Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Boston College
Wolfpack and Eagles meet Saturday night at 7:15.
Nov. 10, 2005
NC STATE (4-4, 2-4) at No. 25 BOSTON COLLEGE (6-3, 3-3)
DATE: Saturday, November 12, 2005
TIME: Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. (EST) Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA (44,500)
RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network: 6:00 p.m. (EST)
TELEVISION: espn2
OPPONENT----North Carolina's offense never reached the end zone, but the Tar Heels managed to beat Boston College at home last Saturday 16-14. Three field goals and a special-teams touchdown were enough to get the job done while Carolina's improved defense held the Eagles in check.
Connor Barth broke out of a season-long slump with field goals of 20, 22 and 44-yards while Jesse Holley set career highs with eight catches for 125 yards as the Tar Heels (4-4, 3-2) pulled off their second consecutive upset at home.
Wallace Wright electrified the Kenan Stadium crowd when he returned the opening kickoff 90-yards. After bobbling the kick and appearing to be hemmed in, Wright broke a tackle. Then he got a block to spring him down the right sideline and raced into the end zone untouched.
After the Eagles drove 63 yards on their opening drive to tie the game 7-7 on Andre Callender's 3-yard run, they gained only 274 the rest of the way.
Trailing 16-7 late in the third quarter, Quinton Porter drove BC into the red zone, but they came away with nothing. On second-down from the Carolina 19, Porter was sacked for a 12-yard loss. That was followed by a false start penalty that took the Eagles out of field goal range.
Two series later, with the offense continuing to sputter and the game in the fourth quarter, BC Coach Tom O'Brien replaced Porter with backup Matt Ryan. The sophomore made the final margin much closer with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Larry Lester in the final minute.
The ensuing onside kick was not a good one and North Carolina's Justin Phillips recovered at the Boston College 41. The Tar Heels ran out the clock handing BC its second loss in-a-row and dropping the Eagles into a fight for bowl position in the crowded ACC.
Porter was 16-of-26 passing for 144 yards before giving way to Ryan while BC's leading rusher L.V. Whitworth was held to only 58 yards. Ryan completed 10-of-14 passes for 93 yards.
Carolina's offense provided just enough for an edge in field position and an 8-minute advantage in time of possession. UNC's Matt Baker was intercepted once, but threw for 211 yards on 20-of-32 attempts. Ronnie McGill led the Heels rushing attack with 75-yards on 20 carries.
Boston College is third in the ACC in total offense (387), No. 2 in pass offense (249) and is averaging nearly 25 points a game. The Eagles also lead the ACC in first downs, and third down conversion percentage (.459). In addition to UNC, the Eagles only losses this season have come at the hands of Florida State (28-17) and Virginia Tech (30-10).
Turnovers have hurt BC this season. The Eagles are -6 in turnover margin, just below NC State's -5 total.
Ryan, who has completed 65.5 percent of his passes and is fifth in the ACC in passing efficiency, will get the nod at quarterback against NC State. It will be his third start this season after leading Boston College to wins over Clemson and Ball State when Porter was injured. Ryan (6-5, 221) also engineered BC's comeback victory over Wake Forest when he replaced Porter in the second half.
Protecting Ryan will be the biggest offensive line in the ACC. The Eagles average 6-6, 314 pounds across the front. The beast of the group is sophomore right tackle Gosder Cherilus (6-7, 320) while senior center Pat Ross (6-4, 298) will be starting his 35th consecutive game on Saturday. BC's offensive line has allowed only 10 sacks this season.
The top receiving targets for Ryan are all seniors. Will Blackmon (40 catches, 3 TD) is also a backup cornerback. He's caught 16 passes in his last 3 games and is third in the ACC in receptions per game (4.4). Converted safety Larry Lester (32 catches, 2 TD) and tight end Chris Miller (22 catches, 3 TD) are also very reliable. That trio accounts for 43 percent of BC's catches and receiving yards. Another man to watch is junior Tony Gonzalez who has 20 receptions for a team-leading 16.5 yards per catch and 3 touchdowns.
Whitworth and Calendar, both sophomores, are among the top-10 rushers in the ACC and get most of the carries. The pair has combined for 83 percent of BC rushing yards (1,036) and 5 touchdowns. However, when the Eagles have a short-yardage situation or get near the goal line, starting outside linebacker Brian Toal is the man. The 6-1, 238 pound sophomore has 6 rushing touchdowns.
