Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Anthony Garro
Heavyweight Battle Awaits Eagles Against Howell, UNC
October 01, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Saturday's marquee matchup is against the next great ACC quarterback.
Life in the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't meant to be easy.
Not with these teams. Not with these rosters. Every player is capable of making it to the next level, and every game is an arena full of tough, physical gladiators. Commanding each sideline is a group of coaches known as either legends or potential legends in the making.
Within that group, one giant casts a towering and imposing shadow over his peers. He's the next early first round draft choice for an NFL franchise or a potential positional award winner. As the season wears on, his name finds its way into the embrace of a Heisman Trophy watch list.
Ah, yes. The Heisman. That's the award Jameis Winston won in 2013 and Lamar Jackson won in 2016. That's the one Lamar won over Deshaun Watson, who had finished third the year before. It's the one Trevor Lawrence hasn't won, at least not yet.
It's even the one that's found its way to Boston. Sure, Doug Flutie won it in 1984, but in the ACC era, Matt Ryan was on the ballot in 2007, and Andre Williams earned an invitation to New York City for the coronation ceremony at the Downtown Athletic Club in 2013.
There's always an ACC name looming over that trophy, but this year, the next big name, quarterback Sam Howell, is on his way to Chestnut Hill with North Carolina. It's a marquee matchup, one the resurgent BC defense awaits as part of a heavyweight battle in the making.
"He throws the ball really well," BC head coach Jeff Hafley said. "He's got a good release. He's got a really strong arm. He's faster than people think he is, and he's tough. He plays with such good command of their offense, he keeps his composure, and he can make all the plays. He's a sophomore, so he's got time to develop and get better."
That Howell casts a Heisman-pose shadow is due to last season's record-setting campaign. He threw for 38 touchdowns to shatter Trevor Lawrence's FBS record for touchdowns thrown by a true freshman, and he landed within two scores of Jameis Winston's 2013 record for an overall freshman. It separately broke his program's overall record from 2016 when Mitch Trubisky threw for 30 scores.
He finished the season with 3,641 yards, an ACC true freshman record, and threw just seven interceptions to earn the ACC's Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards. It further earned him All-ACC Third Team honors and a spot on the Freshman All-American team.
It entered him into a club occupied otherwise by only LSU's Joe Burrow and Ohio State's Justin Fields as the only three quarterbacks with at least 35 touchdowns and no more than seven picks. With his yardage, Howell stood alone with Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and a hair ahead of Lawrence, the expected No. 1 overall pick next year.
"He's a good quarterback," BC defensive lineman Brandon Barlow said. "He's very accurate in the pocket, and he has good vision downfield. We have to really try to be disciplined in our coverage and secondary, and as a (defensive) line, we have to get after him this week, make sure we get pressure on him, and affect the game in that manner."
Five UNC receivers caught more than 20 passes last year, and both Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown went over 1,000 yards. Each caught at least 10 touchdowns, with Brown averaging more than 20 yards per catch. In the team's win over Syracuse this year, Brown caught six balls for 94 yards, and Beau Correales added five catches for 47 yards.Â
"(Howell) not only uses the whole field," Hafley said, "but they rotate so many receivers into the game. It makes it easy to spread out. They're really deep at receiver, and they're really fast. They try to wear you out. (Howell) does a good job of taking what the defense gives him. He's going to find the holes and will make the throw.
Running back Michael Carter likewise caught six passes for 60 yards but further broke off a long run en route to an 11.1 yards-per-rush average on seven carries. He rushed for 1,000 yards last year, while Javonte Williams fell just short of breaching the same mark. For an Air Raid offense, it's another, unexpected wrinkle adding to the instant mystique of UNC's success.
"Coach Longo does a really good job," Hafley said. "Everywhere he's been, he's done a good job. It's a little bit of everything. They're going to make you play in space. (Howell) is going to get rid of the ball quick, and there's a catch-and-run element where they're going to get their really good athletes in space to use every blade of grass.
"They can also hand off the ball while you're spread out," he continued. "They have two really, really good running backs and a big offensive line. Then they're going to take shots downfield. So they have a little bit of everything, and they should. They have a good line, good backs, and receivers who can go deep and catch-and-run. Their slot can stop and start, and they have guys who catch downfield. They have a lot of toys to work with."
Stopping that offense is a tall order, but Boston College enters Saturday after stout, resurgent performances in its first two games. It forced five turnovers against Duke and rallied past Texas State last week with two huge stops in the fourth quarter. The six points allowed against Duke were the fewest points scored by an opponent since 2017, and the Eagles held an opponent to less than 360 yards of offense for the first time since Miami in 2018.
"Defensively, Jeff was raised on the defensive side of the ball," UNC head coach Mack Brown said. "They forced six turnovers in two games, and we've only forced one in one game. They have two really good pass rushers on the outside and two really quick guys inside. They're physical and not as tall as offensive linemen, so we're going to need to play with leverage. (Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie) is all over the field, and they're coached really well in the secondary."
That will bill the heavyweight bout to a louder degree. An elite offense full of playmakers heads into a matchup against a renaissance defense. Coaches with respect and admiration for one another will game plan and scheme with players bursting with talent. A nationally-televised audience will witness the game in its purest form, but it's really just another week in the ACC.
"I'm excited to bring out more," Hafley said. "We added a little bit of defense, and we'll continue to add. We have to be careful that the volume doesn't take away from our players playing and executing. Each week, we're going to add as if we had the full spring and a real training camp. It's our job to determine how much is too much and how much is not enough."
