Nick’s Keys to the Game: Boston College

Prior to the Maryland game, I had planned to pick Boston College to win this week unless the ‘Hoos really showed me something and handled Maryland on the road. A simple win wouldn’t have done the trick, as I think Boston College is a more talented, experienced and simply better team than Maryland. Although Virginia had a good chance to win the game at College Park, in critical ways it wasn’t as close as the score or situation indicated. The UVa defense looked like it had nine guys on the field, and I really hope it did, because it made Maryland look like the greatest offensive show on the planet. The Cavs gave me absolutely no reason to think that they have a fighter’s chance at BC, but one game is one game. There are some key actions – mostly defensive – that Virginia can take to get back on track at Chestnut Hill. The schedule the rest of the way is absolutely brutal outside of Temple, and to salvage a good season the ‘Hoos must get every win they can. Let’s take a look at the keys to a Cavalier victory over a strong Boston College squad.

Offense

1) Offensive Line must improve … again

The offensive line lived up to its name against Maryland, surrendering seven sacks and failing to establish holes for the running backs on a consistent basis. The only positive from allowing tons of pressure on Marques Hagans was that it naturally created a lot of running lanes for him to attempt to single-handedly win the game.

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