As WKU football looks to win its fourth straight game, I sat down with Sourabh Gokarn, football beat writer and deputy managing editor for the BC Heights, to discuss the Hilltoppers’ game against the Eagles.
There are some similarities between the Hilltoppers and Eagles headed into Saturday’s affair as both teams look to improve on a 3-1 record. Gokarn said the key to Boston College’s strong start is the Eagles’ disciplined play. On the season, BC has committed 14 penalties for 103 yards.
“I think the biggest key for this team so far is that they’ve found their identity, and I think they’ve stayed true to that identity on the field… . This is a team that plays very, very disciplined. It limits penalties,” Gokarn said.
Gokarn attributes “100%” of that discipline to first year head coach Bill O’Brien. The former NFL head coach has instilled a very “[New England] Patriots like operation in terms of master discipline,” Gokarn said.
“I think that’s the Bill O’Brien effect. That’s where you see it the most, the discipline on the field,” he said. “It’s one game at a time, one play at a time… .That seems to be translating on the field with a much more disciplined Boston College team that has been seen in years.”
Along with limiting the penalties, Gokarn said BC has done well controlling the line of scrimmage. Neto Okpala, George Rooks and Donovan Ezeiruaku are guys, Gokarn said, who pose trouble on the defensive line while their offensive line has been a huge factor in BC’s strong run game. The Eagles average 192.5 rush yards per game with guys like Treshaun Ward, Turbo Richard and former Hilltopper Kye Robichaux out of the backfield.
“That’s, to me, the biggest part of their identity,” Gokarn said. “On both sides of the ball they’ve been winning the battle in the trenches.”
Another similarity between BC and WKU is that both are going into Saturday following a gritty win. For the Eagles, it was a 42-yard touchdown with under two minutes left that was the deciding factor in their win against Michigan State. Gokarn said that even in the win the Eagles “did not play all that great of a game.”
“That was not Boston College’s best performance,” he said. “It was cold. It was rainy and they didn’t really have a lot of the conditions in their favor… but they still pulled it out.”
Gokarn said his best version of Boston College is yet to arrive but when it does it will feature an offense that has unlocked quarterback Thomas Castellanos as a passer. Castellanos has thrown for 10 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season and is averaging only 188 passing yards per game. He has completed 45 of his 70 passing attempts and is eighth in the FBS in passing efficiency.
While he may have not been fully unlocked as a passer yet, Castellanos has done a lot of damage with his legs. The quarterback has run for 166 yards on the season.
“Another point of emphasis for Bill O’ Brien, day one of Castellanos has been quick decision making,” Gokarn said. “This is a guy who can make tremendous off schedule plays and make magic happen with the football, but take what the defense is giving you. He’s been able to take the checkdown, take the short pass.”
Defensively, Gokarn said the best version of the Eagles hosts an improved secondary.
“Strong defensive line play has sort of made up for that so far,” he said. “I think they’ve [the secondary] has done a good job tackling, but there’s been a lot of open space for guys.”
Against WKU, Gokarn said BC will look to control the tempo early and said he would not be surprised if the Eagles looked to open up the pass game more.
Sports reporter Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected]
