Well this is it. The greatest rivalry in all of college football. With Boston College needing to win this weekend to become bowl eligible, they will likely be extra motivated to come into Winston-Salem and lay everything out on the field. This game could also have some serious bowl implications for the Deacs, and could help determine where they end up come bowl season. Here are a couple guys to keep an eye on in #TheRivalry
Offense: Jon Hilliman | RS Soph. RB | #32
So this one was kind of tough. Out of 128 FBS teams, BC is 127th in the nation in total yards per game at just under 300 and 123rd in scoring offense at 19.3 points per game. This puts them just below Wake Forest in both categories. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that their offense, like ours, is not very good. Hilliman is Boston College’s leading rusher this season, but he has just 455 yards on 149 rushes (3.1 avg). He has only crossed the 100 yard marked once this season in BC’s first game against Georgia Tech, and has only scored 5 touchdowns. I honestly don’t think there will be much to watch on the offensive end for either team in this game. We could be in for another 3-0 instant classic.
Defense: Harold Landry | Jr. DE | #7
What BC lacks in offense, they make up on the defensive side of the ball. The BC defense currently ranks 12th in total defense with just 312 yards given up per game. One of the reasons their defense is so good is because Landry is having a very impressive junior season. While he has just 39 total tackles on the season, he is 16th in the nation in tackles for loss with 16, 3rd in the nation in sacks with 12, and 1st in the nation in forced fumbles with 7. He uses his impressive speed to blow by offensive lineman and get after the QB and drop RBs behind the line of scrimmage. In the past couple of games, the Wake Forest offensive line has suffered several injuries, with Phil Haynes being the most recently loss. With a beat up line, Landry could have a huge impact in this game getting into the backfield and blowing up running plays or sacking Wolford. It may be helpful for the Deacs to use the QB draw to try and slow down Landry rushing off the edge.