NCAA Football Preview - Boston College Eagles
Sports Network | August 18, 2008
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The Eagles led the ACC in total offense last season (425.1 ypg), but getting that kind of production this year is not realistic, considering the team is without Ryan at the helm, as well as the tailback tandem of Andre Callender and LV Whitworth. The likely replacement for Ryan under center is senior Chris Crane, although he only completed two passes in 2007.
That doesn't seem to bother Jagodzinski, who says "Crane is bigger, stronger, and faster than Ryan. He throws a great ball. The only thing he doesn't have is experience." Crane has performed well in the spring and summer and that has helped his teammates adjust to the change as well.
The team does return a pair of talented receivers in Rich Gunnell (64 receptions, for 931 yards and seven TDs in 2007) and Brandon Robinson (56 receptions, for 793 yards, five TDs), as well as tight end Ryan Purvis (54 receptions, for 553 yards, four TDs). The ground game will need to materialize in a hurry and looks to a group of rushers, highlighted by freshman Josh Haden (5-8, 190). The offensive line returns four starters, headlined by sophomore tackle Anthony Castonzo, who earned Freshman All-American accolades in 2007.
DEFENSE: The Eagles ranked third in the ACC in total defense (329.4 ypg) and fourth in scoring defense (20.4 ppg) in 2007 and with seven starters back in the mix, the team could see those numbers improve in 2008. That is certainly what Jagodzinski and company will count on, especially early on.
"We're gonna lean on our defense early this year until our offense can catch up. Our defense is good. We've got a real strong run defense in particular."
Two of those returning to the mix actually didn't play in 2007 due to injuries, but a lot is expected of DT B.J. Raji and playmaking LB Brian Toal. Throw in DE Alex Albright and DT Ron Brace up front and junior LB Mark Herzlich in the middle of the field, and the front seven for Boston College is definitely a strength. The secondary on the other hand will need some revamping, as senior strong safety Paul Anderson (58 tackles, two INTs) is the only holdover from a stellar unit last year that included standouts Jamie Silva and DeJuan Tribble.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Boston College's placekicking game is in fine shape with senior Steve Aponavicius back. The 5-10 veteran kicker was 46-of-50 on extra points in 2007 and 12-of-18 on field goal attempts, with a long of 45 yards. The team will have to break in a new punter with the departure of steady performer Johnny Ayers. The most likely candidate is 6-3 freshman Ryan Quigley, who averaged 46 yards per punt as a high school senior.
2008 OUTLOOK: Matching the 11 wins from 2007 is not a realistic goal for the Eagles in 2008 and they will probably struggle to remain in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title this time around.
However, if you were to ask Jagodzinski, he will tell you differently.
"Our goal is to still go ahead and win the ACC Championship. We're got a lot of guys who played in that championship game last year."
The non-conference schedule lacks any real obstacles, with Kent State opening things up in Cleveland. The remaining three non-league affairs all take place in Chestnut Hill, with UCF, Rhode Island and Notre Dame all making the trip to the New England area. The Eagles take on Virginia Tech and Clemson in- conference this season, but both ACC favorites will play at Alumni Stadium, as will Georgia Tech and Maryland. Road trips to NC State, North Carolina, Florida State and Wake Forest will tell the tale, as the Eagles will need to win a couple of those games to bolster their bowl hopes and keep their postseason streak alive.