NC State's newfound ground game will get a big challenge Saturday because Boston College leads the ACC in rushing defense, allowing only 95 yards a game. That's good enough for ninth-best nationally. The Eagles have held 5 of their 9 opponents to 100 rushing yards or less and they have the ACC's third best scoring defense (16 ppg.).
Leading the BC defense is All-America end Mathias Kiwanuka (6-7, 262). The 2004 Big East Defensive Player of the Year is so impressive he was voted ACC Preseason Player of the Year before he even played a snap in the league. Kiwanuka, a senior, leads the team in tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (3.5) and is touted as a future first-round NFL draft pick. Sophomore end Nick Larkin and senior tackle Alvin Washington have combined for 6 sacks while redshirt freshman backup tackle Keith Willis (6-1, 266) has broken up a team leading five passes.
With Ray Henderson (6-3, 245, Sr.) in the middle and Toal and Ricky Brown (6-2, 235, Sr.) outside, BC has a solid trio of linebackers. Henderson is the team's No. 2 tackler with 55 stops. Toal has recorded 7 tackles for loss.
Free safety Jamie Silva (5-11, 205, So.) is the Eagles top tackler. Of his 65 stops, 47 have been solo hits. Silva shot to the top of BC's defensive stats following back-to-back outstanding performances against Virginia (14 solo tackles) and Wake Forest (11 stops). DeJuan Tribble, a sophomore cornerback (5-9, 189), leads BC in interceptions (2) and is among the team's top tacklers.
The Eagles are third best in the ACC in red zone defense (NC State is No. 2) allowing opponents only 9 touchdowns in 28 trips inside the 20-yard line. However, the defense has forced only 10 turnovers all season, the lowest total in the ACC.
Blackmon is a dangerous return man. He leads all active players nationally in career kickoff return yardage (2,569). His punt return average this season (9.0) is impressive and he's seventh in the ACC in kick returns (21.1 avg.). Although he has not taken a return the distance this year he is capable. The senior is the first player in BC history to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same season (2004).
Sophomore Ryan Ohliger missed 5 of his 11 field goal attempts, including 3 inside 39-yards. That inconstant performance sent him to the bench in favor of senior William Troost. So far, Troost is 1-of-2 with a 26-yarder as his longest made field goal.
A 41.3 yard punting average has sophomore Johnny Ayers among the ACC's top-five. He's dropped 13 of his 45 attempts inside the opponents 20-yard line, but has had two punts blocked.
NOTES: The Pack's defense has held its last 3 opponents to an average of 233 yards total offense and 66 rushing yards... In its last two games, State has averaged 247 yards rushing. In the previous four games, the Pack averaged only 56.5 net rushing yards. Andre Brown is the ACC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week after rushing for 179 yards and a touchdown at FSU. The freshman was also named ACC Offensive Back of the Week....Cornerback A.J. Davis, who intercepted two passes at FSU, is this week's ACC Defensive Back of the Week...In the last 2 games, the Pack is 7-of-30 on third down (.233)... Boston College is converting 46 percent of its third down opportunities... Pack linebacker Stephen Tulloch is No. 2 in the ACC with an average of 12.2 tackles per game....Mario Williams has recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks in the last 3 games and is No. 2 in the ACC in tackles for loss... Darrell Blackmon leads the ACC in kickoff returns (31.1)... In 70 games under Chuck Amato, the Wolfpack has entered the fourth quarter with the score differing by seven points or less 34 times...Both of State's ACC victories this year have come on the road...The Pack is 2-1 versus ranked teams this season...In the second half of both his starts, Wolfpack quarterback Marcus Stone is 17-of-29 passing for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He's only 2-of-14 for 25 yards and 2 interceptions in the first half of those games...In its last 3 games, State has been flagged for a total of only 16 penalties...For the first time in 19 games, the Wolfpack did not commit a turnover in its victory at Florida State...Boston College has lost two straight games. The Eagles have not dropped three straight since the 1998 season.
INJURIES--NC State: DT John McCargo (foot)-out; CB Jeremy Gray (foot)-questionable; OG Kalani Heppe (shoulder separation)-out; OG Dwayne Herndon (stinger)-questionable; WR Geron James (shoulder surgery)-out.Boston College None reported.
