Boston College Athletics
W2WF: Louisville
October 12, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
It's BC vs. Lamar and his Cardinals in Kentucky
In sports, a transcendent athlete usually doesn't even need a full name. Their reputations are so large, so known and received, that they can be known by one name or a nickname. Ultra-talented, they create must-see theater with their own flavor and panache. They earn a platform few athletes ever achieve.
College football knows its share of "one-namers." There's Jameis, Johnny, Cam and RG3. Texas had Vince. Florida had Tebow. Desmond once struck a pose in the end zone, and Bo knew Bo. Herschel and Marcus dominated running games like few others, but Barry had them beat. And for BC, nobody ever, ever counted out Flutie.
At Louisville, "Lamar" earned that right. A dynamic dual-threat quarterback, he dominated defenses like few others, the type of run-pass signal caller resembling a modern-day Michael Vick. Last season as a sophomore, he combined for 5,000 yards of offense and 51 touchdowns. Starting the season with eight first half touchdowns against UNC-Charlotte, every week became nationally-televised drama as he assaulted record books. When the season ended, the quarterback became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner.
"Lamar Jackson doesn't need a lot of introduction," BC head coach Steve Addazio said. "(He's a) phenomenal athlete. Makes things happen with his arm, his legs. He's electric. He's probably one of the fastest guys in all of college football and certainly a great player."
Jackson is a football comet requiring the utmost appreciation. Though he's no secret weapon, he remains the best of the best. Unable to declare for the NFL Draft last season, he returned to the Cardinals in a bid to become to the second repeat Heisman Trophy winner ever and the first since Archie Griffin won in 1974 and 1975.
Halfway through the season, Jackson is on pace for more passing yards than last season. He's 10 yards short of a 2,000-yard season in the air, and he would have had 300 yards in every game if not for abbreviated duty in blowout wins against Kent State and Murray State.
In his first two games, Jackson accounted for eight touchdowns. Against Purdue, he threw for 378 yards and two scores. The next week against North Carolina, he threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns while running for three behind 132 yards. After throwing for 317 in a loss at home against Clemson, he threw for 354 yards and a touchdown last week against NC State.
His passing stats put him atop the quarterback rankings, but it's his ability as a runner making him truly transcendent. With numbers placing him among the best running backs in the nation, he has three 100-yard rushing games and seven touchdowns. Last week against NC State, he ran for 73 yards on 19 carries, scoring twice.
"He's the Heisman Trophy winner," Addazio said on the weekly ACC teleconference. "I think that speaks for itself. He was voted the best player in college football. He throws the ball exceptionally well. He has elite speed change of direction, and the thing about him is he's obviously very physically rugged."
Lamar Jackson is the kind of player any football fan can appreciate watching. He's the kind of player every football player wants to compete against because he's the best of the best. This week, it's Boston College's turn as the Eagles head to Louisville to take on the 4-2 Cardinals.
Here's what to watch for:
*****
Weekly Storylines
The only prescription is more cowbell, baby!
Lamar Jackson is good enough to take over a game every time he plays. Wreaking havoc, he can kill a defense and ignite Louisville's offense in an inferno of points. But there is a way to beat him. Simply put, the Boston College defense can't fear the reaper.
"We've got to the best we can to contain him," Steve Addazio said. "(Harold Landry and Zach Allen) are certainly really fine players, (but it) takes more than just the defense ends to contain this guy. That'll be a challenge, trying to keep him in the pocket on third down and also in the read zone game where he reads the ends. That's always a challenge. He makes a lot of plays, and he's going to make plays in this game. (We) need to try and limit those plays and try to create some confusion and penetration and things like that."
It's virtually impossible to stop Jackson on his own. The Cardinals, after all, average over 360 yards per game passing, seventh-best in the nation, and that doesn't just happen overnight. But instead of attacking Jackson quickly, the defense could instead work a containment strategy where the quarterback has room to move within the pocket but doesn't have anywhere to go with the ball.
To do that, the secondary needs to take away options downfield. Dez Fitzpatrick is highly athletic with 26 catches for 414 yards and six touchdowns in six games. Seth Dawkins is right behind him with 23 catches, averaging similar numbers with 371 yards and two touchdowns.
