Throwback Thursday W2WF: Wake Forest (2005)

Boy last week was a lot of fun, wasn't it?

Okay, maybe fun isn't the right word. Boston College beat Virginia, 28-17 to cement its status as a favorite in the newly-formed ACC Atlantic Division, but the game was anything but fun. It wasn't an easy-going, light-hearted affair filled with the good vibes of the 38-0 drubbing of Ball State, and it diverted quickly from exiting at the same stop as the BYU and Army games earlier this year.

That game, to say the least, was anything but fun. It was, however, a bare-knuckle football brawl over three hours in the trenches.

"I guess we're the new team in the ACC (with) a bullseye on our back," linebacker Ray Henderson said. "Everybody wants to smack us around and welcome us to the ACC - in a negative way - and I think so we've proved that we belong in this conference and we can play with any team in the country.

The bravado stemmed from overcoming how the pressurized frustration vented against Virginia. The teams engaged in a hugely-physical affair in the first half, but offensive lineman Brad Butler dove at defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka's legs early in the third quarter. It drew retaliation from the Eagles, resulting in a number ejections. Butler was kicked out of the game, as was Kiwanuka and linebacker Al Washington, with Brian Toal earning a personal foul penalty. It reeled BC's defense and handed momentum to the Cavaliers, who finished off the drive to take a 14-7 lead.

Any momentum, though, ended shortly thereafter. Quinton Porter capped a nine-play, 72-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez to tie the game, and the angered Eagles took the lead immediately after blocking a subsequent Virginia punt. They rattled off a 21-3 run from there, with Toal scoring twice on short-yardage plows on the damp, soggy field.

"Maybe it was because of the weather, the crowd and everything else," head coach Tom O'Brien said. "There didn't seem to be any electricity or anything in (Alumni Stadium). All of a sudden, (the fight) sparked everything. That was like lighting the fire)."

The win improved the No. 14 Eagles to 4-1 on the season but pushed them over .500 in their new conference for the first time. It puts them squarely in the thick of a race with Florida State in the Atlantic Division. The Seminoles hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, but with Clemson sagging after a loss to Wake Forest, one slip by FSU opens the door for the Eagles to break through to the first-ever ACC Championship Game.

Here's what to look for this week when BC hosts Wake Forest:

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Weekly Storylines

Welcome Back, Quinton Porter

Quarterback Quinton Porter returned to the starting lineup last week after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury, and the senior responded in huge spades by throwing for 300 yards on 25-of-37 attempts with the one touchdown. It was a resounding return for the elder statesman of the quarterback room, especially after watching Matt Ryan throw for over 400 yards against Clemson and Ball State.

That's a good sign for Porter, who was able to test the ankle by absorbing an early hit against Virginia.

"It felt good, like numb in the beginning," Porter said. "I got hit in the second series of the game. It kind of loosened itself up, and I was ready to go back in. From then on, I just got into a rhythm."

The first game back is always the most difficult, especially as Porter turns the page with the offense to play the Demon Deacons. BC played the team in each of the last two years as non-conference opponents, losing last year in Winston-Salem, despite 269 yards passing from Paul Peterson. Porter, meanwhile, threw for a touchdown and ran for another to help build a 21-12 lead for the Eagles in the prior year's meeting in Chestnut Hill, but Wake Forest scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as BC fumbled away a win.

The quarterback position is obviously under a microscope because Ryan played so well against Clemson. Tom O'Brien talked with his quarterback before the Virginia game and indicated that Porter had to be truthful about his status at all times in order to know if he could truly play. There was no need to bench a player who lost his position because of an injury - I will always agree with that sentiment - but at the same time, the young quarterback clearly showed promise. It created the time-honored discussion of experience versus potential and put all three in a tough spot. But Porter responded in a big way, and it remains his job entering this week.

Catch 'em

Having that continuity in the BC passing game poses a big issue for the Wake Forest defense. Both Porter and Ryan are capable of lighting up a secondary, and this week's game arrives in the wake of a 395-yard, three-touchdown performance by Florida State's Drew Weatherford against the Demon Deacons.

Weatherford hit on two explosive touchdown passes to help the Seminoles build a 34-17 lead before Xavier Lee took snaps at the end of the game. The last pass, a 61-yard screen to Leon Washington, is especially juicy because it came from a power-based formation. Wake Forest blitzed, resulting in a dump-off screen reception. Washington made two players miss and hit the turbo for the rest of the way.

BC's running backs are adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, but it's more likely Wake Forest puts linebacker Jon Abbate on that assignment. Assuming Josh Gattis covers either Will Blackmon or Larry Lester as the downfield options, BC could hit those short passes for potential explosives to tight end Tony Gonzalez. He's averaging over 14 yards per reception on just 12 catches.

The Eagles are very much a pro-style offense, so there isn't a lot of flash to what they do. That's a positive since teams can hit Wake Forest with a straightforward approach. The Deacon defense isn't going to try and prepare for weird, trick plays, so BC can fire forward and smash it right in its teeth. Run the plays that work, and avoid mistakes. Do that, and points will follow in a big way.

