Midseason Awards for 2022 Eagles
Andy Backstrom (
@andybackstrom)
Publisher
Boston College fans have been begging for something other than a six- or seven-win season for years. This isn't what they meant.
BC is off to its worst six-game start since 2017. At 2-4, ESPN's FPI projects that the Eagles have just a
1.5% chance to reach the six-win mark this season. To put that in perspective, the Eagles haven't missed out on bowl eligibility since they went winless in ACC play in 2015.
Things aren't
that bad this time around, however, they certainly aren't good right now. BC's offensive line was the talk of the summer after the unit was tasked with replacing all five starters from last year's front. A step back in the trenches was expected.
A seismic drop-off, on the other hand, wasn't anticipated. BC has allowed 22 sacks this season, the fifth most in the FBS. And the Eagles are last in the country with 69.5 rushing yards per game. They already had turnover on the O-Line, and it hasn't helped that the new group hasn't had much continuity.
Three Week 1 offensive line starters have missed time this season. Right tackle Kevin Cline is out for the year with an ACL tear, and head coach Jeff Hafley isn't sure when left guard Finn Dirstine is going to be back—he's missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. The injury bug has spread to other parts of the offense, most notably to the tight end and running back rooms.
The defense hasn't gone unscathed, either, but it's definitely been playing well enough for BC to remain in games, at least most of the time. It's been another disappointing season for the Eagles.
Still, there have been some inspiring individual performances. Now that it's the bye week, it's the perfect time to recognize those with midseason awards.
Rookie of the Year: RB Alex Broome
BC has gotten a lot of bad breaks this season. The latest was losing true freshman Alex Broome for the Clemson game. Broome
electrified the Eagles' run game in their 34-33 win over Louisville, rushing for 78 yards on nine carries. He even ripped off a 40-yard touchdown that saw him break a pair of Cardinals arm tackles. Broome has three runs of 15-plus yards. That's one fewer than RB1 Pat Garwo III, who has 52 more rushing attempts than Broome this season. Garwo is a solid downhill runner. Like Garwo, Broome is 5-foot-8, but he's 23 pounds lighter and has an extra gear of speed that complements Garwo. Broome is second on the team in rushing yards (118), however, his 5.6 yards per carry is tops in the Eagles' backfield. He also has a receiving touchdown to his name, and his Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade (70.2) is fourth among BC's players with at least 30 pass blocking snaps this season.
Most Improved Player of the Year: DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
Donovan Ezeiruaku shot out of the gates in Week 1 with a monster performance against his hometown school. Versus Rutgers, Ezeiruaku logged eight solo tackles, two TFLs, two forced fumbles and one sack. After being thrown into the fire last year, which he started as a 17-year-old out of Williamstown, New Jersey, Ezeiruaku has evolved into more of a
complete defensive end in 2022. He's really stepped up his game in run defense, where he's registered a PFF grade of 89.8—that's second among all edge FBS edge defenders. Ezeiruaku's 5.5 TFLs are the most of any Eagle this season. So are his three sacks, per Sports Reference.
Comeback Player of the Year: DT Chibueze Onwuka
Chibueze Onwuka is flying under the radar, as is often the case with effective defensive tackles. Onwuka missed all of last season with an Achilles tear. The veteran has bounced back with a mighty fine start to the last leg of his
lengthy and unorthodox college career. As of now, his 3.5 TFLs are tied for second on the team. Onwuka also ranks inside BC's top 10 in solo tackles. He's already matched his tackle total from 2020, his first year with the program, when he played in 10 games. Onwuka is on pace to finish with 38 total tackles this year. If it wasn't for his blocked PAT against Louisville, BC could very well still be searching for its first ACC win.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Zay Flowers
As far as the ACC goes, Zay Flowers is first in receptions (42), first in receiving yards (556) and tied for first in receiving touchdowns (five) this season. First-year Eagles offensive coordinator John McNulty has made good on his promise to get Flowers the ball. His 63 targets are the 11th most in the country, according to PFF. No other ACC wide receiver has more than 60 this season. BC moves Flowers around. McNulty has used the senior on jet sweeps, pop passes, double passes, flanker screens, and pretty much every pattern in the intermediate and deep passing route tree. Flowers breathes life into an Eagles offense that, at times, has looked defunct this fall.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Vinny DePalma
Vinny DePalma is
stitching together what could be an 100-tackle season. His previous career high was 54, by the way. He's leading the way for the Eagles at the second level this season, despite playing 112 fewer snaps than fellow linebacker Kam Arnold, per PFF. DePalma made fourth down stops back-to-back weeks against Maine—where he forced a fumble in the process—and then Florida State. The last two weeks, he's made critical plays on third down, most recently making a solo tackle on Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei short of the sticks and then, later in the game, forcing an errant throw to the flat by generating pressure.
MVP: WR Zay Flowers
No overthinking this one. Yes, he's also our midseason Offensive Player of the Year, but naming anyone else the MVP at this point would be non-sensical. Flowers is the Eagles' biggest and brightest star. He's on his way to becoming the first BC wideout drafted since 1987, and, at this rate, he could go in the first round. Flowers is on track to leave BC as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. He needs seven more touchdowns to reach the top of the program's receiving touchdown leaderboard, too.
