W2WF: NC State

Quarterbacks live their lives under a constant spotlight and microscope. Their performance is dissected after every play, creating a white-hot accountability after every play. Their play is the result of a combination of factors from every position on the field, and the position's high risk-high reward nature is only intensified because only one player plays the position on any given play. It makes appreciating a quarterback almost impossible in a present tense moment.

That's probably why Anthony Brown's injury felt so stark and sharp when it happened. Brown was buzzing against Louisville after completing six of his first seven passes. The BC offense had almost 200 yards in the air, including a 72-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Long, and his pass to Zay Flowers sliced the Kentucky air with a complete wave of excitement. He was in stride as the quarterback everyone hoped he could become, which is why watching him go down became emotionally painful.

"We're very, very sad for Anthony," head coach Steve Addazio said at his Monday news conference. "He worked so hard to get himself where he was. He's the seventh all-time passing leader here in BC history and headed towards greater things this year. He prepared and practiced and put so much into it, and we were so proud of him. He's a tough guy, and he'll bounce back; we're going to love him and support him to get him back to where he was, but his season has come to an end."

The injury ended his season on the field, but Brown unquestionably remains fingerprinted on the Boston College offense. His leadership extends well beyond the gridiron, and it provided a shot of adrenaline to the team in his physical absence. There are no complaints about his current condition, and he remains a very real presence within the huddle. His advice lingers through unwavering support, which is why the offense is expected to simply continue executing at a high level.

"It's a tough situation for him since he's the quarterback and a leader on the team," running back AJ Dillon said. "He's handled it tremendously from the time that I've talked to him. He's putting a positive spin (on it) and kept a smile on his face. He's doing all that he can. That's all he can really do."

There is no good way for a quarterback to sustain an injury, and no team enters a game expecting to replace a key component. But the performance and expectation is that it can continue forward in his absence, no matter how hard it is to watch a teammate and friend endure that moment.

"He went down, and you hate to see it happen," wide receiver Kobay White added. "You knew it was going to be kind of bad (as it happened), but his support of the team gave everyone a lot of confidence."

As always, we all wish for a speedy and full recovery for Anthony Brown. We're all looking forward to seeing him back on the gridiron next season, competing for Boston College.

Here's what to expect this week against NC State:

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Weekly Storylines

Under Pressure

NC State's defense enters this game with a stingy and tough reputation. The front seven is arguably the most feared in the conference, and its ability to stuff the run creates a marquee matchup against the Boston College attack. It's a stark contrast from the passing defense where the team's stoutness is more high risk-high reward against opposing receivers.

The Wolfpack rely almost exclusively on getting pressure on the backfield, ranking fifth in the nation in sacks per game, as a result, but towards the bottom in passes intercepted. The unit, which averages over four sacks per game, only has three picks in the entire season and therefore have one of the lowest turnover margins in the nation.

"We're playing an NC State team that is number one in the conference in terms of rushing defense," Addazio stated. "(The defense) is really, really stout up front, really physical and really tough to run the ball on. They have some really athletic guys in the back end and (I am) really impressed by their linebackers that run downhill. (They) make a lot of plays."

The defensive backfield possesses definite size and experience since three of the four starters are upperclassmen. Redshirt senior Jarius Morehead and junior Chris Ingram are both over six-feet tall, and sophomore Tanner Ingle plays free safety ahead of the massive six-foot-four inch body of Isaiah Stallings. Senior Kishawn Miller plays ahead of another six foot-three-inch body in sophomore Teshaun Smith. All except for Stallings have seen recent, extended football, with Smith and Miller both seeing extended time against Syracuse.

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Quantifying a bye week's impact is nearly impossible, but it's even harder in the context of its preceding two-game slide. On defense, BC simply pressed too hard and kept trying to do too much, and the bye offered an opportunity to step back and really dive into the issues facing it.

"We game-planned North Carolina State and started to get some young guys, especially on defense, that we wanted to get a look at," Addazio said. "It's hard to get them on the field, but we want to start to try. I think the bye week helped us with that."

It's incredibly difficult to make changes on the fly during a typical game week because there simply aren't enough hours. Personnel changes or fundamental drill work is second to game planning for an opponent, so it's hard for coaches to work in the necessary changes for young players starting for the first time. The bye week allots more time, which means everyone can work a little bit differently and harder on new benchmarks.

"We want to continue to grow and develop those players," Addazio continued. "We're building our defense. We replaced eight starters, and we were young and/or inexperienced (among new starters). We're going to grow and mature that defense and play some of the younger players."

Bye weeks offer opportunity. Starters can rest their bodies and earn a much needed week of healing, but it affords younger players a chance to show their work results, possibly even to the point of earning game reps. For everyone, it's a chance to block out the obvious, reset and regroup.

I Want To Break Free

The BC storylines of Dennis Grosel and the rushing attack against NC State overshadowed talk about the Wolfpack offense. Most of the talk regarding the BC defense went internal, and the limited hours in a week somewhat ignored the Wolfpack offense. That's almost too bad because this offense is young, talented and the immediate successor to one of the greatest legacies in the ACC.

