National pundits have dubbed the Boston College football team the Dark Horse of the ACC. The Eagles will have a chance to burst out of the gates on Saturday in their home-opener against Weber State.
Ranked No. 14 in the FCS, the Wildcats finished the regular season 7-5 last year and are led by senior quarterback Cameron Higgins, who hit the 30-touchdown plateau in 2009. Saturday's game, however, may serve more as a gauge of how far BC has come since last season's Emerald Bowl loss and less as a true college football clash.
The Eagles are thin at the wide receiver and defensive tackle spots due to injury, forcing an untested lineup against Weber State. No. 1 wideout Colin Larmond, Jr., suffered a season-ending knee injury during summer practices, forcing the five-man committee of Billy Flutie, Ifeanyi Momah, Clyde Lee, Johnathan Coleman, and Bobby Swigert to pick up the slack.
"That was a huge loss. Colin is a great player," said senior receiver Ryan Lindsey. "We just need to know what our role is as receivers now. Guys are going to have to step up. We have a lot of guys with a little experience, and they need to step up. We're all going to have to make plays."
The season-opener should provide a bit of an easier test than the team will face three weeks later against Virginia Tech. Weber State allowed 21.7 points per game and 220.2 passing yards per game last season. That could allow the receiver jumble to settle and the quarterback controversy talk to subside. Dave Shinskie enters the season as the named starter, though he has had to worry about fellow sophomore Mike Marscovetra, who came on strong and finished 20 of 22 in the last two scrimmages.
"He is definitely more of a leader, and as our quarterback, he knows what needs to be done," Lindsey said of Shinskie. "He's been on us more this summer."
The defensive tackle rotation remains in flux. Dillon Quinn is suspended for the first three games for an undisclosed violation of team rules, and Damik Scafe, who led defensive tackles with 21 solo stops last season, practiced in pads for the first time on Tuesday after recovering from an offseason back surgery.
"I've never gone through a process like this before," Scafe said. "Keep in mind, I haven't done anything since March, so maybe two weeks or a week and a half [I'll be back]. I'm good for a few plays right now. I'm doing three plays at a time and taking a little breather and going back in."
Scafe said he has already lost 20 pounds, but is shooting to drop another 10 more before he will be at his preferred playing weight.
Big-bodied Kaleb Ramsey and Conor O'Neal get the nod at the tackle spots against the Wildcats in their place. Ramsey entered camp a few days late for personal reasons, but has worked back and believes he is ready to start.
"Since I got here, I've been working pretty hard, trying to get myself into game shape and get back and acclimated with the system. I think I'm ready to play."
The Eagles will need him to, as Higgins is one of the finest gunslingers in the FCS. He threw for 3,326 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, but also showed a propensity for giving the ball away with his 20 interceptions. He will be without his favorite target from 2009, Tim Toone, who caught 85 balls for 1,525 yards, but has 6-foot-1 Mike Phillips (39 receptions, 704 yards, six touchdowns) back.
"The quarterback is very efficient and gets the ball out quick, and their offensive line is quick. They come off the ball hard," Ramsey said. "It's going to be big for the D-line to stop the run. They pass the ball well, and they run the ball well, so we need to bring all facets of the game."
The ACC's Dark Horse will finally be on display for all to see.
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