Boston College and No. 11 North Carolina will kick off at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game can be seen on national television on ABC with radio broadcast available on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network, locally in Boston on WEEI 93.7 FM.
Not with these teams. Not with these rosters. Every player is capable of making it to the next level, and every game is an arena full of tough, physical gladiators. Commanding each sideline is a group of coaches known as either legends or potential legends in the making.
Within that group, one giant casts a towering and imposing shadow over his peers. He's the next early first round draft choice for an NFL franchise or a potential positional award winner. As the season wears on, his name finds its way into the embrace of a Heisman Trophy watch list.
Ah, yes. The Heisman. That's the award Jameis Winston won in 2013 and Lamar Jackson won in 2016. That's the one Lamar won over Deshaun Watson, who had finished third the year before. It's the one Trevor Lawrence hasn't won, at least not yet.
It's even the one that's found its way to Boston. Sure, Doug Flutie won it in 1984, but in the ACC era, Matt Ryan was on the ballot in 2007, and Andre Williams earned an invitation to New York City for the coronation ceremony at the Downtown Athletic Club in 2013.
There's always an ACC name looming over that trophy, but this year, the next big name, quarterback Sam Howell, is on his way to Chestnut Hill with North Carolina. It's a marquee matchup, one the resurgent BC defense awaits as part of a heavyweight battle in the making.
"He throws the ball really well," BC head coach Jeff Hafley said. "He's got a good release. He's got a really strong arm. He's faster than people think he is, and he's tough. He plays with such good command of their offense, he keeps his composure, and he can make all the plays. He's a sophomore, so he's got time to develop and get better."
That Howell casts a Heisman-pose shadow is due to last season's record-setting campaign. He threw for 38 touchdowns to shatter Trevor Lawrence's FBS record for touchdowns thrown by a true freshman, and he landed within two scores of Jameis Winston's 2013 record for an overall freshman. It separately broke his program's overall record from 2016 when Mitch Trubisky threw for 30 scores.
He finished the season with 3,641 yards, an ACC true freshman record, and threw just seven interceptions to earn the ACC's Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards. It further earned him All-ACC Third Team honors and a spot on the Freshman All-American team.
It entered him into a club occupied otherwise by only LSU's Joe Burrow and Ohio State's Justin Fields as the only three quarterbacks with at least 35 touchdowns and no more than seven picks. With his yardage, Howell stood alone with Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and a hair ahead of Lawrence, the expected No. 1 overall pick next year.
"He's a good quarterback," BC defensive lineman Brandon Barlow said. "He's very accurate in the pocket, and he has good vision downfield. We have to really try to be disciplined in our coverage and secondary, and as a (defensive) line, we have to get after him this week, make sure we get pressure on him, and affect the game in that manner."
Five UNC receivers caught more than 20 passes last year, and both Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown went over 1,000 yards. Each caught at least 10 touchdowns, with Brown averaging more than 20 yards per catch. In the team's win over Syracuse this year, Brown caught six balls for 94 yards, and Beau Correales added five catches for 47 yards.Â
"(Howell) not only uses the whole field," Hafley said, "but they rotate so many receivers into the game. It makes it easy to spread out. They're really deep at receiver, and they're really fast. They try to wear you out. (Howell) does a good job of taking what the defense gives him. He's going to find the holes and will make the throw.
Running back Michael Carter likewise caught six passes for 60 yards but further broke off a long run en route to an 11.1 yards-per-rush average on seven carries. He rushed for 1,000 yards last year, while Javonte Williams fell just short of breaching the same mark. For an Air Raid offense, it's another, unexpected wrinkle adding to the instant mystique of UNC's success.
"Coach Longo does a really good job," Hafley said. "Everywhere he's been, he's done a good job. It's a little bit of everything. They're going to make you play in space. (Howell) is going to get rid of the ball quick, and there's a catch-and-run element where they're going to get their really good athletes in space to use every blade of grass.
"They can also hand off the ball while you're spread out," he continued. "They have two really, really good running backs and a big offensive line. Then they're going to take shots downfield. So they have a little bit of everything, and they should. They have a good line, good backs, and receivers who can go deep and catch-and-run. Their slot can stop and start, and they have guys who catch downfield. They have a lot of toys to work with."
Stopping that offense is a tall order, but Boston College enters Saturday after stout, resurgent performances in its first two games. It forced five turnovers against Duke and rallied past Texas State last week with two huge stops in the fourth quarter. The six points allowed against Duke were the fewest points scored by an opponent since 2017, and the Eagles held an opponent to less than 360 yards of offense for the first time since Miami in 2018.
"Defensively, Jeff was raised on the defensive side of the ball," UNC head coach Mack Brown said. "They forced six turnovers in two games, and we've only forced one in one game. They have two really good pass rushers on the outside and two really quick guys inside. They're physical and not as tall as offensive linemen, so we're going to need to play with leverage. (Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie) is all over the field, and they're coached really well in the secondary."
That will bill the heavyweight bout to a louder degree. An elite offense full of playmakers heads into a matchup against a renaissance defense. Coaches with respect and admiration for one another will game plan and scheme with players bursting with talent. A nationally-televised audience will witness the game in its purest form, but it's really just another week in the ACC.
"I'm excited to bring out more," Hafley said. "We added a little bit of defense, and we'll continue to add. We have to be careful that the volume doesn't take away from our players playing and executing. Each week, we're going to add as if we had the full spring and a real training camp. It's our job to determine how much is too much and how much is not enough."
Boston College and No. 11 North Carolina will kick off at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game can be seen on national television on ABC with radio broadcast available on the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network, locally in Boston on WEEI 93.7 FM.
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