W2WF: No. 23 NC State

In 2003, Indianapolis advanced to the AFC Championship against New England by scoring 79 points in the Wild Card and Divisional rounds. Peyton Manning was particularly strong, throwing eight touchdowns, and the Colts appeared virtually unbeatable against the Patriots. But he had a disastrous game in Foxboro, throwing four interceptions en route to a 24-14 Patriot victory.

Video later surfaced of backup quarterback Damon Huard mimicking Manning's signature moves and line calls at the line of scrimmage. His posturing helped appropriately prepare the defense for everything he would do, and Huard later internal MVP honors for helping the Patriots advance to the Super Bowl.

There's a takeaway there for Boston College. The Eagles have run a completely different offense than NC State throughout the early the part of the season, but the ability to prepare is steeped in the fact that there's an ability to mimic and run the same type of play calls as the Wolfpack.

BC spends most of its calls in a "12 formation," which utilizes two tight ends, two wide receivers and a running back. It also runs a flip-flop called "21" where a tight end becomes a fullback but is usually just lumped in with 12 because fullbacks and tight ends are interchangeable. There's also the occasional "13," which uses three tight ends. The subsequent formations allow for situational play calls and varied skill groupings, but it largely stems from BC's strengths at the running back, offensive line and tight end positions.

"We play in a conference that is a lot of 11 and a lot of 10, which would be zero tight ends," Addazio said. "Those are more spread out teams. We're different within our conference just by who we are."

It's different from the "11" or "10" personnel other ACC teams use. An 11 grouping, for example, uses one tight end, one running back and three wide receivers. 10 empties the backfield and spreads everyone out.

"(Wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald) has done a really good job with these guys setting the culture of his room," NC State head coach Dave Doeren said. "A lot of times you have receivers that just don't work like our guys do. They are one of the hardest working groups, if not the hardest working group on our football team."

But BC isn't just that type of team. Being able to spread out in practice, even with backups or scout teams, prepares a defense for Saturday. This is a unique offense, but the Eagles can run it. They can go supersonic in tempo, and tight ends can pass catch, which in turn allows them to simulate what the Wolfpack will throw at the defense on Saturday.

"We can get into these more spread out formations even though we're in 12 and run the styles of plays that our guys see," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We're not running a lot of zone reads right now. I've done that in the past, but we're not running a lot of zone reads for a lot of reasons. But we can, and we can do it pretty well. We just have to assess how we can do that to help our defense since they see so much 10 and 11."

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Weekly Storylines

Get your motor runnin'.

The majority of NC State talk justifiably centers on Ryan Finley, but running back Ricky Person, Jr. enjoyed a breakout performance against Virginia last week. He led the Wolfpack with 14 carries for 108 yards and is the only freshman in the ACC to break the barrier this season.

"There's so much timing and reps and continuity and chemistry involved in running the football that are important," Dave Doeren said. "So week three, we're able to get our starting guys on the field. In week four, (it happened) again, and Ricky Person gave us an explosive element to the run game we've been needing."

Person missed spring practice with a hand injury, then sustained a separate hand injury in fall camp. He only played 14 snaps against James Madison before missing the next two weeks, forcing Reggie Gallaspy II to shoulder the entire load. But everything came together last week for a first breakout performance in 2018's four games.

"Our chemistry on offense has been challenging because we've had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup," Dave Doeren said. "I think the five offensive linemen were in and out all throughout camp with different injuries. Our tailbacks were in and out with different injuries. Our tight ends didn't even play until the third game we were counting on playing.

"It all came together at the right time, and hopefully we can continue to build on it," he said. "But it's still a long way to go, in my opinion."

Head out on the highway.

A win over NC State would go a long way to smoothing over experts who sold stock on Boston College after the Purdue loss. Last week's win put the rails back on track, but a win over a nationally-ranked program would likely push the Eagles back into the national conversation. More importantly, a win keeps BC undefeated in the conference and continues a drive to the top of the ACC Atlantic Division with another win over a common foe.

The Eagles have their share of success in Raleigh. A 21-14 win in 2016 snapped a two-game losing streak and put BC on a direct path to a bowl berth. A 30-14 win in 2014 regained good vibes after a loss to Colorado State as part of 6-3 start to the season. Ten years ago, Chris Crane threw for 428 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-31 duel against Russell Wilson.

Addazio's teams have gone 3-2 against the Wolfpack, and the last two years have been decided by a touchdown or less. That's a departure from history since only four of the teams' meetings as ACC opponents have been decided by 10 points or less.

"Dave's done a great job with this program," Addazio said. "They're well-coached on all three phases. They're talented. He's obviously recruited very well, and this is a good football team that we're going down to play. They're undefeated and explosive on offense, one of the better run defenses in the country."

Lookin' for Adventure

The matchup between BC's defense and NC State's offense took center stage, but the game will feature a chess match between the Eagles' running offense and the Wolfpack's run-stopping defense.

NC State has one of the best rushing defenses in the nation, and it only allows an average of 104 yards per game (19th in the nation). The unit only allows an average of 15 points per game and touts the fifth best unit in the red zone.

That creates a little bit of uncertainty around Boston College's offense. The team held AJ Dillon out of practice this week, and he remains questionable despite making "progress" in practice. Steve Addazio acknowledged he will be a game time decision, meaning Ben Glines is in line to see increased snaps if Dillon can't go. While the Eagles would clearly want Dillon as the primary back, the uncertainty is a potential disruption to the NC State preparation.

"We're assuming he's playing," Dave Doeren said. "And if the next guy's in, we have film on him too. We know they played guys early in the season that we could see. So we'll watch film on them as well."

