All Eyes On Florida State

Senior tight end Lars Anderson knows what it's going to take offensively for Boston College to beat Florida State tonight at Alumni Stadium (8 p.m., ESPN), but it won't be easy.

"To beat these guys, we are going to have to throw to complement the run," Anderson said. "But, first and foremost, we are going to have to run the ball against these guys until they put an extra guy in the box. Then we'll throw."

It's going to be difficult for the Eagles to rely solely on the ground game against FSU like they did against Maryland. Running back Deuce Finch will have a much tougher time finding the gaps and picking up big gains. He is going up against the fourth-best rush defense in the country. The Seminole defense has allowed just 77 yards per game on the ground. Only Oklahoma and Wake Forest have been able to put up more than 100 yards rushing against FSU, and even then it took at least 38 carries. Florida State relies primarily on its athleticism to shut down offenses.

"Florida State schematically isn't really confusing," Anderson said. "Their philosophy is, ‘We have bigger, better, faster, and stronger guys. We're just going to line up against you and hopefully beat you.' Schematically, it's pretty simple."

Sophomore wide receiver Alex Amidon echoed Anderson's statement, but added that the Eagles feel ready for the challenge.

"They don't really have a weakness on their defense," Amidon said. "All their defensive backs are fast and great cover guys. Their defensive linemen are really good and their linebackers are really good. It's nothing different than what we've seen before. We played a Clemson team with a lot of athletes. We aren't looking at them any differently than we've looked at anyone else this year."

While the Seminoles have been dominant against the run, some teams have been able to expose them through the air. Clemson and Wake Forest both scored at least three passing touchdowns against FSU this season. The BC players feel confident that the passing game will look better tonight than it did on Saturday.

"The conditions didn't really let us pass that much, but it should be a good day on Thursday, and we'll pass the ball a lot more," Amidon said. "I won't complain about 12 passes if we run the ball like that again. I don't mind blocking for Deuce."

Amidon also added that he believes quarterback Chase Rettig can have a big game for the Eagles.

"I see tons of progress," the sophomore wideout said. "Confidence is the most important thing you see. There's no nervousness. He's been doing a lot better than he did last year, decision-wise."

Building off the run and forcing Florida State to bring an extra guy in the box should open up the passing game for Rettig and the Eagles. While Rettig has had success finding Amidon and Bobby Swigert for shorter gains, BC has had trouble converting long passing plays.

"Our deep routes haven't really been working for us this year," Amidon said. "I enjoy running deep routes, but at this point I'm still more comfortable with the intermediate ones. It takes a lot more practice to get the timing down on the deep ones."

It is unlikely that the Eagles will be able to run their way straight to a win like they did against Maryland. Although Finch has looked great and the offensive line has found some stability recently, the Seminoles will eventually force BC to pass the ball. If Rettig can get enough time to throw and the receivers find some separation from the Florida State secondary, then BC has a shot at maintaining drives and staying competitive. Finally, putting everything together for four quarters is going to be integral for an upset.

This won't be easy. But the Eagles proved they can play a complete game last week. Now, they have to prove they can do it again.