Boston College 41 Missouri 34: Observations on Defense
On Saturday, Boston College won their fourth straight, downing Missouri in a thrilling 41-34 game in overtime. Here are some observations of the defense.
* There is a lot to break down here because the defense had some very good moments, and some very frustrating spells as well.
* Let's start with the most controversial series, the final series of overtime. Mizzou had the ball and had to drive about forty yards to get into field goal position. It's all about odds here. BC played a bit softer, because they wanted to keep everything in front of them. If the Eagles sent extra rushers, Mizzou who had no problem getting the ball out all game, could have easily moved the ball, and the risk of a potential game changing play could have happened. As frustrating as it was to some at home, BC made the right call here, if the end result is a 58 yard field goal attempt with a college kicker, you make that call every time.
* BC's pass rush had their moments, especially getting home without getting to the quarterback. The defensive front did a nice job of getting their arms to swat a handful of passes when they couldn't get to Connor Bazelak. BC ended the game with zero sacks
* Isaiah Graham-Mobley seems to be the best linebacker Boston College has had in a while. He has the instincts of Max Richardson and physicality of Isaiah McDuffie. Will need to see more to say that he definitely is, but he is definitely a playmaker, and got lucky that he wasn't ejected on that targeting call.
* Brandon Sebastian's interception was one of the best moments of the season, and for it to happen at home with a full crowd, perfect for a cornerback who had a lot of hype.
* Bazelak's ability to sit back and pick apart the defense was concerning, because at times he did it far too easily. BC's pass rush got better as the game went along, but it was inconsistent. This could be a problem moving forward for BC.
* The run defense was fine. They kept Tyler Badie to just 4.0 yards per carry, and prevented him from anything big other than a 24 yard run.
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