Clemson vs. Boston College Game Notes

Sept. 5, 2006

Complete Release in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader

Clemson vs. Boston College Series

•Clemson holds a 7-6-2 advantage in the series with Boston College, a series that dates to the 1939 season and the January 1, 1940 Cotton Bowl. That was a landmark victory for the Clemson program, the school’s first bowl game and the school’s first ever win over a top 20 team. Boston College was ranked 11th in the nation entering the game. Clemson won 6-3 behind 115 yards rushing from Charlie Timmons and four pass deflections in the fourth quarter by Clemson legend Banks McFadden.

•This will be the 16th meeting between Clemson and Boston College. Only Miami (FL) has played Boston College more among ACC teams entering this year.

•Two of Clemson’s victories in the series took place during undefeated Tiger seasons. Clemson won 26-19 in 1948 on the way to a perfect 11-0 season, and won 35-14 in 1950 on the way to a 9-0-1 season.

•The last meeting between Clemson and Boston College in Boston took place in 1983, a 31-16 Eagles victory. Clemson had a 16-3 lead with 25 minutes left in the game, but the Eagles went on a 28-0 run to end the game behind Doug Flutie. Flutie was 20-36 for 223 yards and two touchdowns against a Clemson defense that featured All-American William Perry. The Eagles gained 504 yards of total offense on the night, 281 rushing and 223 passing. It was Clemson’s only loss in 1983 (9-1-1).

•The two teams tied in a 1982 game in Death Valley. The game was televised by CBS on a regional basis, the first CBS broadcast from Clemson Memorial Stadium. Clemson had a 14-0 lead at intermission, but sophomore quarterback Doug Flutie led Boston College back to take a 17-14 lead. The Tigers tied the game in the fourth quarter, then had a 43-yard attempt with eight seconds left to win, but Donald Igwebuike’s field goal drifted left and the game ended in a 17-17 tie.

•Clemson won the total offense battle 370-343. The Tigers had 218 yards rushing led by Cliff Austin, who had 20-94. Flutie was 18-35 for 242 yards and a touchdown. Clemson’s Homer Jordan was 13-25 for 152 yards. Frank Magwood led Clemson receivers with 103 yards on six catches, the only 100-yard receiving game of his Clemson career.

•Clemson had just two losses and two ties over a three-year period from 1981-83. One of the losses and one of the ties came against Boston College in that 1982-83 period.

•Last season’s overtime meeting, a 16-13 Boston College victory, was the first between the two schools as an ACC matchup. The game was tied 10-10 at the end of regulation.

•Clemson has not beaten Boston College since 1958, a 34-12 victory at Clemson. Boston College has a 3-0-1 lead in the last four games that have been played since that Tiger victory.

•The two teams played three games at famed Fenway Park in Boston, the home of the Boston Red Sox. Clemson won the first meeting there in 1941 by a 26-13 score. The same two teams met at Fenway the following year, and Boston College won 14-7. The two teams played to a 14-14 tie in 1953 at Fenway. So the series stands at 1-1-1 in games played at Fenway Park. The two teams also played at Braves Field in Boston, then the home of the National League’s Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves). Clemson had a 3-1 advantage in games played at Braves Field all between 1942-52.

•The series is tied 2-2-1 in games played at Clemson.

Last Year vs. Boston CollegeBoston College 16, Clemson 13September 24, 2005 at Clemson, SC

Making its first trip to Death Valley since 1982 and playing its first road game as a member of the ACC, #25 Boston College outlasted Clemson in overtime, 16-13. After winning its first five overtime games since the NCAA adopted the rule in 1996, the Tigers lost in extra time for the second straight week. Clemson had lost to Miami (FL) in triple overtime, 36-30 the previous week.

After the Tigers were forced to punt to open the game, the Eagles moved the ball 33 yards in seven plays to set up the first points of the day. Ryan Ohliger connected on a 33-yard field goal to give Boston College an early lead.

The Eagle defense again forced Clemson into a three-and-out, and quarterback Matt Ryan completed four straight passes to move the ball to the Tiger seven. However, Ryan’s fifth pass of the drive was intercepted in the endzone by Jamaal Fudge.

The Tigers could only move three yards in three plays and punted again, and Boston College started its third drive of the day from its own 36.

This time, Ryan completed six straight passes, and Andre Callender had an 18-yard run down to the one-yard line. Ryan dove over on a quarterback sneak to cap an 11-play, 64-yard scoring drive, giving the Eagles a 10-0 lead.

Clemson quickly answered with a scoring drive of its own. James Davis ran for 39 yards on three carries, and Charlie Whitehurst completed two passes to tight end Thomas Hunter. A third-down sack prevented the Tigers from scoring a touchdown, but Jad Dean made a 36-yard field goal for Clemson’s first points of the day.

A holding call helped move the Boston College offense backwards on its next drive, and Clemson took over at its own 36 after a punt.

Reggie Merriweather then got in on the action by carrying four times for 37 yards on a drive that was capped by a one-yard sneak by Whitehurst. The extra point by Dean tied the score 10-10. Clemson had 75 yards rushing in the second quarter against an Eagle defense that was ranked third in the nation against the run entering the game.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities over the remainder of the game, but there was no scoring. Boston College had the last drive. Boston College got the ball back with 22 seconds left. Ryan hit Miller for a 29-yard completion into Clemson territory, but Tye Hill intercepted Ryan two plays later to send the game into overtime.

Just as they were the last time the two met in Death Valley in 1982, Clemson and Boston College were tied after 60 minutes of play.

The Tigers went on offense first in overtime, and Whitehurst hit Aaron Kelly for a first down. But Clemson could not get closer than the Eagle six-yard line. Dean booted a 24-yard field goal to the Tigers their first lead of the day by a score of 13-10.

On Boston College’s drive, Ryan hit Larry Lester for 10 yards on third down. Callender, who totaled 116 yards on 22 carries, followed with a 10-yard run down to the one-yard line, and two plays later, Brian Toal scored from one-yard out to give the Eagles the win 16-13.

The Eagles ran 90 plays to the Tigers’ 57 and out-gained Clemson 385-251. Boston College also won the time-of-possession battle (35:42 to 24:18) and converted 10 of 20 third downs, while the Tigers were 0-11 on third downs. It was the first time in recorded history (since 1978) that Clemson went an entire game without a converted third down.

Anthony Waters led the defense with 14 tackles, while Tramaine Billie added 13 stops. Jackson also had two of the team’s four tackles for loss.