Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Frank Selden
Four Downs: Virginia
October 22, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
BC puts together its best performance of the year in a 41-10 rout at UVA
With under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, Boston College led Virginia by a field goal with a second down play deep in its own territory. Anthony Brown took snap and executed a double play action fake. He first looked at Jeff Smith, the wide receiver going left-to-right, then faked a handoff to his running back.
Having created some time for himself, Brown looked downfield on the right sideline. He found tight end Tommy Sweeney streaking through double coverage, and he unloaded a high rainbow throw just out of reach.
That one play showcased four different facets of the Boston College offense's potential: the two-sided rushing attack along the perimeter and up the middle; the ability to attempt tough throws; utilizing different receivers to force defenses into varied coverage. In the Eagles' dominant 41-10 victory over Virginia, they clearly displayed it all.
"These are things that we do all the time," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We run those jets. We probably should have run a few more jets because they were really pounding it in the middle on us a little bit. We hit a jailbreak slip screen to Kobay (White) on a critical third down when we knew they were going to bring pressure on us. We have got to do a little bit more of that too. These are the things we are trying to continue to develop as we go. We have got some speed and athleticism here and we have got to continue to grow that a little more."
After missing the pass to Sweeney, BC called two perfect plays. Using bunched receivers to the left, the Eagles simply moved the chains on third down. Three receivers broke out from the left, crossing Sweeney towards the sideline again while stacking Charlie Callinan on top of Jeff Smith. Brown used a quick drop and hit Smith in stride between four evenly-spaced defenders, gaining enough for a new set of downs.
That set up Thadd Smith's jet sweep. Running right-to-left, Smith took the handoff and simply outsmarted a blitzing defense. Facing a wall of defenders because the Virginia safeties cheated up closer to the line, Smith stutter-stepped, causing the defensive back to run into blocked area. He then turned on his speed, hit a second gear around the corner and jogged his way into the end zone.
"Offensively, I think it was the best plan we have defended to this point," Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I give their coaches credit and their players credit for executing it really well. The thought was this was going to be a really physical game and really run-oriented game, (and) really if you look at their yardage of points, a lot of it was around us and over us rather than through. So the game took on a really different context than what I had anticipated and our adjustments weren't effective in terms of countermeasures."
That exchange set the tone for an impressive performance. The Eagles rolled, improving to .500 with a huge conference win over a 5-1 Cavalier team. Now winners of two straight games, BC heads into a short week with all kinds of momentum. Here's are some other takeaways from the game down in Charlottesville:
*****
First Down: Boston College's offense
For the second straight week, Boston College's offensive performance registered with the program's history. After AJ Dillon ran himself into Andre Williams territory with over 270 yards against Louisville, the entire unit generated woke echoes of years past against the Cavaliers.
BC scored 40-plus points for the first time since beating Rutgers and Toledo during the 2002 season. The Eagles were still in the Big East at the time, so Saturday marked an ACC-first since joining the conference in 2005.
The team amassed 17 first quarter points, the most in a quarter since 21 against NC State during the 2008 season. The 256 yards in the first quarter helped BC to over 300 in the first half for the first time in two years, and 500-plus yards in consecutive weeks recalled BC's wins over Maine and Southern California in 2014.
"We were able to put up some pretty good numbers," Steve Addazio said. "We were pretty good with the ball on our first drives mixing it up pretty good - going for it on fourth down, throwing the ball well on fourth down and doing the things we needed to do to keep (Virginia) off pace. We rushed for (237) yards, threw for (275) yards. Had over 500 yards of offense. It was the first time in the ACC that BC scored over 40 points in back-to-back weeks. It was the first time that we have gone over 500 yards in the ACC since (2008). Some good things are starting to happen."
Redshirt freshman Anthony Brown finished with just five incompletions and three touchdowns, the first BC player to throw three scores without a pick since Quinton Porter in 2003. It came a week after an aggravated shoulder injury sent him to the sidelines and generated questions if Darius Wade would earn a start after substituting admirably in the Louisville win.
He silenced those questions with over 300 all-purpose yards. On BC's first offensive drive, pinned in his own end zone, Brown spun out of a blitzing Virginia defense and scrambled out of the end zone for a 15-yard gain, moving the chains on what was a third down play.
BC's growth is no longer deniable. The Eagles exited Saturday with an offense ranked well inside the top half of the bowl subdivision. Over the past two weeks, BC added a full touchdown to its season scoring average, moving up to No. 27 nationally in rushing yardage (a gain of almost 50 spots). The passing offense, meanwhile, improved 30 slots over that same time period.
