Brown ready to bounce back
Addazio believes in QB’s leadership, ability
Boston College coach Steve Addazio believes quarterback Anthony Brown is ready to rebound in a big way.
Addazio thought Brown’s struggles in the second half of Friday night’s 48-24 debacle against Kansas were the result of meltdowns on both sides of the ball.
The Jayhawks outscored the Eagles 20-0 in the second half.
“I thought Anthony was an outstanding leader, and I think he is playing really hard and this is super important to him,” Addazio said during his weekly press conference Monday at Conte Forum. “I just like his mindset a lot.
“In the second half on offense we came out and had two three-and-outs and, quite frankly, we tried to throw the ball a little bit in there and had some incompletions.”
The Eagles (2-1) will have an extra day to prepare for Saturday’s clash with Big Ten opponent Rutgers (1-1) in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers is coming off a 30-0 loss at No. 20 Iowa. BC resumes ACC play on Sept. 28 at home against Wake Forest.
“I was very exited about our team and their mindset and their approach,” Addazio said. “I thought they came in with the right look and really focused on fixing issues.
“We took a step forward, and I’m very excited about playing Rutgers and getting on the road and really getting back on the field.”
Brown showed his potential as a top ACC passer in the season opener, an 35-28 victory against Virginia Tech. He completed 15-of26 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Brown followed that performance with an efficient 8-of-14 for 163 and two touchdowns in a run-dominated 45-13 win against Richmond. Brown was on his game in the first half against Kansas, completing 7-of-15 for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles defense collapsed in the second half, and Brown and his receivers could not keep pace with the Jayhawks. Brown finished the second half 11of-21 for 77 yards.
“I think Anthony would probably tell you he would like a few throws back, but I’m telling you as the head coach he made some incredible throws,” Addazio said. “I guess we are talking about consistency in the throw game.”
McDuffie improves
Addazio said there is a “possibility” injured outside linebacker Isaiah McDuffie could be back on the field against the Scarlet Knights. McDuffie has missed the opening three games of the campaign while recovering from offseason knee surgery.
The junior from Buffalo enjoyed a breakout season in 2018. He played in 12 games with six starts and finished second on the team with 85 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for losses and 3.5 sacks.
“I think that is possible, and I’m not trying to play coy with anybody,” Addazio said. “I really don’t know, but the doctors and the trainers are on top of that.”
BC’s starting linebackers Max Richardson, John Lamot and McDuffie’s replacement, redshirt freshman Joe Sparacio, were outstanding against Virginia Tech and Richmond but non-factors against Kansas. The Jayhawks netted 329 rushing yards.
Jersey boys
The Eagles roster contains 17 players from New Jersey, with 10 on the two-deep chart and four starters. The starters include Brown, tight end Korab Idrizi, offensive tackle Ben Petrula and defensive end Marcus Valdez.
The Garden State also has made significant contributions to the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.