W2WF: Miami

"The Rising" remains one of Bruce Springsteen's quintessential songs. It's a newer song compared to his vast catalog, having been released in 2002 as his official comeback with the E Street Band. Like much of his work, it connects on a deeper level because it discusses human emotion and self-doubt within an environment of absolute hell. It talks about the resolve needed to run up the stairs with an indomitable fear about what awaited on 9/11.

On September 11, 2001, Welles Remy Crowther "took off his equities trader hat and put on his firefighter hat." At least that's what his dad says in The Man in the Red Bandana documentary produced for and by ESPN. Crowther, who had always wanted to be a firefighter, saved almost two dozen among the fire and smoke of a day that was simply surreal.

The Welles Crowther story is something that will be honored on Friday night in Chestnut Hill. It might be a month or so after the anniversary of 9/11, but it's a big game against a huge conference opponent before a nationally-televised audience on ESPN. It's a night where the eyes of the college football world will already be on Boston College, so it's the perfect opportunity to act selflessly in service to others.

It's so critically important to remember Welles Crowther because he was an ordinary person who became a hero in extraordinary circumstances. He left for work like any other day, and his life changed in an instant. He became a hero that will impact generations because he saved those that he could. He had a courage and is an everlasting memory to the "faces gone black (from soot), eyes burnin' bright (with fire)."

This is as big of a game as it gets on the 2018 schedule. The Miami Hurricanes and their turnover chain phenomenon are coming to Chestnut Hill. A preseason Top 10 team is at a crossroads after losing to Virginia last week. Miami has zero margin for error, and a loss would be potentially fatal to its Coastal Division championship chances in a season where it was expected to contend for the national playoff.

Boston College, meanwhile, is righting the stick after suffering the disappointments of Purdue and NC State. The Eagles, widely predicted to challenge for the Atlantic Division, can't do so unless they start picking up wins against national contenders. The Hurricanes might be falling out of the rankings, but they're still a nationally-recognized team. A win vaults BC back into the Atlantic Division discussion, while a loss creates separation for NC State and Clemson.

The ACC and college football knows the stakes, creating a supercharged atmosphere for Friday night. That's why using this particular game is so important for honoring Welles Crowther. At the end of the day, it's an opportunity to insert a message of remembrance for the people who provided a light during one of the darkest days of our lives. It's important to take that pause among the game's hype and simply show our appreciation. They represent Boston College's mission of service to others, and it's what makes me proudest to be associated with the university.

To those who ran in while others ran out, thank you. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

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Weekly Storylines

AJ Dillon, Come Out Tonight

Since I got myself into the Bruce Springsteen rabbit hole, I'm going to stay there for the rest of today. Sorry that I'm not really all that sorry about it.

AJ Dillon is expected to return to the Boston College lineup on Friday, having missed the last two games with the ankle injury suffered against Temple. It creates a massive matchup between one of the game's best runners and the ACC's top defense.

"Barring anything popping up, I think he'll be ready to roll," head coach Steve Addazio said. "I think the (beginning of the week was) his real matriculation back into normal practice. It was slow (on Monday), went a little bit more (on Tuesday) and will be full (on Wednesday)."

There is no questioning how Dillon changes the BC lineup. Ben Glines and David Bailey did good jobs filling in against NC State and Louisville, but a back capable of having presence in the Heisman Trophy discussion is a whole other piece of the puzzle. He averaged 159 yards per game over the last calendar year, and he remained the top runner in the ACC even when he missed two games.

BC is 9-3 with Dillon as the starting running back. The offense averages over 36 points per game behind over 250 yards. Dillon himself has 1,900 yards, second only to Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, and has the Eagle offense clicking to the tune of 444.6 yards per game. In total, the AJ Dillon era accounts for six of BC's 10 500-yard games during the Steve Addazio era as head coach.

Miami will counter with arguably the nastiest defense in college football. The Hurricanes rank second in the nation in total defense behind only Michigan largely because of their ability to create havoc. Miami has the nation's best third down defense, and they rank fourth in first downs allowed. The unit is third in sacks and eighth interceptions. But more on that in a little bit.