*****
Second Down: Virginia's defense
It became obvious from the first BC drive that Virginia employed a blitz-heavy defensive scheme. The Cavaliers brought heat on the first two plays and stuffed AJ Dillon for short gains. But it became apparent shortly thereafter that the Eagles scouted and understood just what to do against the aggressive approach.
The Eagles mixed different play selections and went around and over the defense. BC heavily involved tight end Tommy Sweeney early on, connecting a 28-yard reception in the middle of the first drive and attempting the long sideline pass to him in the second drive. At game's end, two of his four receptions were touchdowns.
"Our coaches do a great job of game-planning and everything to help us out," Anthony Brown said. "We had to take it upon ourselves to make a difference, and we have to play as hard and as physical to be as effective as possible. We took that into our own hands (on Saturday)."
Thadd Smith's run was the first of two explosive scoring plays on consecutive drives. When Virginia countered BC's offense with six players across the line, Chris Garrison motioned a couple of steps out to the right. Since nobody went with him, it exposed the Cavalier blitz, allowing Kobay White to line up in a stack formation behind his tight end. As a defender motioned away to Garrison, the soft coverage on White allowed Brown to make a quick throw to his right.
Because the blitz attacked the line of scrimmage, the defense left way too much open space for White. He slipped inside with an offensive lineman he wouldn't need in front of him. Only two Cavaliers ever came within three yards of the receiver as he made reservations for six, pushing the BC lead to 17-0 within four offensive plays.
It was a shocking turn against one of the ACC's most heralded defenses of 2017. Virginia entered Saturday as a strong unit, and though statistics hurt, BC's performance was more about positive execution by the Maroon and Gold and a credit to the film study and preparation put in during the week.
"The plan they had was really good," Mendenhall said. "There was no way that they were going to allow sacks, so the ball was coming out very quickly with man-to-man type of beating routes, and (Anthony Brown) was delivering the ball on time to well-executed routes consistently. Then on play action where is athletic enough, he bought enough time for routes to develop, a first route, a second route or even a third route sometimes and that combination between those two things really gave us problems.
"(It happened) right from the beginning and very surprisingly because we believe one of our strengths is playing really good pass defense," he continued. "So they had a very good plan (that) they executed really well and to their credit."
*****
Third Down: Boston INTea Party
With three interceptions of Virginia quarterbacks on Saturday, Boston College once again joined the ranks of the top echelon. Now tied for fifth nationally with Duke and Florida Atlantic, BC scored its first interception for a touchdown with its last score in the win.
Starting quarterback Kurt Benkert threw the first pick with an uncharacteristically sloppy play. As BC bottled Virginia at the point of attack, Benkert faded back to pass but found himself scrambling to his left. He flipped a backhanded pass with his left hand as he ran out of real estate near the sideline, floating it right into Will Harris' awaiting hands.
"That was a good one to check off the bucket list seeing as it was the first one of the season for me," Harris said. "I have been patient all season, so I was just trying to go head hunting for it. We were trying to just run to the ball all day. That is one thing that our coaches always emphasize, just to run to the ball. That is what I was doing. I ran to the ball and good things happened from there."
Backup quarterback Lindell Stone committed the second pick with a high pass off the hands of Hasise Dubois. Linebacker John Lamot was the first one to it, and he rumbled the remaining 40 yards for the first pick six since Matt Milano against UConn last year, a breakout moment for the redshirt freshman.
Thrust into action late in the Clemson game, his inexperience became a central talking point after the Tigers turned a 7-7 game into a lopsided blowout win. Now having developed and grown within the Eagle defense, his late-game performance became a capstone for a blowout victory.
It was part of a performance - along with Hamp Cheevers' interception - where BC held Virginia to its fewest allowed yards all season. The Cavaliers mustered only 247 yards of offense. Lukas Denis had seven tackles, four of which were solo, and Wyatt Ray filled in on the defensive line with 1.5 sacks.
*****
Fourth Down: One Game at A Time
The college football season is a weekly litmus test of a program's growth and development. Each week tests a program's current and future status. Though each game is unique and requires individual planning, every week remain a referendum on a team's preparation and practice.
BC entered Saturday with a 3-4 record. Among games played, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are all nationally ranked, and Louisville still has the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. It was a hardening path for the Eagles, but the grueling pace led to the team's growth and development seen week-to-week.
On Saturday, the Eagles played Virginia, a team receiving 42 votes in the national coaches' poll and another 10 in the Associated Press poll. The Cavaliers had a win against a Boise State team also earning votes, and the national media took notice of the ACC's Coastal Division co-leader.
"I am really impressed by what Bronco Mendenhall is doing here at Virginia in year two," Steve Addazio said. "He is developing a really fine, really good football team over there - a physical, tough football team. I saw the foundation of that all week on film, and it is real. I have a real appreciation for what he is doing at Virginia. He is a first class guy and this is a first class program."
It's a good win for the Eagles, and BC fans can wake up happy on a Sunday because their team rolled through a good program. But it doesn't stop from here. BC is on a short week of practice, coming home to take on another national powerhouse program. As good as this win feels, the Eagles will need to have a short memory because another referendum is coming on Friday night.
"We have played some of the best football teams in the country this season, and we have done it while losing some of our very finest players," Addazio said. "We have stuck together and kept believing in each other and that is what makes me so proud of these guys. For the last two weeks, specifically this game, I thought we played at a really high level. I think you can clearly see the growth, see the potential and the brightness of the future of our football program, of which I am so proud and excited for our guys."
*****
Point After: Florida State
There's an old saying that no game is ever bigger than the next one. For BC, the next one comes Friday against a Florida State team uncharacteristically standing at 2-4 on the season. On Saturday, the Seminoles hosted Louisville and lost, 31-28, on a last second field goal.
It capped a see-saw battle between FSU and the Cardinals. Down 7-0 in the first quarter, the Seminoles scored twice, including on a fumble recovery, to take a one touchdown lead. Louisville then rattled off the next 21 points to go up 28-14 before FSU stormed back in the fourth to tie things up. But Lamar Jackson led Louisville on an eight-play, 59-yard drive in the last two minutes to set up Blanton Creque's 34-yard game winning field goal.
The loss dropped FSU to 2-4 on the year with its third ACC loss. After entering the season with national championship hopes, the loss of quarterback Deondre Francois in the first game against Alabama altered the entire season. Coupled with the fallout from Hurricane Irma, FSU is a team trying to just get back on track after dealing with immeasurable hardship early on.
Nothing changes the fact, however, that Florida State is a nationally-recognized contender with some of the most talented athletes in the nation. With BC's "Red Bandana Game" on the horizon, Friday is shaping up as a huge game for ACC bowl aspirations and tiers.
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Having created some time for himself, Brown looked downfield on the right sideline. He found tight end Tommy Sweeney streaking through double coverage, and he unloaded a high rainbow throw just out of reach.
That one play showcased four different facets of the Boston College offense's potential: the two-sided rushing attack along the perimeter and up the middle; the ability to attempt tough throws; utilizing different receivers to force defenses into varied coverage. In the Eagles' dominant 41-10 victory over Virginia, they clearly displayed it all.
"These are things that we do all the time," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We run those jets. We probably should have run a few more jets because they were really pounding it in the middle on us a little bit. We hit a jailbreak slip screen to Kobay (White) on a critical third down when we knew they were going to bring pressure on us. We have got to do a little bit more of that too. These are the things we are trying to continue to develop as we go. We have got some speed and athleticism here and we have got to continue to grow that a little more."
After missing the pass to Sweeney, BC called two perfect plays. Using bunched receivers to the left, the Eagles simply moved the chains on third down. Three receivers broke out from the left, crossing Sweeney towards the sideline again while stacking Charlie Callinan on top of Jeff Smith. Brown used a quick drop and hit Smith in stride between four evenly-spaced defenders, gaining enough for a new set of downs.
That set up Thadd Smith's jet sweep. Running right-to-left, Smith took the handoff and simply outsmarted a blitzing defense. Facing a wall of defenders because the Virginia safeties cheated up closer to the line, Smith stutter-stepped, causing the defensive back to run into blocked area. He then turned on his speed, hit a second gear around the corner and jogged his way into the end zone.
"Offensively, I think it was the best plan we have defended to this point," Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I give their coaches credit and their players credit for executing it really well. The thought was this was going to be a really physical game and really run-oriented game, (and) really if you look at their yardage of points, a lot of it was around us and over us rather than through. So the game took on a really different context than what I had anticipated and our adjustments weren't effective in terms of countermeasures."
That exchange set the tone for an impressive performance. The Eagles rolled, improving to .500 with a huge conference win over a 5-1 Cavalier team. Now winners of two straight games, BC heads into a short week with all kinds of momentum. Here's are some other takeaways from the game down in Charlottesville:
*****
First Down: Boston College's offense
For the second straight week, Boston College's offensive performance registered with the program's history. After AJ Dillon ran himself into Andre Williams territory with over 270 yards against Louisville, the entire unit generated woke echoes of years past against the Cavaliers.
BC scored 40-plus points for the first time since beating Rutgers and Toledo during the 2002 season. The Eagles were still in the Big East at the time, so Saturday marked an ACC-first since joining the conference in 2005.
The team amassed 17 first quarter points, the most in a quarter since 21 against NC State during the 2008 season. The 256 yards in the first quarter helped BC to over 300 in the first half for the first time in two years, and 500-plus yards in consecutive weeks recalled BC's wins over Maine and Southern California in 2014.
"We were able to put up some pretty good numbers," Steve Addazio said. "We were pretty good with the ball on our first drives mixing it up pretty good - going for it on fourth down, throwing the ball well on fourth down and doing the things we needed to do to keep (Virginia) off pace. We rushed for (237) yards, threw for (275) yards. Had over 500 yards of offense. It was the first time in the ACC that BC scored over 40 points in back-to-back weeks. It was the first time that we have gone over 500 yards in the ACC since (2008). Some good things are starting to happen."
Redshirt freshman Anthony Brown finished with just five incompletions and three touchdowns, the first BC player to throw three scores without a pick since Quinton Porter in 2003. It came a week after an aggravated shoulder injury sent him to the sidelines and generated questions if Darius Wade would earn a start after substituting admirably in the Louisville win.
He silenced those questions with over 300 all-purpose yards. On BC's first offensive drive, pinned in his own end zone, Brown spun out of a blitzing Virginia defense and scrambled out of the end zone for a 15-yard gain, moving the chains on what was a third down play.
BC's growth is no longer deniable. The Eagles exited Saturday with an offense ranked well inside the top half of the bowl subdivision. Over the past two weeks, BC added a full touchdown to its season scoring average, moving up to No. 27 nationally in rushing yardage (a gain of almost 50 spots). The passing offense, meanwhile, improved 30 slots over that same time period.
*****
Second Down: Virginia's defense
It became obvious from the first BC drive that Virginia employed a blitz-heavy defensive scheme. The Cavaliers brought heat on the first two plays and stuffed AJ Dillon for short gains. But it became apparent shortly thereafter that the Eagles scouted and understood just what to do against the aggressive approach.
The Eagles mixed different play selections and went around and over the defense. BC heavily involved tight end Tommy Sweeney early on, connecting a 28-yard reception in the middle of the first drive and attempting the long sideline pass to him in the second drive. At game's end, two of his four receptions were touchdowns.
"Our coaches do a great job of game-planning and everything to help us out," Anthony Brown said. "We had to take it upon ourselves to make a difference, and we have to play as hard and as physical to be as effective as possible. We took that into our own hands (on Saturday)."
Thadd Smith's run was the first of two explosive scoring plays on consecutive drives. When Virginia countered BC's offense with six players across the line, Chris Garrison motioned a couple of steps out to the right. Since nobody went with him, it exposed the Cavalier blitz, allowing Kobay White to line up in a stack formation behind his tight end. As a defender motioned away to Garrison, the soft coverage on White allowed Brown to make a quick throw to his right.
Because the blitz attacked the line of scrimmage, the defense left way too much open space for White. He slipped inside with an offensive lineman he wouldn't need in front of him. Only two Cavaliers ever came within three yards of the receiver as he made reservations for six, pushing the BC lead to 17-0 within four offensive plays.
It was a shocking turn against one of the ACC's most heralded defenses of 2017. Virginia entered Saturday as a strong unit, and though statistics hurt, BC's performance was more about positive execution by the Maroon and Gold and a credit to the film study and preparation put in during the week.
"The plan they had was really good," Mendenhall said. "There was no way that they were going to allow sacks, so the ball was coming out very quickly with man-to-man type of beating routes, and (Anthony Brown) was delivering the ball on time to well-executed routes consistently. Then on play action where is athletic enough, he bought enough time for routes to develop, a first route, a second route or even a third route sometimes and that combination between those two things really gave us problems.
"(It happened) right from the beginning and very surprisingly because we believe one of our strengths is playing really good pass defense," he continued. "So they had a very good plan (that) they executed really well and to their credit."
