Boston College Football's Keys to the Game Against Virginia
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The Boston College Eagles football team (4-1, 1-0 ACC) kicks off its ACC slate on Saturday afternoon with a road game against the Virginia Cavaliers (3-1, 1-0 ACC).
Both teams have gotten off to a good start to the season and are looking to continue to build on that as conference play kicks into full gear.
Below are three keys to the games for the Eagles to get a victory.
Pressure Cavaliers Quarterback Anthony Colandrea
Similar to Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos, Colandrea is a dual-threat quarterback that can be a challenge in both the passing and ground game. So far this season, the sophomore has gone 84-of-123 (68.3%) for 1,032 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions as well as 41 carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. One of the biggest keys for Boston College to come out of Scott Stadium with a win is to get to Colandrea, pressure him in the pocket and force uncomfortable throws.
Start Faster
Although the Eagles have had an overall successful start to the 2024 season, the team has gotten off to a slow start in the past two weeks. In the Eagles Week 4 23-19 win over Michigan State, the team went into halftime down 13-6 and outscored the Spartans 17-6 in the second half. In the team’s Week 5 21-20 win over Western Kentucky, it was down 17-7 heading into halftime and 20-7 heading into the fourth quarter. The Eagles scored 14 unanswered points to complete the comeback victory. With the bulk of the conference schedule remaining, Boston College cannot afford to get into a hole and attempt to play from behind, especially in a hostile ACC road envrionment.
Stop Conversions
The Boston College defense has been a force all season. The group’s biggest weakness, however, has been third and fourth down conversions. So far this season, the Eagles have allowed 27 third down conversions on 76 attempts (35.5-percent) and eight fourth down conversions on 12 attempts (66.7-percent). In the ACC, the Eagles rank No. 11 in third down conversions and No. 13 in fourth down conversions. If the team can stop allowing conversions and continuously get off the field, it will pose a huge challenge to the Virginia offense.
Kim Rankin is the lead writer for Boston College On SI. The 2020 graduate of the University of Alabama. She joined Alabama Crimson Tide On SI in February 2024 covering baseball, softball, football, men’s basketball, and more for BamaCentral, but has also contributed to Missouri Tigers On SI. She previously worked as the brand manager at Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She has covered a wide variety of events including SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals, and bowl games.
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