NC State football will look to continue the enduring success of the team this year against the Boston College Eagles, the team’s second conference opponent of the season. Boston College was ranked No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the coaches’ poll in the fourth week rankings, which is exactly where the Pack is ranked right now in each poll. Boston College is not ranked anymore, but is still a formidable opponent with great on-paper talent.
Boston College is probably most well-known for its glamorous offense and star running back, AJ Dillon, but this team was not ranked at one point for being a one-sided team: the Eagles also have a strong defense that will push the Pack to its limits.
Quarterback vs. Defensive Backs
Graduate Ryan Finley is an elite college quarterback with great awareness and a strong arm. However, he is not immune to mistakes and, especially against a strong secondary boasted by the Boston College Eagles, Finley could slip up here. Cornerbacks Hamp Cheevers and Taj-Amir Torres and safeties Will Harris and Lukas Denis each have an interception this year, and a combined total of six interceptions which is a little more than one per game. Finley is more NFL-ready than any of the quarterbacks the Eagles defense has faced, but this is definitely a challenge for him.
Wide Receivers vs. Defensive Backs
Like Finley, the Pack’s receiving corps will need to continue that dominance and flashiness against one of the tougher teams of the season. The wide receivers will also face off with the secondary, as junior Kelvin Harmon, graduate student Stephen Louis and sophomore Emeka Emezie primarily will face off with the aforementioned Cheevers and Torres. There have not been any significant or lasting issues with that crew this year, but duels with the cornerback duo, and even Harris and Denis, could change that if they are not careful. Ball security and overall awareness, which the Pack has excelled at thus far, will be crucial for success.
Running Backs vs. Linebackers
The running backs turned up the heat in the win against Virginia, and will look to continue their strengths into this game. Freshman Ricky Person Jr. had over 100 yards in the last game, but certainly faces a challenge against both the Eagles’ defensive line and linebackers. The matchup to watch for the running backs is the linebackers, because if the offensive line can stave off the Eagles’ strong defensive front, then the running backs must overpower the linebackers for some strong runs.
Linebackers Kevin Bletzer, Connor Strachan and Max Richardson comprise the powerful linebacker trio of Boston College. They have yet to intercept any passes, but are strong tacklers and can overpower any running back on the team if need be. The running backs will need to out-speed that trio if they hope to gain any major yardage.
Tight Ends vs. Defensive Line
Redshirt sophomore Cary Angeline had his first touchdown catch for the Wolfpack against the Cavaliers, showing his impressive reach and size in the end zone. However, in order for the tight ends to really have an impact in this game, they will need to continue to help block and create space like this core has been since the first week. Angeline and redshirt sophomore Dylan Autenrieth have been great blockers for the Pack so far and the Pack will need all the might it can muster against a strong defensive line boasted by the Eagles.
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line
The offensive line faced many penalties in its first in-conference game against the Cavaliers, but were effective overall in their blocking efforts and were able to create space for the running backs. This group faces arguably their strongest competition of the season thus far, as they will be facing off against one of the best D-line groups in the conference. Defensive ends Zach Allen and Wyatt Ray have a combined nine sacks in their first five games, with Zach Allen having recorded four sacks by himself in the game against Wake Forest.
“I think their two defensive ends, [Allen] and [Ray] are forces. As a tandem, they’ve got to be one of the best in the country,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “Watching those two guys disrupt up front, they’re very, very good football players.”
The fact that Doeren called out those two Eagles players in particular means that he and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford will likely prepare this group for those two in particular. Redshirt senior Tyler Jones and redshirt sophomore Justin Witt will primarily be in charge of blocking this duo.
Matchup to Watch
Jones and Witt versus Allen and Ray. Tyler Jones was responsible for a couple penalties last game in one series, and will need to learn from that so he is not bullied on the outside. If Jones and Witt are able to hold their own and not allow any sacks, this will be a successful game.
Offensive MVP
The easy pick here is Finley. Each of his weapons are going to be faced with difficult tasks, so it will be up to Finley to put the ball where it needs to be on the field, and make overall smart plays. Finley is more than capable of doing this, and should, barring any in-game setbacks.