Now with Less Kiwi

The most concerning outcome of the Virginia game centers on Kiwanuka. Butler's ejection and subsequent suspension for one game wiped out BC's star defensive end with an ejection of his own, but head coach Tom O'Brien officially ruled him out this week with the lower leg injury.

"The doctors ruled him out," O'Brien said. "So I can't go against the doctors."

Losing Kiwanuka hurts because his explosiveness maintains the edge. He collapses the pockets against quarterbacks, but his run-stopping ability is what makes him a complete package. It's going to pose a challenge for the Eagles to stop the two-headed attack of Chris Barclay and Micah Andrews.

Both of those two are averaging well over five yards per carry, and both enter this game with over 500 yards total. Barclay has the scoring threat with six touchdowns, and it's assumed that the defensive edge, without Kiwanuka, will draw a spotlight against both of those players.

"I've been looking forward to (a starting opportunity) for a long time," Jake Ottolini said. "I'm sorry for Mathias, but it is an opportunity, so you've got to take advantage of it when it comes. His leadership is a big part of this team. I know he's going to be on the sidelines with us, and I think him being there for the game is going to be all we need. He'll motivate everyone, I'm sure of that."

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Meteorology 101

I'm not sure the ACC quite knew what autumn in New England was like when it invited Boston College to join the conference. That said, word is likely to get around pretty quickly after last week's wet, raw conditions and this week's deluge.

Forecasts are calling for rain, and lots of it. I would tell everyone to pack a poncho, but that might not even help. It would just be better to wear the rubber fisherman suit with the jacket, the waders, and the boots. I doubt it will keep the water out of anyone's socks, though, because that's how hard I think it's going to rain.

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Scoreboard Watching

The first year of the new ACC divisional alignment is pretty interesting to watch unfold because one loss no longer kills a team's chances at a conference title. Under a previous format, BC's loss to Florida State would have virtually eliminated the Eagles because more teams would have needed to lose. Now, BC can reassume a race for the conference championship as long as the Seminoles lose somewhere along the line.

That will make for some juicy irony this week because the Eagles now need to root for Virginia to earn an upset win at home over the No. 4 team in the nation. The Seminoles already cleared Miami, but one loss will put BC back into a race for the Atlantic Division championship.

Over in the Coastal Division, No. 3 Virginia Tech is on cruise control but is on a bye this week. The Hokies, who waxed No. 15 Georgia Tech earlier this year, are still undefeated and, barring a collapse against Maryland in two weeks will host BC, their old Big East rival, with a chance at the ACC Championship on the line. For what it's worth, Virginia Tech still has to get through Miami the week after the Eagles.

There are a couple of other fun matchups on the docket this week, including in the Big 12, where Texas and Colorado will play a potential preview of the conference title game. The No. 2 Longhorns have been on a season-long quest to play in the national championship game after falling one game short of a perfect record last year (thanks a lot, Oklahoma?). The Buffaloes, who entered the rankings at No. 24 this week, head to Austin with a 4-1 record after bombing through Oklahoma State and Texas A&M by a combined 75-20.

The big one, though, is in South Bend, where No. 9 Notre Dame is looking to cement a shot at the BCS's top tier against No. 1 USC. The Trojans haven't lost a game since Cal upset them in triple overtime back in 2003, and the defending national champions are coming off of a 42-21 win at home against Arizona last week.

The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, are 4-1 and handily beat No. 22 Purdue two weeks ago. At this point, it's safe to call Charlie Weis a smash hit in his first year. Of course, I'm just partial to him as the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots' dynasty.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated. -Lou Holtz

Quoting Lou Holtz will probably get rotten cabbage thrown at me, but I feel like I can loosen the reigns since BC won't play Notre Dame annually anymore. Call it the one piece of collateral damage I still can't get used to after BC left the Big East. I know I can unequivocally state that both schools will meet again in the future, but not doing it annually does kind of hurt my heart. Maybe it's an opportunity to make the game more special and play it at special venues, like Fenway Park or something?

I know, that's crazy. I should never bring it up again.

Anyways, this game scares me for a number of reasons. Wake Forest doesn't look like a bad team on paper, and the Demon Deacons had a formula in their win over Clemson. They controlled the clock, and Cory Randolph was an electric game manager. He only threw five incompletions, one of which was an interception, and he threw for three touchdowns. His 74-yard pass play to Kenneth Moore reeled the Tiger defense early, and his 34-yard pass to Nate Morton pushed Wake to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.

Clemson stormed back in that game, but quarterback Charlie Whitehurst threw two picks. The combination of turnovers and explosive plays meant the Tigers led most offensive categories but lost the game.

That's how a team like Wake Forest wins football games; the defense attacks, which means it can allow yardage. It's very boom-or-bust, but it creates havoc.

BC will need to win the turnover battle in order to win this game. Putting that on the shoulders of one player is tough, but after last week's performance, quarterback Quinton Porter should remain wary. Yards will come, but the offense will need to avoid turnovers. Do that, and BC is well on its way to making the desired splash in the new conference.

Boston College Athletics

Throwback Thursday W2WF: Wake Forest (2005)

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