BC Not Holding Anything Back Against Rutgers: 'The Playbook's Open'
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
Boston College's first four opponents in 2021 finished the season with a combined 15-33 record. The Eagles marched out to their first 4-0 start since 2007 before experiencing a free fall in ACC play.
The easy non-conference schedule allowed BC to save schematic concepts for weeks rather than revealing most of the playbook Week 1. It was a strategy head coach Jeff Hafley discussed. Ultimately, though, it hardly worked, considering BC averaged a meager 10 points through its first four ACC contests—granted, the season-threatening hand injury to starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec was certainly a factor, too.
Nevertheless, BC won't be holding anything back this September.
Rather than kicking off the year with an FCS school like Colgate, the Eagles are hosting a Rutgers program that's gradually becoming more competitive in the Big Ten.
"The playbook's open," Hafley said. "This isn't go out and save anything. This is go out and try to beat a really good opponent. We will run whatever we have to do to win this game."
BC will be up against a Rutgers defense that took a significant step in the right direction in the second year of Greg Schiano's second go-around as head coach last season. The Scarlet Knights jumped 26 spots nationally in scoring defense, allowing, on average, 6.5 fewer points per game than they did in 2020.
The Scarlet Knights have the most experience in the back end, where they are led by corner Max Melton, who Hafley believes could play at the next level. Melton allowed a 53.3% reception percentage in 2021 while piling up five pass break-ups—third among the team's returners behind fellow corners Robert Longerbeam (9) and Kessawn Abraham (10)—and a team-leading three interceptions.
Hafley said that Rutgers safety Christian Izien, who was second on the team with 49 solos last year, "plays with his hair on fire." The third-year Eagles coach also noted how talented and athletic Scarlet Knights safety Avery Young is. That said, Rutgers' secondary will only be able to do so much without a consistent pass rush. Last year, the Scarlet Knights ranked 94th nationally in sacks per game (1.77).
It's hard to know exactly what to expect from the Rutgers defense this weekend, given that the Scarlet Knights have a new defensive coordinator. Back in January, Schiano hired Joe Harasymiak, who spent the last two years as Minnesota's co-DC, to pilot Rutgers' defense.
Hafley told reporters Wednesday that, when facing a new defensive system in Week 1, it's hard to prepare because you don't know what film to watch. He explained that BC could have just watched Minnesota film, but then you're looking at the wrong personnel. Or the Eagles could have studied only Rutgers tape from last year, but then you're reviewing old scheme. You have to try to do both, Hafley said.
"That first game, you've gotta rely on your fundamentals and technique and your rules within your coverages, your rules within your pressures, your rules within your routes," Hafley said. "We can't just line up there and say, 'Hey, this is exactly what we're going to see.'"
He added: "There's going to be something that no one's ever seen. Then we're going to have to draw it up, tell our guys to take a deep breath and go out and fix it."
On the other hand, BC has the same advantage offensively. There's no tape on new offensive coordinator John McNulty's scheme.
There's the spring game, however, those concepts were vanilla. There's his previous two stints as an OC—both of which were at Rutgers—but McNulty has made it clear that he's moved away from those pro-style systems. Rutgers' best guess is watching film from last year's Notre Dame team, as McNulty spent two years as the Fighting Irish's tight ends coach and has emphasized the influence of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.
Put simply, Week 1 is a chess match.
Perhaps that's best exemplified by Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano not announcing a starting quarterback. Three could play Saturday: last year's starter, Noah Vedral; last year's backup, Evan Simon; or former four-star dual-threat Gavin Wimsatt.
"That's always a hard thing. They all have different skill sets," BC defensive end and captain Marcus Valdez said. "But that's part of football, that's part of Week 1.
"You just gottta bank on your own fundamentals and technique because they could come out and run some totally different stuff than they showed in the spring game and last year."
Saturday's matchup won't take the form of another spring game, like some of the Eagles' openers have mirrored over the course of the last few years.
Everything will be on the table, and a lot of questions will be answered.
