On this particular Clemson team, the best player in each game will come from the offense more often than not. The quarterback is probably the best bet, and Deshaun Watson certainly delivered a fine performance in a 41-10 victory over Appalachian State.

However, in games like the one witnessed by a sellout crowd in Memorial Stadium on Saturday, there are typically multiple candidates for the honor. Stats sometimes win out, but in this case, it was more about impact for a player on the defensive side of the football.

Ben Boulware was as disruptive as any single player on the football field. He ended the day with a pedestrian three tackles (Austin Bryant led the Tigers with seven), which makes his impact seem minimal.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Boulware was consistently around the football–piling on at the end of plays, blowing up running lanes, distracting the eyes of quarterback Taylor Lamb. In fact, he was perhaps singlehandedly responsible for the App State sophomore’s miserable showing during Saturday’s action. It seemed Boulware carved out some real estate inside the head of the youngster Lamb and rattled him from the outset of the game.

With Clemson’s offense sputtering early in the second quarter, Boulware started to make his impact. He was credited with one of his team-best four quarterback hurries on the first play of the Mountaineers’ first drive of the quarter.

Then, two plays later, he showed blitz right up the middle before the snap. Lamb adjusted to the presumed pressure pre-snap, and when the play unfolded, Boulware relentlessly attacked the backfield while defensive tackle Carlos Watkins dropped into coverage in a zone blitz. Watkins intercepted a hurried throw by Lamb and returned it for the game’s first touchdown.

Two plays later, Boulware dropped into coverage at the right hash with Appalachian State facing second down and medium. Lamb tried to hit his tight end, and Boulware slipped in front and picked off the pass for his third career interception. The subsequent drive made the score 17-0.

Officially, Boulware had two more quarterback pressures in the game, but his impact was not limited to merely documented times where his presence hurried Lamb’s process in the pocket. With those three plays, Boulware established himself as a one-man wrecking crew. He deked and baited the young Mountaineer signal-caller consistently throughout the game, a testament to his level of confidence and the nature of his impact.

Boulware can probably do what he did on Saturday to many of Clemson’s opponents. Constant harassment by a singular force is a source of major frustration for any quarterback, and Boulware has proven with five QB pressures and an interception over two games that he is fully capable of providing such harassment.

Other players had better numbers, but Boulware affected almost every play he was on the field, and that has to count for something.