Spotlight #1: Boston College CB Donnie Fletcher
Spotlight #2: Maryland CB Cameron Chism
1st quarter
13:58: Chism can’t quite get around a block on a sizeable run. Needs to put in more effort.
10:59: Game broadcast went out for 3 minutes of game time. BC scored.
10:08: Broadcaster notes that BC only completed one pass on that scoring drive and I saw it, it was on the other corner short. Doubt there was anything much to learn about Chism on that drive.
9:22: Maryland quarterback rolls out to Fletcher’s side on 3rd down, Fletcher has his man blanketed, so the quarterback has to check down to this side rather than throwing deeper than the sticks, ball knocked incomplete by a big hit by an underneath cover man. Maryland settles for a field goal.
7:44: Chism makes a nice open field tackle on the back taking a check down out of the backfield. Just like the teach it.
2nd quarter
14:41: Chism gets blocked off the play on a long run by a 2nd level block.
8:43: Chism thrown on over the middle, good late move to get a deflection.
8:28: Kuechly with an interception, quarterback doesn’t see him, ball too low, easy pick.
5:57: Kuechly blows up a play in the backfield, tackle for loss.
5:07: Chism in good position and shows good instincts to recover a fumble.
1:30: Fletcher thrown on for the first time tonight, thrown on short, good hit, receiver can’t catch ball, weather may have been a factor.
0:20: Chism with good deep, tight coverage, ball pretty inaccurate anyway.
3rd quarter
14:54: Kuechly with a special teams tackle. Kid does everything.
14:07: Davin Meggett with his 3rd drop of the game.
11:44: Fletcher takes a bad angle to the ball on an outside run to his side.
6:36: Fletcher in on a tackle after a long gain on a quarterback scramble.
1:49: Chism whiffs on a tackle in the backfield on a check down, allows back to get a first down on 4th and 5.
4th quarter
6:50: Meggett drops like his 4th or 5th pass of the game.
5:51: Chism does a good job of getting in position to make an open field tackle, but guilty of a horse collar personal foul. Can’t have that. Sets BC up with 1st and goal.
3:33: Fletcher allows a reception for a first down.
3:21: BC has a 28-10 lead and has been subbing starters in and out some. Not Kuechly. He’s stayed in the whole game.
2:05: Kuechly is in on the hands team too. Just saying.
1:42: Chism is able to catch a back from behind on a long run.
0:00: In hindsight, this might have been a bad game to scout two cornerback prospects. This game took place between two already bad passing offenses in the snow and sleet in Maryland. Boston College was just 5 of 12 passing and Maryland 16 of 41, only passing 41 times because they had to down multiple scores late.
Boston College was the victor in this one because they were able to dominant the line of scrimmage in this one. Boston College’s sophomore running back Rolandan Finch rushed for 243 yards and 2 scores on 39 carries despite facing stacked boxes all night because of a combination of his talent and amazing blocking by Boston College’s offensive line.
On the flip side, Maryland’s Davin Meggett was only able to rush for 99 yards on 17 carries. He didn’t particularly stand out as a very good running back. The fringe draftable prospect had 896 yards and 4 touchdowns on 171 carries this season, all 3 of which were career highs, but he really didn’t stand out here in a game that was built for running backs to stand out. He also dropped about 5 passes, contributing to Maryland’s awful passing numbers. Weather might have had a lot to do with Meggett’s drops, but he only had 17 catches on the season anyway, so his hands are a big question.
Now to the two cornerbacks I spotlighted. I really felt Fletcher stood out more as a better cornerback. He only allowed 1 catch in the game and that was late in prevent coverage. Maryland might not have passed well, but they did complete 16 passes because of how much they had to throw. Fletcher only allowed 1. Chism actually didn’t allow any, but Boston College only completed 5 and he was thrown on more than Fletcher, much more if you consider how much less Boston College threw in general. Boston College wasn’t afraid to test Chism. Maryland looked afraid of Fletcher, even deciding to check down on 3rd down short of the sticks on one instance after a roll out to Fletcher side because Fletcher had the route blanketed.
Fletcher also did better in run support. Boston College had a lot more runs into the secondary and Chism had his fair share of whiffs and a personal foul penalty, though he did have some nice tackles. Fletcher had fewer runs come into the secondary against Boston College, but in general help up in run support much better. This makes sense as Fletcher is 6-1 200, while Chism is 5-10 190. Fletcher finished with 4 tackles, Chism with 3. Fletcher looks to have shown himself as a 3rd round pick as so, while Chism is probably a 5th or maybe 4th rounder.
Luke Kuechly had another impressive game for Boston College. The slippery conditions didn’t seem to give Maryland much of an advantage in the run game offensively and Kuechly was a huge part of it, putting it 12 tackles once again. He also had a tackle for loss and a pick. He might have a lack of huge impact plays, but Kuechly has totals of 142, 183, and 191 tackles in his 3 seasons at Boston College. He’s a tremendous fundamental tackler with a nose for the football and great instincts and hustle. He’s also a high character kid who loves football. I was really impressed how he played the entire game despite a huge lead. He also plays special teams and was on the hands team. He’s might not be the fastest or the biggest, but he still looks like a top 10 pick in my book.
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