UM at Boston College: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricanesSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes are back on the road for another ACC battle, facing Boston College Friday night in the Eagles’ annual Red Bandana Game.
Coming off their bye week, the Miami Hurricanes continue their month of October with a trip to Chestnut Hill, Mass., for a game with Atlantic Division foe Boston College. Kickoff for the matchup – the first between the two teams since 2012 – is set for 7 p.m. from Alumni Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Miami carries a dominant 24-5 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, who were also foes in the BIG EAST Conference before the ACC. The Hurricanes lead the all-time series 8-3 in the 11 matchups in Chestnut Hill – the last coming in 2012, a 41-32 win in that year’s season opener. UM has won 18 of the last 21 matchups against Boston College, including a stretch of 15 straight wins from the 1985 through the 2006 seasons.
Boston College is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Steve Addazio, who has compiled a 36-35 career record as coach in Chestnut Hill. Like the Hurricanes, the Eagles enter Friday coming off a bye week. They are off to a 5-2 start and topped Louisville, 38-20, last time on Oct. 13 The Eagles’ offense is led by running back AJ Dillon (652 rushing yards, 6 TDs), quarterback Anthony Brown (1,238 yards, 14 passing TDs) and wide receiver Kobay White (281 yards, 3 TDs). Defensively, BC is led by linebacker Connor Strachan (54 total tackles), defensive end Zach Allen (4.5 sacks) and defensive back Hamp Cheevers (four interceptions).
Here are three matchups to watch in Friday’s game.
Miami’s run defense vs. Boston College’s rushing attack
The Hurricanes have one of the top run defenses in the country, ranking third in the ACC and 12thnationally by holding opponents to 106.1 yards per game. The Canes continue to be outstanding in the opposing back field, posting an NCAA-leading 11.6 tackles for loss per game. But Miami will face a big challenge in Boston College’s running attack.
“They do what they do very well,” linebacker Shaquille Quarterman said. “There are no disguises. They want to run the ball. The game is going to be fought in the trenches and it’s going to be fought there often, every play. We can’t get tired of playing the power or playing the stretch because they will run it back-to-back-to-back until we stop it. So, that’s what we have to look forward to.”
Boston College does not disguise what it wants to do offensively. The Eagles want to be physical and run the football and sophomore running back AJ Dillon is one of the best in the country at doing just that. Dillon has missed BC’s last two games due to an ankle injury, but is 28th nationally with 444.6 yards of total offense per game since Dillon became the starter in 2017. The Eagles are 19th nationally with 36.6 points per game during the time span with Dillon as the starter and Dillon leads all players nationally with 159.0 rushing yards per game and is second with 1,908 rushing yards since Oct. 14, 2017. He has scored 18 rushing touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards in 10 out of 14 games.
“Well, there [are] three things that make you hard to tackle, right,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “One is being big, one is being fast and one is being quick. Okay? A good player should have, theoretically have one of those three attributes. If you have more than one of those attributes, then you are a problem. And obviously his size, you just look at him and [can] tell it is like tackling a middle linebacker. But then he has the speed to go all the way, he has got very good feet to make guys miss in the hole. So, I think that is why all the draft people rate him so highly, and he has been a problem when he has been in there.”
Should Dillon not be ready to play, sophomore running back Ben Glines and freshman David Bailey are talented runners capable of leading the way on the ground for Boston College. Glines has rushed for over 100 yards twice this season and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Bailey also had his first 100-yard game two weeks ago against Louisville, totaling 112 yards and a touchdown.
“They don’t change their scheme if Dillon’s not in,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “He’s had a long time to get healthy, but I don’t know the type of ankle injury. People talk about a high ankle injury, how they’re a little more severe. My guess is they don’t want to play him until he’s really ready. Whether he’s not ready or not, I don’t know, but I don’t think it’ll change their scheme. You watch Dillon play, he’s a beast. There’s no doubt about it. He’s a giant man for a running back, and I think early in the year, I forget who they’re playing, I’m watching them play somebody on a Thursday or Friday night, something like that, and he’s just trucking people. They were getting after it up front. They’re impressive running the ball.”
Miami’s front seven vs. Boston College’s offensive line
Miami’s front seven can match up with anyone in the country. Defensive linemen Gerald Willis III and Jonathan Garvin are tied for fifth nationally in tackles for loss at 1.9 per game, while defensive lineman Joe Jackson and linebacker Shaquille Quarterman are tied for 40thnationally at 1.3 per game. All four players are among the top six in tackles for loss in the ACC, leading an imposing and athletic front seven for the Canes. But Miami knows it will face a tough test at the line of scrimmage on Friday.
“Hitting run blocks better, that’s something we really have to focus on,” defensive lineman Gerald Willis said. “The Virginia game we had a little hiccup, we weren’t hitting the run blocks. We really have to hit the run blocks better because we’re facing a big, physical offensive line and all they do is pound the ball.”
Boston College’s offensive line is large and physical and they help pave the way for the Eagles’ ground game. For the 13th time under Steve Addazio, Boston College rushed for 300 yards or more in the Sept. 8 win against Holy Cross. BC finished with a season-best 365 yards rushing vs. the Crusaders. Under Addazio, BC is 13-0 when rushing for 300+ yards in a game. The Eagles rank 27th nationally with 222.8 rushing yards per game in 2018.
“I would not say they are the biggest or most physical, but I would say that they are in that league,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “I mean, we have certainly played against some other large and physical downhill running offensive lines. I think just from the demeanor of this football team and what they want to do and how they want to pound that ball and the personnel they have to pound it. And the sets they get into, with the personnel groups on the field that they get into, I think that will be unusual to what we have played against.”
Miami’s offensive line vs. Boston College’s defensive line
The Hurricanes’ offensive line will look to protect quarterback Malik Rosier and open holes for running backs Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. Seniors Tyree St. Louis and Tyler Gauthier lead Miami’s offensive line against a formidable Boston College front four that features two outstanding defensive ends.
Preseason All-America defensive end Zach Allen was one of two defensive linemen nationally in 2017 that recorded 100 or more tackles. He currently has 36 tackles, including 11.0 tackles-for loss and 4.5 sacks. An All-ACC honorable mention pick last year, Allen finished the season with 100 tackles, 15.5 TFLs and 6.0 sacks. The 15.5 TFLs ranked Allen in the top-10 in BC single-season history. Wyatt Ray is another force on BC’s defensive line, recording 27 total tackles with 10.0 TFLs and a team-high. 8.5 sacks.
“Zach Allen, their preseason All-American, had seven tackles, three tackles for loss, had a sack, blocked a PAT,” Richt said. “He was the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week – great player.”
