On Saturday, Boston College will return to the football field at Alumni Stadium for the first time since dropping a 21-14 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 26.
The Eagles (2-3, 0-2 ACC), who are still searching for their first ACC win of the season, host Pittsburgh (5-1, 2-1 ACC) this weekend, with kickoff scheduled for noon ET.
Here are a few things that BC must do or keep tabs on in order to seize a victory over the visiting Panthers.
1. Control the Trenches
When two teams that possess similar physical identities go into head-to-head competition, earning the rights to control at the line of scrimmage is absolutely paramount.
The Eagles have done relatively well in this regard on the defensive side of the ball, but Pitt features an offensive backfield that rotates through a trio of extremely sound ball carriers in sophomore Ja’Kyrian Turner, freshman Damon Ferguson Jr., and senior La’Vell Wright, who have combined for a total of 640 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground through six games.
Containment of the Panthers’ run game starts in the trenches by avoiding giving up gaping holes and executing proper angles to the ball, which is something that hurt BC in its loss to the Hokies, when Jeffrey Overturn Jr. exploded for a 76-yard touchdown run to hand Virginia Tech its go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
It’ll be great having linebacker Bodie Kahoun back in the mix for this exact reason, as he has now made a full recovery from a scary head injury he sustained against Rutgers in the Red Bandanna Game.
“I'm very excited,” Kahoun said of his return. “Obviously, seeing the boys on the sideline, watching them, I'm jealous to play, and I'm excited to get back out there. They've been flying around. They've been killing it. I'm excited to be an additional person for it now.”
Kahoun and linebacker Anthony Palano are two of the Eagles’ best run defenders, and their efforts in stopping the three-headed dragon of Turner, Ferguson, and Wright in the backfield will be something to keep an eye on Saturday.
Offensively, steering quarterback Mason McKenzie away from pressure needs to be the priority for the offensive line, especially if BC wants to see its passing attack succeed.
McKenzie will be able to scramble around the field like he has done in the past, but he can’t just do that for the entire game, and a good way to establish the pass is by setting up adequate protection.
2. QB WHO?
Another key component of the matchup this weekend is Pitt’s quarterback situation.
The Panthers were fully without their star sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel, who tore his ACL a game prior, for the first time last weekend against North Carolina, and there was a clear dropoff in play with backup Holden Geriner under center.
The Eagles can seriously use that to their advantage this week by making Geriner — or whoever plays quarterback for Pitt on Saturday, which could possibly change — uncomfortable in the pocket, which is a surefire way to increase BC’s chances of taking the ball away from the Panthers’ offense.
It won’t be as easy to force turnovers against the run, but if the Eagles can capitalize on a few of the mistakes from Pitt’s quarterback, assuming some will occur, it could massively impact the outcome of the game.
3. Finish, Finish, Finish
That is the word that should be at the forefront for BC this week.
The Eagles have been outscored in the second half of games this year 46-74, which really puts into perspective just how different their situation could be if they were capable of staying disciplined for all four quarters, because every one of BC’s games this year besides Cincinnati has pretty much come down to the wire, or at least gotten close to it.
Ultimately, it’s not about how you start games. While that can certainly help, the difference between wins and losses typically comes down to a few plays in the final 15 minutes of regulation, and the Eagles have simply not been able to convert down the stretch.
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