Nevada vs. BC
On the eve of the BCS national title game, one of the best match-ups of offense versus defense that has been seen all year.
Nevada, while known more for their upset of Boise State, has been a solid team for a number of years. They like to build their offense around the running of both Vai Taua and Colin Kaepernick; the zone read option being their play of choice. The thing that makes this unique as compared to every other team running the zone-read option, is the fact that they run out of the pistol formation. Nevada head coach Chris Ault was the innovator of the Pistol offense and has found numerous different ways to exploit opponents and get the absolute most out of his players when running in this offense. Taua provides a great deal of power and downhill running potential which is a great compliment to Kaepernick’s deceptive speed from the quarterback position. Both have rushed for over one thousand yards and combined for 39 touchdowns. However they will be challenged by the best run defense in the country. The Boston College defensive line is great at occupying blocks and allowing Luke Kueckly, Mark Herzlich and Kevin Pierre-Louis to roam and run freely to the ball-carrier. While they will need to be disciplined against the zone-read option they must also be disciplined against the play-action. Kaepernick is very good at ball-faking and has a strong enough arm to stretch the ball downfield. Nifty receiver Rishard Mathews and tight end Virgil Green are good at stretching the field and the Boston College secondary is prone to biting on play-fakes.
The Boston College offense will be benefitted by the return of runningback and offensive focal point Montel Harris. Harris and backup Andre Williams need to see a lot of carries in this game because true freshman quarterback Chase Rettig is far from the best decision maker. Also, while Nevada’s secondary occasionally has issues locating the ball in flight, Boston College receivers aren’t particularly athletic and will need to use their moves to create separation. Even then, the pass should be used only to move the chain on third downs. Though Harris and Williams have been effective, they may have a hard time moving the ball against the athletic and active Nevada defense.
Prospects to Watch
Nevada
Dontay Moch – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker: Moch has really been an underrated story through the course of the season in college football. In the past three years (2008-to this game), Moch has racked up 59.5 tackles for loss (63 for his career) and 26.5 sacks. That kind of production is just plain great. While he may not wow anyone with his size (though he is the prototypical size you’d like to have for an outside linebacker/defensive end), his speed off the first step is top-notch. He has a great motor when pursuing the quarterback and has great range against the run. He’s the kind of player who can who can chase a runningback out of bounds when they try to break their run to the outside. However, he is not a particularly strong player. He struggles to anchor himself against runs and can be locked out by bigger tackles. He will probably need to be moved to outside linebacker regardless of which team drafts him. He has the range to be a good coverage player, but is inexperienced in that role and would fit better in a 3-4. Look for him to go between the 3rd and 5th round.
BC
Anthony Castonzo – Offensive Tackle: While Castonzo lacks ideal bulk and may never be the kind of mauler in the run game that some teams may want; he is still a top-end pass protector. His long arms make it difficult for opposing rushers to get around him and he has the ability to move and engage those rushers if they don’t try a double move. He generally uses good technique and has great awareness to pass off rushers and identify blitzers. However he does occasionally over-extend and will engage the first rusher he sees, making him a bit more vulnerable to delayed blitzes. His run blocking is less than stellar and he can stop his feet on occasion. He’ll need to work on these technique flaws, but has shown that he is a hard enough worker to correct these mistakes. He is projected to go between the late first and early second round.
Final Pick
Nevada – Colin Kaepernick is a great asset within Nevada’s offense while Craig Rettig is still a detriment to the Boston College offense.
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