Boston College vs. UMass: Final Thoughts And Predictions

College football is back at the Heights! It’s time for another installment of “Battle of the Bay State” or whatever name the team on the other sideline came up with. It has been almost 9 months since BC walked out of Yankee Stadium the losers against the Iowa Hawkeyes, but since then the court of public opinion has changed drastically on the outlook of this team. Loads of pre-season love both in terms of records, projections and for players themselves. This year we are going to be treated to a bevy of talented players including but not limited to AJ Dillon, Tommy Sweeney, Zach Allen, Chris Lindstrom, Jon Baker, Lukas Dennis, Will Harris, Connor Strachan and many others. It has been almost a decade since BC has had this much talent on both sides of the ball. It would be hard not to be very excited about this season, and it needs to start on Saturday against the UMass Minutemen. Mark Whipple’s team came out strong last Saturday in a rather meaningless game against Duquesne, so it will be up to Steve Addazio to have his team quick to shake off the rust and be ready to roll at 1pm.

Keys To Victory

1. Start off Strong: Force the Minutemen offense off the field, don’t let them sustain a drive and most of all don’t allow them to believe they can win. On offense either a quick score or a crushing AJ Dillon led drive would also do the trick
2. Force Mistakes: UMass is going to move the ball through the air, an interception of Andrew Ford or fumble or two would certainly deflate their offense.
3. Punish Them In the Trenches: BC has a significant advantage in terms of size and strength up front. They need to assert their will and really wear down the UMass fronts. BC also should be able to wear down the Minutemen as the game progresses.
4. See What Anthony Brown Can Do: This is going to be a big game for the sophomore who is returning from a significant leg injury. Test his arm, let him throw the ball, and move the ball with his legs. See what you have there.
5. Limit Mistakes: What costs Power 5 teams against lower teams like UMass. Penalties, poor 3rd down conversion rates on both sides of the ball, and turnovers. If BC wants to prevent an upset they have to play a nice crisp game, and limit mistakes.

Beer of the Week:

MassBrewBros.Com

Amherst Jess IPA: Picked up one of these rather delicious IPAs a few weeks ago and it was well worth. A brewery based out of Amherst, this is a brewery you are definitely going to want to check out, especially if you are visiting the Hanger Pub for some wings.

Absolutely Necessary Rap Song Of The Week

Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride: Just a smooth flowing track from the 90’s that hopefully will bring that same sort of vibe to the game.

AJ’s Power of Positivity Thought Of The Week:

We’ve Got Dudes! As I mentioned above, this is the first year in a while that BC has so much talent. No more excuses about youth, or injuries, this team is stacked. The offense should be multi-dimensional, fast paced and fun, and Zach Allen should cause mayhem on defense. We’ve been dying for a fun team to really get behind at the Heights, and this crew is the perfect group to go all in with!

Pregame Food Of The Week-

Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: Sometimes I go with fancier or more niche foods here, but let’s just go with the classics. Get a grill, some brews and get that food cooking. Also #teammustard all the way.

Prediction Thread:

Coach JF: 31-16 BC

Matt O: 38-6 BC

AJ Black: 45-21 BC. Eagles will cover and score at will against a weak UMass defense.

Arthur B: 42-3 BC

Eric H : 31-14 BC

Kate B: 30-7 BC

Grant: BC 38, UMass 17. People keep screaming at us saying UMass is good or whatever. That’s adorable. BC will cover.

Laura: BC 34 UMass 10 #DownWithUMass

Patrick: 35-10 BC

Superfan Thermometer: 7/10. It’s UMass so it’s not a complete 10, but hey college football is back!