Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Emotional matchup lies ahead
UM looks to rebound in ACC at Boston College
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — For the Hurricanes, finally, there’s a chance to play again.
After an ugly, disappointing loss at Virginia snapped Miami’s fivegame win streak, knocked the Hurricanes out of the AP Top 25 and put them in a precarious spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, Miami players and coaches have had nearly two weeks to dwell on the mistakes they made in Charlottesville.
They’ve also had time to figure out how to fix those mistakes and with their open date now behind them, the Hurricanes say they are
ready to move into the most critical portion of their schedule, starting Friday night with a nationally televised, prime-time game at Boston College.
“It was tough. It was a nasty taste in our mouth that we’re not used to,” Hurricanes defensive tackle Gerald Willis said of the wait to play since coming up short at Virginia on Oct. 13. “[The] defense, as a team, just forgot about the LSU game and that nasty taste in our mouth. We just needed to be
punched in the mouth again. The defense will hold it down and be ready to ball out in their stadium.”
But the Hurricanes (5-2, 2-1) are going to need more than just a strong effort from their defense at Boston College in what is essentially a must-win game if Miami wants to defend its Coastal Division title.
Yes, the defense will be challenged with trying to keep Eagles running back AJ Dillon, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, in check when he makes his expected return after missing two games because of an ankle injury, but on the other side, the Hurricanes offense knows it can’t afford another performance like the one it had at Virginia.
While they outgained the Cavaliers 339-231, the Hurricanes turned the ball over three times and struggled to score, prompting Miami coach Mark Richt to make his second in-game quarterback change of the season.
This time, the coach opted to pull N’Kosi Perry from his first road start after the redshirt freshman threw two early interceptions, and insert in his place veteran signal caller Malik Rosier.
While Rosier led Miami to three scoring drives, he was unable to bring the Hurricanes all the way back, Miami managing just one late touchdown.
The redshirt senior acknowledged this week he, and the rest of the offense, have to be better.
“I think the big thing was there were little mistakes, even in some of the run game just from a blocking discipline,” Rosier said. “We normally block very well, especially in the perimeter. … Last week, it wasn’t as good. Even up front, we had a couple of miscues. I feel like this week, we’ve done a great job of communicating. That’s a big thing on the road, when the crowd gets into it sometimes, miscommunication happens.”
And the Hurricanes – who are 3-point underdogs and haven’t beaten a Power 5 opponent on the road since a 24-19 win over North Carolina last October 28 – expect the crowd will be a factor Friday.
Not only will former Boston College star Doug Flutie be honored at the game, but the Eagles (5-2, 2-1) are also hosting their annual Red Bandana Game honoring former Eagles lacrosse player Welles Crowther.
Crowther is credited with saving multiple lives in the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 before the tower collapsed, and each year, the Eagles play a game in his honor, with fans throughout Alumni Stadium wearing replicas of the red Bandana Crowther wore that day.
It’s proven a tough environment for visiting teams, with both USC and Florida State losing in past Red Bandana games.
“When you see the stories about what happened, it’s just very inspirational to them,” Richt said. “But it will inspire us as well, for his heroics.”
Added Rosier, “For them, it’s almost a pride thing and as it is, it’s hard to go in someone else’s home and beat them. Then you add this game, where it’s a very emotional game for them, they’re going to come out fired up. We have to be able to execute.”