Boston College Athletics
Defense Ready For The Renaissance
August 20, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
BC's defense has reason to believe it'll return to form in 2020.
One highlight stuck out from Boston College's practice session in the Fish Field House this past weekend. The offense ran an out pattern pass to the left side of the end zone, and a pass floated just beyond the reach of defensive back Jason Maitre. There was double coverage zoning around the receiver, and the ball effortlessly aired into the hands of freshman Denzel Blackwell.
Blackwell caught the pass in stride and tore down the sideline, vanishing into the sea of defensive team jerseys. Had it been a real football play in a game, he would've made reservations for six. Instead, he had to settle for his social media stardom as the latest example of how the Eagles' defense is undergoing a new renaissance for the Jeff Hafley era.
"We're in the beginning stages," defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu said, "because missing that much of spring ball was a setback. But I'm thankful that we're getting what we're getting now, and we're learning a lot about our guys. Because of Zoom, we're ahead of where we'd normally be, but I tell the guys all the time that there's a difference between knowing and doing. We were able to introduce things to know the concepts, but our execution level needs to match our knowledge level."
Strong defensive play has long been a pillar of BC's football program. The Eagles averaged less than 20 points allowed per game when they arrived in the ACC in 2005 and held opponents under the water mark for five of their first six seasons in the new conference.
That production dipped at the turn of the 2010s and coincided with a decline in bowl ineligibility, but it revamped by 2015 under defensive coordinator Don Brown to finish fourth in the nation in total defense, the unit's best performance in 10 years.
Just based on the volume of subdivision and power conference teams, it was impossible to maintain that elite level of notoriety, but BC remained a force when Brown transitioned to Jim Reid. The Eagles maintained a top percentile over the next three years, a mark highlighted by a 37th place finish in 2017.
It all crashed unexpectedly, though, last year when BC surrendered more than 30 points per game. Opponents topped 40 points in four games, and two other opponents - Florida State and Cincinnati - came within a field goal's difference. The Eagle defense, long known for its physical ability to stop teams, tumbled to 101st in the nation, its worst performance since 1996.
Those numbers are nothing new to Hafley's well-entrenched reputation for rehabilitating elite defenses. He arrived at Ohio State last year as the defensive coordinator for a team coming off a 72nd place finish in 2018. Twice that year, the Buckeyes gave up 50 points-ish, surrendering 49 points to Purdue and 51 points to Maryland.
He dramatically improved the unit, and it ended the season ranked at or near the top of the nation in every major category. Ohio State ranked first in yards per play and red zone defense and second in total defense and passing defense. It ranked third in both scoring defense and sacks and produced three first round picks in the NFL Draft, including consecutive picks at No. 2 and No. 3 overall.
"One of Coach Hafley's philosophies is to be fundamentally sound," Lukabu said. "It's all about fundamentals. Being a little bit simpler schematically allows the guys a chance to play with more technique. That's the angle that we're coming from. You have to establish a foundation before building from there. Once we establish the foundation, what we're going to be, then maybe we can step up and do some tinkering. It's all about establishing the foundation first."
That's a cause for optimism at a BC unit that only lost one defensive lineman and one cornerback from last year's roster. The three top tacklers return from last year, two of which are linebackers, and the defensive backfield, which averaged just under one interception per game, returns a key piece in Brandon Sebastian.
"We have quite a few guys that were young guys around (the older groups)," safety Mike Palmer said. "We carry a lot of the same things that they did, and our mantra now is, 'Why not us?' Why can't we be the same in trying to be better? We're hungry and competitive, and I really like how we're coming together with the addition of Coach Hafley and Coach Aazaar (Abdul-Rahim, the defensive backs coach). We have high expectations of ourselves, and we expect a lot from ourselves."
It's a new approach on an old take. Boston College was always the team that took advantage of an opponent's mistakes. It forced turnovers and turned possessions into clock-eating drives with easy scores. It simultaneously converted explosive plays as knockout blows. That got away from the defense last year, but there's reason to believe it will return in 2020.