*****
Third Down: Boston INTea Party
With three interceptions of Virginia quarterbacks on Saturday, Boston College once again joined the ranks of the top echelon. Now tied for fifth nationally with Duke and Florida Atlantic, BC scored its first interception for a touchdown with its last score in the win.
Starting quarterback Kurt Benkert threw the first pick with an uncharacteristically sloppy play. As BC bottled Virginia at the point of attack, Benkert faded back to pass but found himself scrambling to his left. He flipped a backhanded pass with his left hand as he ran out of real estate near the sideline, floating it right into Will Harris' awaiting hands.
"That was a good one to check off the bucket list seeing as it was the first one of the season for me," Harris said. "I have been patient all season, so I was just trying to go head hunting for it. We were trying to just run to the ball all day. That is one thing that our coaches always emphasize, just to run to the ball. That is what I was doing. I ran to the ball and good things happened from there."
Backup quarterback Lindell Stone committed the second pick with a high pass off the hands of Hasise Dubois. Linebacker John Lamot was the first one to it, and he rumbled the remaining 40 yards for the first pick six since Matt Milano against UConn last year, a breakout moment for the redshirt freshman.
Thrust into action late in the Clemson game, his inexperience became a central talking point after the Tigers turned a 7-7 game into a lopsided blowout win. Now having developed and grown within the Eagle defense, his late-game performance became a capstone for a blowout victory.
It was part of a performance - along with Hamp Cheevers' interception - where BC held Virginia to its fewest allowed yards all season. The Cavaliers mustered only 247 yards of offense. Lukas Denis had seven tackles, four of which were solo, and Wyatt Ray filled in on the defensive line with 1.5 sacks.
*****
Fourth Down: One Game at A Time
The college football season is a weekly litmus test of a program's growth and development. Each week tests a program's current and future status. Though each game is unique and requires individual planning, every week remain a referendum on a team's preparation and practice.
BC entered Saturday with a 3-4 record. Among games played, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are all nationally ranked, and Louisville still has the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. It was a hardening path for the Eagles, but the grueling pace led to the team's growth and development seen week-to-week.
On Saturday, the Eagles played Virginia, a team receiving 42 votes in the national coaches' poll and another 10 in the Associated Press poll. The Cavaliers had a win against a Boise State team also earning votes, and the national media took notice of the ACC's Coastal Division co-leader.
"I am really impressed by what Bronco Mendenhall is doing here at Virginia in year two," Steve Addazio said. "He is developing a really fine, really good football team over there - a physical, tough football team. I saw the foundation of that all week on film, and it is real. I have a real appreciation for what he is doing at Virginia. He is a first class guy and this is a first class program."
It's a good win for the Eagles, and BC fans can wake up happy on a Sunday because their team rolled through a good program. But it doesn't stop from here. BC is on a short week of practice, coming home to take on another national powerhouse program. As good as this win feels, the Eagles will need to have a short memory because another referendum is coming on Friday night.
"We have played some of the best football teams in the country this season, and we have done it while losing some of our very finest players," Addazio said. "We have stuck together and kept believing in each other and that is what makes me so proud of these guys. For the last two weeks, specifically this game, I thought we played at a really high level. I think you can clearly see the growth, see the potential and the brightness of the future of our football program, of which I am so proud and excited for our guys."
*****
Point After: Florida State
There's an old saying that no game is ever bigger than the next one. For BC, the next one comes Friday against a Florida State team uncharacteristically standing at 2-4 on the season. On Saturday, the Seminoles hosted Louisville and lost, 31-28, on a last second field goal.
It capped a see-saw battle between FSU and the Cardinals. Down 7-0 in the first quarter, the Seminoles scored twice, including on a fumble recovery, to take a one touchdown lead. Louisville then rattled off the next 21 points to go up 28-14 before FSU stormed back in the fourth to tie things up. But Lamar Jackson led Louisville on an eight-play, 59-yard drive in the last two minutes to set up Blanton Creque's 34-yard game winning field goal.
The loss dropped FSU to 2-4 on the year with its third ACC loss. After entering the season with national championship hopes, the loss of quarterback Deondre Francois in the first game against Alabama altered the entire season. Coupled with the fallout from Hurricane Irma, FSU is a team trying to just get back on track after dealing with immeasurable hardship early on.
Nothing changes the fact, however, that Florida State is a nationally-recognized contender with some of the most talented athletes in the nation. With BC's "Red Bandana Game" on the horizon, Friday is shaping up as a huge game for ACC bowl aspirations and tiers.
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