Photo by: Mike Slade
Defense Looking To Build Off Week One Performance
September 04, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
A win in their pocket provides successes and opportunities for improvement
With a 23-20 victory over Northern Illinois in Week One, Boston College provided a first look at its defensive performance. A unit built on a tradition of excellence, they were back to work on Monday, immediately readying for the challenges ahead. That meant looking for both the positives and areas needing improvement coming out of the first game of the season.
"(NIU) was 2-for-15 on third down," head coach Steve Addazio said. "That tells you something. It also tells you about the hidden deal in that game; it's not going to show in the stat line. The hidden deal was the amount of times (Graham) was hurried and hit, which led to 2-for-15."
The Eagles held Northern Illinois quarterback Ryan Graham to under both 50% passing and 200 yards, forcing him to go 15-for-38 for 190 yards. They had an interception and forced NIU to an abysmal 2-for-15 on third down conversions, helping BC win the time of possession battle in a close-fought game. The Huskies had 16 drives, only two of which went for 10 plays or more. Only one drive lasted for longer than five minutes, with BC forcing five three-and-outs. In the fourth quarter, BC registered a fourth down stop and an interception before forcing NIU to punt on its first three drives of the quarter.
"There were several times (NIU) was max protecting, getting two man routes," Addazio said. "The ball was quick game, ball out immediately, making it really hard for us to get the stats on the sacks. But the hits and the hurries took a toll, and at the end of the day, they're 2-for-15 on third down."
It's a foundation for the first game, setting the floor for a season-long body of work. This year's unit differs from previous incarnations with personnel strengths dictating how the coaching staff schemes into its base mentality. Even with a victory in the first game, there are areas for work entering Week Two. One broken play or busted coverage causes a big play, which can skew a team's day-long performance. For example, Graham used an opening to run for 60 yards on one play to set up a touchdown, skewing NIU's output up to 169 yards on the ground. Without that run, the Eagles held the Huskies to 109 yards on 34 carries. In that scenario, NIU's rushing average drops from 4.7 yards per carry to 3.2.
Those are the types plays, along with defensive penalties, that provide explosives or extensions to offensive drives. With a razor thin margin of error in every game, the objective then becomes improving and limiting those situations, hoping to create difference-making knowledge later in the season.
It's a test that will come almost immediately on Saturday against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons throttled Presbyterian in their opener, 51-7, behind a monster but balanced attack. They recorded 254 yards on the ground and 239 yards in the air and used a big lead against an FCS opponent to get experience for a number of different players. At running back, for example, Cade Carney, Matt Colburn II, Arkeem Byrd and Isaiah Robinson all played snaps.
Byrd and Robinson led the rushers with a combined 124 yards on 19 carries, but Colburn and Carney are the returning leaders in the backfield. They combined for over 1,200 yards last year, with Carney scoring six touchdowns.
At the receiver position, Tabari Hines and Greg Dortch combined for nine catches and 94 yards. Dortch and Cam Serigne each had two touchdowns. Serigne, an all-everything tight end, is one of the ACC's most prolific players at his position, already with a program record for career touchdowns.
Everything will center, however, on quarterback John Wolford. Now a senior, he went 11-for-15 for 107 yards and three touchdowns against the Blue Hose. Playing limited snaps in a blowout, he remains a dual threat at the position. Last season, he rushed for 521 yards and six touchdowns, adding 47 yards on six carries last week.
"I thought Northern did a heck of a job," Addazio said. Schematically, that quarterback was a tough, competitive guy. He could hurt you with his feet. He stood in (the pocket), got the ball out. He took a lot of hits. I thought (NIU) did a great job. I thought he did a great job.
"I think Wolford is that kind of guy," he elaborated. "He's tough and gamey, (and he can) take a shot, deliver the ball. (He) can hurt you with his feet. That's where the similarity is. Schematically there's some (similarity to NIU), but it's a little different football team. But they have a similar kind of quarterback. (Graham) was bigger, but I love Wolford now. I think that kid's as good a competitive kid as there is out there, and I really think he's a heck of a football player."
Facing a similar threat at QB, the Eagles can look back at the NIU game for tendencies and areas for improvement in their week of preparation. "We let up a couple of big plays, and a couple of big plays really, really hurt us," Addazio said. "It was a couple of big plays, and it was a couple of humongous penalties that kept, for example, the one big drive, the 16-play drive (for NIU) alive. So I think we're working well together as a defensive unit right now, complementing each other, and I think the goal is to just alleviate a couple of big plays, which we'll do (in the future)."
