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Quarterback Thomas Castellanos biggest threat to FSU football in ACC opener at Boston College
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- Quarterback Thomas Castellanos biggest threat to FSU football in ACC opener at Boston College
Florida State opens up ACC play on Saturday as 26.5 point favorites over Boston College, per Bet Online.
However, it is well aware that the Eagles' dynamic quarterback could change that in the game scheduled for noon Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Chesnut Hill, Massachusetts.
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FSU head coach Mike Norvell and nearly every coordinated brought up the threat that BC sophomore quarterback Thomas Castellanos brings to the field at Monday's weekly press conference.
The Seminoles are very familiar with Castellanos as they tried to recruit him out of the 2022 recruiting class.
"Thomas is somebody we recruited," Norvell said. "We were looking at him as a running back athlete as he was coming out. He's really done a nice job. He went to UCF, now transferred up to Boston College."
"You see the play-making ability that he has. He was a great player in high school. He's somebody that you absolutely have to work to contain."
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A native of Ware County, Georgia, Castellanos threw for 2,613 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior season, adding 968 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He picked UCF over FSU, where he appeared in five games as a quarterback, recording 120 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Castellanos transferred to BC this offseason and has settled in as the Eagles' starter. He earned his first start last weekend against Holy Cross, helping BC to a 28-13 win. He passed for 201 yards with a 73.9 percent completion rate and threw two touchdowns. He also added 69 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Considering that FSU recruited him as a running back, speed is Castellanos's weapon.
"He plays like a slot receiver. He's more in and out of cuts. The difference between a slot and him is he has the ball in his hands," defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said. "He has the ability to pump fake people to get people out of the way. He's definitely got legitimate quickness."
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"He plays with a lot of confidence. He made some throws last week against Holy Cross that he didn't make against NIU. I wouldn't say he's Jayden Daniels, but he definitely offers a unique skill set for the position of extreme quickness."
Special teams coordinator John Papuchis added that Castellanos was in his recruiting area and that he's "a very talented athlete that is going to keep plays alive". Staying disciplined on the defensive line and limiting Castellanos's lanes is going to be key for FSU.
Vice versa, BC head coach Jeff Hafley complimented the talent and balance that FSU will bring to the field on Saturday. Depth is once again the main point one of the Seminoles' opposing coaches has highlighted.
"They certainly could be one or two. Depends on who you ask," Hafley said. "Coach Norvell does a good job and I have a lot of respect for him. He's a good person and a good football coach. They're as deep as they've been. If you look at their D-line and D-ends, they have four guys who can go interior."
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"They're deep at wide receiver. Every time you turn on film there's a new guy who is just as big and just as fast. They've got depth at running back. Their O-line has returned most of their players and then the quarterback. He's just gotten better and better."
3 keys to the game
1. Don't give Castellanos time or room
Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) keeps the ball during the Eagles game against Holy Cross on Sep. 9, 2023. The Eagles won 31-28.
It would seem that the obvious option would be to force Castellanos to throw, but at the same time, he's good at that too as he threw for over 70 percent last week against Holy Cross. The assignment then becomes giving Castellanos no time to think or room to make a decision.
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As Papuchis said, D-line discipline is going to be huge in making sure that Castellanos has little to no time after the ball is snapped. Last week Southern Miss was only able to complete 11 passes and rushed for a little over 100 yards, proving that the FSU defense can smother any sort of offensive progression from its opponent.
The last thing FSU wants is Castellanos to keep BC in the game and positionally put the Seminoles on upset watch.
2. Continue to establish dominant presence early
Florida State Seminoles defensive back Jarrian Jones (7) celebrates a pick six. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.
The Seminoles jumped on top of Southern Miss in the first half and only picked up more momentum in the second half. If anything, it should be more of the same against BC and will allow FSU to cruise to 3-0. It could be another situation where the Seminoles can empty the bench and rest starters for Clemson.
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However, if FSU starts slow, on the road, it could lead to a domino effect. Giving BC any momentum at home could be bad, even in a game where FSU is heavily favored.
3. Stay healthy
It's ideal for FSU to stay healthy coming out of any game, but in this stretch it's crucial. This is predicted to be a blowout, according to Vegas, and the Seminoles don't want to be feeling lasting effects heading to Clemson next week. In these kinds of games, it's better to play it safe than take risks.
This is where dumping in the rest of the depth chart after building up a large lead could come in handy. Once a probable victory is established, rest your stars and focus on giving experience that could come in handy down the road.
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FSU came out pretty healthy against Southern Miss, and would ideally like to leave Boston in the same condition that it arrived. There is also the factor of severe weather from Hurricane Lee, something to keep in mind.
Boston College players to watch
Offense: Kye Robichaux, Jr., running back
Western Kentucky running back Kye Robichaux (33) runs for yardage against Appalachian State defensive back Steven Jones Jr. (6) during the second half of the Boca Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 in Boca Raton, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
If Castellanos is not rushing the ball, it's going to be Robichaux. The Western Kentucky transfer has already established himself as BC's top running back two games into the season. In BC's win over Holy Cross, he recorded 94 rushing yards off 19 carries, standing as one of two players to already eclipse 100+ rushing yards this season.
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Last season at WKU he rushed for 496 yards and three touchdowns. He was a 2022 Burlsworth Trophy Nominee and a 2022 Conference USA Honorable Mention. If Castellanos is taken out of the equation, expect Robichaux to be BC's go-to piece on the ground.
Defense: Vinny DePalma, graduate student, linebacker
Boston College linebacker Vinny DePalma (42), a DePaul Catholic alumnus, enters his final college season. DePalma is a 2023 Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and will earn a master’s degree in Sports Administration this upcoming school year.
With the pace that DePalma is moving at, it wouldn't be a surprise if he earned All-ACC Honors for the second straight season. In just two games, he's amounted 21 tackles, with 12 coming against BC's Week 1 game against Northern Illinois. He also had a fumble recovery against Holy Cross.
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Last season he was one of the Eagles' top defenders, recording 87 tackles, a team-high 49 solos, and had at least four tackles every game. Last season against the Seminoles he had 11 tackles, eight solo, which tied for a season second-best margin.
It'll be interesting to see if FSU's offensive line can keep DePalma at bay and limit his impact throughout the game.
History
Florida State Seminoles tight end Camren McDonald (87) runs the ball down the field. The Florida State Seminoles lead the Boston College Eagles at the half 31-0 Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
Saturday will be FSU and BC's 20th meeting since 1957. In their first meeting, the Eagles defeated the Seminoles 20-7. Since then the meetings have been dominated by FSU as it holds an all-time record of 14-5 over BC and has won the last four meetings.
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The last time the Seminoles and Eagles squared off was last season in a 44-14 FSU win, in which running back Trey Benson returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. FSU's largest margin of victory was in 2012 in a 51-7 win. BC's last win over the Seminoles was in 2017 with a 35-3 result. Both teams finished 7-6 that season.
GAME INFORMATION
Who: AP No. 3 FSU (2-0) vs. Boston College (1-1)
When/where: Saturday, Sept. 16, 12 p.m.; Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM
Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @jackgwilliams on Twitter; @Ehsan_Kassim on Twitter; @JimHenryTALLY on Twitter
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Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football faces familiar face in Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos
