BC Interruption - BC Interruption’s 2019 Pre-Season Football CoverageA Boston College Eagles Community.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47285/bci-fave.png2019-08-30T10:00:00-04:00http://www.bcinterruption.com/rss/stream/204724712019-08-30T10:00:00-04:002019-08-30T10:00:00-04:00BC Football Preseason Roundtable 2019
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Clemson at Boston College" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ojhccNBUWtxzH4VXF6O02pG4rqo=/0x1:4819x3214/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65142601/usa_today_11644215.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="OObZ3L">BC’s football season is upon us. In preparation for tomorrow’s home opener, a few of our writers share their thoughts on the upcoming season.</p>
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<p id="TUstX4"><em><strong>Does </strong></em><span><em><strong>AJ Dillon</strong></em></span><em><strong> lead the conference (or country) in rushing?</strong></em></p>
<p id="rrDW4w"><strong>Rich:</strong> No, I think he finishes 2nd in the conference behind <span>Travis Etienne</span>.</p>
<p id="ANv0mF"><strong>Patrick: </strong>Not a chance. Etienne (barring injury) will get the lion’s share at Clemson, and his big play ability means that he will get rested in between series. Nationally, <span>Jonathan Taylor</span> has to carry a team without a proven QB and will probably break the single season record for yards and carries. I am confident in Dillon finishing 2nd in conference, where his main competition is <span>Cam Akers</span> and a mediocre-at-best FSU offensive line. </p>
<p id="p61GiD"><strong>Grant: </strong>I could see him leading the ACC, but I think it’s unlikely. BC actually has a pretty interesting offensive attack this season that I think will be more balanced than people are expecting. Yes, Levy and Glines are on the depth chart as receivers now, so it’s clear we’re planning on putting Dillon in every situation, but I think the fact that you have these guys lining up at X and Z rather than putting these talented guys in a position to spell Dillon is a sign that we’re going to be putting the ball in the air a bit.</p>
<p id="TcbOpE"><strong>Will</strong>: With Dillon’s talent it’s certainly possible. He has to compete with Travis Etienne and <span>Cam Akers</span> in the ACC. Furthermore, part of me hopes BC is a little more balanced on offense and doesn’t run Dillon into the ground this year maybe spreading carries around a bit more. Nationwide it will be a challenge to make it into the top 5. Forgetting Etienne there’s also Jonathan Taylor, Kansas’s <span>Pooka Williams Jr.</span>, <span>D’Andre Swift</span> at Georgia, <span>J.K. Dobbins</span> at Ohio State, and even <span>Eno Benjamin</span> out at Arizona State are all back poised to have big years.</p>
<p id="aMvB5f"><strong>Niraj:</strong> I definitely didn’t wait until after Travis Etienne’s 200 yard performance in Clemson’s first game last night to answer this question. Unless the Eagles can be a true threat in the ‘throw game,’ I can’t see AJ taking this one with teams selling out to stop him. I’ll say he beats Cam Akers and the rest of the lot though.</p>
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<p id="hr8I4g"><em><strong>Who takes the biggest leap this season /will anyone have a breakout campaign?</strong></em></p>
<p id="6FPapv"><strong>Rich:</strong> At 6’6”, redshirt freshman DE <span>Joey Luchetti</span> will emerge as a disruptor on the line.</p>
<p id="egCxcK"><strong>Patrick:</strong> <span>Tanner Karafa</span>. I think <span>Karafa</span> puts up a lot of stats in the middle of the D-line and turns into a bona fide star. He’s always been solid but outshone by other players on the defense. On offense, I think <span>Tyler Vrabel</span> will start fast and still manage to improve each week, especially in pass protection. </p>
<p id="Kdqh4b"><strong>Grant</strong>: <span>Kobay White</span>. I absolutely love watching him play, he’s my favorite receiver we’ve had in years. He had a great season last year, yes, but I think he’s going to be a star this season. He just has so much big play ability, he reels in every ball that comes his way… I love his game, and with him as the clear top WR, I think he puts up a monster year. Yes, I know we are Boston College and we run the ball a lot. But <span>White</span>’s going to win us some games.</p>
<p id="iV5hGA"><strong>Will</strong>: <span>Anthony Brown</span>. Call me optimistic but I think that with two years of experience (excluding injuries) <span>Anthony Brown</span> is poised to make a big step forward. Everyone is going to stack the box against BC and <span>Brown</span> will have plenty of windows to throw the ball into. If Addazio and Bajakian give him the chance to throw the ball more, I think he will make the most of it.</p>
<p id="S0Q2bx"><strong>Niraj: </strong>I’ll go Hunter Long. There are a decent number of targets up for grabs with Sweeney, Walker, and Smith gone. Long is a big guy and a solid athlete that could be a key red zone threat. Despite a crowded tight ends room, he could be the guy that emerges and demands consistent playing time. He had only four catches last year, but over 100 yards receiving, and clearly someone took notice with him being named to the tight end watch list.</p>
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<p id="xQe0GW"><em><strong>Who has a better first year in charge, OC Mike Bajakian or DC Bill Sheridan?</strong></em></p>
<p id="1xdvB9"><strong>Rich:</strong> Bajakian takes over a more experienced group, and it will be interesting to see if he can open up the play calling.</p>
<p id="qXUcX9"><strong>Patrick: </strong>My gut says Sheridan, but my brain says Bajakian. Bajakian has more returning experience and talent. I like the O-line, I don’t think there’s been much drop off at WR, and <span>AJ Dillon</span> seems motivated to prove that last year was an aberration. But it’s still an Addazio offense, and even if he gives up more control it comes down to how much Bajakian can help <span>Brown</span> develop (as has been pointed out by basically everyone). As for Sheridan, I just think that the talent in the LB corps will mask a lot of deficiencies along the D-line. I also think back to his defenses at Tampa Bay that helped DT <span>Gerald McCoy</span> and <span>Lavonte David</span> on their path to NFL All-Pros. But I just have so many questions about the secondary and the loss of Anthony Campanile. </p>
<p id="fBsawA"><strong>Grant: </strong>Tough to not give it to Bajakian here, just because of how many weapons he has at his disposal. Sheridan may well have a nice year if a lot of the young guys step up and one or two really stand out, but this BC offense has too much talent on it for the Eagles not to put up points.</p>
<p id="ENN3oo"><strong>Will</strong>: I think Bajakian has the advantage of more returning talent and thus fewer holes to fill. However, I just how much leeway Addazio will give Bajakian and how much his old instincts as offensive coach will keep him from letting Bajakian have free rein. Still Sheridan will be building a defense as opposed to truly inheriting one, given that he will need to develop his young talent. Bajakian will have the better 2019 season but Sheridan could have greater success long term if he can develop this young core how he wants to. </p>
<p id="VOEYp1"><strong>Niraj: </strong>Although I’m quite skeptical, Bajakian has the edge for me. Like everyone said, he’s returning much more talent than Sheridan on defense. Addazio mentioned that Bajakian is all in on running the offense the BC way, but you just have to hope that he can get the most out of AB at the same time. Sheridan has had much more time with his guys, but it won’t be an easy task to replace most of the production.</p>
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<p id="c4wyvZ"><em><strong>Which game are you circling on the calendar and why?</strong></em></p>
<p id="OUCMYH"><strong>Rich:</strong> Notre Dame, simply because I’m starved for a meaningful BC win. Wins over middling ACC opponents are more important if the goal is a bowl birth, but I would kill for an upset that disrupts the playoff race and rekindles the Holy War.</p>
<p id="iInj0c"><strong>Patrick: </strong>Kansas. I had a high-school golf coach who went to Kansas and he was kind of an ass. I hope we obliterate them. </p>
<p id="m51zXR"><strong>Grant: </strong>Game 1 makes or breaks the season. It has to be Virginia Tech. It’s a tough but winnable game at home that would set us up to get a few wins off the bat, get us into the rankings after a few weeks, and our record some cushion for that brutal second half of the season. With a loss to Virginia Tech, I don’t see any way the Eagles can climb out of the hole to end up above 6-6. But beat Tech and the team could really get on a roll.</p>
<p id="9WweM9"><strong>Will</strong>: GD Notre Dame. I have hated Notre Dame since the game against BC in Fenway, because anyone with eyes saw that BC deserved to win that game. They are the Dallas Cowboys of college football. A team that says its relevant because they were good a few decades ago. I would love nothing more than for BC to upset those fair-weather catholics in their home and make that stupid leprechaun sit down and shut up, while that Jesus mosaics watches over the stadium.</p>
<p id="kQHuMB"><strong>Niraj: </strong>^^ Amazing. Syracuse for me. I don’t like that people think they’re “good” now. It’s Syracuse, come on. Like it or not, we tout them as our rival and have actually played them more than anyone (minus Holy Cross), and they’ve gotten the better of us of late. I don’t like it.</p>
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<p id="Euh3U2"><em><strong>Who’s your team MVP at season’s end?</strong></em></p>
<p id="dc5hbz"><strong>Rich:</strong> AJ “The Sauce” Dillon</p>
<p id="5OoIe7"><strong>Patrick: </strong>It’s going to be Dillon. </p>
<p id="XI9urv"><strong>Grant: </strong>He will need to stay healthy, but even though I am optimistic for the Throw Game™, it’ll be Dillon’s talent that opens things up for the whole offense. I’m excited for a couple 50+ yard scampers as much as the next guy, but it’ll be just as important if not more so that opponents will be keying in on him to open up some opportunities through the air with a QB who’s now got a couple years under him.</p>
<p id="eVqHev"><strong>Will</strong>: <span>AJ Dillon</span> if he can stay healthy, this offense won’t become pass dependent anytime soon and Dillon is still one of the best backs in the country</p>
<p id="DXZLNT"><strong>Niraj: </strong>Algiers Jameal William Dillon. What a freakin’ name. As long as it’s at least an average season, he should be the reason.</p>
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<p id="AE9uiN"><em><strong>The over/under is set at 6.5 wins for the regular season. BC will win _____ games because _______? Will this result make you happy?</strong></em></p>
<p id="zychVz"><strong>Rich: </strong>Seven wins, and no. I will be left in a state of ennui.</p>
<p id="yIibPW"><strong>Patrick: </strong>BC will win 7 games because real life is stranger than fiction. I will shrug, because on the one hand 7 games with this much roster turnover on defense is good. On the other hand, I want to see Addazio either take BC to the next level or get fired. I’m tired of stagnating. </p>
<p id="P3Bg1d"><strong>Grant: </strong>Unfortunately I’ve gotten myself to the point where I’m excited about what we can do this year, despite my brain telling me the defense is going to probably have some real growing pains that will cut into the realistic win total. For a while I was telling myself I’d be happy just getting to 6-6 again, given how the schedule looked tougher and the defense was going to have issues, but now I’ve pushed myself to thinking we’re looking at 7-5. I’d be happy with that, at least as long as we actually get to play the bowl game this year… It’s not all that fun being happy with 7-5, but if we do get there, I think next season could see a lot of things come together for a big year.</p>
<p id="CiCToK"><strong>Will:</strong> 8 games. I believe BC can either beat Virginia Tech or Florida State (maybe both). I think the only games where BC is entirely unmatched (on paper) are Clemson and Notre Dame. Florida State always gets good athletes from their home state but hosting the Seminoles could be a huge boost but they’ll still be tough. Syracuse is going to be good this year and I think going into the Carrier Dome and winning is a tall task. Virginia Tech is tough but winnable. Finishing near the top half of the Atlantic Division isn’t too unrealistic but BC will have to play up to its potential and the Eagles’ seem to have at least one loss that should’ve been a win every year.</p>
<p id="BrZNU7"><strong>Niraj:</strong> 7 games because tradition. I am never satisfied. It’s a curse. But seriously, I think we got lucky with more of those coin toss conference games scheduled at home (Va Tech, Wake, NC State, Florida State). Yes, home-field isn’t the same as it once was, but it should help. If we can win two or three of these, we should be ... fine.</p>
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https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/8/30/20840508/boston-college-bc-eagles-football-preseason-roundtable-2019-aj-dillon-anthony-brown-acc-footballNiraj PatelRich RappPatrick ToppinWillBagz83Grant Salzano2019-08-29T20:34:04-04:002019-08-29T20:34:04-04:00Boston College Football 2019: What Would Be A Successful Season?
