With Mizzou on Tap, BC Buckles Down for Biggest Test Yet

So far, Boston College has played an FCS quarterback who has thrown nine straight interceptions without a touchdown, dating back to last year, and a pair of true freshman backups filling in for bottom-level FBS teams that are a combined 1-5 this year.

This week, BC gets Connor Bazelak, the reigning SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and, according to second-year Eagles head coach Jeff Hafley, “one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”

“Good player, poised, really plays the position well,” Hafley said. “Gets the ball out of his hand, keeps the play alive, can step up in the pocket.

“Isn’t just a guy who’s just going to try to run around, he wants to throw the ball down the field. He’s very accurate. He’s more athletic than people give him credit for.”

Bazelak threw for 200-plus yards in eight of 10 appearances as a redshirt freshman last year. He starred against LSU, going 29-of-34 for 406 yards and four touchdowns, earning Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week honors in the process.

The 6-foot-3, 212-pound former three-star recruit has posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio through three weeks this year, along with 897 passing yards. He’s completed 67.3% of his attempts. But his accuracy dips the deeper the shots he takes. Bazelak’s Pro Football Focus passing grade progressively decreases from short (0-9 yards, 78.0 grade) to intermediate (10-19, 68.4 grade) to long (20-plus, 62.2 grade) throws.

In fact, Bazelak is just 5-of-18 (27.8% completion percentage) on passes of 20 or more yards this season. Fourth-year starting BC cornerback Brandon Sebastian sees another weakness.

“I don’t think he’s very mobile,” Sebastian said. “Get him out of the pocket and get him running because I don’t think he’s good getting out of the pocket, so I think that’s something we should do.”

Bazelak’s PFF passing grade slides from 75.4 when he’s kept clean to 63.7 when he’s under pressure. His yards per attempt plummets from 8.9 to 3.6 when that happens, too. That’s not to say he can’t handle the blitz, though. When blitzed this season, Bazelak has completed 25-of-35 passes for 236 yards. He can get the ball out very quickly.

It helps when you have an electrifying running back who can catch passes out of the backfield. That’s exactly who Tyler Badie is. The 5-foot-8, 194-pound senior is a bowling ball of muscle, and Hafley said he’s “the best back we’ve played.”

“He is dynamic, and their O-Line’s very good. A lot of experience, a lot of older guys, really well coached. And the back’s explosive, big-play capability in the run game and in the pass game. I think he’s one of the best players on their football team.”

Badie leads the team with 15 catches this year, 142 receiving yards and a trio of touchdowns through the air. He’s also the Tigers’ workhorse on the ground. Badie has carried the ball 48 times this season for 345 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s not Missouri’s only dangerous running back, though. Elijah Young (19 carries, 80 yards, one touchdown) and Michael Cox (five carries, 77 yards, one touchdown) are capable as well.

The Tigers’ backs are on the shorter side, but they make up for it with height on the perimeter. Wide receivers Keke Chism (10 receptions, 114 yards, one touchdown) and Tauskie Dove (seven receptions, 87 yards) are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-2, respectively, while tight ends Niko Hea (seven receptions, 45 yards, one touchdown) and Daniel Parker (four receptions, 38 yards, two touchdowns) are 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-2.

BC was up against some tall wideouts at UMass in Week 2 and struggled with positioning in coverage, giving up 214 passing yards and three touchdowns.

“You have to be more physical,” Sebastian said. “We have a little bit smaller DBs. … So definitely just try to be physical with them, match their physicality and that's one of the top things we probably have to do this weekend.”

It’s a Missouri offense that ranks 17th nationally in total yards per game (513.7) and 25th in points per game (40.3). Hafley complimented Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s scheme and the balance it offers.

That’s something the Eagles are trying to achieve, even with backup quarterback Dennis Grosel under center for the foreseeable future. BC threw the ball just 13 times at Temple, and Grosel never got in a rhythm, completing five passes for 34 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Hafley explained Tuesday that the Eagles’ run-heavy play-calling was a byproduct of game plan, not a sign that they don’t trust Grosel’s arm.

“We went up so fast in that game, and I felt so good about how we were playing on defense, that talking to Coach Cignetti, we were gonna run the ball. And if we had to punt it, punt it. It just was a matter of us managing the game at that point. And then we went up, 28-3, and I felt like we were in control of that game from the opening kickoff return. And that's how our plan to win was for that week.”

Left guard Zion Johnson reminded reporters that he and the rest of BC’s offensive line is prepared for any degree of run/pass balance, or imbalance for that matter. He joked that, in 2019, the Eagles ran “every play pretty much.”

“So, you know, I mean, of course, offensive linemen love to run and hit people,” Johnson said. “But, you know, we're ready to do both.”

But Hafley doubled down that BC will be a vertical passing team, regardless of who is playing quarterback. He mentioned that the Eagles took some shots at Temple that just didn’t pan out. Hafley also said that there’s been a lot of plays on the call sheet, both offensively and defensively, that he and his staff haven’t ended up using the first three weeks of play.

“If they're needed in the game, you'll see 'em on Saturday,” Hafley said.

That could very well be the case against a Missouri team that’s favored on the road.