Eagles get crash course in tackling
Missed 26 against Virginia Tech
The Boston College defense took a remedial course in all aspects of tackling before Tuesday’s practice.
BC coach Jeff Hafley mandated the tackling refresher from the fallout of last Saturday’s 4014 loss to Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. The need for tackling 101 was the byproduct of backward and forward thinking.
The BC defense will engage a similar style rushing attack when the Eagles (3-2, 2-2) host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-3, 2-2) in an ACC game on Saturday (4) at Alumni Stadium.
Hafley’s review of the Virginia Tech game film revealed over two dozen missed tackles, several of which occurred in the Hokies’ backfield that resulted in long gains and first downs.
“We missed 26 tackles and if you tally up how many times when had the guys in the backfield and how many yards after that it is not a pretty number,” said Hafley.
“We are going to coach better and we are going to get more players to the football and make it easier for our players. But at the same time if we have a guy stopped in the backfield, we have to finish and take the guy to the ground.”
The “not a pretty number” Hafley referenced was 350. That was the number of net rushing yards accumulated by Virginia Tech.
The Hokie averaged 8.5 yards per carry, a winning formula in any era, along with 16 rushing first downs.
Virginia Tech leads the ACC with 312.0 yards per game, a quantity the BC defense helped inflate. Quarterback Hendon Hooker led the way with 164 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns while tailback Khalil Herbert, the leading rusher in the ACC with a 148.0 per game average, netted 143 on 18 carries. Virginia Tech rushed the ball 41 times with 15 pass attempts and accrued 461 yards of total offense.
BC finished with 68 tackles, one sack and four tackles for a loss and currently sits in 10th place (177.2 ypg.) in the ACC in rushing defense. BC linebackers Max Richardson and Isaiah McDuffie combined for 26 tackles against the Hokies.
“We look at it every week and we have a goal on how many tackles were OK to miss because they have good players too,” said Hafley. “We work hard on tackling and I don’t think it was a from the lack of missing anything.
“Clearly we didn’t do it well enough in the last game and we are not going to make an excuse for that. I think we’ve tackled well this season and it’s my job to figure out why we didn’t on Saturday.”
Tackling seminar
The drill Hafley put his defenders through at the start of practice is called the “tackle circuit.”
Defensive end Marcus Valdez is the leader of the Eagles refurbished defensive front that includes graduate transfers Luc Bequette (California) and Chibueze Onwuka (Buffalo) with redshirt senior Brandon Barlow on the opposite flank. Valdez, a redshirt junior captain from Port Amboy, N.J, explained what the tackle circuit entails.
“A tackle circuit has three or four stations and we just work on the different types of tackling,” said Valdez.
“There’s pressing the hips, warp and roll tackles, last minute tackles and shoot the ankles and different stuff like that.
“We really put an emphasis on different types of tackling for any situation we are in during the game so we know what type of tackle to operate.”
Missing gem
BC wide receiver KobayWhite celebrated his birthday Tuesday on the outside looking in.
White was the Eagles leader in receptions (29) in 2019 along with 460 yards and five touchdowns. White was tabbed to be the cornerstone of the Eagles’ new passing schemes designed by offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and implemented by quarterback PhilJurkovec, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Notre Dame.
BC was forced to move on without White, who was shut down for the season with a knee injury prior to the opener at Duke.
“I was talking to coach Cignetti in the film room and I brought up Kobay and we talked about how much we miss him,” said Hafley. “If you look right now, he’s the one guy who had so much experience and they guy who caught a lot of balls and was that calming factor.
“He knew where to line up and told guys what was going on and he was the veteran in the room.”
Sophomore Zay Flower stepped up to fill the void. Flowers has 28 catches for 462 yards and four touchdowns in five games while Hunter Long leads all FBS tight ends with 35 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns.
CJ Lewis and Jehlani Galloway are progressing while backs DavidBailey and TravisLevy have been effective on wheel routes and screens. BC is second in the ACC in passing offense with 305.2 yards per game. Jurkovec is second in the league in passing behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (308.8).
“If you think where our passing offense is now and the way Phil can keep things alive in the scramble and throw the ball, I have a feeling he (White) would have had a ton of production,” said Hafley.