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<img alt="Boston College Football Practice" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eQ6ufAoIxOLQ_RlgrOFd4dTm7GM=/0x16:3360x2256/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65139705/1164625969.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>What should the Eagles realistically be shooting for?</p> <p id="qaooAT">We are a mere <em>hours</em> away from the Boston College Football season kicking off against Virginia Tech. But what should be a realistic goal for BC football in 2019? </p>
<p id="WRlAdH">Last year’s 7-5 was frustrating in a whole lot of ways — hopes were high before the season that the Eagles would break through the ceiling with a big year, and those expectations weren’t met. On top of that, BC didn’t get an opportunity to win a bowl game after <a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2018/12/26/18156782/breaking-boston-college-bc-eagles-boise-state-broncos-game-cancelled-servpro-first-responders-bowl">an act of God</a> kept Addazio stuck on 7 wins and left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth in a game that could have ended the season on a high note. </p>
<p id="fLBGlr">While the season did not meet the lofty pre-season expectations, there were some positives. The Eagles were ranked for the first time in forever — as high as the teens — and hosted College GameDay for a legitimate, big-time game in prime-time. But <span>Michael Walker</span>’s punt return touchdown to take an early lead marked the high-water mark of the season, and <span>Anthony Brown</span> going down with an injury meant it was all going to be downhill from there. </p>
<p id="xKPUR6">So what are the preseason expectations for the Eagles for 2019? Well, let’s compare to where we stand relative to last year and see how things look.</p>
<p id="Tqk8ax"><strong>The Offense: Trending Slightly Upward</strong></p>
<p id="bVntgi">By and large, there’s a lot to be excited about on offense. A good chunk of the skill players have returned, and while losing <span>Michael Walker</span> and <span>Tommy Sweeney</span> to graduation were big blows, <span>AJ Dillon</span> is <span>AJ Dillon</span> but another year more experienced, and fully recovered from his lingering injury. Kobay Right has the ability to be a star at wide receiver, and two of BC’s more talented players, backs <span>Ben Glines</span> and <span>Travis Levy</span>, will be on the field more often to give a little spark to the receiving unit. <span>Anthony Brown</span> is an upperclassman and has some intriguing weapons to throw to. </p>
<p id="UjWMVP">Yes, the offensive line does lose some experience, and it’s going to be hard for someone to step right into <span>Tommy Sweeney</span>’s shoes... but on the whole, the offense is in somewhat better shape than last season.</p>
<p id="LMQVZe"><strong>The Defense: Trending Downward</strong></p>
<p id="nQGNkN">I could be persuaded that the BC defense could be holding steady from last season. The Eagles weren’t exactly all-world at keeping points off the board last season, so it could be that some of the young guys stepping into featured roles might show us something, especially after we’re deep into the season and they’ve gotten a chance to settle in against our weak first half schedule.</p>
<p id="AE0Gdn">But based just on experience alone, you have to assume the defense may be taking a step back until proven otherwise. The defensive line is pretty young and, honestly, not as big as we’re used to (we miss ye already, <span>Zach Allen</span>) and there was quite a bit of talent lost to graduation. The defense showing us something early would be an early sign that the season might go better than we expect.</p>
<p id="tkgrSZ"><strong>The Special Teams: TRENDING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!</strong></p>
<p id="ODFhwf">Based solely upon the fact that the Eagles have <a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/6/12/18663454/temple-transfer-kicker-aaron-boumerhi-to-transfer-to-bc">a real, honest-to-goodness kicker</a>, I feel like throwing a party. It’s like we’re breaking the rules!</p>
<p id="y8x8xz"><strong>The Schedule: Trending Tougher</strong></p>
<p id="n0VeDo">BC’s schedule changes from last season to this season like so:</p>
<p id="CkmXyH"><strong>(W) Temple → Kansas: </strong>Slightly easier, but close to a push<br><strong>(W) Holy Cross → Richmond: </strong>Tougher, I guess, but who cares<br><strong>(W) UMass → Rutgers: </strong>Tougher<br><strong>(L) Purdue → Notre Dame: </strong>Tougher<br><strong>(W) Miami → Pittsburgh</strong>: Easier</p>
<p id="gmojUS">No question, the non-conference schedule is tougher than it was last year. None of BC’s non-conference opponents were even close to being as highly ranked as Notre Dame is — 9th — and while the Irish are always overrated, they’re still better than any of our out-of-conference games by far. </p>
<p id="sVoCUk">But while Richmond and Rutgers are steps up in difficulty over their 2018 counterparts and with Kansas vs. Temple being pretty similar... are they really games we don’t expect BC to be favored in? The Eagles lost badly to Purdue last year, so it’s not like the result against Notre Dame can be worse — and who knows, Notre Dame is overrated and you never know what’s going to happen in a rivalry game. </p>
<p id="yQzuMA">And finally, you have to feel like the ACC as a whole is down this year. Only #1 Clemson and #22 Syracuse are ranked this year of our eight conference opponents. So yeah, the schedule is tougher. But it may be more of a push than we might expect.</p>
<p id="p15p1j"><strong>Overall: Trending Slightly Downward</strong></p>
<p id="CYK5MA">The offense is a bit up. The defense, as of now, is a bit down. The schedule is trending tougher, but not prohibitively so. So we’re probably slightly worse off than we were than last season’s 7-5 record, which the sports books generally agree with given BC’s book-projected mark of 6 wins (<a href="https://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/win-totals">though with the money trending toward the over</a>).</p>
<p id="76Eo5W"><strong>So What Would Make For A Successful Season?</strong></p>
<p id="9sB5fe">Obviously, less than 6 wins is not a success. BC needs to meet the book expectation of 6 wins and a bowl to <em>at a minimum</em> not feel like the season was a complete and utter disaster. </p>
<p id="kIYHaZ">Then there’s the Daz-Sized elephant in the room of the 7 win mark. Frankly, that might be a reasonable season given where we stand relative to last year. There’s not all that much difference between 6-6 and a bowl win and 7-5 and a bowl loss — both will leave a sour taste in your mouth for different reasons, and will pretty much cement Addazio’s status as <a href="https://deadspin.com/khris-davis-hit-247-for-the-fourth-year-in-a-row-1829435582">the Khris Davis of college football</a>. </p>
<p id="qRh3SX">Of course, last season landed somewhere in between. <strong>So given that expectations feel a bit down, an improvement on last year is probably the minimum mark for 2019 to be a “successful season.”</strong> </p>
<p id="UcXW5q">Now before the comments <a href="https://media2.giphy.com/media/ZMJQEhBskQmQM/giphy.gif">go full Hades</a> on me for suggesting that we should be happy with mediocrity, hear me out — a 7-5 season with a bowl win (or 8-4 with a bowl loss) would be a reasonably eyebrow-raising season from the national point of view for a team expected to take a step back. It’s all about playing above your expectations. Can you really say you would be disappointed with the year if the Eagles ended up 8-5 in something of a rebuilding year with a potentially big year on tap for 2020 should the Eagles have a senior quarterback and a returning <span>AJ Dillon</span>?</p>
