After winning a combined six games in 2011 and 2012, Boston College has rebounded with consecutive 7-6 seasons and back-to-back postseason berths in the past two years.
But the Eagles have set their sights on contending for the ACC Atlantic Division.
A victory against Duke Saturday afternoon would be a major step in the right direction. With a young squad that has already suffered several injuries early in the season and has yet to play away from home, Boston College head coach Steve Addazio knows the road game will be a major test.
“[Duke is] well-coached. They are sound,” Addazio said at his weekly press conference Monday. “[They’re] a good football team and we have got to go on the road and play them, which adds another element that will be a new and interesting element for our team, being that we have a lot of guys who have never played on the road.”
Boston College has had its ups and down through the first four games of the season. After beginning the year with two victories against Maine and Howard, the Eagles came up short in a 14-0 loss to then-No.11 Florida State. Although Boston College remained within striking range throughout the first two and half quarters, a fumble that the Seminoles returned for a touchdown ultimately did the Eagles in. But they quickly rebounded with a 17-14 win against Northern Illinois to push their record to 3-1.
Boston College’s main strength is its defense. Through four games, defensive coordinator Don Brown’s unit has limited opponents to a nation-best 118 total yards and 7.8 points per game, which ranks second in the country.
Up front, the Eagles have an experienced group of defensive linemen as well as a fast and physical linebacking corps. Led by defensive linemen Harold Landy, Connor Wujciak and Mehdi Abdesmad, Boston College penetrated Florida State’s offensive line and shut down its rushing attack, holding star running back Dalvin Cook—who at the time ranked second in the nation in yards per game—to 54 yards on 15 carries.
Despite many questions about their young secondary during the offseason, the Eagles’ defensive backs have also blossomed, limiting opposing passing attacks to 72.0 yards per game.
“This Boston College team is really something to watch,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “Just watch in general, a team that the most yards anybody has scored [against] was Florida State. They’ve only given up two touchdowns in four games. They defend every aspect [of the field]. They have [a] great run defense, but they also have a great pass defense.”
But on the other side of the ball, it is a different story. Several of the Eagles’ offensive weapons—including starting quarterback Darius Wade and running backs Jon Hilliman and Myles Willis—are questionable or sidelined with various injuries.
The Eagles’ offense has struggled to find any rhythm and execute consistently at a high level. After beginning the season with a 24-point performance against Maine, Boston College exploded for 76 points against Howard. Although the offensive line has at times controlled the line of scrimmage and shown great potential, it has also missed many key blocks.
Since the injury to Wade, the Eagles have used a two-quarterback system featuring Troy Flutie and Jeff Smith—with Smith usually entering in running situations. Like Northwestern, Boston College relies mostly on its ground attack to wear down opposing defensive fronts and surprise defenses when they do pass the ball. The Eagles average 231 yards per game on the ground and have only completed a combined 10 passes for 148 yards in their last two games.
“We are very inconsistent on offense,” Addazio said. “It’s been the same since Maine. So what’s happening right now, you’re trying to get a little consistent, but all these new bodies are taking you back to the starting point. We have had plenty of opportunities and we are missing those opportunities, whether it be a play-action pass or a run. We are just one block off, one guy off, one misread off.”
The Duke matchup marks the beginning of a month of crucial games for the Eagles. After a relatively easy schedule to begin the season, Boston College now hits the meat of its schedule with road contests against Louisville and No. 12 Clemson, as well as a home game against No. 6 Notre Dame.
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