Opponent Breakdown: Boston College Eagles Offense

The hot seats are warming up around college football and one of the hottest seats is that of Jeff Hafley. While I’m a believer in how he runs his program, the results just haven’t been there during his time in charge. Hafley made the decision to retool his coordinator positions this offseason but he didn’t go outside the program to make those changes. The 1-2 start this season may not be on the coordinators, but it can’t have helped things.

One decision that was made this season has worked out very well for the Eagles. Thomas Castellanos was given the reigns of the offense early in the season opener and he has added a spark that they sorely needed. Castellanos is a transfer from UCF where he flashed some skills and ability as a backup last year. Even with those nice moments, I don’t think anyone expected him to be this dynamic for BC.

Castellanos has great playmaking ability with his legs but I’ve been impressed with his accuracy down the field. He has great arm strength and he can deliver deep crosses and posts on a rope. He also has shown outstanding touch down the sideline. BC did a much better job against FSU with how they used Castellanos as they had plenty of designed runs for him as well as a lot of rollouts and other pass plays where they moved the pocket. BC also stressed the edges of the defense with their run game which made FSU defend the entire field.

The rushing attack for the Eagles is still struggling under Hafley after being such a big part of the program’s identity. The Eagles will use a few different backs but Kyle Robichaux has been the recipient of most of the carries over the last two weeks. He is a big back who is at his best in short-yardage but he can get chunk runs due to being able to break tackles and drag defenders.

BC has had an underrated wide receiver room for a couple of years now but the loss of Zay Flowers has opened up some opportunities for others. Lewis Bond has been the most consistent target so far this season. Bond has impressed me after the catch as he fights off tacklers and fights for yards any time he has the ball. He teams with Ryan O’keefe to make up a duo that can score any time they touch the ball.

The other two threats at receiver are Jaden Williams and Joseph Griffin. Griffin is the tallest receiver on the team and the threat in the red zone as well as on contested catches on third down. Williams is the most likely to have a Flowers type of impact, in my opinion. While he is not at that level from a talent standpoint, he has the speed and skill to run away from a defense. He’s a guy to keep an eye on.

There was a point that Boston College could have an argument that they were one of the best programs in the country when it comes to offensive line play and producing pros. Those days are behind us as the Eagles had one of the worst lines in the country last season and they’ve struggled to bounce back after bringing back their coach after a year in the NFL. The running game just has not been able to get going in a way that is effective. They’ve protected the quarterback pretty well overall but they do have breakdowns at times. The group has some talent and experience this year, but this is an area where UofL should win the battle.