Boston College vs Massachusetts Football Preview

Boston College is in the midst of its worst season in a long, long time.  It is so bad that prominent Boston College bloggers have openly floated the possibility that the UMass game might offer the Eagles their best chance for a win.  That’s right, BC fans are preparing for a 1-11 season.  It’s that bad. 

Chase Rettig has been mediocre at quarterback after a promising freshman season.  He’s 51-of-100 as a passer for 668 with one touchdown and three interceptions after three games.  Andre Williams has been a decent fill-in for Montel Harris, but he’s no Montel Harris.   At 47 carries for 229 yards and three scores, he’s been serviceable, but he’s not the superstar that Harris is.  Moreover, Williams represents almost all of the team’s rushing production.  BC is well under 100 yards per game on the ground.

UMass has two games under its belt, a 24-16 win over Holy Cross and a 36-27 win over Rhode Island.  The future MAC member has a balanced but not explosive offense, an attack which averages 190 yards per game rushing and 196 yards passing.  The Minutemen have given up only 328 yards per outing on defense.  Running back Jonathan Hernandez has gained 344 yards on 61 attempts.  Quarterback Kellen Pagel is 31-of-48 as a passer for three touchdowns and two picks.  Julian  Talley is the leading receiver with 10 catches for 115 yards.

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A peek inside BC’s stats shows just how bad it is in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts:  242 rushing yards.  Not per game.  Total.  After three games. 

The numbers just keep coming: 682 passing yards. Total.  924 yards offense after three games, barely 300 per game.  Defensively, the Eagles have given up 543 rushing yards and 768 passing yards, for 437 per contest.   Outside of stud linebacker Luke Keuchly, who led the nation in tackles last season and – barring an injury – will lead the nation in tackles again this year, there’s not much positive to say about Boston College.  It’s been a quick, hard descent to the bottom of the ACC.  Keuchly has 58 tackles, and another linebacker, Kevin Pierre-Louis (34 tackles), has been solid, but the rest of the BC team is a hot mess.  It’s a meaningless comparison, but ACC competitor Georgia Tech had nearly as many yards against Kansas as BC gained in three games.

This isn’t a featured matchup in week four of the college football season. However, if Boston College doesn’t win it, an 0-12 season could come down the pike for a program in desperate need of new blood and, in all likelihood, a change of coaching staffs.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer