Steve Addazio needs wins to keep his job, but they may be hard to come by.
(AP Photo/ Richard Shiro)
Boston College Eagles
2016 Record: 7-6 (2-6, ACC Atlantic)
OFFENSE
2016 Review/Scheme: BC fans should thank any deity they believe in for Wake Forest because without the Demon Deacons, BC would have, by far, the worst, ugliest offense in the ACC. Outside of rolling up stats against Wagner, the Eagles struggled to consistently move the ball in nearly every game. BC was held under 100 yards rushing (despite attempting at least 37 carries in all but one game) in four games and was held under 100 yards passing in five games. All told, BC averaged just 20.8 points per game, 292.8 total yards per game, and a woeful 4.4 yards per play. Surely, OC Scott Loeffler is on the hot seat after just one year at the helm. And speaking of Loeffler, his hire was a rather puzzling move by head man Steve Addazio. Loeffler was seriously maligned under Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, but the OC also had extremely mixed results in stints as a coordinator at Temple and Auburn.
Part of the problem is that Loeffler seemingly does not have an identity as a playcaller, and that brings us to scheme. While Addazio dabbled in a power spread style, Loeffler has utilized pro-style and spread sets, but has never really stuck with anything. Now, granted, sometimes the delineation between pro and spread styles is gray, at best, but for Loeffler, one game his time might line up in I-formation, then the next they’d be using jet sweeps and read option looks. It appears, though, that Loeffler and Addazio are going to try to craft an identity around a no-huddle, up-tempo, spread offense, which they used in the bowl win over Maryland. Addazio still wants to wear teams down with a power running style, but now BC appears willing to utilize tempo in their arsenal.
Quarterbacks: Okay, an offensive identity is great, but who’s going to lead this unit? The QB position has been a revolving door for the past few years, with five different players having attempted at least 49 passes in the past two seasons. Some of that has been due to injuries, but much of it has been due to ineffectiveness. There are two guys battling for the right to start and Addazio has yet to name a starter, largely deflecting questions on the topic so far and not ruling out a two QB system.
Most fans assumed, or hoped, that redshirt freshman Anthony Brown would take the job and run with it. Brown was a mid-level 3* recruit who has some athleticism and arm talent, but I think much of the reason BC fans were rooting for him is simply because he is someone new. Much to the chagrin of BC fans, though, junior Darius Wade has not allowed Brown to take the job yet. Wade (100 yds, 47%, INT) opened the 2015 season as the starter and showed some promise, but he was lost early in the year to injury and lost the starting job to Kentucky grad transfer Patrick Towles last year. Wade showed potential in 2015, flashing athleticism and a strong arm, but he is still somewhat raw as a passer. Ditto for Brown. Based on practice notes, Wade appears to be more comfortable in the offense while Brown appears to have the better accuracy. Sadly for BC fans, it really wouldn’t shock me to see both guys play and perhaps even rotate throughout the year.
Running Backs: Boston College is known for their power running and Addazio is a former offensive line coach who prides himself on toughness. All that being said, BC’s run game was mediocre at best last year, averaging just 149 yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry. Everyone is hopeful that the return to full health of junior Jon Hilliman will make a vital difference in the fortunes of the rushing attack. Hilliman (542 yds, 2.9 avg, 6 TDs) appeared in 12 games last year and led the team in carries and yards, but Hilliman has been battling injuries, both minor and major, the past two years. He is fully healthy now and gives the Eagles a big, experienced, tough back to build around.
Hilliman will be pushed, though, by a trio of backups who will probably all see carries. Sophomore Davon Jones (361 yds, 4 avg, 2 TDs, 10 recs) was the top backup last year and offers more wiggle and receiving ability than Hilliman. The coaching staff loves true freshman A.J. Dillon, a high 3* recruit with great size at 240 pounds. He’s the ideal Addazio workhorse. Fellow true freshman Travis Levy was less heralded than Dillon, but he’s turned heads in practice with his quickness and big-play ability.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: BC has struggled to throw the ball the past several years and while the revolving door at QB has not helped, this position segment has not acquitted itself well either. Every WR and TE who saw game action last year returns so the hope is that another year of experience will help this unit make strides in improving the passing attack.
Junior Jeff Smith was already BC’s most dangerous offensive weapon and that was with him just learning the WR position. After all, Smith (27 recs, 395 yds, 3 TDs, 199 yds rushing, TD) had just moved to the position from QB last spring. Smith is still learning the nuances of the position, but he gives the Eagles a big-play threat they’ve largely lacked. Junior Michael Walker (33 recs, 420 yds, 4 TDs) led the team in all major receiving categories and has a nice combo of size and speed. Senior Charlie Callinan (24 recs, 286 yds, TD) is a jumbo sized wideout at 6-4, 240, who will play a variety of roles. He is a solid possession receiver.