A big part of the offense, though, is missing. Jaylen Smith had 379 yards and 22 catches through the season's first quarter pole, but he injured his wrist against Kent State and hasn't played since. He's not on the Louisville depth chart for Saturday and was described by head coach Bobby Petrino as "day-to-day."
Louisville is also dealing with limited depth in the backfield. No Cardinal running back has 40 carries on the season, with Malik Williams and Reggie Bonnafon combining for 21 less carries than Lamar Jackson. If the BC defense can contain Jackson in the pocket and take away downfield threats, it'll force the running game to beat BC. That said, it's not like Louisville doesn't have skill at the position.
"We've lost three running backs, which seems like it always happens at one position," Petrino told the ACC teleconference this week. "Unfortunately, that's a tough one. Reggie's got to come in and do a good job for us and run the ball physically and catch it out of the backfield.
"You just have to be in the game where you can mix in the run, the play action," he said. "Every week with the assistant coaches, I'm on them about how we need to be able to hand the ball to running backs and let them run with it."
BC's defense is one of the most efficient units against the pass in the nation. It ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 11 in the nation. This week, it draws its biggest test, but the appeal is there for the Eagles to learn from last year when Jackson singlehandedly carved up the Alumni Stadium turf.
Let the end become the beginning.
In one quarter last week, quarterback Anthony Brown threw for over 100 yards. BC ran a three-play drive for a touchdown, moving the ball 75 yards in a little over a minute. They used two well-timed gadget plays - a jet sweep to Thadd Smith and a wide receiver option pass by Jeff Smith - surround a 23-yard completion from Brown to tight end Tommy Sweeney. Anyone who watched that drive alone would see the improvement and progress in the talent BC possesses.
It just came too late in the game.
"I thought we played a real physical, tough football game last week and had a great opportunity to be in the middle of having a chance to win that game," Steve Addazio told the ACC media. "But we dropped a touchdown pass early, we dropped another one down on the one-yard line and missed a field goal. You get in the red zone; you've got to score. That's where I see we've had some really great opportunities in the first half of the season against really good opponents, and we're not making those plays right now that really, quite frankly, are somewhat routine."
Louisville presents an opportunity to start righting the ship in that regard. The Cardinals allow an average of 27 points per game - only one point less than the Eagles. Their passing defense is No. 96 in the nation after surrendering three 300-yard games and one more within 10 yards of a fourth. Last week, NC State rolled up 520 yards.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Bobby Petrino said. "Number one is being successful on first down, stopping the run. Some of the issue there has been tackling and be physical enough with our young guys. Obviously, we've got to defend the deep ball. We had guys in position and we've got to have confidence to be able to turn and make the play on the ball. So, we're working extremely hard on that."
BC has been inching towards the next level of execution all season long. Last week, the Eagles hit for a quick score and sustained a drive before it ran out on downs late in the fourth quarter. They did this by, as their coach said, "emptying the chamber." Since it worked late against the Hokies, opening with that same attitude could work wonders against Louisville.
"I think we're a lot closer than we've been in a while," Addazio said. "I think we have some real ability scattered throughout that offense right now, but we've got to take the next step and we've got to make those plays in the skill and semi-skilled positions."
On the road again
Only two of Boston College's six games were road games in the first half of the season. The first came in the season opener against Northern Illinois, and the second came two weeks ago when the Eagles played Clemson, the undefeated defending national champions.
Heading into this week, I'm reminded of something I said last year prior to the NC State game. At the time, BC was 3-4 on the season and looking for a spark. It lost a deflating game to Syracuse in the game prior at home and cast a shadow of doubt over bowl eligibility.
That NC State game struck me because it was on the road. Coming off of a four-game homestand, I thought getting away from home would be the best thing for the team. Travel has a way of isolating a team, forcing players to learn and talk to only each other. Essentially locked away from the outside world, it creates a unique, uniting atmosphere.
There's genuine risk to that theory. Playing in front of a hostile crowd can be tough, and if a game starts to go sour, it can get away and snowball. The drawbacks of travel can create its own brand of fatigue, especially since BC plays back-to-back road games with another trip next week to Virginia.
But there's something about getting on the road that can reboot a team. I'm reminded of that this week as the Eagles take off from Boston, bound for the Derby City.