"(NIU) was 2-for-15 on third down," head coach Steve Addazio said. "That tells you something. It also tells you about the hidden deal in that game; it's not going to show in the stat line. The hidden deal was the amount of times (Graham) was hurried and hit, which led to 2-for-15."
The Eagles held Northern Illinois quarterback Ryan Graham to under both 50% passing and 200 yards, forcing him to go 15-for-38 for 190 yards. They had an interception and forced NIU to an abysmal 2-for-15 on third down conversions, helping BC win the time of possession battle in a close-fought game. The Huskies had 16 drives, only two of which went for 10 plays or more. Only one drive lasted for longer than five minutes, with BC forcing five three-and-outs. In the fourth quarter, BC registered a fourth down stop and an interception before forcing NIU to punt on its first three drives of the quarter.
"There were several times (NIU) was max protecting, getting two man routes," Addazio said. "The ball was quick game, ball out immediately, making it really hard for us to get the stats on the sacks. But the hits and the hurries took a toll, and at the end of the day, they're 2-for-15 on third down."
It's a foundation for the first game, setting the floor for a season-long body of work. This year's unit differs from previous incarnations with personnel strengths dictating how the coaching staff schemes into its base mentality. Even with a victory in the first game, there are areas for work entering Week Two. One broken play or busted coverage causes a big play, which can skew a team's day-long performance. For example, Graham used an opening to run for 60 yards on one play to set up a touchdown, skewing NIU's output up to 169 yards on the ground. Without that run, the Eagles held the Huskies to 109 yards on 34 carries. In that scenario, NIU's rushing average drops from 4.7 yards per carry to 3.2.
Those are the types plays, along with defensive penalties, that provide explosives or extensions to offensive drives. With a razor thin margin of error in every game, the objective then becomes improving and limiting those situations, hoping to create difference-making knowledge later in the season.
It's a test that will come almost immediately on Saturday against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons throttled Presbyterian in their opener, 51-7, behind a monster but balanced attack. They recorded 254 yards on the ground and 239 yards in the air and used a big lead against an FCS opponent to get experience for a number of different players. At running back, for example, Cade Carney, Matt Colburn II, Arkeem Byrd and Isaiah Robinson all played snaps.
Byrd and Robinson led the rushers with a combined 124 yards on 19 carries, but Colburn and Carney are the returning leaders in the backfield. They combined for over 1,200 yards last year, with Carney scoring six touchdowns.
At the receiver position, Tabari Hines and Greg Dortch combined for nine catches and 94 yards. Dortch and Cam Serigne each had two touchdowns. Serigne, an all-everything tight end, is one of the ACC's most prolific players at his position, already with a program record for career touchdowns.
Everything will center, however, on quarterback John Wolford. Now a senior, he went 11-for-15 for 107 yards and three touchdowns against the Blue Hose. Playing limited snaps in a blowout, he remains a dual threat at the position. Last season, he rushed for 521 yards and six touchdowns, adding 47 yards on six carries last week.
"I thought Northern did a heck of a job," Addazio said. Schematically, that quarterback was a tough, competitive guy. He could hurt you with his feet. He stood in (the pocket), got the ball out. He took a lot of hits. I thought (NIU) did a great job. I thought he did a great job.
"I think Wolford is that kind of guy," he elaborated. "He's tough and gamey, (and he can) take a shot, deliver the ball. (He) can hurt you with his feet. That's where the similarity is. Schematically there's some (similarity to NIU), but it's a little different football team. But they have a similar kind of quarterback. (Graham) was bigger, but I love Wolford now. I think that kid's as good a competitive kid as there is out there, and I really think he's a heck of a football player."
Facing a similar threat at QB, the Eagles can look back at the NIU game for tendencies and areas for improvement in their week of preparation. "We let up a couple of big plays, and a couple of big plays really, really hurt us," Addazio said. "It was a couple of big plays, and it was a couple of humongous penalties that kept, for example, the one big drive, the 16-play drive (for NIU) alive. So I think we're working well together as a defensive unit right now, complementing each other, and I think the goal is to just alleviate a couple of big plays, which we'll do (in the future)."
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