Five Takeaways From Jeff Hafley's Tuesday Press Conference
On Tuesday, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley talked with the media ahead of the Eagles big Saturday night matchup against the NC State Wolfpack. Here are some of the takeaways from his comments.
1. Tyler Vrabel is "day to day" after injury in Clemson game.
Tackle Tyler Vrabel is considered day to day by head coach Jeff Hafley. "Tyler will be day-to-day. He was out there today doing a little bit. I think tomorrow will kind of tell how he feels, if he can do everything. If not, Jack [Conley] is a pretty good player too." Conley, a tackle that the staff is very high on has played in a handful of games already this season.
2. Get to your seats on time..
Hafley spoke about the importance of a loud fan base, something he said was crucial in their win against Mizzou. However he had a special challenge for the fans and students. ""I guess to the students, tailgate all day if you want, but please be sitting down when we run out of that tunnel. It would mean a lot to the players, it would mean a lot to us and it would send a message to NC State."
3. Third down defense has been special
While Boston College has struggled to get sacks, they rank 112th in the country in that statistic, they have been elite in opposing third down conversions. "Mixing things up, playing man, playing zone, dropping people. Corners are being really competitive on the outside. We're changing looks up. Three down, four down. Third down is key." The Eagles are currently 7th in the country in third down conversions stopped.
4. Hafley and staff visited local high schools
While Hafley praised the work that his team did during their bye week, he also talked about the work his staff did on the recruiting trail. Specifically he said that his staff went out and saw 60 Massachusetts high school programs. "Everyone was really welcoming and excited about the direction we're going, which was really cool to see."
5. Toughness will be key
Boston College and NC State feature two of the best offensive lines in the ACC. Ikem Ekwonu, Hafley said is the best offensive lineman they have faced all year. "We have to execute at a high level. It's going to be a very, very physical game. We have to bring our toughness, because that's a very tough football team. Have to take care of the football and I think the game is going to come down to the ball and who can execute at a higher level."