*****
Meteorology 101
Autumn finally set into Massachusetts this week as temperatures dipped down into the 40s at night. That's of little consolation for a football team heading into Kentucky's warm sunshine.
Saturday's forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 80s and bright sunshine. It can't possibly be any better. Even if it's not Kentucky Derby day, everyone in the Bluegrass State can settle in with a mint julep to enjoy.
*****
Scoreboard Watching
This is a huge week for the Eagles' next opponent. After years spent as the Coastal Division basement, Virginia is front and center at the top of the division with a 4-1 overall record. This week, they're at North Carolina in a game with major implications.
It's a game where UNC would ordinarily be favored at the surface level, but the Tar Heels are 1-5 and looking up at the rest of the division. A loss at home would severely damage their dwindling bowl hopes. For the 'Hoos, a win establishes them as credible division leaders.
It's part of an all-ACC weekend for the 13 teams in action. Clemson and Syracuse kick things off on Friday night in the Carrier Dome on national television, a precursor to the Friday Night Lights BC will enjoy later this season at home against Florida State.
The Seminoles themselves are 1-3 and head to Duke for a 12 p.m. start. That's the same time as kickoff in Pittsburgh between the Panthers and NC State. Those are the only two interdivisional games as Miami hosts Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m., the same start time as Virginia-UNC.
BC's last remaining non-conference opponent is also in action as Connecticut heads to Temple to play the Owls in the City of Brotherly Love.
'
*****
Prediction Time/Pregame Zen
You see, he's not a machine! He's a man! -Duke, "Rocky IV"
Lamar Jackson is the nation's most dynamic player. He's earned the highest individual award possible, and NFL teams drool over his athleticism and ceiling. He's the type of player who can take over a game, and if BC isn't careful, he can and will carve up the field with chunks of yardage. He can do everything individually, and if allowed, he will singlehandedly win this game.
But there is a way to beat this team. Louisville's defense gave up chunks of yards to Purdue, Clemson, NC State and others. If BC can sustain drives, convert opportunities and find that next level, it can limit Jackson's opportunities. No team or player is unbeatable, even if it's a huge challenge.
On the road, in a hostile environment, everything crystallizes. It becomes "us against them." For the Eagles, that needs to be a driving factor for the players to execute their assignments. If they can use the fuel and do their jobs, they will form a team that can walk out of Papa John's Stadium with a victory to start the second half of the year.
Â
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College football knows its share of "one-namers." There's Jameis, Johnny, Cam and RG3. Texas had Vince. Florida had Tebow. Desmond once struck a pose in the end zone, and Bo knew Bo. Herschel and Marcus dominated running games like few others, but Barry had them beat. And for BC, nobody ever, ever counted out Flutie.
At Louisville, "Lamar" earned that right. A dynamic dual-threat quarterback, he dominated defenses like few others, the type of run-pass signal caller resembling a modern-day Michael Vick. Last season as a sophomore, he combined for 5,000 yards of offense and 51 touchdowns. Starting the season with eight first half touchdowns against UNC-Charlotte, every week became nationally-televised drama as he assaulted record books. When the season ended, the quarterback became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner.
"Lamar Jackson doesn't need a lot of introduction," BC head coach Steve Addazio said. "(He's a) phenomenal athlete. Makes things happen with his arm, his legs. He's electric. He's probably one of the fastest guys in all of college football and certainly a great player."
Jackson is a football comet requiring the utmost appreciation. Though he's no secret weapon, he remains the best of the best. Unable to declare for the NFL Draft last season, he returned to the Cardinals in a bid to become to the second repeat Heisman Trophy winner ever and the first since Archie Griffin won in 1974 and 1975.
Halfway through the season, Jackson is on pace for more passing yards than last season. He's 10 yards short of a 2,000-yard season in the air, and he would have had 300 yards in every game if not for abbreviated duty in blowout wins against Kent State and Murray State.
In his first two games, Jackson accounted for eight touchdowns. Against Purdue, he threw for 378 yards and two scores. The next week against North Carolina, he threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns while running for three behind 132 yards. After throwing for 317 in a loss at home against Clemson, he threw for 354 yards and a touchdown last week against NC State.
His passing stats put him atop the quarterback rankings, but it's his ability as a runner making him truly transcendent. With numbers placing him among the best running backs in the nation, he has three 100-yard rushing games and seven touchdowns. Last week against NC State, he ran for 73 yards on 19 carries, scoring twice.
