Hard Work Leads To Success As FSU Awaits

The Boston College football team always knew what it had under the hood. When it defeated Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl last season, the excitement permeated through the team because of the future potential. It energized offseason workouts and kicked 2017's training programs into high gear.

Turning that potential into reality, however, required a little bit of a bumpier ride. Players learn about themselves on the field in order to develop as a single unit, and while the core stood poised for a breakout, they didn't quite know what it took to win with consistency.

All of that changed over the past two weeks with a stark turnaround. Once 2-4 without an ACC victory, BC is now 4-4 overall with a 2-3 conference record. Having opened eyeballs across the nation, the Eagles outworked a reigning Heisman Trophy winner and the Coastal Division leader in consecutive weeks, setting records along the way.

"I think there's no doubt that as you come off those wins and you bear a little fruit, young players are gaining confidence," head coach Steve Addazio said. "Anthony Brown is leading the country as a freshman in passing yards and touchdown throws. AJ Dillon as a freshman is fourth in the country in rushing. Kobay White, AJ and Anthony are at the apex of the offense and they're considered elite in their class in the country right now. I think that's exciting."

There's no doubting what BC accomplished over the past two weeks. It scored 40-plus points in consecutive ACC games for the first time since joining the conference. The Eagles won back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2014 while generating more offense in the first quarter than they had in a decade.

Following the Virginia game, Brown ranks third in freshmen passing with 1,284 and third in freshmen passing touchdowns with 10. He was the first BC quarterback with a three-touchdown, zero-interception performance since 2003, and he earned national recognition from both the ACC and the Manning Award one week after he exited a game with a shoulder injury.

"Health wise I'm feeling great, and confidence-wise, it's been the same through every week," Brown said. "I just keep levelheaded and keep going.

"Our rushing game has been really good the last two week," he said. "It opens up a lot for the throw game. It's great. It really helps me out, and it helps our team out."

Dillon, meanwhile, ran for 272 yards against Louisville with four touchdowns in an Andre Williams-like performance. He nearly gained 100 again last week against Virginia to push his season total to 694 yards, fourth-best among NCAA true freshmen.

"I feel like (our performance) worked in our gameplan," Dillon said. "Because the game we had running against Louisville, Virginia had to change a little bit of the schemes up, and that opened up the passing offense. Any time you can have a balanced offense like we had against Virginia, we're playing at the best of our ability."

For the offense, it's a breakout performance within the season-long quest for next level execution. Though it struggled early during the season, the unit now clicks in with particular play calls. That enables the coaching staff to go into deeper intricacy on calling certain play designs. The offense can add another layer and try something new in a particular situation because it proved it could handle the stress of the prior challenge.

"It's not that it's easier, but as the weeks have progressed, I've become more confident through coaching and repetition and game play," Dillon said. "There's nothing that can simulate the game feel. I've been making a bunch of freshman 'mistakes' along the way, but my coaches and teammates have set goals to help me out with that. Coming down the stretch, I've been getting more confident and getting into a groove but there's a lot more I have to work on."

"We had a lot of the same plays (through the season); we're just making those plays now," Addazio said. "We had that same opportunity against Virginia Tech, but we didn't make them. Now we made them. It changes the complexion of the game. We're trying to increase the diversity in our offense a little bit. (But) we have to careful because you don't want to overload the young quarterback. You want to grow and put a little more. You give a little bit and see how the digestion is. We're trying to decide maybe after the bye week if we should do a little bit more."

Though confidence brims and the bye week awaits, BC can't look too far into the future. Friday night brings Florida State, a perennial national powerhouse, to The Heights. The Seminoles will travel north with a 2-4 record, having lost last week to Louisville on a last-second field goal. With games left against Syracuse, Clemson and Florida, beating BC is now critical for bowl eligibility.

"Florida State at the end of the day is Florida State," Brown said. "It's an amazing program, and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher does a great job with his players. Their record doesn't show what talent they have on their team, and their defense is always going to be good. We have to keep our heads on straight because this team is still one of the most talented teams in the country."

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