Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/871976
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 18, 2017 37 BY BRYAN DRISKELL BOSTON COLLEGE RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE It wasn't that long ago — 2014 in fact — when Boston College was one of the best non-option running teams in the country. The Eagles had a pun- ishing ground game that season, av- eraging 254.7 yards per game and registering a 452-yard performance in a 37-31 victory over USC. Boston College has nose dived in the last two seasons, rushing for 164.7 yards per game in 2015 and 149.1 yards per game last fall. Last year 's average ranked 96th nation- ally, and the Eagles' average of 3.42 yards per carry ranked 116th in the country. Rushing for 860 yards as a true freshman in 2014 raised expectations for Jon Hilliman, but injuries derailed his career the next two seasons. He rushed for only 740 yards (3.1 yards per attempt) the last two seasons, and getting him back on track is vital to the Boston College offense. True freshman AJ Dillon rushed for 20 yards in the opener and is ex- pected to be a main cog in the run- ning back rotation this season. Dillon is the grandson of College Football Hall of Fame receiver Thom Gate- wood, who led the Irish in receiving every season from 1969-71. Notre Dame's run defense wasn't productive in 2016 itself, ranking 82nd nationally with an average of 182.4 yards allowed per game. Notre Dame's average of 4.14 yards allowed per carry was respectable, ranking 50th in the country. That number looks even better when one considers the defense had only 14 sacks on the season, and sack totals count towards rushing statistics. Defensive coordinator Mike Elko looks to turn this statistic around more than any other. The Irish will be a more aggressive defense under Elko, and the hope is the increased pressure will result in improved rushing statistics. If that is going to happen, Notre Dame needs to get good play from junior nose tackle Jerry Tillery, who had four tackles in the opener, and a trio of veteran linebackers in Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini and Te'von Coney. Advantage: Notre Dame BOSTON COLLEGE PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE For the fifth straight season, Boston College has a new quarterback under center. The latest is redshirt freshman Anthony Brown, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 191 yards during the Eagles' season-opening 23-20 win over Northern Illinois. Brown is young and inexperienced, but he is surrounded by a veteran group of cohorts. Boston College re- turns three starters from its 2016 of- fensive line, and its receiving corps is mostly a veteran unit. The one newcomer to the group of pass catchers is redshirt freshman wideout Kobay White, who hauled in six passes for 76 yards in his first career game in the opener. Brown should learn to rely on tal- ented junior tight end Tommy Swee- ney, who hauled in 26 passes for 353 yards in 2016. If the line can keep him up in the pocket and if the receivers can help pick him up, Brown should be able to improve upon Boston Col- lege's average of 143.8 passing yards per game last season, which ranked 120th in the country. Notre Dame ranked 21st in the land a season ago, giving up just 196.4 yards per game through the air. Temple passed for 245 yards in the opener, but Notre Dame mostly held the talented Temple pass catchers in check. Seniors Keith Kirkwood and Adonis Jennings — who combined for 235 yards against Elko's Wake Forest defense in 2016 — were lim- ited to 90 yards in the 2017 opener. Under Elko, the hope is that Notre Dame can provide more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Registering three sacks in the 49-16 victory over Temple was a good first step. After getting just one sack during the en- tire 2016 season from the defensive end position, sophomore ends Dae- lin Hayes and Julian Okwara both picked up QB takedowns against the Owls. Advantage: Notre Dame GAME PREVIEW: BOSTON COLLEGE On PaPer Getting senior running back Jon Hilliman back to his freshman form, when he rushed for 840 yards, is a key for the Eagles' offense. PHOTO COURTESY BOSTON COLLEGE ATHLETICS