<p id="HOa4ZI">So what do you think? What would BC have to do this year for you to think of 2019 as a successful season? </p>
<div id="GH4HCC"><div data-anthem-component="poll:8819769"></div></div>
<p id="f9ig6v">And as a bonus, as opposed to what you want to happen, what do you <em>expect</em> to happen?</p>
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<p id="5iGGix"><em>Can’t see the polls? You may be viewing the Google AMP version of the page. </em><a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2019/8/29/20839809/boston-college-bc-eagles-football-2019-what-would-be-a-successful-season"><em>Click here</em></a><em> to see the full version, including the polls.</em></p>
<p id="ylumqD">Let us know what you think in the comments as well!</p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2019/8/29/20839809/boston-college-bc-eagles-football-2019-what-would-be-a-successful-seasonGrant Salzano2019-08-26T20:35:52-04:002019-08-26T20:35:52-04:00Breaking Down The Two-Deep For Boston College vs. Virginia Tech
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<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 26 First Responder Bowl - Boston College v Boise State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vbBmrytaLrlvYUYAuHKtMGGT8_Q=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65115533/1075184008.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>This week’s depth chart gives us a pretty interesting look into the BC lineup</p> <p id="fzD0iX">Boston College Football released the depth chart this afternoon for this Saturday’s matchup against the <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com/">Virginia Tech Hokies</a>. As we get deeper into the season, these releases will start to become more business-as-usual, but for game one, we have a pretty interesting look at how the lineup is shaping up for the Eagles.</p>
<div id="IW3toZ"><iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=EFA0679B9331D733&resid=EFA0679B9331D733%217606&authkey=AML7FtXtYvTMie4&em=2" width="700" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>
<p id="EjKJsq"><em>Can’t see the embed? </em><a href="https://bceagles.com/documents/2019/8/26/VT2019_1_.pdf"><em>Click here</em></a><em> for the direct link to the two-deep.</em></p>
<p id="KKUTcl">As expected, there are plenty of new names rising to the top of the depth chart on defense — many of whom have a couple years of eligibility remaining. Of the 11 positions listed on the defensive side of the two-deep, eight have at least two years or more of eligibility remaining. The Eagles even have a redshirt freshman, nose tackle <span>Kyiev Bennermon</span>, listed as the number one for his position, and two others, DE <span>Brandon Barlow</span> and LB Joe Sparacio, listed as their position’s 1b.</p>
<p id="uhCmkO">So while the unit is definitely relatively inexperienced, there’s great potential for the group to develop over the next couple years. And with so many new faces getting an opportunity to make a name for themselves, you never know who might seize the role as a big-time playmaker off the bat.</p>
<p id="vVjxwu">Offense has plenty of interesting pieces to note. Of course, there’s <span>Anthony Brown</span> and <span>AJ Dillon</span> written in Sharpie atop the two deep at QB and RB respectively. <a href="https://brownbears.com/roster.aspx?roster=360&path=football">With EJ Perry’s transfer to Brown</a> over the offseason, there’s no clear backup under center. With four other QBs on the roster, Coach Addazio’s opted to go with the “OR” route for the #2, with redshirt sophomore <span>Dennis Grosel</span> — the only non-freshman on the roster at the position other than <span>Brown</span> — listed as the 2a, with redshirt freshman <span>Matt Valecce</span> as the 2b. <span>Valecce</span>’s gotten some positive notes coming out of camp, so it’ll be interesting to see who Addazzio puts on the field if the Eagles are looking to kill some time late or, God forbid, if <span>Anthony Brown</span> goes down with an injury.</p>
<p id="IUll2c">The offensive line has a good mix of new and old faces. Redshirt freshman <span>Tyler Vrabel</span>, who has earned rave reviews in his short time on the Heights, has earned the starting spot at left tackle — but what’s really interesting is what Steve Addazio has put up on the depth chart at receiver. </p>
<p id="p54HKu">The Eagles are incredibly deep at running back, but everyone knows <span>AJ Dillon</span>’s expected to be the workhorse at the position. With so much talent back there, Coach Addazio’s doing what he can to get some of our most talented players on the field. Redshirt junior Kobay White is locked in atop the wide receiver depth chart and has already emerged as a real star for BC, but <span>Travis Levy</span>, who looked tremendous at times in relief of <span>Dillon</span> last year at running back, is listed as the #2 at X receiver under White. </p>
<p id="wNnC3r">At Z receiver, the Eagles have <span>Ben Glines</span> atop the two-deep for what will likely be similar to a “<span>Jeff Smith</span>” sort of role. <span>Glines</span> has been a do-it-all player for the Eagles, <a href="https://bceagles.com/roster.aspx?roster=429">and is listed as a WR/RB on the roster</a>. He played receiver a bit last season, but was the team’s 2nd leading rusher after Dillon in both yards and attempts, so getting slotted in atop the depth chat at Z receiver will be more of a formal change in role for him. But with his do-it-all talent, expect him to see some carries.</p>
<p id="PO64f5">That receiving corps should be fun to watch this year. <span>Levy</span> caught plenty of passes last year — 19, just one fewer than <span>Jeff Smith</span> — so he certainly has the hands. <span>Glines</span> has some good experience in the role as well. So with White primed for a big year, some electricity in the form of <span>Levy</span> and Glines in more formal receiver roles, plus the buzz surrounding true freshman <span>Zay Flowers</span>, <span>Anthony Brown</span> should have plenty of targets to throw at.</p>
<p id="EMm3XC">Last, but absolutely not least: HABEMUS KICKUM! Graduate transfer <span>Aaron Boumerhi</span> has indeed found himself in the role of starting kicker (certainly you wouldn’t have thought he’d have transferred here as a graduate student without that expectation). BC’s kicking issues have been well known — we kicked one successful field goal every <em>two games</em> on average last season, for God’s sake — so with <span>Boumerhi</span>’s apparent skill at the position, it’s a massive opportunity for BC to get quite a few more points in “tweener” situations where in the past the Eagles may have punted, or failed on fourth down and gave up field position.</p>
<p id="DYBWcx">Lots of interesting things to follow with some of the younger guys on the two-deep here as the season goes on. And of course, plenty to keep an eye out for this week in game one against the Hokies!</p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2019/8/26/20834269/boston-college-bc-football-releases-depth-chart-for-saturdays-game-vs-virginia-tech-hokiesGrant Salzano2019-08-26T10:30:00-04:002019-08-26T10:30:00-04:00A Preview with Tomahawk Nation
