Game To Watch: #22 NC State vs Boston College: October 16, 2021
NC State will visit Boston College for an ACC Atlantic match-up this Saturday at 7:30 EST. The Wolfpack are coming off a bye week with a 4 – 1 record and win over Clemson in their only conference game so far. Boston College is also 4 – 1 coming out of their bye week, but lost to Clemson 19 – 13 in their only conference game so far. With the ACC Atlantic up for grabs, NC State will look to create some separation atop the standings while Boston College needs a win to stay in it.
Recent History
Boston College is 10 – 7 all time against NC State, though the two teams have split the last ten contests evenly. The Eagles won 45 – 24 at home in 2019, but NC State won 28 – 23 at home in 2018. Neither team has a winning streak longer than three games in the series.
Top 25 Players
NC State
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Zonovan Knight | #11 RB |
| Ikem Ekwonu | #4 OT |
| Grant Gibson | #8 G/C |
| Cory Durden | #18 DT |
| Tanner Ingle | #21 S |
NC State Wolfpack Gear
Boston College
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Phil Jurkovec | #19 QB |
| Zay Flowers | #17 WR |
| Ben Petrula | #16 OT |
| Zion Johnson | #4 G/C |
| Christian Mahogany | #7 G/C |
| Josh DeBerry | #7 CB |
Boston College Eagles Gear
What To Watch For…
Can Dennis Grosel Keep the Offense Balanced?
With Phil Jurkovec out indefinitely due to a hand injury, Boston College has had Dennis Grosel starting at quarterback. The running game was good against Temple and excellent against Missouri, keeping the pressure off Grosel. Last week Clemson was able to shut down the Boston College running game and Grosel was forced to throw the ball more and take more shots downfield. The result was 300 passing yards but 2 interceptions without a touchdown. North Carolina State will look to employ a similar strategy on Saturday. The Wolfpack have been proficient defending the run, limiting all of their opponents to under 140 rushing yards and allowing just 3.4 yards per carry. If they are able to keep the Eagles’ running backs in check, Grosel will have to prove he can beat them through the air and avoid the key mistakes he made against Clemson.
Can Boston College Create Turnovers Against Devin Leary?
The Boston College defense has done a good job defending the pass and forcing interceptions this year. The Eagles have intercepted six passes this season against only four touchdown passes allowed. Opposing quarterbacks have completed less than 60 percent of their passes and averaged less than 7 yards per attempt. Devin Leary has not been a dynamic threat in the passing game, but he takes care of the football, just two interceptions in five games, and completes over 67 percent of his passes. Leary is smart with the football and his team wins because of it, North Carolina State is 4 – 0 when Leary has more touchdown passes than interceptions this year. Boston College will look to force Leary into a couple of turnovers on Saturday to get their offense the momentum, but that’s easier said than done against Leary.
Which Defense Will Stop the Run?
The biggest thing for both teams on Saturday is to force their opponent to take chances and capitalize on those mistakes. That starts with stopping the run, as both offenses would love to ride their running game to a comfortable win. North Carolina State averages 4.8 yards per carry and 172 yards per game this year. They allow Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person to take turns wearing the defense down over the course of a game. Boston College averages 4.6 yards per carry and 186 yards per game this year. They rely more on Pat Garwo to carry the load, but will spell him with a pair of seniors at times. Both teams have only been held under 50 yards rushing once this year and they both lost that game. Defensively, stopping the run will be priority number one in this game and the team that succeeds will win the game.
Prediction
North Carolina State will be on the road for the second time this season, they did not fare well the first time. Expect the defenses to control the game as the two offenses remain conservative and attempt to feel the defense out. As they begin to identify where they want to attack, the Wolfpack have their starting quarterback available and will be in better position to take advantage. Boston College is too well coached a team to make it easy, but NC State has more depth and the advantage at quarterback. NC State 27 Boston College 23.
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NCAA Football: Boston College at Clemson image taken by TigerNet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