Senior Thadd Smith and sophomores Chris Garrison and Ben Glines all saw playing time last year, but the guy receiving the most buzz among the backups is redshirt freshman Kobay White. White has been tearing it up at practices and has drawn high praise from Addazio. Fellow redshirt frosh Christian McStravick has a chance to shoot up the depth chart as well.
Junior tight end Tommy Sweeney is among the better at his position in the ACC and should serve as a security blanket for whoever wins the QB job. Sweeney (26 recs, 353 yds, 3 TDs) had the best success rate of any receiver last year and is also a very good blocker. Sophomores Korab Idrizi, Ray Marten, and Jake Burt are all battling for the backup job. Idrizi is probably the best receiver of the bunch while Marten is probably the best all-around option of the trio.
Offensive Line: Considering BC’s reputation and Addazio’s background as an offensive line coach, the struggles of this unit are perplexing. The Eagles were relying on some young guys last year, but that still didn’t help explain just how poor this group was. In addition to the poor rushing attack, BC also allowed 28 sacks on the year. The Eagles return six guys who have started a game so experience will not be an issue. That being said, Addazio, as recently as a week ago that they still weren’t sure who their best five was so this unit could be a problem yet again.
There appear to be at least three sure-fire starters. Senior center Jon Baker is probably the best lineman BC has. He has started 26 games in his career and will serve as an anchor and leader. Junior LT Aaron Monteiro appears to have that job locked down. He has 16 career starts and has the length to be a solid pass blocker. Junior Chris Lindstrom has 22 career starts at RT, but he has bounced between that position and RG this summer. He is going to start, but we just aren’t sure where yet.
The other two starters are likely to be senior Marcell Lazard, a grad transfer from West Virginia and probably sophomore Elijah Johnson. Lazard has been splitting first team reps at RT with Lindstrom and if Lindstrom does slide to guard, Lazard is the obvious pick at RT. Lazard started 12 times at WVU and at least brings experience to the table. Johnson started 10 games at LG last year, but he is facing a battle from classmate John Phillips. Junior Sam Schmal has one start to his credit and could get in the mix at one of the tackle spots.
DEFENSE
2016 Review/Scheme: It looked like a potentially crippling loss when DC Don Brown left for Michigan after the 2015 season. Brown had just led a historically good defense and his loss, combined with some player attrition, made it seem as if BC’s defense would take a big step back. While new DC Jim Reid’s first unit did regress, and it almost had to, they still remained one of the 25 best defenses in the country. They allowed 25 points per game, 314 yards per game, and 5.1 yards per play. They also sacked the QB 47 times and created 24 turnovers. And, yet, when they had glitches, they gave up big plays. For the most part, they were efficient, but they could be had at times.
The smartest thing Reid, who was Mike London’s DC at Virginia, did was to maintain the identity that Brown set down. Namely, BC remained an attacking, 4-3 defense that constantly put pressure on opponents. Expect that to remain the same. This is not the bend but don’t break units we saw under Frank Spaziani, that could also be brutally effective. Instead, Reid attacks and tries to smother opposing offenses.
Defensive Line: Last year’s defensive line was quietly among the best in the country, equally adept at shutting down running games or rushing the passer. Two of the top contributors from last year are gone, but this still appears to be a very strong line.
It all begins with senior Harold Landry, a somewhat lightly recruited guy who has been wreaking havoc since he became a starter in 2015. Landry (51 tackles, 22 for loss, 16.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles) was insanely productive last year, leading the country in sacks and forced fumbles. He isn’t the biggest or longest guy (6-3, 250) but he has a lightning-quick first step and is stronger than you might think. He returned to school to try to become a 1st round draft pick and he may well achieve that goal. Kevin Kavalec, who started last year, is gone so the onus is on junior Zach Allen to go from top backup to starter. Allen (36 tackles, 10 for loss, 6 sacks) flashed plenty as a reserve and should be a solid starter. Junior Wyatt Ray (27 tackles, 7 for loss, 4.5 sacks) is a very good pass rusher who will become this year’s super sub. This trio better stay healthy because no other end on the roster has played in a game.
The situation at defensive tackle is not quite as good, even though three guys who played last year return. Junior Ray Smith (24 tackles, 3 for loss) is a strong nose tackle who will plug up running lanes. Senior Noa Merritt (9 tackles, 3.5 for loss) and junior Kevin Cohee both saw time off the bench last season, but they are both slightly undersized. Senior Jack Kenny is a former walk-on, but might be relied upon. The coaches are hoping redshirt frosh Adam Korutz takes a step forward as he has the best size of any of the tackles on the roster. The coaches have been using Ray at defensive tackle at times to help bolster the depth here.
Linebackers: BC annually has productive linebackers and while this unit seems a little underwhelming in terms of sheer talent, but the Eagles should be able to field another productive starting trio. Depth is the question here.
BC’s starting trio is pretty set in stone with senior MLB Connor Strachan, senior WLB Ty Schwab, and junior SLB Sharrieff Grice. Strachan and Schwab are both multi-year starters while Grice was a top backup last year so experience will not be an issue. Strachan (80 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks) cleans up messes and is solid. Schwab (61 tackles, 5.5 for loss) rarely makes mistakes and is also solid. Grice (15 tackles, 1.5 for loss) is probably the best athlete of the bunch and has potential as a playmaker.
Again, the concern here is depth. Junior SLB Kevin Bletzer, sophomore MLB Max Richardson, and sophomore WLB Jimmy Martin all saw some playing time, mainly on special teams, last year, but Bletzer and Martin are undersized and none were high-level recruits. Redshirt freshman Ethan Tucky was a high 3* recruit and can play MLB or SLB and I would not be surprised to see him rise up the depth chart.
Secondary: This unit was a mixed bag last year. Opponents only completed 56% of their passes and only averaged 205 yards per game, but the secondary was also torched for several big plays and surrendered 28 touchdown passes on the year. The coaching staff is hoping experience irons out any wrinkles as eight of the nine players who saw action in the secondary last year return.
BC seems set at cornerback, where five upperclassmen who have seen playing time return. Senior Isaac Yiadom is probably the best of the bunch. Yiadom (26 tackles, 2 for loss, 10 pass breakups) is long, lean, and active. If he could grab some interceptions, he’d push for postseason honors. Seniors Kamrin Moore and Gabriel McClary are the leaders for the other starting spot. Moore (43 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 2 INTs, 5 PBU) is quick and athletic. McClary (21 tackles) is big and strong at 6-3, 200, and can be utilized in a variety of ways. Juniors Taj-Amir Torres (13 tackles) and Lukas Dennis (7 tackles, 4 PBU) saw some action last year and are capable if needed, but they seem destined to be backups for at least one more year.
The only missing piece from last year is FS John Johnson, who finished second on the team in tackles and pass breakups. He will be missed, but BC at least returns two experienced options at SS in junior Will Harris and sophomore Mehdi El Attach. Harris (47 tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PBU) is big and strong and simply needs to up his productivity. El Attach played in all 13 games last year, mainly on special teams, and has drawn consistent praise from the coaches. The new FS appears to be senior Atem Ntantang, who has bounced between safety and CB during his career. Ntantang (13 games, 4 tackles last year) has been in the program for a long time and has seen the field some, but he appears to be a big drop-off from Johnson. Don’t be shocked if any of true freshmen Brandon Sebastian, Ben Stewart, and Jahmin Muse, who were all high 3* recruits, push for playing time here.
Special Teams: Senior Mike Knoll handled both the punting and kicking last year and did not distinguish himself at either. Knoll averaged just 38 yards per punt and while he did hit on 12 of 14 field goals, his range was limited to inside 40 yards and he missed three PATs. Junior Colten Lichtenberg was given every chance to take the placekicking job, but he missed his only two field goal attempts. Both battled it out in spring ball without a winner and the situation has become even muddier when senior Maximilan Schulze-Geisthovel, a former BC soccer player, decided to join the team in the summer. MSG has already apparently won the kickoff job and is pushing for the placekicking job, although Knoll and Lichtenberg appear to still be ahead of him there. Knoll also seems destined to hang on to the punting gig. Taj-Amir Torres appears to be the leader to be the main return guy after both of last year’s return men graduated.
Schedule: BC typically plays several cupcake nonconference games, but this year’s slate (at Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Central Michigan, at UConn) has a few potential landmines. Opening on the road at a dangerous MAC school seems dicey. The ACC slate is mixed. Road games at Clemson and Louisville seem like sure losses, but road dates with Virginia and Syracuse are winnable. Bowl eligibility may hinge on conference home games with Wake, VA Tech, and NC State.
Overall: Can the offense improve? I think the BC defense could take a step back because their talent level at defensive tackle has taken a hit, but they seem pretty set everywhere else, although the situation at safety could be dicey. Still, the defense will do their part most games. Can the offense simply score enough to win games? Last year the offense was held to 20 points or less on seven occasions and the reality in modern college football is no matter how good your defense is, they are going to give up points sometimes. Addazio and Loeffler have to crank this offense up for BC to keep winning. And as SB Nation’s Bill Connelly astutely points out, even though Addazio has gone to bowls more often than not at BC, attendance has gone down every year because the optics of this team is so bad. They just are not entertaining to watch, unless smash mouth defense is your thing. Addazio, I think, is trying to address this by playing around with tempo and no huddle looks, but there has also been talk in practice that BC is using tempo, but still lining up in the power I. Will fans want to see that? Okay, perhaps that is way too big picture, but overall I don’t get the sense that this offense is going to take a big leap forward. And the no-huddle thing can backfire if your offense goes three and out quickly and puts the defense back on the field over and over again. One thing BC does not have, except at probably CB, is proven depth on defense and if opposing teams get to run 70 or 80 plays, that unit won’t hold up. Addazio seems like a good guy and I am sort of rooting for him, but I look at this depth chart and this schedule and think this may be a 4 or 5 win team at best.