Some notes from BC 247 board:
-Thwarting the Miami offense comes down to two elements. First, BC should not be afraid to let the Hurricanes run the ball. They certainly need to try to limit explosive runs, which has been a serious issue for this defense and could be exploited by Miami’s fast and uber-athletic running backs. But letting Miami slowly move the ball on the ground actually plays into BC’s hands, as they will chew the clock away by doing that.
-Second, the Eagles need to play conservatively on the back end with more Zone coverage shells focused on preventing deep passes. They should not blitz, as that gives Van Dyke easy answers, and he’s proven to be good against the blitz; his PFF Passing grade is 86.7 when blitzed, compared to 75.8 when not blitzed. BC needs to only rush three or four and make Van Dyke think, possibly forcing him into throwing interceptions. If he keeps peppering them with screens and RPOs, that’s fine, so long as BC tackles properly and limits yards after the catch, which is a dubious proposition.
-Even though BC should run the ball on almost every snap, when they don’t, they need to find some edges in this game with trick plays and misdirection. It’s the last game of the season, so there’s no reason to hold anything back in the playbook. The Eagles have shown some creativity on offense this year, incorporating unorthodox formations and packaging the same play in very different ways. BC has struggled to execute the traditional drop back passing game, so they need to find some other ways to throw the ball if they are going to do so.
-BC needs to consistently run the ball right into the teeth of the Miami defense. If the offensive line can generate some push and open up holes for
Kye Robichaux and
Alex Broome, that will go a long way to keeping BC’s offense on schedule. Miami is better at rushing the passer than stopping the run.
-The premier matchup will be defensive tackle
Leonard Taylor III versus the interior of BC’s offensive line. Taylor is very explosive and quick for his size, but he occasionally loses interest in run defense and tackling.
Christian Mahogany and
Kyle Hergel might be able to break his will. On the outside, true freshman
Rueben Bain will be quite the handful for
Logan Taylor and
Ozzy Trapilo. While Bain has hit a bit of a freshman wall and cooled off in recent games, Taylor has also regressed a bit in the last few games.
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BC’s Biggest Weakness: BC Defensive Backs vs. UM Wide Receivers: it will probably have the greatest impact on the outcome of the game. BC has struggled against decent at best wide receiver groups from Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. Miami’s wide receiver group is significantly better than all those groups and is probably tied for the second-best BC has faced with Louisville and behind only Florida State.
Xavier Restrepo is one of the best and most reliable receivers in all of college football, while the trio of
Jacolby George,
Colbie Young, and
Brashard Smith form one of the most explosive trios.
FINAL ANALYIS FROM THE BC SIDE:
Both teams enter this contest riding at least two-game losing streaks (three in Miami’s case). But BC has looked much worse during that losing streak, getting blown out by a mediocre Virginia Tech team and losing to a bad Pittsburgh team. Miami has actually hung tough with some of the best teams in the conference despite poor quarterback play and injuries. Therefore, I expect the Hurricanes to win this game comfortably. They simply have too much talent and athleticism, plus superior coaching on both sides of the ball. BC needs too much to break their way to keep this game competitive.,
MIAMI 41 - BC 17