jimmythegreek
The opening odds start here
Boston College -37 over Massachusetts:
After 2 embarrassments last week with each team in this matchup on both sides of the pendulum, Boston College (1-0) looks to continue their dominating ways against interstate foes Massachusetts (0-1). Not just because one lowly foe is an independent since 2016 and the other hails out of the ACC, you simply couldn't call this an interstate rivalry despite both schools being just an hour and 45 minutes from each other. U Mass, now a subdivision 1 independent, has lost 15 of 16 games covering 2 seasons under head coach Walt Bell, doesn't look like their program will get any stronger. The last time the Minutemen tasted postseason play was back in 2007 when they lost to Southern Illinois 34-27 in the Division 1-AA playoffs. Most recently, these two teams met in 2018 with the Eagles winning 55-21. Boston College looks to 2021 with a positive outlook beginning with new head coach Jeff Hafley after Steve Addazio was fired in 2020 with a 6-6 record. Boston College broke a 5 game bowl losing streak with a 36-30 victory over Maryland in 2016. Boston College joined the ACC in 2005 and went to 12 consecutive bowl games from 1999-2010, the longest streak which was tied with Oklahoma in a similar span.
The Eagles humbled Division 1 Colgate of the Patriot League 51-0 in week 1. Sophomore QB Phil Jurkovec has now made tracks early on for BC by completing 18/27 for 332 yards and 3 TD. The 6'5" QB redshirt junior who transferred from Notre Dame, threw for 2,558 yards, the most ever by a BC under center in his first 10 games. Zay Flowers caught 7 passes for 135 yards including a 39 TD catch. Trae Barry also caught a 51 yard TD pass, and a 14 yard score to Jaden Williams. The Eagles defense limited the Raiders to 189 yards of total offense and forced 3 turnovers, including 2 by Grant Breneman (9/16 77 2 INT), who was also sacked 5 times. Travis Levy (9-32 3.6 1 TD) scored on a 3 yard run, and Jahim Muse added a 22 yard INT return to paydirt. Meanwhile, U Mass was punished by Pittsburgh 51-7 last week at Heinz Field. The Minutemen defense, or lack thereof surrendered a net total of 612 yards to the Panthers. Kenny Pickett (28/38 273 2 TD) started the scoring by completing a 5 yard TD pass to Lucas Krull (5-58 1 TD) and followed shortly thereafter with a 13 yard score to Jordan Addison (5-40 1 TD) from 12 yards out. 5 different Panthers each scored a rushing TD as Pittsburgh ran for 213 rushing yards in all. With Pitt up 37-0 to begin the 4th quarter, Minutemen QB Tyler Lytle ran up the middle one yard for a TD, the only score for U Mass all game long. Lytle threw for just 161 yards on 14/31 passing overall despite no turnovers, The Minutemen were held to just 42 yards rushing and 209 total yards overall in the blowout.
McQuirk Alumni Stadium is not ideally your typical home field advantage, as the venue holds just a little more than 21,000, and those who show up will likely be in wine and gold gear. While the magnitude of the Eagles' opener didn't seem fair to judge due to the lack of competition, this is the time early in the season where head coach Hafley would love to make an impactful scoring statement against less familiar foes due to the disparity in overall talent especially before ACC play begins shortly. BC has plenty of versatility on the ground, where they averaged north of 5 yards running the ball supporting their 178 rushing yards. Jurkovec didn't have many hitches in his giddyup, and should further take advantage of a lackluster U Mass defense this week. Granted, of BC's rushing yardage, their top back ran for a game high 39 yards, but they have so much balance in the backfield as Jurkovec led the team with 61. Their receiving core is equally impressive, as BC will likely look again to top target Flowers who had his way with the U Mass secondary. U Mass barely averaged 1.5 rushing yards against a feisty Pitt defense, and were shut out on their first 6 offensive plays of the game when it came to any type of positive yardage.
This may be a lot of lumber to lay, but given the personnel advantages on both sides of the ball, as well as future growth, I see another one-sided affair that in which the initial spread could easily be covered by halftime or in the early part of the third quarter. Lytle does have some size at 6'6" and 225, but he's at best statuesque in the pocket, tailor made for BC's defenders like Muse, along with transfer Jaiden Lars-Woodbey and strong safety Kam Arnold. playing at a 4-2-5. It will take a herculean effort for U Mass to get on the board with struggles pointing to garbage points during which BC has already put the game away.
