FSU vs. BC Q&A: Behind Enemy Lines

FSU vs. BC Q&A: Behind Enemy Lines features questions posed by ChopChat editor David Visser and responses provided by Joe Micik, the editor over at Soaring to Glory, our Boston College sister site.

1. Boston College has a stout rush defense, as it’s ranked the fourth-best in the country. What confidence do you have in its ability to shut down FSU after Louisville (currently the nation’s No. 2 rush defense) allowed a 5.77 YPC average, 173 yards, and three rushing TDs to the ‘Noles, in Louisville?

I think the Eagles have an alright chance of it, but as you will see shortly in my other responses, I am more concerned about how the pass defense will hold up.

Our defensive line has been better than expected this season, which is part of the reason why the run defense has been good. Teams with lesser offensive lines, or just not good offenses in general, have struggled against it. With that said, Florida State’s offensive line is going to be a difficult matchup for this Eagles team and I think they are going to be able to create some lanes.

Nothing would truly surprise me, but if you’re also asking whether the run defense or pass defense will do a better job for the Eagles, run defense, no question.

2. Tyler Murphy has had a very nice season in leading the BC offense. He averages over 100.60 rushing yards per game, the highest of any QB at a P5 school. What do the Eagles need from him on the ground — and through the air — to topple the Seminoles?

Murphy has to have a nearly flawless game. It’s not just that he is going to have to run for at least 100 yards, which would probably include breaking off a few big ones, but he will have to be far more accurate with his arm than his feet.

It seems like every week, Murphy makes at least one incomprehensible pass that a quarterback at his level should not make. This would almost always include trying to do too much and throwing a pass somewhere it shouldn’t go, resulting in an interception. Sometimes, quarterbacks throw INTs and they are not his fault, but it seems like most of Murphy’s are due to dumb plays that could have been avoided. Simply put, he cannot make that stupid play in this game if Boston College expects to win.

Boston College is also going to rely on him to pick up some third downs with his legs. He can do it, and they’re gonna need it. The Eagles have been bad on third downs this season, but they’ll only have a real chance if they grind out drives on the ground and keep the FSU offense off the field. Murphy will be a huge part of that effort and will ultimately be the deciding factor in whether or not the Eagles make this a ballgame.

3. Turnovers usually play a big part in upsets, but BC has been dismal at taking the ball away this season, forcing just 9 turnovers through its first 10 games. On the one hand, BC has just six picks– on the other, Jameis Winston has thrown 12, the second-most in the ACC: something’s got to give. Can Boston College get the ball away from Florida State, and, if so, how?

Boston College does not have the shutdown corners or the big aggressive playmakers that go punch out the football. The Eagles are more the kind of team that will pull out all the stops to hit Jameis Winston, and if that pressure happens to cause an interception, great.

I do not personally anticipate many turnovers. Not only do the Eagles not gain turnovers, they tend to avoid making them as well. Boston College is tied for first in the ACC for fewest giveaways with only 12. In that respect, it will probably be a pretty clean game. Then again, why would anything surprise me with this Boston College team? This is a team that completely shut down USC on at the line of scrimmage and made Colorado State look like the ’99 St. Louis Rams in the second half two weeks later.

4. Most of those Winston interceptions have come in the first half. In the second half, he’s been phenomenal. If the Eagles capture an early lead, can they sustain it against what has been a predictable second-half FSU onslaught?

This is what scares me the most about this game. Boston College in my estimation is not a good second half team and, to be completely honest, they stink at closing out games. Florida State’s time to shine coincides with the time that the Eagles start to crumble. If the Eagles fail to make adjustments the second half score could be lopsided.

The Eagles are also no good at closing out halves, or kicking extra points for that matter. If Boston College gets an early lead, they are going to have to work very hard to sustain it. The fact that we do not have a viable kicking game is going to hurt and I don’t know if Boston College has enough to be able to hold up against FSU if it comes down to a hard charge by the Seminoles late.

There have been times this year when the Eagles did not make adjustments at the half and it was obvious. If FSU figures out the BC blitz, good night, because the Eagles will keep doing it even though it isn’t working anymore, thereby exposing their secondary even more than it would be ordinarily.

5. Finally, how do you see things playing out on Saturday, and what’s your final score prediction?

More from Chop Chat

On our site I picked Florida State to win a 38-27 game. The more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that the Eagles will probably not get run out of the building, but winning is going to be a tough ask. The Seminoles are just too good and it’s going to take an essentially perfect effort.

I do not think the defense is going to be all that successful in stopping FSU, especially in the second half. Boston College’s only chance of winning this game is if they can keep up with the FSU offense. The Seminoles are basically guaranteed to score 30, and there’s a good shot they get to 40. BC will have some ball control and that’s part of why it might not be a runaway but I still don’t know that the Eagles can match the Seminoles point for point.

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