Preview: Limping Boston College Faces FSU in Friday Night Match-up

Who: Boston College Eagles at No. 18 Florida State Seminoles
When: Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN2)
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida
Last Week: Boston College lost to Louisville 52-7; Florida State defeated N.C. State 24-20

Week 11 of the college football season is already upon us, with the inaugural playoff rankings sparking discussion last week and multiple upsets shifting the focus across the country. Florida State was lucky to escape Carter-Finley Stadium with a dramatic victory over the N.C. State Wolfpack, while Boston College was unlucky enough to be the next victim on the Louisville Cardinal smack down tour.

The Seminoles enter Friday night’s contest still wondering where the offensive consistency will emerge from. Running back Dalvin Cook has tried his hardest to become that player, but the offensive line fluctuation has prevented him from firmly getting into a rhythm in certain games. Quarterback Deondre Francois meanwhile seems to get better as the games go on, but his inaccuracy has plagued him since the Ole Miss game. If there’s any encouraging news, it is that the defense has illustrated it can adjust more rapidly than previously thought.

Boston College meanwhile has kept the status quo from 2015 — mainly, the experiment to see how many wins a defense is worth. While the Eagle defense has taken a step back after the departure of coordinator Don Brown, it still possesses multiple NFL talents and ranks highly in areas like rushing yards allowed per game and sacks. The offense however, seems to have no bright spots.

Starting quarterback Patrick Towles is completing only 51 percent of his passes at only 6.5 yards per attempt. Starting running back Jon Hilliman has only 432 yards rushing on just 3.3 yards per carry. The Eagles are ranked 122nd in offensive S&P rating overall. There’s no reason to be optimistic about this side of the ball. Lead writer Clint Eiland and editor Mike Ferguson break down the match-up.

All-Time Series

Florida State holds a 10-4 edge in the overall series. The total amount of games is low because Boston College did not join the ACC until 2005. Since then, FSU has enjoyed an 8-3 record in the series, with head coach Jimbo Fisher being a perfect 6-0 against the Eagles. That being said, the past three iterations have been relatively close, with FSU winning by an average margin of a little over 10 points.

Key Players for FSU

Clint: Deondre Francois — Last week might have been the worst outing from Francois for the entire 2016 season so far, all things considered. He had multiple open receivers that he overthrew and only began to succeed in the final quarter. Boston College has a respectable run defense that will likely prevent Dalvin Cook from having one of his patented 100-plus yard rushing and multiple touchdown games. Francois has the ability to take advantage of a weak Eagles secondary and exploit the mismatches present. He can single-handedly carry the offense if he needs to, and Boston College will be the perfect testing ground for it.

Mike: Nyqwan Murray — Boston College is a defense that is stout against the run, but somewhat susceptible against the pass and the Eagles will likely gear up to stop FSU running back Dalvin Cook. While the onus of moving the football will be on quarterback Deondre Francois, a new go-to guy has emerged for FSU in recent weeks and that’s sophomore receiver Nyqwan Murray. In the last two weeks, Murray has 15 total receptions for 249 yards and a touchdown. Murray is shifty after the catch, a good route runner and pretty tough for his size. We’ll see if he can build off two very solid strong performances.

Key Players for Boston College

Clint: Harold Landry and Matt Milano — Landry is a defensive end while Milano is a linebacker. So why are they paired together? Because they are the two best pass-rushers for Boston College, and Milano is arguably its best overall player. Getting pressure on Francois and forcing mistakes will be essential for the BC offense to have any chance at succeeding. Landry and Milano are great players that can really alter the contest if they each play to their full potential.

Mike: Jeff Smith — For Boston College to pull an upset, the Eagles will need to find a way to make plays on offense. Jeff Smith, a sophomore wide receiver and converted quarterback, might be Boston College’s best option for doing that. Smith is Boston College’s leading receiver and has been used also as a rusher and a passer. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith used on a trick play or two to try and gash the FSU defense.

Game Breaker

Clint: Will the offense regroup after a disappointing showing? — When the line is the best position group on the FSU offense as it was against N.C. State, something has gone wrong. Wide receiver drops, quarterback overthrows, and frustrated running backs made last week’s game against N.C. State closer than it ever should have been. The hope is that the team realizes that and comes out on Friday with more focus on executing early on. If they do, Boston College could be in for a long night.

Mike: Can FSU avoid beating itself? — Florida State has an overwhelming advantage in many areas coming into Friday night. It seems as though the only way the Seminoles will lose would be by beating themselves with turnovers, penalties or defensive breakdowns. If FSU does any of the following, Friday’s game could get interesting. If the Seminoles play sound, smart football, they’ll improve to 7-3.