Getting Dillon going will be huge for the Eagles. All signals are pointing to his return, and sometimes, a game's storyline is as easy as determining strength on strength.

Born in the No Fly Zone

Miami's turnover chain created a prop craze throughout the country last season, but it remained bigger than anything else because it was a perfect fit for the Hurricanes. The team is at its very best when it can boast and strut, and the chain, even in its new form, lives in with that reputation. That's a big difference from Boston College, which never got into the prop craze despite its "No Fly Zone" defense being one of the best at creating turnovers. In Chestnut Hill, the team simply led by example with a blue-collar reputation.

It creates a cultural context for the two defenses on Friday. The top billing is between AJ Dillon and BC's offense against the Turnover Chain, and the BC defense slides to the undercard against a struggling Miami offense. The two defenses are legitimately identical in their abilities to create havoc, but the reputations will likely fit them into different spots when talking about the game.

"The thing that you see on this particular team with their roster is the veterans that they have," Miami head coach Mark Richt said. "(There are) a lot of fifth-year guys, a lot of fourth-year guys on that team, a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball. It's a group of guys that are very mature physically when it comes to the game of football, and they're playing that way."

Miami's offense is in a state of flux that began with the first game against LSU. Malik Rosier struggled in that game, completing 15-of-35 passes with two interceptions as the Canes lost to the Tigers. It created calls to pull him, and detractors finally got their wish against Florida International when N'Kosi Perry subbed in. Perry immediately earned the starting job with three touchdowns, and he torched Florida State two games later for four touchdowns passes.

Last week's game against Virginia derailed his improvement, though, and Richt benched Perry in favor of Rosier after two interceptions in six passes. Rosier is now the starter for the BC game, though it remains to be seen if Perry won't see any action. Neither quarterback is jumping off the stat sheet, but that can be problematic since they've both proven they have the ability to win games at various times.

Rosier, for example, threw multiple touchdowns in every game last year except for two, and he torched both Syracuse and North Carolina midseason. He's struggled this year but was resourceful against Toledo, running for three touchdowns. He's succeeded in a dual-threat role, rushing for six scores on the season.

Perry, on the other hand, tossed four touchdowns against Florida State and three in Miami's win over FIU. He has 11 scores on the season but, as a freshman, has made rookie mistakes with five picks, including two in six passes against the Cavaliers last week.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

There will always be something to the matchup against Miami even if history doesn't look kindly upon the Eagles. Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass in 1984 withstands the test of time, and it remains one of the greatest moments in all of sports. Flutie will be at the game with members of the 1983 team that won nine games and beat No. 13 Alabama to earn a Liberty Bowl berth against Notre Dame.

But, again, history hasn't exactly been kind to the Eagles. BC lost to Miami the next year at Sullivan Stadium (later Foxboro Stadium), and the series went on hiatus until 1990 when the Hurricanes joined the Big East. The teams played annually after that, but BC never got over the Miami hump, losing in double overtime in 1997 and losing, 18-7, in a 2001 game after Ed Reed ran back a Brian St. Pierre touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

BC lost 14 straight games and never beat the Hurricanes as conference mates in the Big East. Miami departed for the ACC in 2004, followed by BC the next year, and it kicked off a run of games where the Eagles finally got over the hump. The 2007 Eagles beat the Hurricanes in Chestnut Hill, 28-14, then earned their second straight win in the series four years later, 24-17. Miami got BC back in 2012, and Friday represents the first meeting of the Steve Addazio era.

"I watched a game where Flutie had a miracle throw," Mark Richt said. "When you watch that throw, it's amazing how that ball went. It had to go 65, 75 yards in the air. Of course, it was the winning play of the game."

BC's bowl eligibility is lost in the shuffle of this game, but a win on Saturday night qualifies the Eagles for their third straight postseason game. Miami could likewise wrap up eligibility with a win, putting a premium on getting through to the next level. A win in this game also would serve as a springboard for bowl positioning come the season's end.

You thought you weren't getting a Red Sox reference?

As a note that may only make me happy, the Boston Red Sox may have an unintended, sports karma impact on this game. BC is 2-1 opposite World Series games involving the Sox since 2004, and the record is directly linked to the fortunes of the Olde Towne Team.

