The Big Play Could Be BC's Best Friend or Worst Enemy at Wake

Boston College ranks 14th in the ACC in both scoring offense (20.0 points per game) and total offense (305.8 yards per game). The Eagles' third-down conversion rate (30.59%) is 121st nationally. And their average third down distance has been 7.8 yards or greater in five of their six games this season.

The first year of OC John McNulty's offensive system has hardly been graceful, in large part because of a revolving door on an already-depleted and inexperienced offensive line.

Even so, however, the Eagles have still produced 25 plays of 20-plus yards from scrimmage in 2022. That's tied for the ninth most in the ACC. And their seven plays of 40-plus yards are fifth most in the conference.

It's incongruent with the rest of the Eagles' offensive statistics, but it speaks to the ability of their skill players.

BC has been able to generate big plays against just about anyone this season. It recorded three pass plays of 20 or more yards against No. 5 Clemson, and it would have likely had another had Jaden Williams not dropped a nice sideline pass from quarterback Phil Jurkovec in the first quarter. The week before that, against Louisville, the Eagles piled up three 50-plus-yard pass plays and seven runs of at least 15 yards.

"Against good defenses, you can't just dink and dime the whole game and expect to win," BC wide receiver Jaelen Gill said Tuesday. "You gotta hit those type of explosives. I think it's real important. With our offense, we have multiple players that can make big plays. It's just a matter of getting the ball in those guys' hands."

As was the case versus Clemson—a game in which the Eagles finished with just three points—BC has often struggled to capitalize on the big play this season. That's where its 52.94% red zone touchdown percentage factors in.

Regardless, the fact of the matter is, the Eagles (2-4, 1-3 ACC) are producing more explosives than you might think, and that's one of the few on-paper advantages they have over No. 13 Wake Forest (5-1, 1-1) this week.

"This is where the challenge of defending them is," Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson said Tuesday, via Wake Forest Athletics. "Zay Flowers is who he is, he's elite. But all those other guys are really good players, too. And, at some point, they're going to have a single matchup.

"They've made big plays against everybody."

Unfortunately, for Wake Forest, explosives are its defense's pain point. The Demon Deacons have allowed 34 plays of 20-plus yards from scrimmage this season, tied for the 11th most in the ACC this season.

Of those 34, eight have gone for 40 or more yards. The only other team in the league to concede more 40-plus-yard plays is Louisville, which BC torched for a season-high 448 yards at the start of the month.

Eagles wide receiver Zay Flowers—who entered the week first or tied for first in the ACC in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns—is tied for fourth nationally with four receptions of 40-plus yards. Then there's Jaden Williams and Jaelen Gill, both of whom have a 50-plus-yard catch to their names this season.

"What they do on their offense is they want to run the ball, but they want to take shots," Clawson said.

Of course, running the ball has been the problem for BC. The Eagles are second-to-last in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging a mere 69.5 yards per game on the ground. It goes hand-in-hand with their inability to protect Jurkovec. When BC can't establish itself on the ground, it becomes increasingly one-dimensional on offense, and opponents ramp up the pressure.

If the Eagles' run game gets going, though—which it has in their two wins—Jurkovec has more time to throw, and those big plays start rolling out. Explosives could be BC's best friend Saturday, particularly against a Wake secondary that's been beat up by injuries.

Conversely, the big play could also be the Eagles' worst enemy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina—defensively, that is.

Wake can hang in a shootout with the best of the best—as seen last month in its 51-45, double-overtime loss to Clemson—and that's not so coincidentally because its offense can erupt at any moment. There's a reason why the Deacons rank 105th nationally in time of possession. They might have a slow-mesh offense, but they score quickly.

Explosives help. Thanks to a veteran passer in Sam Hartman and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, Wake has logged 17 plays of 30-plus yards this season, tied for the fourth most in the ACC. Hartman has the third-highest Pro Football Focus big-time throw percentage (7.9%) in the league right now.

Headlined by AT Perry, and his 482 receiving yards, the Deacons have five wideouts with at least 15 catches right now.

"Their wide receivers are as deep as anyone we've played," BC head coach Jeff Hafley said.

Hafley went one step further: "I think, collectively, this is the best wide receiver group that we have played."

With the rise of burner Donavon Greene and fellow perimeter threat Jahmal Banks, plus slot guys Taylor Morin and Ke’Shawn Williams, Hartman has his options. He's not giving the ball way, either. Despite posting an average depth of target of 12.8 yards—the highest in the ACC, per PFF—Hartman has only thrown two picks versus 16 touchdowns in 2022.

"We gotta make him drive the length of the field," Hafley said of Hartman. "We have to eliminate explosives. They love those RPOs where they're not only throwing the short ones, but they're taking shots down the field, and they make a lot of people pay."

BC can't get gashed by the big play, or else it might have another Florida State runaway loss on it hands.

On the flip side, attacking Wake downfield could be the upset recipe Saturday. The trick is, finding a way to run the ball and protect Jurkovec so he has time to hit those explosives.

That's been easier said than done this season.