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football Edit

In the trenches with Eric Hoffses

Eric Hoffses covers Boston College for EagleAction.com.
1) After his performances against UMass and Duke what do you think Chase Rettig is doing better to keep from making the mistakes he made last season, and in the UCF game this year? "Rettig has made a lot less mistakes this season and has shown improvement. The one thing that seems to be holding him back from taking another step forward in his development is his accuracy and touch. Sometimes Rettig still fires the ball to a receiver when it would be more beneficial to take some juice off the pass and loft it up to his receiver."
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2) How signicantly did Montel Harris' absence affect BC offensively, and do you think he will be full-speed for this weekend's game? "In certain situations the team missed Harris a great deal because he has better vision than any other running back on the team. The offensive line has had a tough time opening consistent holes for the running backs, and there were a few times where Harris might have found the small holes that the younger running backs couldn't hit. Looking back, there were probably a few 3rd-and-short situations that the team would've picked up with Harris in the lineup. In particular, the team could've used him late in the game against Duke.
Based on his performance against UMass- 9 carries for 30 yards- I don't think Harris is quite back to being 100-percent yet. While his knee is feeling better he still needs time to get back into the flow of things."
3) When people think about the Eagles defense Luke Kuechly quickly comes to mind. How does Wake Forest slow him down? "I'm not sure that you can slow down Kuechly, and if Wake can then the coaches should get props because they would be the first staff to figure it out. Kuechly had 11 tackles last week against UMass which marked the 26th consecutive game that he's had 10 or more tackles. That is the longest streak in the nation. Kuechly is also leading the country in tackles once again."
4) What matchups offensively and defensively do you think concerns Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani and his staff the most? "With BC's defense, the defensive line had to be a concern. Wake runs more mis-direction plays than most teams do and the young BC defensive line will have to be disciplined enough to hold their gaps.
On offense, the match-up with the Wake Forest cornerbacks is a concern. The BC players have noticed that the Wake cornerbacks are good at jumping routes. Hopefully this doesn't get into Rettig's head that he has to throw every pass at top speed."
5) Who are a couple of BC players that Wake Forest fans should look out for? "Aside from the household guys Montel Harris and Luke Kuechly, there are a couple of guys to watch.
On offense, look for sophomore wideout Bobby Swigert, who is becoming Chase Rettig's favorite target. Swigert is a Wes Welker-type of receiver that lines up in the slot and will make those tough 3rd-and-8 catches over the middle.
On defense, watch for sophomore Kevin Pierre-Louis, the WILL linebacker next to Kuechly. KPL was a four star recruit that is living up to expectations. He's fast, powerful, and just an overall playmaker. One other player to watch is cornerback Donnie Fletcher, who is considered the best pro prospect on defense after Kuechly. Fletcher has been slowed by injuries this year but he's feeling the best that he has felt all year."
6) What is the injury report for the Eagles going into Saturday's game against the Demon Deacons? "An ongoing concern for the Eagles is left guard Nate Richman, who has been plagued by an ongoing back issue all year. Richman doesn't practice much during the week, so it's always up in the air whether or not he'll play on Saturday. Richman was considered the team's best offensive lineman headed into the season, but so far the injury has prevented him from performing at as high of a level as he's accustomed to.
The team's best defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey has been hampered by a foot injury the last few weeks. He returned against UMass last weekend but re-aggravated the injury. His status is still not 100-percent certain for Saturday.
It should also be noted that the Eagles have lost starting cornerback C.J. Jones and starting wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah for the year due to injuries."
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