"He's the Heisman Trophy winner," Addazio said on the weekly ACC teleconference. "I think that speaks for itself. He was voted the best player in college football. He throws the ball exceptionally well. He has elite speed change of direction, and the thing about him is he's obviously very physically rugged."
Lamar Jackson is the kind of player any football fan can appreciate watching. He's the kind of player every football player wants to compete against because he's the best of the best. This week, it's Boston College's turn as the Eagles head to Louisville to take on the 4-2 Cardinals.
Here's what to watch for:
*****
Weekly Storylines
The only prescription is more cowbell, baby!
Lamar Jackson is good enough to take over a game every time he plays. Wreaking havoc, he can kill a defense and ignite Louisville's offense in an inferno of points. But there is a way to beat him. Simply put, the Boston College defense can't fear the reaper.
"We've got to the best we can to contain him," Steve Addazio said. "(Harold Landry and Zach Allen) are certainly really fine players, (but it) takes more than just the defense ends to contain this guy. That'll be a challenge, trying to keep him in the pocket on third down and also in the read zone game where he reads the ends. That's always a challenge. He makes a lot of plays, and he's going to make plays in this game. (We) need to try and limit those plays and try to create some confusion and penetration and things like that."
It's virtually impossible to stop Jackson on his own. The Cardinals, after all, average over 360 yards per game passing, seventh-best in the nation, and that doesn't just happen overnight. But instead of attacking Jackson quickly, the defense could instead work a containment strategy where the quarterback has room to move within the pocket but doesn't have anywhere to go with the ball.
To do that, the secondary needs to take away options downfield. Dez Fitzpatrick is highly athletic with 26 catches for 414 yards and six touchdowns in six games. Seth Dawkins is right behind him with 23 catches, averaging similar numbers with 371 yards and two touchdowns.
A big part of the offense, though, is missing. Jaylen Smith had 379 yards and 22 catches through the season's first quarter pole, but he injured his wrist against Kent State and hasn't played since. He's not on the Louisville depth chart for Saturday and was described by head coach Bobby Petrino as "day-to-day."
Louisville is also dealing with limited depth in the backfield. No Cardinal running back has 40 carries on the season, with Malik Williams and Reggie Bonnafon combining for 21 less carries than Lamar Jackson. If the BC defense can contain Jackson in the pocket and take away downfield threats, it'll force the running game to beat BC. That said, it's not like Louisville doesn't have skill at the position.
"We've lost three running backs, which seems like it always happens at one position," Petrino told the ACC teleconference this week. "Unfortunately, that's a tough one. Reggie's got to come in and do a good job for us and run the ball physically and catch it out of the backfield.
"You just have to be in the game where you can mix in the run, the play action," he said. "Every week with the assistant coaches, I'm on them about how we need to be able to hand the ball to running backs and let them run with it."
BC's defense is one of the most efficient units against the pass in the nation. It ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 11 in the nation. This week, it draws its biggest test, but the appeal is there for the Eagles to learn from last year when Jackson singlehandedly carved up the Alumni Stadium turf.
Let the end become the beginning.
In one quarter last week, quarterback Anthony Brown threw for over 100 yards. BC ran a three-play drive for a touchdown, moving the ball 75 yards in a little over a minute. They used two well-timed gadget plays - a jet sweep to Thadd Smith and a wide receiver option pass by Jeff Smith - surround a 23-yard completion from Brown to tight end Tommy Sweeney. Anyone who watched that drive alone would see the improvement and progress in the talent BC possesses.
It just came too late in the game.
"I thought we played a real physical, tough football game last week and had a great opportunity to be in the middle of having a chance to win that game," Steve Addazio told the ACC media. "But we dropped a touchdown pass early, we dropped another one down on the one-yard line and missed a field goal. You get in the red zone; you've got to score. That's where I see we've had some really great opportunities in the first half of the season against really good opponents, and we're not making those plays right now that really, quite frankly, are somewhat routine."