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Boston College at Florida State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3mUHKkZVZERd0dHYwb_ycSt-qBI=/0x0:2264x1509/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65110998/usa_today_11685919.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="qM1G8f"><em>The pre-season previews continue with Florida State! We try to look past last year’s debacle, and prepare for the late-season bout. We’re back at Alumni Stadium for the inaugural Red Bandana Game, so it should be an electric atmosphere. This game is sandwiched right between Syracuse and Notre Dame, but the motivation should be high no less given the occasion.</em></p>
<p id="88dNAb"><em>Shoutout to Jon Marchant and our pals at </em><a href="http://www.TomahwakNation.com"><em>Tomahawk Nation</em></a><em> for sharing some thoughts on FSU’s season outlook and the November 9th Eagles-Seminoles clash.</em></p>
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<p id="N4yLJt"><strong>Last year, FSU went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the ACC. It was the first losing season since 1976, but given that it was Coach Willie Taggert’s first season on the job, how do you look back on the season?</strong></p>
<p id="An3K31">TN: It was disappointing for sure, but I looked at it as Taggart’s Year Zero on the job. It’s hard to remember that FSU almost missed a bowl game the year prior, in Jimbo Fisher’s last season. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say FSU missed a bowl last year for the first time in 36 years in part because its offensive line was so bad, and that wasn’t Willie Taggart’s fault. Nor was the culture he also inherited. But he is responsible for fixing all of it. So I’m viewing this season as Year One for Taggart. He has a history of turning around broken programs, so I’m still optimistic; but it’s a process that takes time. Last season was just the first step.</p>
<p id="bDLa4H"><strong>With Deondre Francois dismissed from the team, redshirt sophomore James Blackman will be taking over the starting job, with Wisconsin grad transfer Alex Hornibrook right behind him if things go south. How do you think the quarterback position will play out as the season progresses?</strong></p>
<p id="JNxosO">TN: I think everyone expects Blackman to win the job. Many called for him to replace Francois last season, but Blackman redshirted instead. He throws a great deep ball and this offense seems to be somewhat predicated on chunk plays. I think Blackman has the higher ceiling of the two, and not just because he’s younger. But if he were to disappoint or get injured, having someone with the experience that Hornibrook brings isn’t a bad thing. Also, Louisville transfer Jordan Travis’ waiver was finally approved, so FSU went from no depth at QB a few months ago to a couple decent options. </p>
<p id="vpgdaB"><strong>Offensive line play was a huge problem last year. With Art Briles’s son, Kendal, in as the new offensive coordinator coming from Houston, do you think the overall offense will improve this season to counter this issue, and who are some names to watch out for?</strong></p>
<p id="PLkyaV">TN: Kendal Briles has an impressive on-field resume. His offenses have performed extremely well everywhere he’s been. That has allowed Coach Taggart to transition to more of a CEO-type role this season where he can focus on the whole team. Briles also brought offensive line coach Randy Clements with him, which is huge. Clements and Briles worked together at Baylor and Houston, and the offensive line seems to be responding to his coaching. I think the offense will improve, if only because it can’t get any worse. The offensive line - and arguably also the QB play - handcuffed everything this unit tried to do last season. A new scheme, QB, and OL coach should pay dividends, but even a tremendous improvement by this OL would be going from awful to just bad or below average, and that’s probably all we can expect from them this year.</p>
<p id="Y11vSk">I think the biggest name to watch for is again wide receiver Tamorrion Terry. He possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and physicality, and seems like a perfect fit for this explosive offense. It seems impossible to cover him in jump ball situations 40 yards down the field. They are going to need him so they don’t have to march down the field with this OL. The rest of the ‘Noles receiving corp is very talented too. DJ Matthews is great in the slot, and they have big guys across from Terry in Keith Gavin and/or Warren Thompson, who are both 6’3 or taller. Cam Akers is also very talented.</p>
<p id="BkpBq7"><strong>Cam Akers vs AJ Dillon. Who ya got?</strong></p>
<p id="fzvgLe">TN: This is tough because I think AJ Dillon is a great player, but also I’m a total homer. Is Dillon the best running back in BC school history? Being the first to have back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons is really impressive. Akers is really talented too; he has a burst that is fun to watch and a surprising amount of power for someone who weighs 30 lbs less than Dillon. Akers might have NFL 2nd-round ability, but he hasn’t been able to show it much because of the struggles with the offensive line. The vast majority of his yards last year came after contact, and most of that contact happened at or behind the line of scrimmage. </p>
<p id="GZhFND"><strong>The defense seemed to consistently be put in very tough situations last season. Apart from first-round pass rusher Brian Burns leaving early, the team seems to be bringing back many starters. What is the outlook on them and how do you think they can improve?</strong></p>
<p id="vOjLEa">TN: I think being in the second year of a scheme always helps. Players process things quicker. They were 37th in S&P+ last year. I think a modest improvement is expected, maybe top 30 or top 25? They have talent in the secondary, are rebuilding the linebacking corp perhaps faster than expected, and on the interior of the line Big Marvin Wilson is tremendous and there’s depth there. The issue lies at edge rusher, where there isn’t a standout player to replace Burns and not much depth. They may try to compensate by being extremely aggressive in their pass rush. So they may get turnovers and quick 3&outs but also will give up some big plays. They may end up copying some of those Oregon and Baylor teams where if your defense gives up a quick score it just means your offense is going back out there. </p>
<p id="PRbjWR">But you hit the nail on the head with the question - I think if the offense stops giving them so many short fields they could appear to improve a ton even if they aren’t actually measurably better. And if they are also actually better, well, that could be fun.</p>
<p id="7tj0RA"><strong>After really just the worst game ever last year, Florida State is coming back up to Boston this season on November 9th. Last time they faced off in Alumni Stadium, BC put on a spectacular performance and won for the first time since 2009. How do you see this one playing out? Care to venture a guess what you think the line on this game will be?</strong></p>
<p id="I0ensg">TN: More good tough questions here, as FSU could be very different in November than what they will be next weekend when they kick off against Boise State. I think Boston College was favored last year by 2.5 or 3 points, so I’ll go FSU -3 this time. Whatever happens, AJ Dillon is sure to get at least a 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, and it’s gonna be a slugfest down to the fourth quarter. In close games like that anything can happen. </p>
<p id="Jr1oDt"><strong>Over/Under 7.5 wins?</strong></p>
<p id="rOHZbB">TN: I think FSU is most likely to go 8-4, with 7-5 as the next most likely outcome, sooo both? I’m gonna let my optimism get the best of me and say over. But even if they fall under, I still think 7 wins is a big improvement and I’d probably be happy with it if the team shows progress. </p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/8/26/20833053/boston-college-florida-state-a-preview-with-tomahawk-nationNiraj Patel2019-08-26T09:07:03-04:002019-08-26T09:07:03-04:00BCI Presents: The Daz Presser Generator
