It’s getting fun for Boston College football.
In fact, it’s definitely a much more exciting season than anyone seems to have anticipated. With a season full of close wins and in some cases close losses, the Eagles have been entertaining if nothing else. Boston College is coming off of a big win over Pitt, which should give it momentum this weekend on their way to Virginia. The Eagles will face Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Saturday, which will be a close matchup. Virginia Tech is 2-1 coming off of a loss to North Carolina. Let’s see how the two teams stack up and who will likely come out on top.
Virginia Tech has a different offense
Unlike BC’s other opponents thus far, Virginia Tech is a rushing team. It averages 299.3 rushing yards per game and 193 passing yards per game. BC is going to need to stop that offensive line and keep it from running the ball. This shouldn’t be too hard, as Boston College’s defense has picked up. Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie leads BC’s defense with 41 tackles and three sacks. The team has a combined 12 sacks, posing a threat to Virginia Tech quarterback Braxton Burmeister.
Virginia Tech has been playing around with quarterbacks this season, utilizing both Burmeister and Hendon Hooker. Head coach Justin Fuente decided to go with multiple quarterbacks this season before the opening game. Burmeister has 348 passing yards, while Hooker has thrown for 136. Shutting down the passing game will be important for BC, but it really needs to look out for running back Khalil Herbert.
Herbert has totaled 454 rushing yards this season. He leads the team in touchdowns with five, making him the guy to look out for. If Boston College can shut down Herbert early, Virginia Tech will lose any offensive threat it has. Interestingly enough, Burmeister comes in second for most rushing yards with 182. Clearly he is a versatile quarterback, so Boston College will need to try to predict his play calling.
What BC needs to bring back
Boston College has begun to show it is learning from its games. However, its win over Pitt last weekend was still sloppy and frankly should not have needed to go into overtime. This game showed us wide receiver Zay Flowers, who has emerged as a key piece of BC’s offense. Flowers has totaled 405 rushing yards and has scored four touchdowns for the Eagles. If he can show up the way he did against Pitt, Virginia Tech will have a difficult time competing.
Week after week, the consistent change that Boston College needs to make is cleaning up its game. Its wins, even against weak teams, have been too close, and mostly because of sloppy play. BC cannot continue to beat itself. Virginia Tech is entering the game at a pretty similar skill level, so this will be a great opportunity for Boston College to play a clean game of football. This could be a big win for the Eagles. Hopefully, it will not be another one-point game. If BC can play at a high level through the game, it should have no problem winning.
I am a junior Communication major at Villanova University, with specializations in Journalism and Media Production. My Instagram is @bridgethyland_.