The Tigers made quick work of Boston College on Homecoming, as they scored on every possession of the first half to take a 38-7 lead into the break. Even as they started taking the starters out early in the third quarter, the Tigers stayed aggressive on the offensive side, and eventually came away with a 59-7 win, making a statement in the process.
It wasn’t about the who, it was more about the how. The offense was efficient, it was sharp, and it was downright lethal. Trevor Lawrence hit on his first 9 throws for 139 yards and 2 TDs. His first incompletion did not come until midway throught the second quarter. He finished up 16-19 for 275 yards and 3 TDs, and spread the ball around in a way we haven’t seen a whole lot this season.
No wide receiver had more than 5 targets. None had more than 4 catches. The longest pass play was Diondre Overton’s 63 yard TD catch, and even most of that one came on yards after the catch. They did not have another reception that went longer than 24 yards. The short and intermediate passing game was clicking, and that hasn’t been the case all season. The screen game was working. Lawrence wasn’t forcing throws downfield to his big receivers on the outside. He was going through his progressions, taking what was given, and hitting his checkdowns.
Take the opponent out of the equation. Boston College doesn’t have the athletes to compete with this Clemson team. Add in they have no quarterback, and this was a total mismatch. It was about how this offense went about attacking is what really stands out. It was an aggressive gameplan, but one in which the offense wasn’t forcing anything, instead taking what’s there. This team is now starting to find it’s groove on the offensive side of the ball, and that might just be bad news for the rest of college football.
