Hafley Talks Respect for No. 12 UNC, Need for Consistency
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley kicked off his Tuesday press conference with close to three minutes of insight on North Carolina, its offensive arsenal, his relationship with co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, and his respect for Mack Brown.
“I know they’ve only played one game, but if you look at who they have and the players back and what they’ve already put on tape, they’re a top-10 team if not more,” Hafley said of the Tar Heels, per BC Athletics.
At the moment, UNC officially clocks in at No. 12 in the AP Poll. Before this season, the Tar Heels hadn’t been ranked since 2016, which was Mitchell Trubisky’s final year in Chapel Hill.
The teams are gearing up for their first meeting in seven years, and UNC enters as a two-touchdown favorite, despite its three-week hiatus. The Tar Heels’ Week 2 home game was canceled because of University of North Carolina Charlotte’s COVID-19 complications. Last week, UNC had a bye.
Now, Brown and the Tar Heels are headed to Chestnut Hill, as the Eagles prepare for the middle of their three-game homestand. Hafley had a lot to say about the Tar Heels’ talent, as well as what BC needs to improve upon, not only this week but going forward in the 2020 season.
“He’s gotta be one of the best college coaches of all-time.”: As a rookie head coach, Hafley says that he likes to sit back during the virtual ACC coaches meetings and just listen. He’ll respond if prompted, but he said that he mainly finds himself learning from those who have been in the business for years, including Brown.
“The cool part is, he’s such a good ambassador for football,” Hafley said. “Just seeing what he’s brought to college football and how much he cares about the game and loves the game and wants to protect the game. I just have so much respect for him and look at his career—he’s done an incredible job everywhere he’s been.”
Hafley said that it’s an honor to coach against Brown, who’s in his 32nd year as a college head coach.
The 41-year-old Hafley has a closer relationship with one of the Tar Heels’ co-DCs, though. Hafley explained on Tuesday that Bateman was the head coach of Siena during Hafley’s senior season. Hafley said that he coached the team’s wide receivers the following spring and actually almost stayed on with his alma mater for the next season, yet he ultimately decided to go to WPI.
Hafley knows that Howell and the Tar Heels offense are the real deal: UNC quarterback Sam Howell is a Heisman Trophy candidate and an NFL prospect. Last year, he set the FBS record for most passing touchdowns by a true freshman with 38, also a Tar Heels record. The 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year threw for 3,641 yards and caught fire down the stretch.
“Really good football player,” Hafley said. “Gets the ball out of his hands. He’s thick. He’s strong. He makes the right reads. And he’s young. And he’s only going to get better.”
Howell, however, was far from perfect in UNC’s decisive season-opening victory over Syracuse. Although he completed 25-of-34 attempts for 295 yards and a score, he was picked off twice. It didn’t show on the scoreboard, but it was a mistake-filled day for a Tar Heels team that committed three turnovers and nine penalties. UNC’s talent masked those errors.
The Tar Heels returned a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, who Hafley said “might be some of the most talented guys in the ACC.” Hafley also pointed to the size of UNC’s O-Line—the only starting offensive linemen shorter than 6-foot-4 is center Brian Anderson, who stands 6-foot-2.5. Then there’s the running back tandem of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams. Carter averaged 11.1 yards per carry versus Syracuse, and Williams racked up a trio of rushing touchdowns in the win.
“Offensively, they’ve gotta be one of the most talented teams in the ACC, if not the entire country,” Hafley said.
If BC is to keep winning, consistency will be key: The Eagles have scored a total of 14 first-half points in their first two games of the 2020 campaign. Both contests saw BC flip a switch in the latter portion of play. Hafley is well aware that that’s not a recipe for long-term success. He told reporters on Tuesday that he’s working to find a way to coach his team to play more consistent over the course of four quarters, week in and week out.
“We can’t afford to have those lapses and to make the mistakes—we can’t,” Hafley said. “If we’re going to win football games, especially against a top-10 opponent like we’re going to play, we need to be consistent. It starts with practice, and it ultimately starts with me.”
Hafley noted that one difficulty has been settling into a game day routine since the Eagles’ kickoff times have varied each week. The same will be the case for the next two weeks. Hafley acknowledged, though, that randomness in scheduling is just part of college football.
Roster updates: BC announced the addition of graduate transfer Maximillian Roberts less than an hour before the Eagles played Saturday’s home opener against Texas State. Roberts, who was with Maine last season after spending three years at Fordham, suited up and registered five total tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Like Cal graduate transfer Luc Bequette, Roberts made an immediate impact and joined Bryce Morais on the depth chart at right defensive end behind Marcus Valdez for this week’s matchup. Bequette is once again set to start at defensive tackle.
“Those guys haven’t went through a training camp,” Hafley said. “So they’re rusty, and they need to just continue to play football. We need to continue to have their back and let them go out there and let it rip.”
Hafley said that there is no update on injured safety Deon Jones, who left Saturday’s game early after trying to make a tackle on Texas State wide receiver Travis Graham Jr. He went on to say that the staff is still waiting to see what Jones’ status will be.
