Through the first four games of the season, it looked as though the Boston College offense had yet to develop an identity, and the coaching staff would spend the rest of the season hoping that the defense could keep them in games.
That was, of course, until the Eagles marched into Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., and hung 38 points on the Wolfpack defense. After an offensive attack that featured quarterback Chris Crane throwing for 428 yards and two touchdowns, the offense may just have found that identity.
"Everyone said we probably don't have that great of a passing attack and that we're more of a running team this year, and it kind of shows that we can throw the ball too, and when we're doing it, we're really clicking," said receiver Brandon Robinson. "Chris [Crane] was making good reads, we were catching the ball, and we kind of marched down the field."
It really looked like it was that simple for the offense. Crane would hike the ball, drop back, see an open receiver, and deliver a near-perfect pass. It was the same thing over and over, as the Eagles put together several impressive drives that ended in touchdowns.
Crane finished the day by going 34-for-51 and, possibly equally surprising, led the team with 42 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
The Eagles coaching staff made it clear that they planned on throwing against the porous NC State secondary, but no one truly expected that running backs Montel Harris, Josh Haden, and Jeff Smith would combine for only 64 yards.
Certainly the Eagles do not plan on passing the ball 50 times a game every game, but, if nothing more, this game established the BC offense as one that can both run and pass.
"It started to feel really good out there, and we had those big explosion plays and the defense kind of seemed at a loss of what to do, because when Chris started to produce like that, it just started to get really fun out there," said offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo. "I'm guessing the defense was having trouble figuring out what to do considering we were having such a good time on offense."
The offense was able to keep the good times rolling after a game against Rhode Island in which the Eagles rushed for 289 yards. This most recent performance by Crane suggests that the Eagles may have found the key to establishing a balanced offense. Consistency of both the run and the pass should help to give the offense a little variety and keep opponents' defensive coordinators guessing throughout the rest of the season.
"Chris definitely proved that he can get the job done, and that adds a little flavor to the offense, and we've also proven in games we can run the ball," Castonzo said. "So I think, going on what we've done in games, we've definitely proven we can be a balanced offense."
It is this added "flavor" that has given the offensive unit a considerable amount of confidence. They have proven in back-to-back weeks that they can run and pass, but they have yet to do both consistently in the same game.
They will have a chance to show off their new-found, dual threat offense when they take on Virginia Tech on Oct. 18. The Hokies, despite their reputation of having a staunch defense, rank 10th in the conference in total defense; and Crane and company will have a good chance to finally prove that they have a balanced offensive attack.
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