Dillon is irreplaceable because he's a special kind of athlete, but the Eagles have one of the deepest running backs rooms in the nation. He's one of those players who can change a game with his presence, but Glines is one of the toughest players on the field when he takes snaps. Davon Jones is a bruising back, and Addazio singled out David Bailey this week for his similarities to Dillon.

"We thought Ben Glines had a great performance (against Temple) and is playing at a high level," Addazio said. "We feel really great about Benny and Travis Levy and Davon Jones and freshman David Bailey. So I think you'll see a variety of those guys (anyways). But Ben Glines will be carrying the load (if Dillon can't play)."

And Whatever Comes Our Way.

NC State has a bevy of weapons. 90% of Ryan Finley's completions this year are going to a spread of wide receivers, and the running game is coming along. All eyes are seemingly on AJ Dillon's status for the game. But what about Anthony Brown?

Brown is seemingly flying under the radar, and he could be the X-factor that decides this game. He completed seven passes last week to Jeff Smith and Kobay White, and he threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter. The throw game didn't put up eye-popping stats against Temple, but it also didn't have to when the rushing game went for 275 yards.

Smith is on pace to return after sustaining an injury last week, and the NC State defense ranks No. 92 in the nation in passing yards allowed and No. 60 in third down situations. That opens an opportunity for the Eagles to move the chains and get the Wolfpack offline by using its underrated signal caller.

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They Said It

"A Boston College man is a guy who has high character, high integrity, understands and appreciates wanting to be great in the classroom and on the football field. Those are the kind of guys I get a chance to have the privilege to work with every single day." -Steve Addazio

"The DBs do a great job in coverage. Any time the QB doesn't have a chance to throw it to anyone, I have a chance to get around the corner and create havoc." -Wyatt Ray

"It's a grass field, a lot of seats and a lot of energy. So we're trying to get as realistic to that as possible to the crowd noise and things like that." -Aaron Monteiro

"It's a great conference. Every week you've got to show up. Every Saturday, anybody can win. And it's a lot of really, really good coaches and good players in this league." -Dave Doeren

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Meteorology 101

The weather forecast in Raleigh is calling for something New Englanders might want. Temperatures will spike into the 80s with overnight lows dipping down into the 60s. Storm wise, there's a chance for some wetness on the field.

Back home, the highs this weekend are going to reach the 60s and dip down overnight into the 50s. It's also going to be clear, so after the game, saddle up to go apple picking or grab some cider donuts...or go watch baseball at Fenway Park since Red Sox-Yankees is making its first postseason appearance in 14 years (more on that in a bit).

Don't worry, the temperatures are going to soar into the high-70s on Sunday up here since, you know, the weather doesn't know what to do in October.

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Scoreboard Watching

The halfway point of the season means conference play is kicked up in earnest. As a result, this weekend won't disappoint anyone looking for some Rock 'Em Sock 'Em football.

BC and NC State are sharing the midday slate with Syracuse and Pittsburgh, followed by an afternoon spent with the renewal of the Miami-Florida State rivalry. This year, the No. 17 Hurricanes host the Seminoles in South Florida opposite No. 4 Clemson's trip to Wake Forest. All of those games kick off at 3:30 p.m.

That leads to a night game for the ages. No. 6 Notre Dame is perfect to start the season, and they head to Lane Stadium for a non-conference match against No. 24 Virginia Tech.

Nationally, the Red River Rivalry kicks off at noon with No. 19 Texas and No. 7 Oklahoma playing in Dallas. No. 5 LSU heads to No. 22 Florida at 3:30 p.m. And at night, there's a good dessert game with Utah traveling to No. 14 Stanford.

If you find yourself full from college football, there's also a baseball game in Boston at night on Saturday. Friday marks the first postseason meeting between the Red Sox and New York Yankees since a magical night in the Bronx in 2004. I remember it as magical at least since Boston reversed the Curse of the Bambino and won Game Seven after rallying from down 3-0 in the series.

I don't know if that needed to be said, but as a Boston native and fan, I can't entirely apologize to any Yankee fans currently reading.

BC's next opponent, Louisville, plays at home on Friday night against Georgia Tech in an interdivisional ACC matchup.

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Pregame Quote & Prediction

The adrenaline of the game will help me out a little bit to regain command and concentration about the things that I have to do. -Pedro Martinez

Boston College and NC State learned through the years how to haunt each other's dreams. Last year, the Eagles nearly upset the Wolfpack but lost, 17-14, after Anthony Brown suffered a season-ending injury. NC State was ranked No. 23 in that game, the same ranking it carries into Saturday.

Brown will have a chance to finish what he started last season. He was on the verge of a national breakout when his season ended prematurely, and he's returned to form when called upon in 2018. His start to the season was electric, and he had a decent enough week against Temple after struggling against Purdue.

It feels like he's primed, but it also feels like he's overlooked. This game seemingly has everything, from Ryan Finley and his playmakers to a BC defense looking to prove itself to AJ Dillon's status to the running backs room. But Brown is always the X factor. If he plays up to speed and manages the game exactly as he's asked, the Eagles will succeed.

Control the clock, establish a rhythm and hold the NC State offense off the field. Do that, and the Wolfpack will face the same issue as the first game against James Madison. It also opens up the chance for a win against a ranked opponent, something that hasn't happened since an upset over No. 9 Southern California in 2014.

Players Mentioned

David Bailey

Anthony Brown

AJ Dillon

Ben Glines

Davon Jones

Travis Levy

Aaron Monteiro

Wyatt Ray

Jeff Smith

Kobay White

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