Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Football: 5 players to watch against Boston College

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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We take a look at the five players to watch in Louisville Football’s game against Boston College on Saturday.

The Louisville football team will be looking to avenge their close win over Virginia against the Boston College Eagles on Saturday afternoon. Even though the Cardinals barely won, Lamar Jackson just may have had his “Heisman-Moment” when he threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Jaylen Smith with under 30 seconds left.

The Cards now turn their attention to the Boston College Eagles, who have a starting quarterback that Louisville has faced when he played for a different school. Patrick Towles is the ex-Kentucky quarterback who always talked major trash about Louisville, but has never played well enough to back it up.

He had to transfer from the University of Kentucky to Boston College. I mean seriously, how good can this guy really be?

In all seriousness, Towles has the Eagles currently sitting at 4-4, with four more tough games on their 2016 schedule. Boston College still has to play #5 Louisville, #19 Florida State, UCONN, and Wake Forest before this season is over. I don’t expect them to finish this year with more than five wins.

Sorry Patrick Towles, it doesn’t look like you’ll be getting to a bowl game again this season.

With that being said, here are the five players that you need to watch for in the game between Louisville and Boston College on Saturday.

Oct 29, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff (23) carries the ball as Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Chris Peace (13) and Cavaliers defensive end Andrew Brown (9) chase in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals won 32-25. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Radcliff

Running Back, University of Louisville

Brandon Radcliff has been almost non-existent over the last month for the Louisville Football team. He has struggled with fumbles and being banged up, but he still hasn’t been the running back that we were used to seeing throughout September. Again, his lack of production may not all be on him, however it’s very important that Louisville gets the ground game going against Boston College.

Radcliff hasn’t come close to the same production that he had at the beginning of the season. Over the first four games of the year, he totaled 427 rushing yards. Whereas, over the last four games, Radcliff has only been able to rush for 178 yards.

As great as Lamar Jackson has become, the Cards’ offense cannot become one-dimensional. We have learned that the offensive line cannot handle that type of pressure and that it could lead to a devastating loss.

Let’s see if Radcliff and the O-line can get the ground game going against the Eagles on Saturday.

Oct 22, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Jeremy Smith (34) avoids the tackle of North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Jerod Fernandez (4) as he runs the ball during the second quarter at Papa John

Jeremy Smith

Running Back, University of Louisville

Don’t be fooled by the Eagles’ 2016 record, Boston College has the best rushing defense in the entire conference. They are only giving up 93 yards per game this season, while the Cards have the best rushing attack in the conference. However, we all saw how much the offensive line struggled making holes against one of the worst defenses in the ACC.

This is where Jeremy Smith can help Louisville get going on Saturday. The coaching staff didn’t use Smith as much as they should have against Virginia, but that could change against Boston College.

Smith presents a big and physical back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. He will be able to go pound for pound with any great defender that Boston College has on their defense. When the Cardinals need to establish a run game, they need to rely on Smith more than Radcliff.

However, Louisville needs both of their running backs to have great games on Saturday.

Oct 29, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Kurt Benkert (6) throws the ball as Louisville Cardinals linebacker James Hearns (99) chases in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals won 32-25. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

James Hearns

Linebacker, University of Louisville

Hearns has been one of the best players on Louisville’s defense all season long, however he needs to have a much better performance this weekend than he did against Virginia. He currently has half as many sacks as any other defender on the Cards’ roster and has been leading that category all season long.

Louisville is going up against a familiar face in ex-Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles. The Cardinals have never had a problem shutting Towles down, but they cannot afford for that to change on Saturday.

Towles is a big quarterback, with a strong arm, that can run whenever they need him to. James Hearns has to find a way to disrupt him behind the line of scrimmage or the Cardinals could have another close game on their hands.

Virginia kept their quarterback clean most of the day and gave him room to run up the middle. Something needs to change this week or Towles will keep the chains moving all day long against Louisville.

Oct 1, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver James Quick (17) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

James Quick

Wide Reciever, University of Louisville

Just like Brandon Radcliff, James Quick has been absolutely non-existent from the Louisville offense over the past four weeks. Ever since the Clemson game, Quick hasn’t been able to connect with Lamar Jackson on the field. Whether it has been drops, overthrows, or a combination of the above, the James Quick has been fading fast.

Boston College doesn’t represent a great match-up for Quick, as they are the best overall defensive unit in the entire ACC conference. As if last week wasn’t stressful and tough enough, the Cards may be in for another grind-it-out type of game against the Eagles.

If Quick can prove on Saturday that he hasn’t completely lost his ability to be a top-level receiver, then we won’t hit the panic button. However, if he starts dropping the easy throws that are thrown his way, then it may be time for Quick to find a spot on the bench for the rest of 2016.

However, with that being said, I believe that he still has another great performance left in him as a Louisville Cardinal.

Let’s hope it comes when the Cards need him the most.

Sep 24, 2016; Huntington, WV, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) huddles with teammates against the Marshall Thundering Herd in the first half at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville's Offensive-Line

University of Louisville

It was extremely disappointing to see how Louisville’s offensive line performed against Virginia last Saturday. The Cavaliers are one of the worst defenses in the entire conference, however the Cards’ offensive line made them look like the Seattle Seahawks.

The Cardinals are the best rushing team in the ACC, but the only way they can be that good is if the offensive line does their jobs. They got better as the game went along last Saturday, but there is still concern over how they will play against Boston College.

The Eagles are very physical up front and are the best overall defense in the conference. Louisville has had a tendency over the past month of playing to the other team’s level. Hopefully the O-line is ready for the challenge on Saturday.

These guys have answered the call to get better before, I have no reason to believe they won’t turn it around on Saturday.