Lawrence out, No. 1 Clemson looks for 10th straight over BC

By The Associated Press - Associated Press - Thursday, October 29, 2020

Boston College (4-2, 3-2 ACC) at No. 1 Clemson (6-0, 5-0), Saturday at noon (ABC).

Line: Clemson by 31.

Series record: Clemson leads 18-9-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Playing without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he tested positive for COVID-19, Clemson is seeking its third straight 7-0 start and fifth in the last six years. Boston College is playing the No. 1 team for the first time since 2014 and is looking for its second-ever victory over a top-ranked opponent. The Eagles defeated No. 1 Notre Dame 41-39 in 1993.

KEY MATCHUP

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec vs. Clemson’s secondary. Jurkovec, the Notre Dame transfer, is second in ACC passing and has throw for 12 touchdowns, also second in the conference. The Tigers, meanwhile, are tied for the lead in the ACC with nine interceptions and tops by themselves in allowing just 169.3 yards passing a game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Boston College: Linebackers Isaiah McDuffie and Max Richardson are 1-2 in the ACC in total tackles this season. McDuffie has 59, one more than his teammate.

Clemson: WR Amari Rodgers has become a go-to receiver in a year when he lost last season’s starters in Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. Rodgers, a senior, leads the ACC with almost 87 yards receiving per game. He’s also tied for the league lead with five TDs.

FACTS & FIGURES

Game features the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy, honoring BC’s Charlie O’Rourke and Clemson’s Banks McFadden who starred when the teams faced each other at the 1940 Cotton Bowl. … Dabo Swinney’s first victory as a head coach came against the Eagles in 2008 with a 27-21 win. … Boston College is 1-4 all time against opponents ranked No. 1. Three of those defeats have come against Miami. The last loss was 20-17 against top-ranked Florida State in 2014. … Clemson has won 27 straight games over ACC competition, two away from Florida State’s record set from 1992-95. … Clemson has had 400-plus yards of offense in its first six games. A seventh would match the mark the Tigers set in 2000 and 2018. … The Eagles last win against a team ranked in the AP Top 25 was against No. 9 Southern Cal in 2014.

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