"A lot of it has to do with what you do outside of the white lines," Palmer said. "In meetings, and even outside the meeting room, you have to reteach yourself everything. Luckily, it's still football, so it's not like going from geometry to social studies. It's still kind of similar stuff. It's difficult, but it comes together and clicks when you spend the time to learn a new system, instead of just doing the same thing every year."
Blackwell caught the pass in stride and tore down the sideline, vanishing into the sea of defensive team jerseys. Had it been a real football play in a game, he would've made reservations for six. Instead, he had to settle for his social media stardom as the latest example of how the Eagles' defense is undergoing a new renaissance for the Jeff Hafley era.
"We're in the beginning stages," defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu said, "because missing that much of spring ball was a setback. But I'm thankful that we're getting what we're getting now, and we're learning a lot about our guys. Because of Zoom, we're ahead of where we'd normally be, but I tell the guys all the time that there's a difference between knowing and doing. We were able to introduce things to know the concepts, but our execution level needs to match our knowledge level."
Strong defensive play has long been a pillar of BC's football program. The Eagles averaged less than 20 points allowed per game when they arrived in the ACC in 2005 and held opponents under the water mark for five of their first six seasons in the new conference.
That production dipped at the turn of the 2010s and coincided with a decline in bowl ineligibility, but it revamped by 2015 under defensive coordinator Don Brown to finish fourth in the nation in total defense, the unit's best performance in 10 years.
Just based on the volume of subdivision and power conference teams, it was impossible to maintain that elite level of notoriety, but BC remained a force when Brown transitioned to Jim Reid. The Eagles maintained a top percentile over the next three years, a mark highlighted by a 37th place finish in 2017.
It all crashed unexpectedly, though, last year when BC surrendered more than 30 points per game. Opponents topped 40 points in four games, and two other opponents - Florida State and Cincinnati - came within a field goal's difference. The Eagle defense, long known for its physical ability to stop teams, tumbled to 101st in the nation, its worst performance since 1996.
Those numbers are nothing new to Hafley's well-entrenched reputation for rehabilitating elite defenses. He arrived at Ohio State last year as the defensive coordinator for a team coming off a 72nd place finish in 2018. Twice that year, the Buckeyes gave up 50 points-ish, surrendering 49 points to Purdue and 51 points to Maryland.
He dramatically improved the unit, and it ended the season ranked at or near the top of the nation in every major category. Ohio State ranked first in yards per play and red zone defense and second in total defense and passing defense. It ranked third in both scoring defense and sacks and produced three first round picks in the NFL Draft, including consecutive picks at No. 2 and No. 3 overall.
"One of Coach Hafley's philosophies is to be fundamentally sound," Lukabu said. "It's all about fundamentals. Being a little bit simpler schematically allows the guys a chance to play with more technique. That's the angle that we're coming from. You have to establish a foundation before building from there. Once we establish the foundation, what we're going to be, then maybe we can step up and do some tinkering. It's all about establishing the foundation first."
That's a cause for optimism at a BC unit that only lost one defensive lineman and one cornerback from last year's roster. The three top tacklers return from last year, two of which are linebackers, and the defensive backfield, which averaged just under one interception per game, returns a key piece in Brandon Sebastian.
"We have quite a few guys that were young guys around (the older groups)," safety Mike Palmer said. "We carry a lot of the same things that they did, and our mantra now is, 'Why not us?' Why can't we be the same in trying to be better? We're hungry and competitive, and I really like how we're coming together with the addition of Coach Hafley and Coach Aazaar (Abdul-Rahim, the defensive backs coach). We have high expectations of ourselves, and we expect a lot from ourselves."
It's a new approach on an old take. Boston College was always the team that took advantage of an opponent's mistakes. It forced turnovers and turned possessions into clock-eating drives with easy scores. It simultaneously converted explosive plays as knockout blows. That got away from the defense last year, but there's reason to believe it will return in 2020.
"A lot of it has to do with what you do outside of the white lines," Palmer said. "In meetings, and even outside the meeting room, you have to reteach yourself everything. Luckily, it's still football, so it's not like going from geometry to social studies. It's still kind of similar stuff. It's difficult, but it comes together and clicks when you spend the time to learn a new system, instead of just doing the same thing every year."
Players Mentioned
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