Preview & Prediction: Louisville vs Boston College Football

On Saturday afternoon, the Boston College Eagles will visit the Louisville Cardinals for their 2nd ACC match-up of the year, hoping to even their conference record to 1-1 and their overall record to 2-2.

Who: Boston College Eagles (1-2) vs Louisville Cardinals (3-0)

Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY

When: Saturday, September 23rd

Kickoff Time: 3:30pm ET

How to Watch: This game will be broadcasted on the ACC Network and can be streamed through ESPN. You can also listen along on WEEI 850 AM.

BC is coming off of a close loss to #3 Florida State, a game in which they committed a whopping 18 penalties (a program record) and still only lost to the Seminoles by two points. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos really had a coming out party, responsible for 400 combined yards through the air and on the ground as he led BC to a comeback from a 31-10 deficit that fell just short. Louisville, meanwhile, has been racking up the early season wins. They dispatched their first ACC opponent in week 1, a 39-34 victory over Georgia Tech, and earned expected wins over Murray State and Indiana. The Cardinals received 1 vote in the latest AP poll and are on a great trajectory under first year head coach Jeff Brohm.

Our staff has spent this week compiling some great content to preview this match-up. Take a look:

Eagles Hit the Road: Previewing the Louisville Offense and Defense

Betting Odds & Prediction

Q&A With Card Chronicle

What to Watch For

• BC’s pass rush needs to break through. The Eagles have only earned 2 total sacks through 3 games despite boasting a deep and talented defensive line. Preseason All-ACC selection Donovan Ezeiruaku has been awfully quiet this year so far, earning just 16 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, and no other stats. The Louisville OL is definitely not their strongest unit, and their QB is a pocket passer, so now is BC’s chance to make an impact in the trenches.
• Castellanos will have to use his arm. Jeff Brohm’s 4-2-5 defense excels at stuffing the run and containing QBs, but they don’t get many sacks and they’ve given up a lot of passing yards. They allowed Georgia Tech and Indiana to make a lot of plays through the air and it helped them stick around in their games. Without a ton of room to run, we will need to see BC’s QB make some throws from the pocket.

Tailgate Treat of the Week

Papa John’s. Obviously.

Prediction: Louisville 28 Boston College 21

On the road just one week removed from a ridiculous amount of false start penalties at home, I’m worried that the BC offense is going to struggle. Castellanos did a remarkable job last week of pulling BC out of big holes and getting huge gains, both by passing and by taking it himself. But without the home atmosphere and the energy of the red bandana game, forced to play in a hostile environment, I have my doubts that the Eagles will be able to get out of their own way. I think the +14 betting line is a bit too much, but I’ll still take the Cardinals in this one by a possession or two.