Clemson Football: No Trevor Lawrence should be no issue vs. Boston College

How will Clemson football fare without Trevor Lawrence against the pesky Boston College Eagles? The Tigers will be just fine.

Per David M. Hale, staff writer for ESPN, Heisman frontrunner and prohibitive No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Saturday’s game against Boston College.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said Thursday night, “Trevor has authorized us this evening to announce that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in isolation. He is doing well with mild symptoms but will not be available for this week’s game against Boston College.”

True freshman D.J. Uiagalelei will likely make his first collegiate start for the Tigers with Taisun Phommachanh recovering from hand surgery; freshman Hunter Helms will likely back up Uiagalelei.

How will this change the game plan for Clemson?

The short answer is not a lot. Uiagalelei was the No. 3 overall recruit in 2020, so he knows how to play. Boston College’s run defense gives up 166.5 rushing yards per game this season, which means Travis Etienne, Darien Rencher and Lyn-J Dixon were going to get lots of work anyway.

Expect the offensive coordinator to protect Uiagalelei and give him throws to build his confidence throughout the game.

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s contest:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Clemson, S.C.
Venue: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Facing the best team in the country helps, but the Boston College Eagles need much more than that since Clemson has arguably the second-best player in the country as well.

Head coach Jeff Hafley has to know that his Eagles are going to get a heavy dose of Etienne. Hafley also has to know that Etienne will get the ball in multiple ways. In addition to leading the Tigers in rushing yards, he is second on the team in receptions with 22.

Phil Jurkovec has played very well his first year as a starting quarterback. The Notre Dame transfer has to have the game of his life to win Boston College. The 200-plus yard performance the Eagles had last week against Georgia Tech also needs to find its way to Memorial Stadium.

For Clemson, it is all about execution. The Tigers made a lot of mental errors against Syracuse. This week, however, there is no Lawrence to help cover those errors. The offensive line needs to be extra crisp in its technique, knowing that Etienne and Dixon will get the ball a lot.

Defensively, Boston College does not have any explosive playmakers. The Tigers have an advantage with their talent and depth; they need to take advantage of the advantage.

Jurkovec does not handle pressure well and will turn the ball over when under duress.

Betting Odds

Courtesy of The Action Network

Line: Clemson -31.5
O/U: 59.5

Prediction

The Tigers are the better team. They have more talent and should win this game going away. However, last week some of the “sleepwalking” Clemson crept back. Boston College certainly does not have the firepower to take advantage of any errors the Tigers made, but the Eagles could cover the spread.

One interesting point about this game is Clemson plays Notre Dame next week and is unsure if Lawrence will be ready to play by then. Clemson may play things close to the vest to give the Irish as little tape of “D.J. U” as possible in the case Lawrence cannot play against Notre Dame.

Boston College gives it a go for a quarter to a half, but the talent depth of the Tigers is too much to overcome. The Eagles cover the spread, however.

Final Score: Clemson 38, Boston College 17