Boston College Football: Welcome To Rutgers Week!

Can BC turn it around after a terrible loss?

Boston College got demolished at home last week against Kansas, which was not only a bad loss, but left a lot of questions about the program. Next on the schedule are the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the road, a team like Kansas that has also struggled in the recent past. This year Chris Ash's team is 1-1 with a solid win over UMass, and a loss to to Iowa 31-0, in which the Scarlet Knights were held to 125 total yards. But as we saw last week, previous games should only be taken with a grain of salt. 

The starting quarterback should be McLane Carter, a transfer from Texas Tech who is 27-47 for 368 yards two touchdowns and four interceptions. If he struggles or isn't cleared from the concussion protocol he is currently in, Ash may go back to Artur Sitkowski, a 4* QB who had a tough year last year throwing four touchdowns and 18 interceptions. If BC's defense needs to force turnovers, these are two QBs that could throw them. However, we saw Carter Stanley find his game last week, so anything is possible especially with Rutgers playing at home in a game that might feel like the Super Bowl to them. 

They ran the ball fairly well against UMass, for four touchdowns which given last week's results are concerning for Steve Addazio's squad given their struggles against the run last week. Isaih Pacheco is their featured back, and averages 6.62 yards per carry.  

In terms of defense they have struggled against the run, allowing 188 yards per game, and opposing offenses averaging over 5 yards a carry. They aren't a sack heavy or turnover heavy team, only having two interceptions and a pair of sacks. BC needs to find their offense again, which fell apart in the second half against Kansas, and on paper Rutgers looks to be a good matchup for the Eagles. 

This is a huge game for BC, one that has become a must win for Addazio. Can they turn it around, or was last week the first indication of a bigger problem that could haunt this team in 2019. 

Storylines Going Into This Game: Boston College needs to turn things around on both sides of the ball? Can they stop the run and put together a defensive effort that will cause stops? Rutgers is going to want this game badly, and will be super motivated to win it, will the Eagles be prepared to battle that?

Super Early Preview From The Summer: Click Here

Vegas Line: BC -7.5

Random Rutgers Factoid: Rutgers is the birthplace of college football, with the first game happening in 1869 between the Rutgers Queensmen defeating the College of New Jersey (Princeton) Tigers 6-4. 

Player To Watch: Max Richardson. One of the biggest problems with last week's game against Kansas (there were many) was the second level of defense against the run. They were constantly out of place, over pursuing, and missing tackles. Richardson was quiet that whole game, as mentioned by Mark Herzlich on the telecast. If Isaiah McDuffie doesn't return this week, it's going to be on Richardson to hold that linebacking group together.