BC moving forward at QB position

The Boston College football season absorbed its latest and perhaps biggest blow on Saturday when quarterback Anthony Brown was helped off the field following an injury to his right leg. Head coach Steve Addazio confirmed worst fears on Monday regarding the play, announcing Brown would miss the remainder of the season.

Injuries are never good news, especially to starters at key positions. Brown took massive strides during his first 10 games as a starting quarterback and established himself as one of the ACC's best young players. He ranked among the top five rookies in passing yards and passing touchdowns at the time of his injury, and he had a marquee game in the Eagles' thrashing of Virginia earlier this year.

"We've lost Anthony Brown for the season," Addazio said at the start of his press conference. "Anthony has a lower leg injury that will require surgery. So we'll be moving forward. Obviously, our heart goes to Anthony. He's a big part of the future of our program, and he's a great competitor. He'll be back ready to roll next year, and we'll have had a great year behind his belt to prepare for another great year from now."

It's heartbreaking to hear that news, especially given how far the Eagles advanced from the start of the season. But at the same time, the team has a responsibility to soldier forward and advance the season. Saturday is fast approaching, bringing with it a regional rival at one of the world's greatest venues.

"As we've had to do all year long, we've got to pick it up and keep going," Addazio said. "That's what we've done since Game 1, and that's not going to change as we move forward. We're excited about the opportunity to play UConn here in Fenway (Park). It's always a great venue, an exciting venue. We've got a great week of practice ahead of us here. We're looking forward to that. Our team has got a tremendous mindset. And all of our thoughts, all of our preparation, everything, mindset, every ounce of energy that we have, as a program and as a team, will be focused on playing the University of Connecticut."

Losing Anthony Brown creates a void, but it also creates an opportunity for Darius Wade. Wade knows all too well about what can happen to a team when it loses its starting quarterback. He broke his ankle in 2015 against Florida State, losing his sophomore season in just the third game. It exposed a lack of experience and depth at the position, and the season tail spun into a 3-9 finish.

Wade backed up Patrick Towles last season and entered this season in close competition with Brown for the starting role. Brown ultimately won the starting role because he graded out better in certain measurables, but it's never been a disrespect or denigration of Wade. Wade has a mastery of the offense and has a set of plays designed for his intricacies and skillset as a player, just as Brown had his. That becomes the focus as he begins preparation for the Huskies.

"I think we need play making," Addazio said. "We're going to attack, just like we have been. Not really looking for a game manager. We got out of that mode. We got out of that mode and got to the point where we're attacking defenses. We've got to just get our game plan right, make sure that we're doing everything that everyone can do and then go."

Wade steps into the starter's role even as the Eagles continue to face a thin depth chart. Brown is the second quarterback lost for the season after John Fadule injured his ankle earlier this season. It means BC goes from having three quarterbacks with game experience down to one and reverts the Eagles back into making contingency plans for any possible "worst case scenarios."

True freshman EJ Perry is listed as the backup in the event of an emergency for Wade. Perry matriculated to Chestnut Hill during the spring semester last year, enrolling early after completing his senior high school year. That now proves itself as immeasurable experience given the situation at the position. In addition, Addazio mentioned wide receiver Jeff Smith as an option; Smith was one of the Eagle starters during that 2015 season after Wade's injury.

"All things are on the table," Addazio said. "Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to play at the highest level that we need to play at over the course of this week and leading up to Saturday. Simple as that. Whether that means EJ (Perry) plays zero reps or 100 or whether Jeff Smith ends up with 65, however that rolls out. We're going to have a great week of practice. We're going to go as hard as we can every day and see where that brings us."

Perry came to BC as one of Massachusetts' best quarterback prospects. He threw for over 3,100 yards and 50 touchdowns during his senior year at Andover High School, and he scored 15 touchdowns in his final two games. He was the Massachusetts Division I Player of the Year and an All-Scholastic after tying the single-season record for touchdown passes.

Addazio referred to Perry as a "fantastic athlete" with "measurables" during that time period. "He can throw the ball," he said during preseason camp. "He's very competitive. He got here mid-semester, and it gave him a little advantage."

He echoed that sentiment on Monday in discussing the possibility of burning Perry's redshirt. Addazio pointed out the quarterback's lineage and respect for the game. "EJ Perry is completely on board and ready to play," Addazio said. "As he said, 'I came here to be part of this team. I came here because it's a privilege, not a right. I'm going to do everything I can to help this football team win, whether you need me for one snap or 50.' You've got to appreciate that kind of mindset from a competitor.

"What I've done in my history is sit down with the family and with the player and get a feel for where they're at," he continued. "That doesn't mean I can necessarily always go exactly where they want to go, but in this case, it wasn't even a real conversation. It makes you really appreciate (them). It tells you the kind of people you're dealing with there. They're very loyal. They're very passionate, and they're highly competitive. We're all on the same page."

For now, though, it's Wade's ball after earning the right to succeed Brown on the season. He will now lead, perhaps ironically, a huddle with the same amount of experience as that ill-fated sophomore year, allowing him a chance to spiritually finish the season that never really started.

In 2015, Wade completed 21 passes for 232 yards, and he enters Saturday with 23 completions for 225 yards in 2017. He's seen extended action in three games, including a 91-yard performance against Louisville. It's now his opportunity to pilot the Eagles into that same bowl eligibility that remains on the table entering Saturday at Fenway Park.

"This is a big-time game, like they all are," Addazio said. "They all carry the same weight. They all mean the same. A win's a win, and a loss is a loss. Our focus is completely on Saturday to play a good Connecticut team here in Fenway Park, and we will need every oar in the water rowing, coaches and players alike. That's what we're involved with right, and that's what we're doing. That's just our mindset."

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Anthony Brown

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EJ Perry

Jeff Smith

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