BC can't pass on throwing the ball

Eagles know offense must have balance

BC tight end Ryan Purvis insists a one-dimensional offense won't have success in the ACC. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

After Boston College racked up 289 yards and scored five touchdowns by essentially calling the same two running plays 40 times last week in a 42-0 win over Rhode Island, offensive coordinator Steve Logan offered a disclaimer.

First, as tight end Ryan Purvis tells it, "He said he's never been in a game where you can run the same play over and over again and be successful and score as many points as we did."

Then he added, "That will never happen again."

The benefit to running so well, Purvis said, is that the Eagles got to use their bread-and-butter play against an abundance of different looks from URI.

The reality is that at some point, the Eagles will have to pass. That's why the game plan for Saturday at North Carolina State calls for more of an emphasis on an attack that almost wound up on the endangered species list last week as BC threw the ball just nine times.

"We have to be more balanced if we're going to be successful in ACC play," Purvis said. "The emphasis is there now. We need to get better at that to be successful, and everyone is putting their full attention to the passing game."

If anything, the strategy shift is a morale booster for the receivers, who have looked more like ornaments than actual pieces of BC's offense through four games.

This season has had a completely different feel for a group of receivers that was nothing if not well fed by former BC quarterback turned Atlanta Falcons starter Matt Ryan last year.

BC gained nearly 1,400 more yards through the air than any other school in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year.

Junior Rich Gunnell caught 64 passes for 931 yards and seven touchdowns in that offense. Gunnell hasn't seen the end zone since he hauled in two touchdowns from Ryan in the Champs Sports Bowl last December. This season, he's caught five passes for 37 yards and is on pace for 12 receptions.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, he said.

"At times it may get a little frustrating, but I just try to stay focused," Gunnell said. "If we have to run the ball more in a game, we'll run the ball. I have no problem blocking as long as we're getting the job done. I may not have the numbers that I had last year, but we're 3-1. That's the only thing that matters, as long as we're winning games."

Senior quarterback Chris Crane is still getting adjusted under center, throwing two touchdown passes but also five interceptions in his first three games. Coach Jeff Jagodzinski started throwing redshirt freshman Dominique Davis into the mix. So most of the Eagles' skill players are still figuring each other out, and beyond that, so is the coaching staff.

With inexperience at every skill position except receiver, Jagodzinski acknowledged that Logan is still testing the parameters of this offense.

"I still think we're trying to find out who we are," Jagodzinski said. "We've got a couple true freshman running backs and our offensive line is new. What we do have back are our wide receivers and our tight end. That's why I said our defense early on had to do a good job until we get into a rhythm. Hopefully, this week against N.C. State we can."

Logan developed a reputation as a quarterback builder, but his priority since coming aboard with Jagodzinski last season has been balance. He's been generous with the run and judicious with the pass.

"The thing is," Jagodzinski said, "what a balanced offense is, it's throw it when you want to throw it, run it when you want to run it. That's balance to me. Whatever puts a 'W' on the board. I ain't worried about the stats."

The Eagles should be comforted by the prospect of facing an N.C. State defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the ACC and gave up 275 last week to South Florida.

"It was surprising because when you think of N.C. State, you think of press man coverage and they have all these athletes who can run down there, and you think they're going to be in your face," Purvis said. "Most of that South Florida game, it looked like they were playing a cover-2 zone. It's a different look."

To exploit it, the Eagles have been working from empty-back, slot-receiver formations, hoping to create mismatches for their receivers with linebackers or safeties.

BC may already have pinpointed a possible whipping boy in freshman Dwayne Maddox, who found himself at the top of the depth chart at weakside linebacker after the Wolfpack lost their leading tackler, Nate Irving, to a right ankle injury.

"We're definitely going to go after him and see what they can do and how they can react to it," Gunnell said.

The empty-back formation means you can expect a different look from Montel Harris after the freshman running back rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns against URI.

He grinned, pointing out that he had lined up as the split receiver in practice, saying just two words: "Fly routes."

Of the 13 touchdowns scored by the Eagles' offense, 10 have come on the ground. The change in philosophy means receivers have a chance to close the gap.

"It definitely lights up a lot of our eyes as receivers," said Gunnell. "Now we've just got to take advantage of it. We know we haven't really been passing the ball, but now when we do pass the ball, we need to take advantage of it. We need to realize it's our time now. So we need to step up."

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.