[tm]Boston College[/tm] Boston College at Kent State Saturday, August 30, 2008 7:00 p.m. EST Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio (Natural Grass/Capacity over 73,200) Radio/TV: WNIR 100.1 FM/ESPNU [tm]Kent State[/tm] THE SERIES This is the first match-up between the two schools. A LOOK AT THE BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES Jeff Jagodzinski's second season at Boston College will be a little different from his first. The Eagles lost Heisman trophy candidate quarterback Matt Ryan, who was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons, and may replace him with senior Chris Crane. Despite winning the Johnny Unitas award in 2007, Ryan threw the second most interceptions in the country with 19, so a new quarterback may cut down on turnovers. Crane impressed coaches during the spring game, where he passed for 155 yards on 18 of 35 passing and had one touchdown. Boston College also lost its leading rushers in Andre Callender and L.V. Whitworth. The Eagles suffered major losses on offense and defense, including several starters in the defensive backfield. After winning the ACC Coastal Division in 2007, the Eagles will likely have a rebuilding year in 2008. WHEN BOSTON COLLEGE HAS THE BALL After losing two highly drafted players on offense (Ryan and offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, a first round pick for Detroit), Jagodzinski will have his work cut out for him if his Eagles are to produce like they did last season. Cherilus had tied for the most starts by a Boston College player ever, with 50, so it doesn't help the running game. Last year on the ground, the Eagles produced just 1,389 yards, just 3.4 yards a carry, which was ninth in the ACC. However, the Eagles finished with the best offense in the conference with an impressive passing game. With a new quarterback, and new receivers, offensive coordinator Steve Logan has his work cut out for him. Unlike last season's opening game against Iowa State, Kent State will have a good grasp on what the Boston College offense will try to do, but the roles are reversed, as most of the Boston College starters are unknown. The Flashes did a tremendous job getting to the quarterback during the spring. Facing the pass-happy Eagles should allow sophomore Monte Simmons and junior Kevin Hogan a chance for a big day. If Boston College's stats are any indication of this year's squad, then Kent State fans should know a lot more about the young defensive secondary. After losing two starters (including Jack Williams), arguably the most suspect unit--on what should be a tough defense--is the secondary. The Flashes have done a decent job stopping the run over the last two seasons, and with all of the starting linebackers returning, along with Cobrani Mixon's arrival, the Flashes may have success against the Eagles' new running game. WHEN KENT STATE HAS THE BALL This will be the day the Flashes know who their starting quarterback is, after a summer quarterback competition between the crafty veteran, senior Julian Edelman and sophomore Giorgio Morgan. Obviously, a quarterback's job becomes much easier when they have a horse in the backfield like Eugene Jarvis. The junior, and Mid-American Conference's leading rusher in 2007, will look to start the season out strong against a defense that had success against the run last season. Jarvis rushed for 1,669 yards, and as Kent State coach Doug Martin loves to point out, that was with a struggling passing game--thanks to injuries. Senior Jameson Konz (a linebacker turned tight end) and an influx of new players on the offensive line will help with the passing game and the running game. Martin said his line should be better at rushing, while Konz's speed makes him a threat across the middle and down the field. Boston College was the best rushing defense in the ACC in 2007, allowing just 75 yards per game, a very stingy 2.4 yards per carry. But its passing defense was the worst in the ACC, allowing 253.9 yards a game. DeJuan Tribble was drafted by San Diego, which means a poor passing defense lost its best cornerback. Senior safety Paul Anderson has the most experience in the back field, but corner Deleon Guase saw plenty of action after taking Tribble's place because of injury. The defensive line could be the strongest area for the Eagles, with three starters returning, along with plenty of depth. This will come in handy as the Eagles look to replace standout end Nick Larkin. The Eagles may struggle at linebacker with several new starters, but with 12 backers listed on the 2008 depth chart, they have plenty of options. New Kent State offensive coordinator A.J. Pratt said he wants to pass more in 2008, which could mean a long day for the Boston College defense, and would hush any rumblings from Kent State fans that are unhappy about the quarterback decision. KEY MATCH-UP It would be easy to say that the most important match-up is going to be Jarvis and the Boston College rush defense; however, the Kent State pass defense will be tested all day. During the Boston College spring game, Crane passed 35 times. Last season, the Eagles had 276 more passing attempts than rushing attempts. Even with all the new starters on the Boston College offense, the one true thing coaches will know about BC's offense--in Jagodzinski's second season--is that he passed a lot in 2007. The Flashes have plenty of talent in the secondary, lead by senior Rico Murray, but after losing two cornerstones of the unit, Williams and safety Fritz Jacques, they need to show offenses that they shouldn't be picked on. Sophomore safety Brian Lainhart looked impressive at times in 2007, but still needs to improve. Junior defensive backs Danny Sadler and Kirk Belgrave will be relied upon more than ever before, as defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis will play more man coverage this season. Kent State's running game against Boston College's staunch rushing defense will be key, but the play of the Kent State defensive backs and the Boston College passing attack will likely decide the outcome. WHAT THE FLASHES MUST DO TO WIN THE GAME Simmons and Hogan played like former New York Giants standouts Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor this spring. The big question though is: ae they that good, or is the line just that behind? Against Boston College, Kent State fans will learn the answer. Simmons came on at the end of last season, and has been unstoppable since. Hogan was solid all year long. If the pair can continue their play, Boston College's young offense could struggle. As mentioned, Ryan threw 19 picks last season, which could present a lot of turnover opportunities for a defense that didn't have many in 2007. But it doesn't matter how well the defense plays, if the offense is suspect. The fact that Boston College had success against the run in 2007 shouldn't deter anyone from thinking Eugene Jarvis could have a bad day. After all, Jarvis rushed for 84 yards in one half against one of the best rushing defenses (Ohio State) in the country last season. Jarvis could actually get lost in the build-up to this game, considering there may still be a question at quarterback. Right now, coaches are sticking with Edelman, while Morgan impressed a lot of fans and media types in his start against Central Michigan last fall. Regardless who starts, the key will be getting the ball in the hands of Jameson Konz. He recorded the fastest 40-time this past winter, and after playing linebacker the past three seasons, there's no question he's tough enough to go across the middle. Last season, the passing game struggled because of injuries and poor receiver play, this year Konz should open up passing lanes down field, which will help the plethora of speedy, under-sized, receivers. Finally, there is Jarvis. Kent State needs him and sophomore Andre Flowers to establish the running game to relieve pressure (physically and maybe even mentally) from the quarterback. If the Flashes combine Jarvis' steady play, Konz's over the middle ability and possibly Edelman's scrambling ability, then the Flashes could play-action the Eagles defense, play after play. Then again, even though the Eagles have new players, it's not as if they are short on talent. This means that even if Kent State does execute the new offense perfectly, one turnover (which they did a lot early in the 2007 season) could win the game for Boston College. DID YOU KNOW? Kent State head coach Doug Martin and Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski are friends. The two coached together under current BC offensive coordinator Steve Logan when Logan was head coach at East Carolina and Martin mentioned as early as late last season about how much respect he has for Boston College. Routinely, Martin will pepper his post game press conferences with "Steve Logan" references. Hypothetically, this means that Martin probably knows more about this staff then anyone he has coached against before. Either way, expect Martin to be on his game, as he looks to impress his friend and mentor.

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