Ryan Finley finally departed NC State, leaving behind a torch of quarterback greatness dating back to Jacoby Brissett and beyond. His replacement, Matthew McKay, started the first five games of the year before Bailey Hockman substituted into the Florida State game. Hockman's performance, which included 21 complete passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, earned him the starting role against Syracuse.

Hockman is a former Seminole transfer who entered NC State in January after sitting out 2018 at Hutchinson Community College. He's a little bit smaller than the traditional pocket passers of the past, but he is a solid athlete with good awareness and ball precision. He is above average in most intangible categories, including field vision and delivery, which makes him a dangerous weapon against the BC secondary.

It's part of the transitioning, young nucleus in Raleigh. Finley, Jaylen Samuels, Nyheim Hines, Jakobi Meyers and Kelvin Martin are all gone, replaced by Hockman and a band of freshmen and sophomores. Zonovan Knight, Jordan Houston and Trent Pennix are all listed on the depth chart as running backs, and Emeka Emezie is the only skill player on offense with more than 10 starts. He's listed as a starting receiver against redshirt sophomore Thayer Thomas and redshirt freshman Devin Carter, who have a combined 13 starts.

That's a far cry from the offensive line, where players like Josh Fedd-Jackson and Justin Witt have oodles of experience.

"They're big and strong on the offensive line," defensive lineman Tanner Karafa said. "They're all big and fast, and NC State has had a great O-line over the past few years. They run a lot of 11-personnel, so you have to trust your fundamentals. They used a pistol set last year, which makes you trust your first step. You can't really guess."

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They Said It

"There won't be any fall off (with the receivers). If I wanted to work on timing, I worked with Anthony, but if I just wanted to catch passes for myself, I would hit Dennis up on weekends...he didn't really have a choice." -Wide Receiver Kobay White

"We're firing at a very high level offensively right now, and my expectation is that we're going to maintain that." -BC head coach Steve Addazio

"I feel like we've stayed true to ourselves. Dennis is highly capable and we're lucky to have a backup quarterback who's ready to compete. As far as the offense, we will stay true and play at a high level." -Running back AJ Dillon

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Countdown to Kickoff

10…NC State has been .500 or better at the halfway mark of the season in each of the past 10 years.
9…Dennis Grosel will become the ninth different starting quarterback of the Steve Addazio era.
8…The Eagle offense is tied for eighth nationally with five pass plays of 50+ yards. It had three in all of the 2018 season.
7…Of BC's career rushing leaders, seven have a rushing average of over five yards per carry, including AJ Dillon.
6…The BC offense has at least 300 yards in each of the six games played this season.
5…BC and NC State are tied for the ACC lead in turnovers given away on offense with five in six games.
4...Four sets of twins are represented on the NC State roster: Will and Tyler Dabbs are both Pack football players, but three other starters - Chris Ingram, Larrell Murchison and Icky Ekwonu - are all from a set of siblings.
3…Dave Doeren is one of three coaches with consecutive nine-win seasons in NC State program history (Dick Sheridan and Lou Holtz).
2…AJ Dillon is ranked No. 2 among active players in the country with 118.7 rushing yards per game.
1...Saturday marks the first game in which BC's offensive starting lineup will experience a significant change.

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BC-NC State X Factor

Dennis Grosel

Any major personnel change draws immediate, glaring attention, so it's probably not surprising that Boston College's biggest question is at quarterback, where Dennis Grosel replaces Anthony Brown.

As a quarterback, Grosel has a skill set capable of running Boston College's offense. He can take his shots, but he's a mobile dual-threat with precise vision. His intelligence enables him to read defenses and schemes, and it's all something he honed as an understudy for the Eagles.

"Now that I have time to think about it, it's about getting my mindset right," Grosel said this week. "It's about fine tuning everything with the schematics of the offense. I took a step back and really looked at myself from a wide lens with the bye week to go through some of the reps."

BC's rushing offense against the NC State defensive front is the heavyweight fight, and it rightly draws top billing in the game. It papers over the discussion about the BC passing attack, now under Grosel, against the Wolfpack pass defense. The last three opponents, including Ball State, torched it for 300 yards, and the only team not to go over 200 yards passing was an FCS opponent (Western Carolina).

The BC offense won't miss a beat if Grosel seamlessly steps into the quarterback role. That could be the difference in how this game finishes, especially given the muscle matchup in the trenches.

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Meteorology 101

I always imagined meteorologists in New England predicting the weather in October by using a Rubix cube or a Magic 8 Ball. It changes daily, and everything is on the table as a possibility. This week, for example, saw temperatures shift from 60 degrees down to the 30s at night. We got hit with another nor'easter of rain up here, which I guess is still better than a nor'easter of snow.

