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First Posted: 12/27/2014
OK, so it’s not exactly Pasadena. But at this point in Penn State’s arduous rebuilding project, the Nittany Lions will take it.
The Lions drew a beatable opponent for the Pinstripe Bowl as Boston College’s strength matches right up against Penn State’s strength — the No. 1-ranked run defense in the country.
The Eagles, however, are a bit different than anything else the Lions have faced this season. B.C. will run more read-option plays than any other team did this season, possibly trying to get to the perimeter and away from the Lions’ fearsome defensive tackles.
Expect plenty of misdirection from Boston College as well, trying to catch that Penn State front seven overpursuing for a big play. By the evening, it might only take one or two big plays to win this game.
Go figure — this matchup has by far the lowest over/under of any bowl game this season, holding mostly at 40 but even creeping down to 39 in some spots. There’s not a lot of faith in theses offenses taking over the game even despite the Eagles’ strong ground numbers.
There’s some level of familiarity here, though, for both sides, creating an interesting dynamic. James Franklin and Bob Shoop got to face Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy, a graduate transfer from Florida, a year ago when Vanderbilt beat the Gators in Gainesville.
Franklin has also previously worked on the same staff with a handful of Eagles coach Steve Addazio’s assistants. Most notably, perhaps, Franklin was offensive coordinator at Maryland when Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown held that same position with the Terrapins in 2009 and 2010.
So there will be plenty of familiarity with some basic tendencies on both side in preparation for this game. Right now it’s hard to say which side would have a bigger advantage because of those past relationships because a lot has changed in the last five years.
While the actual outcome might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, for Penn State there’s a unique opportunity here. For the program to be able to say it finished the three toughest post-sanctions seasons with a winning record each time would be pretty impressive.
Each of the last two campaigns also finished with a victory, springing upsets against Wisconsin in the finale.
This Boston College team isn’t as accomplished as the Badgers were in either of those games, but Penn State is also fielding its thinnest roster and has struggled mightily this year because of it.
Here’s a detailed look at the matchup.
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BOSTON COLLEGE (7-5, 4-4) vs. PENN STATE (6-6, 2-6) 4:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN |
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| QUARTERBACK | ||
| One of the most interesting things to watch for will be how much some time off has helped Christian Hackenberg both physically and mentally. An improved performance would bode well for the Lions’ hopes in 2015 as it would suggest Hackenberg’s biggest problem was the abuse he took. It’s the Eagles’ Tyler Murphy, however, who is likely the key to the game. As Murphy goes, so does B.C. He leads the team in rushing as well as passing. His 1,079 yards this year are most ever by an ACC quarterback — yes, more than even Michael Vick. EDGE: BC |
| RUNNING BACK | ||
| The Eagles boast four underclassman running backs who all topped 200 yards rushing on the season. Add in QB Tyler Murphy and WR Sherman Alston for six total to hit that mark. Freshman Jon Hilliman leads the group and is the primary goal-line back. Shifty sophomore Myles Willis will get his share of carries as well. It will be the final college game for Bill Belton, though if he doesn’t get going early, he may end up spending most of the day on the sideline in favor of Akeel Lynch, who has been the more consistent runner. EDGE: BC |
| RECEIVER | ||
| Penn State’s offense was hindered as the season went along by inexperience at wideout. Not that they were terrible — DaeSean Hamilton in particular had an impressive debut campaign — but imprecise routes and a lack of top-end speed made it difficult to punish defenses, even after the ground game earned a bit of respect in November. B.C. had six targets finish the regular season with 10 catches, but the Eagles’ offense doesn’t ask the wideouts to do much heavy lifting. Amazingly, B.C. had just two catches by a tight end all year. EDGE: PSU |
| OFFENSIVE LINE | ||
| Not surprisingly, one of the country’s best running games is anchored by one of the country’s best centers. Eagles senior Andy Gallik was a finalist for the Rimington Award as a four-year starter and team captain. But he has plenty of help with four more seniors to fill out the starting group, which averages 6-foot-5 and just shy of 300 pounds. Penn State’s line managed to save some face after a terrible start to the year, and the bowl game provides a slight opportunity for redemption against a physical opponent. EDGE: BC |
| DEFENSIVE LINE | ||
| Boston College’s veteran O-line against Penn State’s impressive defensive front will be the game’s best matchup by far. The country’s top-ranked unit against the run as always has started with Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson in the middle. Ends Deion Barnes and C.J. Olaniyan will have more pressure than usual on them as they are the first line of defense against the Eagles’ various option runs. Kevin Kavalec had 9.5 TFL to lead the Eagles. Senior nose guard Connor Wujciak helps lead the B.C. run defense and will be a load to handle. EDGE: PSU |
| LINEBACKER | ||
| Mike Hull leaves Penn State with a nice piece of hardware as the Big Ten linebacker of the year, but he’s got one last challenge in front of him. Hull has been lauded by coaches all year for his ability to diagnose plays a split-second earlier than most linebackers, and those instincts will be invaluable against Boston College’s option and misdirection plays. It wouldn’t hurt to get Brandon Bell back from injury, either. Eagles strong-side linebacker Josh Keyes is the team’s most dynamic defender, leading B.C. in sacks and tackles for loss. EDGE: PSU |
| SECONDARY | ||
| Surprisingly, Boston College has just nine interceptions on the season and has generally struggled to create turnovers. That’s one area where Penn State has improved throughout the year as seniors and freshmen alike have come up with big plays to help will the Lions to a bowl game. Rookie safety Marcus Allen will be in the crosshairs a bit as the Eagles might test him deep if he tries to creep up too much against the run. B.C. safety Justin Simmons leads the team in interceptions as well as tackles with five pass break-ups. EDGE: PSU |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||
| Outside of Sam Ficken, it was a disappointing first season for the Lions’ special teams under Charles Huff, culminating with an awful showing against Illinois and allowing a touchdown on the opening kickoff against Michigan State. With that in mind, Penn State will have to watch out for Boston College’s Myles Willis who has a 95-yard kick return score on his resume this season. The Lions’ main advantage here is Ficken, as the Eagles have Alex Howell pulling double-duty on punts and field goals, struggling with the latter at just 5-for-11. EDGE: BC |
| PREDICTION | ||
| Penn State’s season was more or less validated by reaching a bowl game after the NCAA lifted the program’s postseason ban in September. But with only a small handful of impact players set to graduate and leave, the Pinstripe Bowl is more or less a head start on getting things turned around for the 2015 campaign. Getting Christian Hackenberg back on track would be a big boost, to be sure. The Lions have just been a step slow for most of the season, and one big fourth quarter play could swing this one for the Eagles. BOSTON COLLEGE 17, PENN STATE 16 |