PREVIEW No. 21 SMU welcomes Boston College in Home ACC Opener

DALLAS, Texas – In less than 24 hours, the No. 21 SMU Mustangs will host the Boston College Eagles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park in the Mustangs' first home ACC game of the season. SMU is 3-1 all-time against Boston College, the Mustangs won last year's meeting, 45-13 on the road against the Eagles.

SMU Head Football Coach Rhett Lashlee and his team battled through some adversity against Missouri State in a win last week atop the Hilltop, while Boston College Head Coach Bill O’Brien and his team fell to Virginia Tech at home. Nonetheless, as conference play returns for SMU, here is everything about tomorrow's opponent.

The Eagles ripped off two straight wins at home to start the year. Boston College started the year with a 34-14 loss on the road to Cincinnati, then beat Rutgers 28-21 in Week 2 and defeated Maine 22-16 in Week 3. On a rainy afternoon against Virginia Tech last week, Boston College took the lead with back-to-back scoring drives early in the fourth quarter, but the Hokies regained it and held on to win the game. In the middle of his third season as both head coach and offensive coordinator, O’Brien has altered his offense this season.

The Eagles starter at quarterback is junior Mason McKenzie, who through four games has thrown for over 700 passing yards with a 56% completion percentage. McKenzie transferred in from Saginaw Valley State University; through his first few starts, he has thrown three touchdowns to five interceptions. The 6'1" junior is also a dual threat with his legs. He has 74 carries, the most of any player on the roster, for 363 yards with four rushing scores so far this season.

McKenzie can throw well out of the pocket, but when protection breaks down, defenses have to account for his legs as he evades defenders and pushes upfield. Co-defensive coordinators Maurice Crum Jr. and Rickey Hunley Jr. and the defense will have to be conscious of Mckenzie’s running ability, especially on crucial downs. Not too long ago, the Mustangs struggled to bring down Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. SMU will have to rush the passer without a key piece on the defensive line.

Junior defensive end Ira Singleton is officially out for the season after leaving the game vs. Missouri State with an injury. Lashlee confirmed during this week's media availability that Singleton is done for the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury. With a key edge rusher out, SMU will have to adjust, making the threat of Mckenzie’s legs all the greater heading into kickoff.

Boston College also bolsters its rushing attack with junior running back Evan Dickens, who has 214 yards and three scores this season at 4.8 yards per carry. Sophomore running back Bo MacCormack has also spelled in a handful of carries in the last couple of games for the Eagles.

In the receiving game, the Eagles like to get a lot of pass catchers involved. So far this season, six different pass catchers have more than five catches on the year, as seven different receivers have multiple catches across the first four games of the season. Leading the pack is sophomore wide receiver Javarius Green, who transferred in from North Carolina, has 13 catches for 130 yards this season. Under him is sophomore wide receiver Dawson Pough, who leads the team in yards with 146 through the first four games, and sophomore wideout Johnathan Montague Jr., who has 127 yards, leading the team with two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Eagles have racked up sacks through the first handful of games, led by junior defensive end E’Lla Boykin, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks. Overall, the unit ranks fourth in the ACC with 10 sacks. Boston College has allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game in the conference. However, the Eagles have allowed the third most yards on the ground in the conference with the fourth-best completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks this season.

For the Mustangs coming into this game, the injury report is the longest it has been all year. Senior left tackle PJ Williams is questionable after missing last week, and junior wide receiver Yannick Smith is also questionable after he missed last week. Both are trending in the right direction to play this week, according to Lashlee.

While senior wide receiver Yamir Knight and starting right guard senior Addison Nichols pop up on the injury report, both are also questionable. Among the long list of injury designations, senior kicker Nick Reed is also among the many players questionable after he tweaked a hip injury against Missouri State and did not kick after a missed field goal attempt in the second quarter. Backups senior kicker Brendan Baird and freshman kicker Wiley Olson have spent the week taking reps during practice. Baird kicked for the remainder of the game against Missouri State and was 3/3 on extra points but missed a 42-yard attempt in the third quarter.

Ultimately, among the injuries, the biggest key for the Mustangs comes at getting to the quarterback and stopping the run. Lashlee has harped on the importance of stopping the run many times this season. SMU did so well against Missouri State, but in the last two conference games, they have struggled to stop opposing offenses' run game on the ground. With that against Louisville, the last time SMU faced a true dual-threat quarterback, the Mustangs did not record a sack or takeaway. Offensively, the Mustangs are second in the country in total offense, only behind Miami. SMU has been electric at home on offense. It's sizing up to play a big factor in SMU’s home ACC opener.

The Mustangs will look to stack back to back wins at home against Boston College, with kickoff set for 11 AM CT at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, or on the CW.

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