That reminds me, actually. Ten years ago this week, a nor'easter snow storm hit New England, dropping an uncharacteristic amount of fluffy white stuff on the ground. It also happened opposite Week Six of the NFL season, during which the Patriots played Tennessee during the AFL's 50th anniversary season.

Both teams wore throwback jerseys that day, and the Pat Patriot red uniforms blew out the Houston Oiler-clad Titans, 59-0. Tom Brady threw five touchdowns in the second quarter of that game.

I'm reminded of this because a nor'easter (or "bomb cyclone" for those of us watching the news) drove through New England this week. It wasn't snow, but the rain brought leaves off the trees and knocked out power to a good number of us in the region.

Boston College is wearing its throwback uniforms on Saturday (still the classiest look in football).

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Oh wait, I'm supposed to give the weather here. It's going to be sunny and 60. Sorry about that.

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Scoreboard Watching

The ACC season usually follows some kind of script in its conference schedule. The early season establishes some early contenders before October separates division teams into established tiers. It lines teams up for runs at potential bowl positioning, at which point there's a clear prediction of which program might go around the holidays.

That isn't happening this year. Clemson is the clear-cut leader and continues to drive towards another College Football Playoff berth, but the rest of the conference is turning into absolute chaos after last week. The apparent separation of Virginia and Wake Forest never materialized, and Miami and Louisville ensured every team, with the exception of Clemson, entered this week with either one or two league losses.

The only teams with any kind of separation are Clemson, which harbors a two-game lead in the Atlantic Division, and Georgia Tech, which could be bowl ineligible before Halloween. The rest of the league enters this week with surging hopes after carnage enveloped the standings last week.

That sets up a huge slate this week. It starts on Saturday afternoon with Clemson's trip to Louisville at noon for a game that didn't look like much before the season. That's before the Cardinals dropped 62 points on Wake Forest in a win last week to move into second place in the Atlantic Division and are on a roll after beating BC two weeks ago.

That runs opposite the BC-NC State game between two teams still harboring runs at the ACC's top tier. NC State feels like something of a dark horse despite having a 1-1 conference record, and its 4-2 overall record slots it right in the correct spot behind Clemson. BC, meanwhile, is still very much in the hunt, but with two league losses, there's a feeling among analysts that this game on Saturday carries an intense sense of urgency.

All of this precedes a 7:30 p.m. start for Florida State and Wake Forest. Clemson blew out FSU last week, and with its own loss, Wake Forest absorbed a vulnerable blow. For the Seminoles, another loss effectively ends its hopes for a division championship and tumbles it into a potential Tier II bowl game. A win keeps hopes alive and rockets them back into Tier I.

I'd break down the Coastal Division, but literally everyone still has a very solid mathematical chance at winning the division. I'd personally like to see all seven teams somehow finish .500 in the conference with a 6-6 overall record, but Georgia Tech faces an uphill battle for that. The funny part? Six teams could still pull it off, and then the Yellow Jackets somehow factor into the tiebreaker.

All of this comes after the Pittsburgh-Syracuse game carrying major implications for both teams' bowl hopes.

The season is far from over for all 14 teams, and there's still a ton of football left to play. So even though BC is holding two consecutive losses, nobody is writing the Eagles out of the picture, and there is no shot any team can look beyond the week currently staring it in the face.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

You can't dream up confidence. Confidence is born of demonstrated ability. -Bill Parcells

Boston College entered its bye week with a dark cloud hanging over its Charlie Brown. The offense kept firing despite losing Anthony Brown, but questions started rising once the adrenaline subsided from Dennis Grosel's first appearance. The defense faced its own brand of doubt, maligned by the Louisville offense's record-setting performance.

Having time off allowed for a reset and reboot, and the deep breath shifted looks into the rearview mirror. The available time enabled everyone to look forward with new benchmarks of how to develop and improve. Instead of wondering what went wrong, the team could instead look ahead to how it expects to play on Saturday against NC State.

Confidence exists within the BC locker room because the team demonstrates in practice how it can play successfully. There is trust in one another. Having stepped back by a week, the players and coaches can now push the accelerator down once more. This year's ACC is as wide open as any division in any league in the nation. Every team can beat any opponent in any given week.

Every week changes the perception of the conference, and every game alters in-week expectations. Winning on Saturday would continue rocking the conference power structure, and it would reinsert Boston College into the discussion. What happens next week or in the future simply doesn't matter yet.

All that matters is going 1-0 on the week.

Boston College and NC State will kick off on Saturday at noon from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game can be seen on the ACC's Regional Sports Network coverage. For local Boston viewers, that means the game will be televised on NESN. The game can also be heard via radio broadcast on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network, locally in Boston on WEEI 93.7 FM. Streaming audio options are available on satellite radio via Sirius channel 133, XM channel 194 and Internet channel 956, or via mobile devices on the Tune-In app.

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Players Mentioned

Anthony Brown

AJ Dillon

Zay Flowers

Dennis Grosel

Tanner Karafa

Hunter Long

Kobay White