“We’re hopeful that he’ll have a chance to play for us,” Hafley said.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley kicked off his Tuesday press conference with close to three minutes of insight on North Carolina, its offensive arsenal, his relationship with co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, and his respect for Mack Brown.
“I know they’ve only played one game, but if you look at who they have and the players back and what they’ve already put on tape, they’re a top-10 team if not more,” Hafley said of the Tar Heels, per BC Athletics.
At the moment, UNC officially clocks in at No. 12 in the AP Poll. Before this season, the Tar Heels hadn’t been ranked since 2016, which was Mitchell Trubisky’s final year in Chapel Hill.
The teams are gearing up for their first meeting in seven years, and UNC enters as a two-touchdown favorite, despite its three-week hiatus. The Tar Heels’ Week 2 home game was canceled because of University of North Carolina Charlotte’s COVID-19 complications. Last week, UNC had a bye.
Now, Brown and the Tar Heels are headed to Chestnut Hill, as the Eagles prepare for the middle of their three-game homestand. Hafley had a lot to say about the Tar Heels’ talent, as well as what BC needs to improve upon, not only this week but going forward in the 2020 season.
“He’s gotta be one of the best college coaches of all-time.”: As a rookie head coach, Hafley says that he likes to sit back during the virtual ACC coaches meetings and just listen. He’ll respond if prompted, but he said that he mainly finds himself learning from those who have been in the business for years, including Brown.
“The cool part is, he’s such a good ambassador for football,” Hafley said. “Just seeing what he’s brought to college football and how much he cares about the game and loves the game and wants to protect the game. I just have so much respect for him and look at his career—he’s done an incredible job everywhere he’s been.”
Hafley said that it’s an honor to coach against Brown, who’s in his 32nd year as a college head coach.
The 41-year-old Hafley has a closer relationship with one of the Tar Heels’ co-DCs, though. Hafley explained on Tuesday that Bateman was the head coach of Siena during Hafley’s senior season. Hafley said that he coached the team’s wide receivers the following spring and actually almost stayed on with his alma mater for the next season, yet he ultimately decided to go to WPI.
Hafley knows that Howell and the Tar Heels offense are the real deal: UNC quarterback Sam Howell is a Heisman Trophy candidate and an NFL prospect. Last year, he set the FBS record for most passing touchdowns by a true freshman with 38, also a Tar Heels record. The 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year threw for 3,641 yards and caught fire down the stretch.
“Really good football player,” Hafley said. “Gets the ball out of his hands. He’s thick. He’s strong. He makes the right reads. And he’s young. And he’s only going to get better.”
Howell, however, was far from perfect in UNC’s decisive season-opening victory over Syracuse. Although he completed 25-of-34 attempts for 295 yards and a score, he was picked off twice. It didn’t show on the scoreboard, but it was a mistake-filled day for a Tar Heels team that committed three turnovers and nine penalties. UNC’s talent masked those errors.
The Tar Heels returned a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, who Hafley said “might be some of the most talented guys in the ACC.” Hafley also pointed to the size of UNC’s O-Line—the only starting offensive linemen shorter than 6-foot-4 is center Brian Anderson, who stands 6-foot-2.5. Then there’s the running back tandem of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams. Carter averaged 11.1 yards per carry versus Syracuse, and Williams racked up a trio of rushing touchdowns in the win.
“Offensively, they’ve gotta be one of the most talented teams in the ACC, if not the entire country,” Hafley said.
If BC is to keep winning, consistency will be key: The Eagles have scored a total of 14 first-half points in their first two games of the 2020 campaign. Both contests saw BC flip a switch in the latter portion of play. Hafley is well aware that that’s not a recipe for long-term success. He told reporters on Tuesday that he’s working to find a way to coach his team to play more consistent over the course of four quarters, week in and week out.
“We can’t afford to have those lapses and to make the mistakes—we can’t,” Hafley said. “If we’re going to win football games, especially against a top-10 opponent like we’re going to play, we need to be consistent. It starts with practice, and it ultimately starts with me.”
Hafley noted that one difficulty has been settling into a game day routine since the Eagles’ kickoff times have varied each week. The same will be the case for the next two weeks. Hafley acknowledged, though, that randomness in scheduling is just part of college football.
Roster updates: BC announced the addition of graduate transfer Maximillian Roberts less than an hour before the Eagles played Saturday’s home opener against Texas State. Roberts, who was with Maine last season after spending three years at Fordham, suited up and registered five total tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Like Cal graduate transfer Luc Bequette, Roberts made an immediate impact and joined Bryce Morais on the depth chart at right defensive end behind Marcus Valdez for this week’s matchup. Bequette is once again set to start at defensive tackle.
“Those guys haven’t went through a training camp,” Hafley said. “So they’re rusty, and they need to just continue to play football. We need to continue to have their back and let them go out there and let it rip.”
Hafley said that there is no update on injured safety Deon Jones, who left Saturday’s game early after trying to make a tackle on Texas State wide receiver Travis Graham Jr. He went on to say that the staff is still waiting to see what Jones’ status will be.
“We’re hopeful that he’ll have a chance to play for us,” Hafley said.
