Here is what to know about Clemson at Boston College
By: will-vandervort October 7, 2016

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The third-ranked Clemson Tigers travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., where they will visit Boston College at Alumni Stadium today. The game will be televised by ESPN and will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

This will be Clemson’s first Friday night game during the regular season since 1956. Clemson has played on Fridays 42 times during the regular season prior to tonight’s game. The Tigers are 23-14-5 in those 42 games.

Boston College’s offense: The Eagles rank at the bottom of the ACC in total offense, averaging 335.6 yards and 23.4 points per game. Quarterback Patrick Towels leads the unit with 806 passing yards as he has thrown six touchdowns and three interceptions in the first five games. The Eagles have totaled 400 or more yards in each of the last two weeks. Before that, Virginia Tech held BC to 124 total yards in a 49-0 loss.

Boston College’s defense: The Eagles have held four of their five opponents to 240 or less yards, including 174 total yards combined in the last two games. However, Virginia Tech did get 476 yards, including 223 on the ground. BC leads the nation in yards allowed (202.0) and passing yards allowed (124.0). They are giving up just 78 yards a game on the ground, which ranks seventh nationally. They held Buffalo to 67 total yards last week, which is a school record for a game.

Records: Clemson 5-0, 2-0 ACC; Boston College 3-2, 0-2 ACC

Series record: Clemson leads 14-9-2

First meeting: Clemson won 6-3 in the 1940 Cotton Bowl

Last meeting: Clemson won 34-17 at Clemson

Streak: Clemson has won five straight in the series

Injury report: Out: Adrian Baker, DB, Knee; Brian Dawkins, Jr, DB, knee; Chandler Reeves, OL, Knee; Hunter Renfrow, WR, Hand; Adrien Dunn, WR, knee; Jalen Williams, LB, knee. Questionable: Austin Bryant, DE, foot. Probable: Tre Lamar, LB, foot, Denzel Johnson, DB, hamstring

Stat worth noting: This will be Clemson’s first regular season game on a Friday since November 16, 1956 when Clemson lost a Friday evening game at Miami, 21-0. The last time Clemson won a Friday regular-season game was in 1952 when the Tigers won a Halloween Friday night game in Boston over Boston College, 13-0. That game was played in Braves Field in Boston.

Clemson has played more games on Fridays in the regular season over its history than one would think. This will actually be the 43rd regular season game in Clemson football history played on a Friday. The Tigers are 23-14-5 in Friday regular season games.

Some of Clemson’s best bowl wins in history have come on Fridays. At the top of the list was the Jan. 1, 1982 Orange Bowl win over Nebraska, 22-15. That win gave Clemson its only National Championship. The December 29, 1978 win over Woody Hayes and Ohio State was on a Fri­day, as was a 35-10 victory over defending National Champion Penn State in the Jan. 1, 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl.

O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy to the Winner

For the ninth time, Clemson and Boston College will play for a trophy. The Boston College Gridiron Club began sponsoring the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy in 2008. Clemson has won seven of the eight years the trophy has been awarded.

The trophy features a leather helmet replica of those used by Charlie O’Rourke of Boston College and Banks McFadden of Clemson, when they competed against each other in the 1940 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX. In addition to the trophy presentation, the Boston College Gridiron Club will present a replica leather helmet to the MVP of the winning school.

C.J. Spiller won the award for the 2008 game when he had 242 all-purpose yards, and Clemson kicker Richard Jackson won the award for the 2009 game. He kicked six field goals in the Clemson victory, the only kicker at the FBS level to kick six field goals in a game in 2009.

Montell Harris won the award for Boston College in 2010 thanks to his 143 yards rushing and he scored the game’s only offensive touchdown. Chandler Catanzaro became the second Clemson kicker to win the honor with his five field goals in the 36-14 Clemson win in 2011. Tajh Boyd won it in 2012 with a 367-yard passing game and Vic Beasley took the honor in 2013 when he had a fumble return for a touchdown. Cole Stoudt had 308 yards of total offense in Clemson’s 2014 win. Watson won it last year thanks to his 420 yard passing performance.

The Boston College Gridiron Club developed the idea in order to honor the tradition at both schools and to honor the legacy of Charlie O’Rourke and Banks McFadden, who played during the leather helmet era. Clemson and Boston College are both in the Atlantic Division of the ACC and will play every year.

Leggett Sets Record in Grand Style

Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett became the school’s career leader in touchdowns by a tight end when he caught the game winning 31- yard scoring pass from Deshaun Watson against Louisville with just 3:14 left in the game. That was a quite a way to set the record as Louisville was ranked No.3 in the nation entering the contest.

It was the second straight game Leggett has caught a touchdown pass, giving him the Clemson career record by one over current Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen (2009-11), Brandon Ford (2009-12) and former Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl Champion John McMakin (1969-71).

Leggett tied the Clemson tight end touchdown record last year with eight. In that 2015 season he had at least one touchdown catch in five straight games, another Clemson record for a tight end.

Leggett currently has 74 career catches for 972 yards and 13 scores. He needs 20 catches to break McMakin’s record for receptions by a tight end and 284 yards to break McMakin’s yardage record for a tight end.

Clemson Team Streaks

  • Clemson has won 19 in a row at home, the longest active home winning streak in the nation. Here is a list of the top streaks in that category: Clemson 19, Air Force 15, Navy 12, Houston 11, North Carolina 9, Alabama 8, San Diego State 7, Tennessee 7.
  • Clemson has won 11 straight conference games, the second longest active streak in the nation. Here is a list of the top streaks in the nation in that category: Western Kentucky 13, Clemson 11, San Diego State 11, Alabama 10, Arkansas State 9, Oklahoma 8. (Streak includes conference championship games).
  • Clemson has won seven in a row on the road, the fourth longest active streak in the nation. Here is a list of those top streaks nationally: Ohio State 19, Alabama 8, Oklahoma 8, Clemson 7, North Carolina 7.

Clemson’s Seven-Game Road Winning Streak

Clemson has won seven in a road on the opponent’s home field. That is tied for the second longest streak of its kind in Clemson history. The record is eight in a row set between the 1978 and 1979 seasons. So a win at Boston College on Friday will tie the Clemson record for consecutive road wins. Clemson lost its last road game of 2014 at Georgia Tech, then went 5-0 last year on the opponent’s home field, wins at Louisville, Miami, NC State, Syracuse and South Carolina. Clemson has added to it this year with wins at Auburn and Georgia Tech. Clemson had not won at Auburn since 1951 and had not won at Georgia Tech since 2003. If Clemson can win at Boston College the Tigers will go for the school record at Florida State.

Great Birthday for Gallman

Wayne Gallman celebrated his birthday on October 1, 2016 with a 110-yard rushing game on just 16 carries, an average of 6.9 yards per rush. He scored on a 24-yard touchdown. Gallman, who turned 22 that day, had his second 100-yard game of the year. He had 123 yards in the season opener against Auburn. The 110-yard game against Louisville was the 14th 100-yard game of his Clemson career. Gallman is now tied for second in Clemson history in career 100-yard rushing games with James Davis and needs just one to tie Raymond Priester’s record of 15 set between 1994-97.