Louisville presents an opportunity to start righting the ship in that regard. The Cardinals allow an average of 27 points per game - only one point less than the Eagles. Their passing defense is No. 96 in the nation after surrendering three 300-yard games and one more within 10 yards of a fourth. Last week, NC State rolled up 520 yards.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Bobby Petrino said. "Number one is being successful on first down, stopping the run. Some of the issue there has been tackling and be physical enough with our young guys. Obviously, we've got to defend the deep ball. We had guys in position and we've got to have confidence to be able to turn and make the play on the ball. So, we're working extremely hard on that."
BC has been inching towards the next level of execution all season long. Last week, the Eagles hit for a quick score and sustained a drive before it ran out on downs late in the fourth quarter. They did this by, as their coach said, "emptying the chamber." Since it worked late against the Hokies, opening with that same attitude could work wonders against Louisville.
"I think we're a lot closer than we've been in a while," Addazio said. "I think we have some real ability scattered throughout that offense right now, but we've got to take the next step and we've got to make those plays in the skill and semi-skilled positions."
On the road again
Only two of Boston College's six games were road games in the first half of the season. The first came in the season opener against Northern Illinois, and the second came two weeks ago when the Eagles played Clemson, the undefeated defending national champions.
Heading into this week, I'm reminded of something I said last year prior to the NC State game. At the time, BC was 3-4 on the season and looking for a spark. It lost a deflating game to Syracuse in the game prior at home and cast a shadow of doubt over bowl eligibility.
That NC State game struck me because it was on the road. Coming off of a four-game homestand, I thought getting away from home would be the best thing for the team. Travel has a way of isolating a team, forcing players to learn and talk to only each other. Essentially locked away from the outside world, it creates a unique, uniting atmosphere.
There's genuine risk to that theory. Playing in front of a hostile crowd can be tough, and if a game starts to go sour, it can get away and snowball. The drawbacks of travel can create its own brand of fatigue, especially since BC plays back-to-back road games with another trip next week to Virginia.
But there's something about getting on the road that can reboot a team. I'm reminded of that this week as the Eagles take off from Boston, bound for the Derby City.
*****
Meteorology 101
Autumn finally set into Massachusetts this week as temperatures dipped down into the 40s at night. That's of little consolation for a football team heading into Kentucky's warm sunshine.
Saturday's forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 80s and bright sunshine. It can't possibly be any better. Even if it's not Kentucky Derby day, everyone in the Bluegrass State can settle in with a mint julep to enjoy.
*****
Scoreboard Watching
This is a huge week for the Eagles' next opponent. After years spent as the Coastal Division basement, Virginia is front and center at the top of the division with a 4-1 overall record. This week, they're at North Carolina in a game with major implications.
It's a game where UNC would ordinarily be favored at the surface level, but the Tar Heels are 1-5 and looking up at the rest of the division. A loss at home would severely damage their dwindling bowl hopes. For the 'Hoos, a win establishes them as credible division leaders.
It's part of an all-ACC weekend for the 13 teams in action. Clemson and Syracuse kick things off on Friday night in the Carrier Dome on national television, a precursor to the Friday Night Lights BC will enjoy later this season at home against Florida State.
The Seminoles themselves are 1-3 and head to Duke for a 12 p.m. start. That's the same time as kickoff in Pittsburgh between the Panthers and NC State. Those are the only two interdivisional games as Miami hosts Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m., the same start time as Virginia-UNC.
BC's last remaining non-conference opponent is also in action as Connecticut heads to Temple to play the Owls in the City of Brotherly Love.
'
*****
Prediction Time/Pregame Zen
You see, he's not a machine! He's a man! -Duke, "Rocky IV"
Lamar Jackson is the nation's most dynamic player. He's earned the highest individual award possible, and NFL teams drool over his athleticism and ceiling. He's the type of player who can take over a game, and if BC isn't careful, he can and will carve up the field with chunks of yardage. He can do everything individually, and if allowed, he will singlehandedly win this game.
But there is a way to beat this team. Louisville's defense gave up chunks of yards to Purdue, Clemson, NC State and others. If BC can sustain drives, convert opportunities and find that next level, it can limit Jackson's opportunities. No team or player is unbeatable, even if it's a huge challenge.
On the road, in a hostile environment, everything crystallizes. It becomes "us against them." For the Eagles, that needs to be a driving factor for the players to execute their assignments. If they can use the fuel and do their jobs, they will form a team that can walk out of Papa John's Stadium with a victory to start the second half of the year.
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Players Mentioned
DE
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