Can the Eagles continue to make national headlines?
Despite the lame fact that the only matchup between ranked teams in the country on Saturday is on SEC Network at 12:45, BC has a chance to continue showing the country just how different things are.
It won't be easy though. Here's what I believe will be the 3 keys to the game...
Punch them in the mouth and control the clock
Missouri literally hasn't played a meaningful down of football yet. BC had to go beat FSU on the road (it's obviously not the same FSU team, but still). I think the Eagles need to go with the exact same game plan they had in Tallahassee. Control the clock. Run the ball down their throats until that dink Eli shows he and his staff have an answer to stop it and most importantly, keep that Tigers offense off the field. See how that team and their fan base reacts when they can't just get a quick three-and-out every time and then march downfield. What happens when the Tigers fall in a 7-0 or 10/14-0 hole? Only one way to find out. Punch them in the mouth early.
Pass rush needs to be elite
Front four has been dominant the first two games, but this is the first big test. Can Neto, Donovan, George and Cam get home? Can they force bad decisions or rushed throws? Brady Cook is a pretty damn good QB, but no one likes pressure around them. If the Eagles can consistently speed him up and force a pick or two, BC has a fantastic chance to go steal this one on the road. I also think guys like Kolenge, Stoudmire and McConnell need to continue making the most of their opportunities when rotating in. This needs to be a full team effort on defense, but especially with those guys trying to get after the QB.
Secondary needs to ball out
Particularly Amari Jackson. Presumably, he'll be on Luther for most of the game, but with so much NFL experience on this staff you've gotta think there's safety help with him too. That means guys like Turner, Brown, Martinez and others will need to step up and shut down the other options that Missouri has. Those safeties (Price, Cheek, etc.) need to make sure nothing gets behind them as well. This is all pretty standard stuff, but actually executing in a tough road environment is a tall task. Is this unit for real? We all believe it is, but this is the ultimate 'show me' spot.
BONUS KEY - Use the disrespect
16.5 or 17 points is an absurd line. Use it. Bill O'Brien would never acknowledge it even if he does talk about it before the game (he probably won't), but this team isn't stupid. They're on social media. They hear and see all of the noise. It's 2024, you can't avoid it. This team already has a chip on its shoulder, it should be the size of a boulder by kick off.
FINAL PREDICTION - BC 31, Missouri 17 - All in. I don't think people (especially nationally) are giving this defense enough credit yet and I think they shock some people. 4 sacks, 2 INT's (one for a pick six) and the offense does its thing with 30+ minutes of possession time. Top 15 team in the country when they host Michigan State for Red Bandana Night next Saturday. I'm also 2-0 so far and called the shutout last week, so I got that going for me too.
