Coming off their 34-7 loss to No. 2 Clemson, in which Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC) punted five times from Tiger’s territory. BC will need to show they a capable of finishing drives and able to put opponents away.
Central Michigan (2-2, 0-1 MAC) will be a real litmus test for Eagles’ redshirt-freshman quarterback Anthony Brown. After struggling with decision-making against in the three losses to Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and Clemson. Brown needs to show what he is capable of against a Chippewas team that allowed 579 yards of offense to common opponent Syracuse, two weeks ago.
To get the young quarterback going tEagles will likely run the ball right at CMU early. The Chippewas have given up at least 150 yards rushing against the three FBS schools they have faced. Including, 300 yards on the ground against Syracuse. Expect BC to dial up plays for true-freshman running back A.J. Dillon. The local four-star recruit scored his first career touchdown last week against Clemson.
Head coach Steve Addazio has been working Dillon more into the Eagles game plan as he gets acclimated to the college game. Now that he has four games under his belt against top competition, Dillon is primed for a breakout game against the Chippewas.
“At this level, you’re basically learning how to handle that conditioning load. It’s that load that you have to carry, where every snap, you got to be at your maximum with ball security and everything else. He’s doing a fabulous job. He’s going to be a great player here. I don’t think there’s any question about that. And I think each week I think what you’ve seen us do is bring him along.” Addazio said of Dillon, who ran 18 times for 57 yards and the score against Clemson.
Defensively, BC showed what they are capable of last week, holding the defending CFP National Champions to just seven points through three-quarters of action. The pass rush led by defensive end Harold Landry constantly pressured Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, reminding us of the Eagles defenses of the last couple of years. However, as the game wore on and fatigue started to set in, the Eagles once again became prone to giving up big plays.
The Eagles will need to clean up their tackling on the back end against the Chippewas as they have an offense that is capable breaking off huge plays of their own. CMU scored 45 points against Power-5 opponent Kansas in the second week of the season.
Led by quarterback Shane Morris, the Chippewas pose an aerial attack that could be a threat to the Eagles secondary. Morris has thrown for 1,165 yards and nine touchdowns through four games.
“He’s a talented guy. Their offense looks really good to me. He can make the throws, and I think that he has a really good ability. I think that they have a darn good offensive football team.” Addazio said when asked about Morris earlier this week.
The passing attack of the Chippewas could be looking to feast on BC with short passes this week. The Eagles are depleted in the linebacker group. It was announced this week that Connor Strachan is out for the season and Max Richardson is out indefinitely. Addazio has turned the roster over for depth and has moved Davon Jones from running back to linebacker to help.
One aspect of Morris’ game which may be a sigh of relief for the Eagles, is that he is more of a pocket passer than a dual-threat. Every single quarterback BC has faced this season has gained over 100 yards on the ground, including Notre Dame QB Charlie Wimbush who ran for over 200 yards two weeks ago. Morris has rushed for just 95 yards total this season.
After losing the last three games, a MAC opponent could be just what the doctor ordered. However, if the Eagles offense continues not to finish drives and the defense can’t find a way overcome injuries, the Chippewas could all but kill any hope of a bowl game Boston College still might have, with perennial powers Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Florida State still on the schedule.
The action kicks off at Alumni Stadium on Saturday, September 30th at 1:00 p.m.