In 2004, BC beat Notre Dame while the Red Sox defeated St. Louis in Game One of the World Series. In 2007, the Red Sox were beating the Colorado Rockies while Matt Ryan's comeback for the ages upended Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium. And in 2013, the Red Sox lost Game Three to the Cardinals while BC lost to North Carolina.

So I think it goes without saying: go Red Sox?

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They Said It

"Playing on a Friday night is interesting for us. I thought that was for high schools, but we are playing on a Friday night. If it's scheduled, we'll play it. I'm not a big fan of that. I think college football should be played on a Saturday." -Mark Richt, who doesn't enjoy playing on Friday nights

"We have a great game coming in here, a Red Bandana game against Miami here at Alumni Friday evening. Obviously, the whole community of Boston College is excited about this game." -Steve Addazio on the excitement of playing Miami

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Meteorology 101

The mercury is dropping, and in the words of Trot Nixon, "I hope it snows out there."

It won't, but we will get late fall weather of temperatures dipping down into the 40s. That means sweatshirts can be replaced with jackets, and my wife probably needs a pair of gloves and hand warmers. Other than that, the weather is going to be absolutely perfect, especially ahead of Saturday's nor'easter conditions.

One of my favorite underlying stories is always a warm weather team coming north. I remember Southern Cal's trip to Boston in 50-degree weather, and I distinctly recall some of the Los Angeles natives wearing heavy coats because they hadn't acclimatized. The Dodgers had space heaters in their dugouts this week against the Red Sox, and I just always found interesting. It works in reverse when teams from the north play in Florida or Texas in the pounding September heat.

Mark Richt acknowledged the Boston cold this week. "From the point of view of playing Boston College, especially there, this time of year, we know it will be a little bit chillier than we're used to, that's for sure," he said.

I still guarantee people in the stands will wear shorts and people on the sidelines won't wear sleeves.

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Scoreboard Watching

It's one of the first heavyweight matchups for Clemson this week when it heads to Tallahassee to play Florida State. The No. 2 Tigers are drawing a Seminole team that's already 4-3 on the year, but FSU could conceivably change the entire perception with a huge win over a team that's absolutely rolling.

That kicks off the afternoon, where Wake Forest plays at Louisville and North Carolina plays at Virginia. Duke-Pittsburgh occupies the afternoon spot before one of the most underrated games of the year on Saturday night. No. 22 NC State is playing at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse, a place where head coach Dino Babers led his team to a win over Clemson last year.

Nationally, No. 9 Florida is in its annual game against No. 7 Georgia in Jacksonville, providing a headliner to an afternoon of big time games. No. 18 Iowa heads to Happy Valley to play No. 17 Penn State, and No. 14 Washington State plays at No. 24 Stanford in the Pac-12.

Locally, UMass plays UConn in the early afternoon. Though both teams have struggled for wins, it's always a big game on the local radar.

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Pregame Quote & Prediction

Talk about a dream, try to make it real. -Bruce Springsteen, Badlands

A couple of summers ago, I made a bracket of Bruce Springsteen songs with friends of mine, and we determined, through popular vote, that Badlands was his best work. It's clearly the most professional work, since five guys on a text chain are better at determining music than actual music experts. We all loved how Badlands' theme centers on breaking one's back for no reward until, at some point, the "badlands start treating us good." I can't think of a better way to describe Friday's game against Miami.

This is an opportunity for the Eagles to step forward and earn the reward for all of their hard work. I believe the Hurricanes are better than 5-2 record would indicate, and I don't think things are as bad as the statistics might claim. I think Malik Rosier is a perfectly capable quarterback, and the Turnover Chain defense earned its reputation through its performance.

Sometimes a game is as easy as it looks at a surface level. The BC defense needs to play better against the Miami offense than the Miami defense plays against the BC offense. AJ Dillon is back, and the offensive line has essentially been training for this opportunity for four years. This is the kind of game where BC could have its next level of breakout, but that in and of itself is easier said than done.

Players Mentioned

David Bailey

AJ Dillon

Ben Glines

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