Way-too-early look: Boston College

With the football season less than 60 days from opening, we take an early look at each of the Tigers' 12 opponents for the 2019 season. Next up, Clemson's Week 8 opponent, the Boston College Eagles.

With the football season less than 60 days from opening, we take an early look at each of the Tigers' 12 opponents for the 2019 season. Next up, Clemson's Week 8 opponent, the Boston College Eagles.

Head coach: Steve Addazio took over an Eagles program that had suffered back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 14 years (including a 2-10 mark in 2012) and engineered a remarkable turnaround. In what were supposed to be rebuilding years, Addazio led the Eagles to back-to-back seven-win seasons and two consecutive bowl games.

Addazio is the first coach in Boston College history to lead the Eagles to five bowls in the first six seasons as head coach.

The 2018 regular season featured a return to the national rankings for the first time since 2008 and the Eagles appeared in the College Football Playoff Top 25 for the first time in school history. Boston College appeared in the AP Top 25 poll four times in the 2018 season, the most appearances in the national rankings for BC since 2007.

Eagles on offense: First-year offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was named the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on Jan. 14. 2019.

Bajakian came to the Eagles after serving the past four seasons as quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers led the NFL with 320.3 passing yards per game in 2018 and finished with the league’s No. 3 total offense (415.5 yards per game). Tampa’s quarterbacks ended the season with 5,125 passing yards, 36 touchdown passes and a 65.3% completion percentage. The Buccaneers finished with 71 passing plays of 20+ yards and 14 passing plays of 40 yards or more.

Known around the country as a one of the best quarterback coaches in the nation, Bajakian worked exclusively with former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston at Tampa Bay

The 2017 season saw third-year Buccaneers quarterback Winston post career bests in completion percentage (63.8 pct.), yards per attempt (7.9) and passer rating (92.2), while posting a career-low interception rate (2.5 pct.). Winston’s 7.93 yards per attempt set a single-season franchise record and his six 300-yard passing games were the most in a single season in team history. He also ranked in the top five in franchise history in single-season passer rating. 

Winston averaged 269.5 passing yards per game, which was the sixth-highest mark in the NFL. He also ranked fourth in both yards per attempt and yards per completion (12.43). Winston finished his third season with the third-most passing yards by a player from their rookie season through their third season, trailing only Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning, while registering the seventh-most passing touchdowns.

Eagles on defense: Bill Sheridan is entering his second full season with the Eagles—however 2019 will mark Sheridan's first as defensive coordinator for the Eagles.

BC rounded out 2018 with a school-record 13 All-ACC selections, but only two are returning for next season and neither are on the defensive side of the ball. There are five players on the Eagles’ defense that have started at least one collegiate game.

Not only will Sheridan be working with a host of first-time starters, he will also try to find a way to improve on the Eagles' biggest flaw—BC’s opponents converted on 37.4 percent of their third downs (49th in the nation).

The early line: No line has been released for the Eagles and the Tigers.