After 2 embarrassments last week with each team in this matchup on both sides of the pendulum, Boston College (1-0) looks to continue their dominating ways against interstate foes Massachusetts (0-1). Not just because one lowly foe is an independent since 2016 and the other hails out of the ACC, you simply couldn't call this an interstate rivalry despite both schools being just an hour and 45 minutes from each other. U Mass, now a subdivision 1 independent, has lost 15 of 16 games covering 2 seasons under head coach Walt Bell, doesn't look like their program will get any stronger. The last time the Minutemen tasted postseason play was back in 2007 when they lost to Southern Illinois 34-27 in the Division 1-AA playoffs. Most recently, these two teams met in 2018 with the Eagles winning 55-21. Boston College looks to 2021 with a positive outlook beginning with new head coach Jeff Hafley after Steve Addazio was fired in 2020 with a 6-6 record. Boston College broke a 5 game bowl losing streak with a 36-30 victory over Maryland in 2016. Boston College joined the ACC in 2005 and went to 12 consecutive bowl games from 1999-2010, the longest streak which was tied with Oklahoma in a similar span.
The Eagles humbled Division 1 Colgate of the Patriot League 51-0 in week 1. Sophomore QB Phil Jurkovec has now made tracks early on for BC by completing 18/27 for 332 yards and 3 TD. The 6'5" QB redshirt junior who transferred from Notre Dame, threw for 2,558 yards, the most ever by a BC under center in his first 10 games. Zay Flowers caught 7 passes for 135 yards including a 39 TD catch. Trae Barry also caught a 51 yard TD pass, and a 14 yard score to Jaden Williams. The Eagles defense limited the Raiders to 189 yards of total offense and forced 3 turnovers, including 2 by Grant Breneman (9/16 77 2 INT), who was also sacked 5 times. Travis Levy (9-32 3.6 1 TD) scored on a 3 yard run, and Jahim Muse added a 22 yard INT return to paydirt. Meanwhile, U Mass was punished by Pittsburgh 51-7 last week at Heinz Field. The Minutemen defense, or lack thereof surrendered a net total of 612 yards to the Panthers. Kenny Pickett (28/38 273 2 TD) started the scoring by completing a 5 yard TD pass to Lucas Krull (5-58 1 TD) and followed shortly thereafter with a 13 yard score to Jordan Addison (5-40 1 TD) from 12 yards out. 5 different Panthers each scored a rushing TD as Pittsburgh ran for 213 rushing yards in all. With Pitt up 37-0 to begin the 4th quarter, Minutemen QB Tyler Lytle ran up the middle one yard for a TD, the only score for U Mass all game long. Lytle threw for just 161 yards on 14/31 passing overall despite no turnovers, The Minutemen were held to just 42 yards rushing and 209 total yards overall in the blowout.
McQuirk Alumni Stadium is not ideally your typical home field advantage, as the venue holds just a little more than 21,000, and those who show up will likely be in wine and gold gear. While the magnitude of the Eagles' opener didn't seem fair to judge due to the lack of competition, this is the time early in the season where head coach Hafley would love to make an impactful scoring statement against less familiar foes due to the disparity in overall talent especially before ACC play begins shortly. BC has plenty of versatility on the ground, where they averaged north of 5 yards running the ball supporting their 178 rushing yards. Jurkovec didn't have many hitches in his giddyup, and should further take advantage of a lackluster U Mass defense this week. Granted, of BC's rushing yardage, their top back ran for a game high 39 yards, but they have so much balance in the backfield as Jurkovec led the team with 61. Their receiving core is equally impressive, as BC will likely look again to top target Flowers who had his way with the U Mass secondary. U Mass barely averaged 1.5 rushing yards against a feisty Pitt defense, and were shut out on their first 6 offensive plays of the game when it came to any type of positive yardage.
This may be a lot of lumber to lay, but given the personnel advantages on both sides of the ball, as well as future growth, I see another one-sided affair that in which the initial spread could easily be covered by halftime or in the early part of the third quarter. Lytle does have some size at 6'6" and 225, but he's at best statuesque in the pocket, tailor made for BC's defenders like Muse, along with transfer Jaiden Lars-Woodbey and strong safety Kam Arnold. playing at a 4-2-5. It will take a herculean effort for U Mass to get on the board with struggles pointing to garbage points during which BC has already put the game away.