Countdown to Kickoff: Wake Forest

Saturday, September 9

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

1:00 PM

Boston College

Wake Forest

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Photo by: Andrew Weber

September 09, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files

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Eagles ready for home, ACC opener

By: Craig Forde, BCEagles.com contributor

Alumni Stadium will be abuzz for the Eagles home opener, which will also serve as their ACC kickoff, when Wake Forest comes to Chestnut Hill on Saturday.

Both teams enter on the heels of season-opening victories last week, as the Demon Deacons, led by quarterback John Wolford, brother of former BC fullback Bobby Wolford, rolled Presbyterian, 51-7.

The Eagles faced a tougher challenge in Northern Illinois, but ultimately prevailed, 23-20, behind the up-tempo offense led by redshirt freshman Anthony Brown, who admits that he still has some work to do.

"We just have to keep going and just get better at it," Brown said. "I'm still getting adjusted to it and I have to get better at it as we all will. It takes a lot more urgent players to be in this offense because you have to hurry up and get set and get the calls and run the plays and execute them."

Brown and the offense will look to push the pace again with a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday.

ACC Network Extra will carry the television broadcast, with Robert Lee on play-by-play and Matt Chatham providing color commentary.

Once again, the BC IMG Sports Network will provide the radio broadcast locally on WEEI 850 AM and nationally on Sirius channel 93 and XM channel 202, as Jon Meterparel, "The Voice of the Eagles," calls the plays, accompanied by Pete Cronan (color) and Scott Mutryn (sideline).

What they're saying

"I'll tell you, I thought Northern (Illinois), they do a heck of a job. I mean, schematically, that quarterback was a tough, competitive guy. He could hurt you with his feet. He stood in there, got the ball out. He took a lot of hits. I thought they did a great job. I thought he did a great job. I think where I'm going with that commentary is I think (Wake Forest QB John) Wolford is that kind of guy. He's a real, tough, gamey, take-a-shot, deliver-the-ball, can-hurt-you-with-his-feet kind of guy. That's where the similarity is. Schematically, are there some (similarities)? Yeah, there's some, but a little bit different football team. But they have a similar kind of quarterback. This kid was bigger, but I love Wolford now. I think that kid's as good a competitive kid as there is out there, and I really think he's a heck of a football player." – BC Head Coach Steve Addazio

"As always, with Boston College, it starts with the defense. They are excellent, year-in and year-out. They have two defensive ends that are probably as good as any one-two end combo in the country. (Harold) Landry could be a top-one pick, a top-five pick, a top-ten pick. He is as talented a pass rusher as there is in college football. Our league has a lot of great defensive ends, we have one of them, and he is certainly one of the elite players in our conference. He was a nightmare for us a year ago. We couldn't block him. On the other end, (Zach) Allen, is an exceptional player as well. Their two tackles are stout and we have never been able to knock them off the ball. We haven't in our three years here." – Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson.

Countdown to Wake Forest

10…Defensive back Will Harris' tackle total a week ago, both a team and career high for the junior.

9…The tackle total for junior defensive end Zach Allen versus NIU, a career high.

8…The number of players who recorded a reception in last week's season opening win.

7…The number of wins under Steve Addazio (7-4) at home in September.

6…Redshirt freshman Kobay White's reception total in his first start last week. He had a team-high 76 yards receiving and returned a kickoff for 28 yards.

5…Successful kicks made by junior Colton Lichtenberg versus NIU – 3 fields goals, 2 PATs.

4…The Eagles current win streak, dating back to last season when they finished with three straight wins.

3…The margin of victory in each of the last two games between the two schools. The Deacons won, 3-0, in their last visit to Alumni Stadium in 2015. The Eagles snatched a 17-14 win at Winston-Salem in the final game of the regular season last year.

2…Number of catches last week, both for touchdowns, by Wake Forest TE Cam Serigne, who has now had a reception in 37 consecutive games, tied for longest active streak in the nation.

1…The number of turnovers recovered by the defense last week, an interception by junior free safety Lucas Denis who was making his first start for the Eagles.