Larkin out with knee injury
Coming into this season, Boston College looked like it would have one of the best defensive front sevens in the ACC, if not the country. The Eagles? first two games have solidified that claim.
But challenges keep threatening that status. First, it was determined that linebacker Brian Toal would redshirt this year while recuperating from shoulder surgery. Then, on the eve of the season opener, defensive tackle B.J. Raji was ruled academically ineligible.
And now the Eagles are going to be without defensive end Nick Larkin, at least for Saturday night?s game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and possibly longer. Larkin suffered a left knee injury late in the first half of the Eagles? 37-17 victory over N.C. State on Saturday. Coach Jeff Jagodzinski said Larkin will undergo further testing today.In Larkin, the Eagles lose their most experienced defensive lineman, at the worst time. This week?s game against the Yellow Jackets and their outstanding running back Tashard Choice, who has run for over 100 yards in nine consecutive games, will be a severe test.
In Saturday?s win over the Wolfpack, Larkin had three tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery before leaving with the injury.
?He?s a good football player, so some guy?s going to have to step up,? Jagodzinski said.
That somebody would most likely be Austin Giles, who has been backing up Larkin and played well in his absence Saturday.
While Jagodzinski knows he?s lost a lot, he wasn?t bemoaning his plight.
?That?s all part of it, but I don?t think anybody?s really any different than we are,? Jagodzinski said.
Receivers drop the ball
If there was one thing for BC fans to be concerned about following Saturday?s win over N.C. State, it was the amount of balls the wide receivers dropped - three by Brandon Robinson, two by Kevin Challenger and one by freshman Ifeanyi Momah.cw-2cw-2
?I told (receivers coach) Ryan Day this, I said, ?You need to just emphasize the fundamentals of looking the football in and tucking it away.? I told Ryan, ?What you emphasize is what you?re going to get,? ? Jagodzinski said. ?We?re going to concentrate a lot this week on catching the football and doing it the right way. . . . When our offense doesn?t have an explosive play in the pass game this past week, that?s not a good thing.?
Going concern
While he liked his team?s ability to run the ball against the Wolfpack (39 carries, 231 yards), Jagodzinski has yet to reach the magic combination of 150 yards rushing and 250 passing. He said he?s not certain that the offensive line is where it needs to be.
?I?m always going to challenge that group up front. It?s half your offense,? Jagodzinski said. ?I was pleased with the way we ran the ball (Saturday), but we?re just going to keep getting better and better at it.? . . .
After his team excelled in Saturday?s brutal heat - it was 126 degrees on the turf at kickoff - Jagodzinski made a point of crediting strength and conditioning coach Jason Loscalzo. . . .
Coming into this season, Boston College looked like it would have one of the best defensive front sevens in the ACC, if not the country. The Eagles? first two games have solidified that claim.
But challenges keep threatening that status. First, it was determined that linebacker Brian Toal would redshirt this year while recuperating from shoulder surgery. Then, on the eve of the season opener, defensive tackle B.J. Raji was ruled academically ineligible.
And now the Eagles are going to be without defensive end Nick Larkin, at least for Saturday night?s game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and possibly longer. Larkin suffered a left knee injury late in the first half of the Eagles? 37-17 victory over N.C. State on Saturday. Coach Jeff Jagodzinski said Larkin will undergo further testing today.In Larkin, the Eagles lose their most experienced defensive lineman, at the worst time. This week?s game against the Yellow Jackets and their outstanding running back Tashard Choice, who has run for over 100 yards in nine consecutive games, will be a severe test.
In Saturday?s win over the Wolfpack, Larkin had three tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery before leaving with the injury.
?He?s a good football player, so some guy?s going to have to step up,? Jagodzinski said.
That somebody would most likely be Austin Giles, who has been backing up Larkin and played well in his absence Saturday.
While Jagodzinski knows he?s lost a lot, he wasn?t bemoaning his plight.
?That?s all part of it, but I don?t think anybody?s really any different than we are,? Jagodzinski said.
Receivers drop the ball
If there was one thing for BC fans to be concerned about following Saturday?s win over N.C. State, it was the amount of balls the wide receivers dropped - three by Brandon Robinson, two by Kevin Challenger and one by freshman Ifeanyi Momah.cw-2cw-2
?I told (receivers coach) Ryan Day this, I said, ?You need to just emphasize the fundamentals of looking the football in and tucking it away.? I told Ryan, ?What you emphasize is what you?re going to get,? ? Jagodzinski said. ?We?re going to concentrate a lot this week on catching the football and doing it the right way. . . . When our offense doesn?t have an explosive play in the pass game this past week, that?s not a good thing.?
Going concern
While he liked his team?s ability to run the ball against the Wolfpack (39 carries, 231 yards), Jagodzinski has yet to reach the magic combination of 150 yards rushing and 250 passing. He said he?s not certain that the offensive line is where it needs to be.
?I?m always going to challenge that group up front. It?s half your offense,? Jagodzinski said. ?I was pleased with the way we ran the ball (Saturday), but we?re just going to keep getting better and better at it.? . . .
After his team excelled in Saturday?s brutal heat - it was 126 degrees on the turf at kickoff - Jagodzinski made a point of crediting strength and conditioning coach Jason Loscalzo. . . .
