QB runs hot and cold
Brown must bounce back from tough day
Boston College sophomore quarterback Anthony Brown experienced the high and low points of his young career in consecutive games.
Brown was hovering in the rarefied air of national recognition following the Eagles’ 41-34 victory at Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Sept. 13.
Brown completed 16-of25 passes for a career-best 304 yards with five touchdowns to four different receivers and no interceptions. He was ACC Quarterback of the Week for the first time.
He became the first BC quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards and five touchdowns since Matt Ryan did the trick in 2007. Brown enjoyed a 232.1 passer rating against the Deacons, slightly down from his career best 245.9 against UMass in the season opener.
Brown underwent a statistical 180 on Saturday in a 30-13 nonconference drubbing at Purdue. Brown completed 13-of-27 passes for 96 yards with a touchdown, four interceptions and four sacks. Brown exited the fray with a 60.6 passer rating.
BC coach Steve Addazio is confident Brown will revert to his previous form when the Eagles (3-1) host resurgent Temple (2-2) on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
“He’s doing great,” Addazio said yesterday. “Anthony is a competitor. Anthony is a leader. And Anthony is very motivated right now.
“He’s ticked off as any competitor would be. He’s got to make sure he’s not trying too hard. He’s got to go back and take care of business and handle the reads and taking what’s there.”
Dillon runs on empty
BC tailback AJ Dillon experienced a reversal of fortune at Purdue similar to Brown’s.
Dillon, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year choice, earned conference honors as Running Back of the Week against Wake Forest. In his 10th career start, Dillon rambled for 185 yards on 33 carries including a 45-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ opening possession.
Against the Boilermakers, he statistically flatlined while running against a Purdue defense that clogged his lanes between the tackles and sealed the perimeter on sweeps. Dillon carried the ball 19 times for 59 yards with a long of 11 and no touchdowns.
Temple of memories
The Temple football program played in three leagues in three years (20112013) and Addazio was in the thick of it.
Addazio inherited a solid team from Al Golden when he became the Owls head coach in 2011. Temple was in its final season in the Mid-America Conference and Addazio guided the Owls to nine wins and their first bowl victory in 32 years.
“Al Golden had done a tremendous job resurrecting the program and I thought we came in and took it to the next level and won,” said Addazio.
The team’s success prompted a move to the Big East in 2012, an upgrade that caused Temple to falter. Addazio departed for BC in 2013 and incoming coach Matt Rhule oversaw the Owls’ introductory season in the American Athletic Conference.
Geoff Collins is in his second season at Temple and his squad is coming off impressive wins over Maryland and Tulsa.