Eagles face unique test with Cal's true freshman QB this weekend
Boston College desperately needs a win at home this weekend.
The Eagles are coming off a bye week following an ugly, downright embarrassing loss to Stanford two weeks ago.
Cal started 3-0, but got blown out 34-0 against a below-average San Diego State team last Saturday. Now, the Golden Bears have to come East for a 3:30 kickoff, which on paper, means good things for BC.
However, this defense – that currently has some major injury concerns – knows it’s going to have its hands full this week with true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapoutele. Sagapoutele is currently 88-144 (61%) for 988 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been sacked six times and has a rushing touchdown as well (16 carries/20 yards).
On Tuesday, both Bill O’Brien and defensive lineman Ty Clemeons spoke about defending a true freshman QB like Sagapoutele:
O’Brien
“Good player, lefty, good out of the pocket. Makes a lot of off-schedule plays. Smart guy, very good player. He’s got a great rating right now. I think he’s playing at a real high level, no doubt about it…he’s a big guy. He’s a great passer. He’s smart. He’s got good command of their offense. He can move out of the pocket. He makes a lot of off-schedule plays and he makes plays within the pocket. He reads the defense very well.
“He’s an excellent quarterback whether he’s a freshman or a seventh-year senior.”
Clemons
“Mobile quarterbacks, obviously they can run fast. So, the biggest thing is just getting him contained. Everybody has to stay in their gap and get him on the ground.”
Despite the ugly loss to San Diego State last weekend, Bill O’Brien wasn’t surprised by it after Cal’s 3-0 start. He’s seen far too much football in his career to have anything catch him by surprise at this point.
Hopefully, the Eagles aren’t caught off guard by anything on Saturday.
“Never surprised by anything,” O’Brien said. “There’s not one thing in college football that surprises me. 33 years…not one thing in pro football that surprises me, nothing that happened out there (at practice) surprises me. Nothing ever surprises me.”
