 2016 team. This team averages 6.9 yards per offensive play, ahead of the 6.2 of last year’s team, and has scored 39 points per game, just below the 39.2 of the 2016 team.

TCI Predictions 

Robert – Clemson 59 Boston College 3

Will – Clemson 56 Boston College 10

Gavin – Clemson 42 Boston College 10