Clemson vs. Boston College Football Game Notes

Oct. 30, 2008

Clemson vs. Boston College Series * Boston College holds a 8-7-2 advantage in the series with Clemson, 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 18th meeting between Clemson and Boston College. Only Miami (FL) had played Boston College more among ACC teams entering this season.

* 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.

* In 1983, in Boston, the Eagles gained a 31-16 win behind Doug Flutie. 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 contest behind 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, on a field goal by Donald Igwebuike, who played soccer and football for the Tigers that fall. Igwebuike then had another attempt from 43 yards with eight seconds left, but the kick missed 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.

* The 2005 game at Clemson was an overtime meeting, a 16-13 Boston College victory, It was the first game between the two schools as an ACC matchup. The game was tied 10-10 at the end of regulation. The two teams played another overtime affair in 2006, a 34-33 Boston College victory.

* Boston College won last year’s game at Clemson 20-17 in a game that decided the Atlantic Division championship. Thus, Boston College has beaten Clemson three years in a row by three points or less with two of the game decided in overtime. In each season, had Clemson won the game it would have won the Atlantic Division championship.

* Clemson has not beaten Boston College since 1958, a 34-12 victory at Clemson. Boston College has a 5-0-1 lead in the last six games that have been played since that Tiger victory. They have won four in a row in the series.

* 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 (fall after Ted Williams hit .406 for the Red Sox) 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.

* Boston College has a 3-2-1 lead in the series in games played at Clemson. Clemson has never won at Alumni Stadium, as BC is a perfect 3-0.