By: Roy Philpott
CUTigers
November 1, 2010
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Entering Saturday afternoon's game against Boston College, the Clemson offense hadn't scored a touchdown in over four quarters. And unfortunately for Clemson (4-4, 2-3 ACC) fans, that trend continued through the duration of Saturday's game in Chestnut Hill.
The ACC's leading rusher, Montel Harris, rushed for 144 yards on 36 carries and the Tigers suffered through a series of self-inflicted miscues to help lift the Eagles to the upset win, 16-10.
Freshman quarterback Chase Rettig also threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Harris and Nate Freese made a pair of field goals to pace Boston College (3-5, 1-4 ACC).
The only touchdown of the game for the Tigers came on Rashard Hall's 52-yard interception return for a touchdown on Rettig's first pass of the day.
Clemson appeared to be in control early before a roughing the passer penalty on third-and-26 and a fumbled kick return by Jamie Harper changed the complexion of the game.
Trailing 10-3, the Eagles quickly capitalized.
Freese kicked a 36-yard field goal as the drive stalled, cutting it to 10-6 before Steele Divitto recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.
The ball bounced several times on the ground before reaching the 20 yard line before Harper tried to scoop it up, but he never could fully gain control- leading to the fumble recovery for the Eagles.
The very next play, Rettig hit Harris, who was wide open, for the go-ahead score.
"The turnover on special teams and then they hit the wheel route for a touchdown that obviously was a critical, critical play," head coach Dabo Swinney said afterwards.
Freese would add another 36-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give B.C. a 16-10 lead.
After giving up nearly 200 yards of total offense in the first half, the Clemson defense tightened things up in the second, but the offense never quite got going.
Missed field goals, turnovers and poor execution proved to be too much to overcome. Still, after a scoreless third quarter, the Tigers had multiple opportunities in the fourth.
With Clemson facing a third-and-16 at the Boston College 19 early in the final period, Kyle Parker unexplainably threw a pass across his body to the middle of the field where it was intercepted by B.C. cornerback Donnie Fletcher.
"If I could take it back I would," Parker said of the play. "Looking at it from my perspective, we were going into the wind and was quite a long kick. I wanted to give our guys at least a chance to make it and it didn
