Boston College @ Clemson preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 18, 2014 ) Clemson 17, Boston College 13

Coming off its most complete offensive performance of the season, undefeated Clemson must now prepare for its most formidable offensive challenge. The Tigers look to improve to 6-0 and achieve the longest home winning streak in school history when they welcome Boston College to Death Valley on Saturday night.

Deshaun Watson threw for two touchdowns and Wayne Gallman ran for a pair in Clemson's 43-24 win over Georgia Tech last week, part of a season-high 537-yard effort in the team's 13th straight home victory. Duplicating that performance will be difficult against the Eagles, who continue to lead FBS schools in total defense (140.3 yards) by a wide margin and have allowed just 26 points in their three ACC losses. The Boston College offensive attack, however, bottomed out in a 3-0 loss - its second shutout defeat in four weeks - last Saturday at home against Wake Forest. The Eagles missed two field goals, committed four turnovers and had the ball on the Demon Deacons' 1-yard line as the game ended.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Clemson -15.5

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (3-3, 0-3 ACC): Coach Steve Addazio said he will finally settle on a quarterback after splitting time between Troy Flutie and Jeff Smith for the past three-plus games, and will announce his decision later in the week. The pair combined last Saturday for an abysmal 6-of-20 showing with 74 yards and an interception, and Flutie coughed up a big fumble late in the fourth to spoil a scoring chance. "As I said from the beginning, [rotating quarterbacks] wasn't what I wanted to do, but it's what I needed to do to amply figure out which guy," Addazio said Monday. "First, I wanted to get experience for both of them and also I needed to see if one of them could really separate."

ABOUT CLEMSON (5-0, 2-0): While Boston College's defense has received plenty of attention, the Tigers have done well to limit opponents - they rank 13th in total defense (288.8 yards) and held Georgia Tech's prolific rushing attack to 71 yards last week. They've won 33 straight games against unranked teams but have some challenges ahead, notably against Florida State on Nov. 7, and coach Dabo Swinney has already had to thwart talk of the team's reputation for "Clemsoning," or losing big games after taking care of lesser opponents. "I don't even know why you bring up the dad-gum word," Swinney said at Monday's press conference. "How about these other teams who lose to unranked teams all the time? We ain’t lost to anyone unranked since 2011, but I have to come to a press conference in 2015 and get asked that."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Clemson also won 13 straight at home in 2011-12 and 1927-30.

2. Gallman has rushed for at least 111 yards in three straight games

3. Eagles DB Christian Lezzer, who has sustained multiple concussions in his career, announced his retirement from football Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Clemson 24, Boston College 7