USC at Boston College: BC Offense vs. USC Defense
By Joe Micik
Sep 21, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans safety Su’a Cravens (21) tackles Utah State Aggies running back
Joe Hill(32) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated Utah State 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
BC Offense vs. USC Defense: Stat Analysis
There is little one can take from the statistics so far, except to say that the Eagles assembled theirs in 120 minutes against a bad team and a decent team, while USC assembled theirs against a bad team and a great team.
It is one thing for the Trojans to hold Fresno State to a handful of points, but to do the same against Stanford in their building is impressive. They are a force with which to be reckoned, and Boston College knows why.
Last season, Ed Orgeron’s defensive line completely dominated the Eagles up front and made it nearly impossible for them to establish any offensive rhythm. This year, the Trojans have a number of upperclassmen up front, including defensive end Leonard Williams, who leads USC in tackles with 18 already, plus a sack and an interception.
There is no surprise that most of Boston College’s offense has come from the run game, and it looks as though it has been effective if one averages together the great UMass game and the poor Pittsburgh game. The problem is that the former is not good and the latter is much closer to USC in terms of skill level.
Quarterback Tyler Murphy can run the football just fine, and is the most mobile quarterback the Eagles have had in ages, but the passing game is a big problem. Boston College would be ill-advised to air out the football, and their opposition knows it; when they do, defensive backs like sophomore safety and All-Pac-12 honorable mention Su’a Cravens could make an impact for USC.
BC Offense vs. USC Defense: Key Matchup
Eagles offensive line vs. Trojans defensive line. This is it right here: if Boston College gets controlled on the line again, good night, the lights. Unless Andy Gallik, Bobby Vardaro, and others find a way to stand up to the Trojans up front, the Eagles might not crack ten points. It is a major task.
BC Offense vs. USC Defense: Final Analysis
Though this is a Boston College haven and a certain level of homerism is expected, there is no justifiable way it can be said that the Eagles have the better of this matchup. We can contend that the running game should work out overall, given that talent like Myles Willis, Jon Hilliman, and the rest is respectable, but the talent levels of the Eagles offense and the Trojans defense are quite different.
What we thought could be a viable offense looks a lot less so after the Pitt game, and things are not likely to get easier. USC has already held tough opposition to only a handful of points in 2014, and unless the Eagles suddenly find their competitiveness like in the Florida State game last season, USC’s talent on defense could overwhelm the home team.