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<img alt="New Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gdoe8H9PT0bhYVEI1MhUGy_JARM=/0x41:4269x2887/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65110423/160468912.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Excited for a big game here this week against [Your School Here] | Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We watched thousands of Daz pressers so you wouldn’t have to!</p> <p id="MZF1Nl">It’s Virginia Tech week, ladies and gentlemen!</p>
<p id="A2jN9X">The Boston College football season kicks off in just a few days (can you believe it?!), so expect plenty of Steve Addazio press conferences in the near future to discuss upcoming contests and to go over the previous weekend’s games.</p>
<p id="JdVpLl">But have you ever said to yourself, Self, I have such a busy day ahead. I can’t possibly slide up a chair to my favorite desktop computer, pull up the interwebs, and get over to the BC Eagles dot coms of the world to watch Daz’s presser for our upcoming game against Directional State University. How will I find out what to expect this week from our fearless leader?!</p>
<p id="Au4vGQ">Say no more. Introducing: The Daz Presser Generator.</p>
<p id="hQMcVQ">Gone are the days where you have to actually <em>watch </em>the coach’s presser to see what’s going on. We here are BC Interruption watched just about every Steve Addazio press conference that we could find on the internet (we really did) and ran it through our patent-pending Coachspeakinator 9000™ to get you the presser ahead of time. </p>
<p id="3oJ0EB">See below for your personally generated Steve Addazio press conference lead-in. No two are alike! Want to check out the presser for another game? Just click “Re-Dazzle Me!” to get a new presser!</p>
<div id="lkmdnl"><iframe src="https://null.perchance.org/dazpresser" style="width:100%; height:500px; border:none;"></iframe></div>
<p id="yafHgf"><em>You won’t be able to see the Generator if you’re using the AMP version of this page (if you opened it using your Twitter app, for example). But just </em><a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2019/8/26/20805263/bc-interruption-bci-presents-the-steve-addazio-daz-interview-presser-generator"><em>click here</em></a><em> to see the full version for all that Dazzy goodness!</em></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-football/2019/8/26/20805263/bc-interruption-bci-presents-the-steve-addazio-daz-interview-presser-generatorGrant Salzano2019-08-25T10:00:00-04:002019-08-25T10:00:00-04:00Shakin the Southland Drops By for an Early Preview of BC’s Trip to Clemson
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<img alt="Clemson v Boston College" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2eYvzXsXW5sEf0OAAQeMUrzAlIs=/0x3:7952x5304/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65105964/1066996414.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>What can we expect from reigning champs?</p> <p id="2emu9b">Dabo Swinney built something special down at Clemson. The Tigers enter this season as favorites to repeat last year’s national championship. <a href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/">Shakin the Southland</a> gave us a quick look at the 2019 Tigers, and what to keep an eye on in advance of BC’s visit on October 26th.</p>
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<p id="g4XKPd"><strong>BCI</strong>: <span><em>Travis Etienne</em></span><em> and </em><span><em>Trevor Lawrence</em></span><em> are on everyone’s radar, but are there any lesser-known offensive players poised to break out in 2019?</em></p>
<p id="2MUx49"><strong>StS:</strong> One guy to keep an eye on is running back Lyn-J Dixon. It may not look it based on his numbers, but Clemson is big on rotating its running backs to help keep Etienne fresh. There were only two games last season where Etienne totaled over 20 carries (Syracuse and South Carolina). With both of last year’s backups <span>Adam Choice</span> and <span>Tavien Feaster</span> gone, Dixon is the clear-cut No.2 back. He has the potential to continue providing explosiveness in the run-game when Etienne takes a breather. He gained over 547 yards and scored six touchdowns on the ground as the fourth-back in the rotation last year, and last year showed the ability to run between the tackles and good speed in the open field. Look for him to take an even bigger role given, especially since beyond Dixon are two freshmen backs who just arrived this summer. </p>
<p id="J5g8lO"><strong>BCI:</strong> <em>I’m not sure there is one, but what would you say is the biggest area of concern for this year’s Clemson team?</em></p>
<p id="tBmfCU"><strong>StS:</strong> Probably depth in the interior at defensive tackle and at linebacker. Clemson lost starter <span>Kendall Joseph</span> to graduation and presumed starter <span>Shaq Smith</span> to a surprise transfer. Projected starters in senior graduate <span>Chad Smith</span> and redshirt junior <span>James Skalski</span> have both seen plenty of time in games over the past couple of years. Redshirt junior <span>Isaiah Simmons</span> is a stud. Behind them is a lot of youth and untested potential at linebacker. One injury to any of those guys is huge, especially Simmons, who is a former safety and provides Brent Venables with a versatile option for his defensive schemes. </p>
<p id="AMOEUC"><strong>BCI:</strong> <em>BC makes a trip to Death Valley on October 26</em><sup><em>th</em></sup><em>—how do you see that game playing out?</em></p>
<p id="vjG74j"><strong>StS:</strong> With BC, the end score never really tells the whole story. In 2017 it took late hard running from fresh legs Travis Etienne to seal the victory (that game was the day every fan realized what kind of back Etienne was gonna be). Last year, BC was probably Lawrence’s worst game against an ACC opponent all year. I expect Clemson to pull out the victory, but it’ll take until about the third quarter for it to happen. Fortunately, we don’t play BC super early in the year. </p>
<p id="NZr0jZ"><strong>BCI:</strong> <em>What about a prediction for the season? Any games circled on the calendar? Should we just skip right to Clemson vs. Alabama in New Orleans?</em></p>
<p id="pqzhQs"><strong>StS:</strong> In this day and age, you can never skip out on any team. The obvious games to circle are Texas A&M (home) and Syracuse (away). Both are going to be played in back to back weeks and will be during a time in which Clemson will be breaking in its front seven. With unproven depth in the interior outside of one player, both are likely to test them on the ground early. Games against BC are always some of our lower-scoring games, so I never fall asleep against them. All in all, I see another <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/acc-championship-game">ACC Championship</a> and return to the Playoff should health check out and the defensive line settles in quickly enough. If Clemson were to drop a game, I only see it being one of the two games in September.</p>
<p id="ZqZ4bk"><strong>BCI: </strong><em>Thanks for the time!</em></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/8/25/20828523/shakin-the-southland-drops-by-for-an-early-preview-of-boston-college-trip-to-clemsonRich Rapp2019-08-23T12:15:24-04:002019-08-23T12:15:24-04:00Bird on Bird: A Preview with Louisville’s Card Chronicle
