Things have changed a lot for Clemson kicker Alex Spence in one week.

Last weekend, the redshirt junior was one of only two players on Clemson’s roster that didn’t see the field during the team’s 47-21 win at Louisville.

A week later against Boston College — following Greg Huegel’s ACL tear that was the result of a freak accident in practice — Spence found himself as Clemson’s starting kicker.

“I was waiting for my opportunity, and I didn’t know I would get to go in this many times the next game after (the Louisville game),” Spence said after second-ranked Clemson’s 34-7 win on Saturday in Death Valley. “So I felt like I was pretty ready for it, and it felt good to get all the reps out of the way and finally feel comfortable on the field.”

Huegel suffered the season-ending knee injury on the final play of Clemson’s practice on Wednesday. During the Tigers’ two-minute drill, which they run at the end of every Wednesday practice, a defensive player rolled into Huegel after his kick. He underwent tests afterward that revealed a torn ACL.

Spence was watching the ball and didn’t notice that Huegel was hurt at first. Once Spence realized the situation, he felt bad for his friend.

“I actually didn’t see the hit happen. I just saw the flag thrown,” Spence said. “I was watching Greg’s kick and seeing if it went in, and I saw Greg go down. After I saw the video, I felt really bad. Greg, me and Christian (Groomes) are all really good friends, so it really sucks to see your friend go down like that.”

Spence’s first performance in his new role was largely a success. The native of Florence, S.C., did not attempt a field goal but hit on 4-of-5 extra-point attempts. He also averaged 64 yards on three kickoffs and booted the game’s opening kickoff for a touchback.

“I felt like it was a pretty good game overall,” Spence said. “It wasn’t perfect. Coach (Dabo) Swinney told me you don’t have to be perfect, you just need to go out there and be consistent. So, I have room to work on some things, but it felt good to get it out of the way and get all the nerves out and get some more reps in.”

The lone blemish in Spence’s performance was a missed point-after attempt following Kelly Bryant’s touchdown run late in the fourth quarter with the Tigers ahead 27-7.

The motto on Saturday for Spence was “slow and smooth,” and he admitted he was a little too excited on the missed kick.

“I kind of rushed out there and got a little bit too close on my steps across,” Spence said. “Just a simple thing, really fixable thing. I was a little frustrated. I wanted to go 5-for-5 in my first game, but I felt like for a first game out there, I felt pretty good about it overall.”

Spence had appeared in just six games in his career entering Saturday, with 10 kickoffs and one successful extra point on one attempt.

“It feels good to finally get a chance to go out there and play,” Spence said. “Getting the whole game in, the nerves were less and less and less every rep. So now I feel really comfortable out there. It’s such a good feeling to go out there and not be worrying about anything and just kick the ball.”

Huegel had been the Tigers’ only placekicker the past two-plus seasons while making 43 of his 55 attempts, including some pressure kicks in critical situations during Clemson’s run to the national title a season ago.

Huegel is staying engaged despite the unfortunate injury, doing what he can to mentor Spence and impart the wisdom he has gained through his experience.

“Me and Greg have been talking all week since he’s been hurt,” Spence said. “He kind of followed me around during warmups and was coaching me through it and talking to me and stuff. It kept me levelheaded throughout the game. So I’ve been asking for advice on how he goes through the game and manages things through the course of the game.”

Spence’s first true test as the Tigers’ new kicker could come this Saturday. Clemson will travel to Blacksburg, Va., for a top-15 matchup with Virginia Tech in prime time.

Unlike most of last week, Spence will head into the game knowing he’s the guy at kicker, and he’s looking forward to another opportunity in his new role.

“I’ve been excited about that one for a while,” Spence said of the upcoming game. “I’ve seen some of their games on TV, and the crowd looks really exciting and their whole entrance is really cool. So it should be a fun game. I’m ready to prepare as the starter this week and get the full week to physically and mentally prepare.”