Clemson's Travis Etienne sets NCAA, ACC records in career game vs. BC

Jacob Hancock

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Clemson's Travis Etienne sets NCAA, ACC records in career game vs. BC image

Travis Etienne may be one of the most underappreciated players in all of college football.

Clemson's two-time ACC Player of the Year running back is often overshadowed by teammate Trevor Lawrence, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But with Lawrence out for Saturday's game against Boston College after testing positive for COVID-19, Etienne got the chance to be the hero.

Etienne made the most of it, racking up a career-high 264 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the top-ranked Tigers' 34-28 comeback victory over the Eagles. He also made a little bit of history.

By hauling in a first-quarter touchdown catch from D.J. Uiagalelei — the first passing TD of the freshman QB's career — Etienne set an NCAA record for most games with a touchdown with 42, breaking the mark set by San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey in 2016. Etienne was more than reliable as a safety valve for Uiagalelei, hauling in seven catches for 140 yards.

In the third quarter, Etienne set the ACC career rushing record, surpassing legendary N.C. State running back Ted Brown, who totaled 4,602 yards from 1975-78.

MORE: Uiagalelei leads Clemson comeback against BC; now Notre Dame awaits

Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and roses for Etienne. He was credited with losing a fumble at the BC 1 early in the second quarter, which resulted in a 97-yard touchdown return that gave the Eagles a 21-7 lead.

Upon closer examination, Uiagalelei was probably more responsible for the turnover because of a high handoff that Etienne could never secure. Either way, it was a huge play. The Tigers trailed by as many as 18 in the first half and went into the locker room down 28-13.

Still, Saturday was a great day for Etienne. He finished the game with 84 yards rushing on 20 carries, including a 19-yard touchdown to give the Tigers the lead with 11:34 remaining, and 224 total yards from scrimmage in addition to the two records.

Jacob Hancock