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<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 13 Louisville at Boston College" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-2FBhB-37FLZIYzQBWKAb0Lw230=/0x5:3900x2605/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65097335/1052218238.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="8lXeeb"><em>We’re taking a look at the October 5th clash between BC and Louisville and what we need to know heading into the game. Big thanks to our friends at the </em><a href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/"><em>Card Chronicle</em></a><em> for giving us a little scoop on Louisville’s season outlook. The Eagles gets a week off after this game before heading into a brutal stretch of games to close out the season, so let’s see what we’re in for at Cardinal Stadium.</em></p>
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<p id="H5qOrZ"><strong>We don’t need to dwell too much on last season. Bobby Petrino out, Scott Satterfield in. What’s the general mood surrounding the former Appalachian State coach and his new regime at Louisville? What kind of changes should we expect to see with this Cardinal offense?</strong></p>
<p id="fG9FOQ">It’s been pretty standard “new coach after a disaster” stuff over here. There’s been a lot of talk about culture shift, new philosophies both on the field and off it; basically, “everything the last guy did, we’re going to do things differently.”</p>
<p id="uNpNbB">In keeping with that theme, Louisville expects to run the ball significantly more with its running backs this season than it did at any point during either Petrino era. Satterfield’s most successful offenses at Appalachian State were always run-heavy, so that’s the new expectation now at Louisville. He’ll use two backs, and a scheme that relies on the offensive line reading the defense and blocking based on where the defenders are, and then a primary back who’s able to read those blocks and then either cut his runs up the field or bounce toward the sideline.</p>
<p id="PHBycX">In summary, everyone in Louisville is expecting this to be something entirely different than what we saw under Petrino. </p>
<p id="SO8ziU"><strong>We’re not too far removed from Lamar Jackson’s Heisman campaign. How quickly do you believe Satterfield can turn the program around?</strong></p>
<p id="KmUx88">That’s the biggest question down here. Louisville has had two significantly low points in its modern era, and in both of those instances, the new head coach (John L. Smith in 1998 and Charlie Strong in 2010) were able to come in and lead the team to a bowl game in year one. That was an easier task when the Cardinals were playing in Conference USA and the Big East, respectively. </p>
<p id="Ilox5Q">Most rational fans in Louisville aren’t expecting that history to repeat itself in 2019. The expectation here seems to be a product in year one where the players are playing hard and seem to be enjoying football again, a product in year two that’s competitive in the ACC and in the mix for a bowl game, and then being back around eight wins by year three. That’s a tall task given the absolute disaster that was 2018. </p>
<p id="SPwanM">Satterfield didn’t win right away at Appalachian State, and the program didn’t really even begin to hit its stride until year three. Patience -- something Louisville fans haven’t been particularly great about over the years -- is going to be key when it comes to this program getting back to where everyone here expects it to be. </p>
<p id="4WcmMN"><strong>Looks like we have a bit of a QB battle. In light of Malik Cunningham’s knee injury, who do you think should/will come out on top?</strong></p>
<p id="QhTl93">It would be shocking at this point if it wasn’t Jawon Pass. He’s been in the program for four years now, he was a heralded recruit who picked Louisville over Alabama and Auburn, and the hope is that his natural ability will be able to shine under a new regime and in a new system. </p>
<p id="QEw4Mw">With Cunningham still not back to 100 percent, the only other option right now is true freshman Evan Conley, a three-star recruit who was headed to Appalachian State before Satterfield took the Louisville job. There have been some reports throughout the summer that he has looked as good or better than Pass, but throwing him straight into the fire seems … wrong. </p>
<p id="DMtfF3">The hope here is obviously that Pass was simply misused last season. If that proves not to be the case, then Conley will certainly get a shot at some point. Louisville fans and coaches are also extremely optimistic about the two well-regarded QB commits in the 2020 class -- Chubba Purdy and Tee Webb. </p>
<p id="kIGetd"><strong>Are there any players we should keep an eye out for this season?</strong></p>
<p id="PL4mFV">Hassan Hall is the guy who should be the featured back in this new run-heavy offense. He has explosive speed and put on a significant chunk of muscle during the offseason. </p>
<p id="D3FhXN">The other name is TuTu Atwell. He’s an explosive talent that I think the staff is going to use in a variety of fashions this season. He can catch it, he can run it, and he can even throw it a little bit. Expect to see a little bit of everything from Atwell in his second season at U of L. </p>
<p id="SRqAkr"><strong>Most BC fans remember the </strong><a href="https://gfycat.com/thankfulcoolcygnet"><strong>last time the Eagles AJ Dillon visited Cardinal Stadium</strong></a><strong>. How do you see this one playing out?</strong></p>
<p id="Nu50xq">Even with Dillon back and that image still fresh in everyone’s minds, BC seems to be the “we can get this one” ACC game that every Louisville fan has circled. Notre Dame is an expected loss, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky are both expected wins, and then the Cards end September on the road at Florida State. That fourth game should be the best indicator as far as what the expectation for the BC game should be. If U of L is competitive with the Seminoles, then they should be able to be competitive with the Eagles. If they aren’t … well, Dillon might run for 700 yards. </p>
<p id="ajgVen"><strong>Louisville’s regular season win total is set at 3.5 games. Do we hammer the over or exercise caution?</strong></p>
<p id="PMADBT">I would exercise caution. The rhetoric from the coaching staff very quickly shifted from “Louisville should never be missing bowl games” in December to “this is going to be a process” after spending some time watching film and going through spring practice. </p>
<p id="bam19x">Last season was such a calamity and it came so out of nowhere that it’s still really hard to get a handle on what to make of the state of the program. The most optimistic Louisville fans will tell you that there’s still a solid amount of talent on the roster, and that last season that talent didn’t manifest itself because the coaching staff quit. If that is in fact the case, then U of L should be able to squeeze out four wins. If talent was a larger part of the problem than Cardinal fans would like to admit, then two or three wins this season seems like the more likely scenario. </p>
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<p id="VRvLqZ"><em>Lot of great info here. I’m going to say BC opens up as a 7.5 point favorite in this one. Thanks again to Mike Rutherford and the Card Chronicle. For all things Louisville, check him out on Twitter </em><a href="https://twitter.com/CardChronicle?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor"><em>@CardChronicle</em></a><em>.</em></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/8/23/20829834/boston-college-eagles-a-preview-with-louisville-card-chronicle-cardinalsNiraj Patel2019-08-22T09:00:00-04:002019-08-22T09:00:00-04:00FIVE GOOD MINUTES: Looking Ahead To Wake Forest With Blogger So Dear
