Boston College Eagles look to keep rolling on Senior Day
Chestnut Hill will be rocking on Saturday as the Boston College Eagles wrap up their 2017 home slate by hosting North Carolina State.
The Boston College Eagles (5-4, 3-3) are one win away from becoming bowl eligible.
That is not typo or a misprint. This is not a fabrication or a false narrative. This is college football.
On Saturday, the Eagles will look to pick up their fourth-straight win when they play host to the 23rd-ranked NC State Wolfpack.
The tide has certainly turned for a Boston College team most predicted to win four games or less. (Myself included). It was only a little over a year ago the Eagles were snapping an ACC 12-game losing streak.
A 21-14 victory, Boston College’s first conference win since 2014, came at the expense of this very NC State team.
This time around, the Eagles will be sending off seniors Harold Landry and Ty Schwab, among others, for the last home game of their careers.
Boston College rolling
It might be the final home game for the seniors, but a trio of freshmen has the Eagles rolling over the past few weeks.
True freshman AJ Dillon has been a beast out of the backfield. Dillon has ran for 857 yards, 510 of which have come over the past three games. The lore of Dillon really kicked into gear at the start of the win streak, a 272-yard, 4-touchdown performance against Louisville.
Not to be outdone, quarterback Anthony Brown has picked up his game as of late as well. Brown has thrown for 1338 yards with 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
Brown has made the big pass when needed and has also used his running ability to churn out 228 yards on the ground. He has also protected the ball, throwing only one interception in the past five games.
Another positive is his ability to spread the ball around. Three players have at least 20 receptions for the Eagles, led by freshman Kobay White (26-359, 2 td’s). Senior Tommy Sweeney is close behind with 21 receptions and three scores.
The offense started scoring during the win streak, alleviating a bit of pressure off the defense. Not that has affected the play of seniors Schwab, Landry, Kamrin Moore and junior Zach Allen.
Schwab leads the Boston College Eagles with tackles (77) and Landry leads with sacks (5). Moore has 8 pass breakups, and Allen has been a monster with 69 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss.
NC State losing streak
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The NC State Wolfpack (6-3, 4-1) has dropped their last two games, falling to Clemson and Notre Dame.
Common losses aside, the Wolfpack are enjoying a solid season. The offense is efficient and precise, while a swarming defense thrives at stopping the run.
Ryan Finley has settled in during his second season at quarterback at NC State. Finley is a prototypical pro style quarterback but does also have the ability to make plays with his legs when needed. Finley has thrown for 2519 yards with 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Finley has two targets he loves to throw to. Jaylen Samuels and Kelvin Harmon have combined for 110 receptions for 1279 yards and 8 touchdowns. Samuels is also a threat out of the wildcat formation, running for 247 yards and 8 scores.
On defense, the Wolfpack have their own version of Landry. Bradley Chubb wreaks havoc all over the field, collecting 7.5 sacks and 53 tackles on the season.
Another player to watch is linebacker Jerod Fernandez.
Prediction
I’m going to keep riding the momentum: Boston College over NC State, 28-24.
Next: The top 10 Boston College Eagles in the NFL
There appears to be something special about this season’s team. Even in their losses, they hung in their for at least three quarters. And the loss to Wake Forest is truly the only game they weren’t really in.
Four wins in a row? Mark it so.