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<img alt="Boston College v Wake Forest" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OeJ2Ebib_YjQ3KxzxeCgemlzjwY=/0x0:2945x1963/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65088779/1033173294.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="kx89vC"><em>We continue our week-by-week series of mini-previews for the upcoming Boston College Football season with our look at Week 5 against Wake Forest. Elijah Kim of our SB Nation sister site Blogger So Dear took the time to answer a few questions for us to look ahead to the game.</em></p>
<p id="NLnrrG"><strong>BC Interruption: </strong>BC (7-5, 4-4 ACC) and Wake (7-6, 3-5 ACC) didn’t seem all that far off from each other last season, with the difference between the two teams ending up being only BC’s 41-34 win in Winston-Salem back in September. To me it kind of feels like we’ve been peer programs for a while now. Do you see it that way?</p>
<p id="WjuukW"><strong>Blogger So Dear: </strong>From someone that got a major surprise when getting to Wake and finding out how many kids are from the Northeast and/or applied to both Wake and BC I would put us in the same boat. We also both get criminally underrated year after year but hey what else is new? In addition, we’re essentially the forgotten teams of the ACC as we constantly get lost after the other Carolina schools.</p>
<p id="gzTvoO"><strong>BCI:</strong> Optimism was pretty high for the Eagles last year and we ended up being... fine. The early “feels” around these parts are that optimism isn’t quite as up there as last season but it still feels like BC should be... well, fine again. Is the feeling down south that Wake should be up or down relative to last season and why?</p>
<p id="ERJBaC"><strong>BSD:</strong> For Wake I think it’s a bit underneath “The sky is the limit” but it’s definitely high. You can start to see it from comments from fans, coaches, players, etc that 7 wins and a bowl game win are what’s starting to be expected of this team so it’s time for that next step and this year could be a good one. </p>
<p id="gPm6tZ">Yeah, the back end of the schedule is brutal but if this team stays healthy and we don’t see atrocious performances, getting to 8-9 wins before the bowl game is a VERY reasonable thing for this team this year. All about executing.</p>
<p id="xb2pkN"><strong>BCI:</strong> AJ Dillon’s the big name here in Boston. What’s the one name BC fans will know well by the time our game ends on September 28th?</p>
<p id="LnI6q1"><strong>BSD: </strong>I think this offense this year will be insanely good and since I don’t have a QB to choose from (yet) <em>[Ed. Note: </em><a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com/2019/8/18/20811278/breaking-jamie-newman-named-starting-qb"><em>Jamie Newman was named starting QB for the Deacs</em></a><em> this week, shortly after we put together this Q&A with Blogger So Dear]</em> I’ll go with Sage Surratt. The guy just seems to catch everything that comes his way and he is primed for a huge year in my eyes. While I don’t think the Deacs will have anyone with the “star” power of AJ Dillon, the Deacs do have a decent 1,000 yard rusher in Cade Carney back as well.</p>
<p id="PqOud3"><strong>BCI:</strong> Analyze this picture for its artistic merit:</p>
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<p id="hQQvUE"><strong>BSD: </strong>DAVE CLAWSON THE GOAT (but on a serious note, this was a game that is only satisfying because the Deacs won)</p>
<p id="oIzmTC"><strong>BCI:</strong> Give us an idea of Wake’s offensive and defensive identity. Last year, you allowed Anthony Brown to get 5 touchdowns through the air, which, with respect, is honestly pretty amazing. But you also put up almost 300 yards on us on the ground. Was that out of character last year and what should we expect this time around?</p>
<p id="Ddtapq"><strong>BSD: </strong>Offensively this team will be fast and put up points. The QB battle is something to watch because, well, they’re both really good. Sam Hartman was progressing as a starting freshman QB before he went down to an injury and Jamie Newman stepped in, beat a top 25 team on the road, absolutely destroyed Duke on the road, and led a fantastic comeback in the bowl game against a very good Memphis team. There are so many GOOD wideouts on this team (even after losing Greg Dortch and Alex Bachman), the offensive line is still solid and a healthy Cade Carney at RB is really really good.</p>
<p id="bX1r5w">Defensively is where the questions lie for this team. Essang Bassey is one of the best corners in the nation, Boogie Basham <em>[Ed. Note: What a TREMENDOUS name that is]</em> is one of the best pass rushers, and Justin Strnad is just solid at linebacker. Will this team be able to get off the field on third downs is the real question. The pass rush would just disappear on 3rd down and when it early last year (having flashbacks of that BC game) an assignment was blown so poorly that there wouldn’t be someone within 10 yards of a receiver. After the coaching change, the blown assignments seemed to be fixed but the pass rush issues still remained. From reading practice notes and such it seems like this team will be flying around and trying to cause havoc which I love but there will be some questions they need to answer.</p>
<p id="Qs65FR"><strong>BCI: </strong>What do Wake Forest fans think of BC off the field? Are we still the “you northerners don’t belong in the ACC” guys? Do you all look forward to going to BC for a road game at all? Or are we just another game and no one cares either way?</p>
<p id="MPvrlx"><strong>BSD: </strong>You guys aren’t Louisville so trust me we don’t think of you guys as someone to kick out. Shoutout to <a href="https://twitter.com/notstancotten">@NotStanCotten</a> for spearheading the Wake/BC tailgate. </p>
<p id="6gvobs">I’ve thought about it for future games but it is #TheRivalry so it’s always a bit more fun than other games on the schedule. As mentioned earlier, it’s interesting because a lot of Northeast kids do go to ACC schools so in a unique way, BC is great but Louisville isn’t for our conference.</p>
<p id="VIuVgv"><strong>BCI:</strong> Super, way, ridiculously early prediction time — does Wake get the better of us this year? What do you have for a final score, and what does the result of this game set Wake up for towards its full season record?</p>
<p id="h0Xi1b"><strong>BSD: </strong>I have gone on record saying that I think Wake wins 8-9 games this year and haven’t really budged. This is one of the games that I think Wake wins but by no means will it be easy. I’ll be glad when Dillon is playing on Sundays instead of Saturdays because that guy is a monster. </p>
<p id="cvhmrT">It was a good game last year that really got blown open by miscues and letting Anthony Brown go full video game on us. I don’t think that happens again but I do think that on the ground A.J. Dillon gets his. I’ll go with Wake 31-27.</p>
<p id="UsARXs"><em>Thanks again to Elijah Wood for taking the time to answer some questions for us! </em><a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerSoDear"><em>You can follow Blogger So Dear on Twitter</em></a><em> to keep tabs on our fellow ACC Atlantic brethren. BC vs. Wake Forest will be Week 5, September 28th at Alumni Stadium!</em></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2019/8/22/20825548/boston-college-bc-eagles-wake-forest-demon-deacons-football-five-good-minutes-interviewGrant Salzano