Boston College @ Duke preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2011 ) Duke 20, Boston College 19

Duke is showcasing a defensive unit that could make it the team to beat in the ACC Coastal Division, while Boston College is also relying heavily on its ability to stop opponents from scoring. The standout defenses will be front and center when the teams tangle Saturday afternoon at Duke in a key conference affair.

Facing the vaunted ground game of Georgia Tech last Saturday, the Blue Devils were up to the challenge, limiting the Yellow Jackets to under 200 rushing yards for the first time in 17 games and rolling to a 34-20 win. Duke ranks 10th in FBS action in total defense (261 yards per game), but that pales in comparison to the Eagles, who lead the nation by a wide margin by giving up only 118 yards, although two of their games were against FCS opponents. Boston College has needed every bit of that dominance as it has already lost its starting quarterback for the year and now must press on without lead running back Jon Hilliman, who ran for 119 yards and a touchdown in a 17-14 win over Northern Illinois last weekend but is out with a broken foot. "Our offense right now is just getting hit with a lot of injuries," coach Steve Addazio said in his weekly press conference. "We are now down our two starting tight ends, our quarterback, our starting tailback; we lost our center, so we are down a fair amount of guys on offense right now which is a very young offense to begin with."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, RSN. LINE: Duke -6.5

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (3-1, 0-1 ACC): Tyler Rouse will handle the bulk of the carries with Hilliman out while Myles Willis - who ranks third on the team among running backs in carries and yards - is questionable with a shoulder injury. The quarterback shuffle will be in play for the second straight week with Troy Flutie and Jeff Smith sharing time, leaving a potential heavy load on Rouse, who is apparently up to the task. "He is (capable of taking 25-30 carries)," Addazio said. "He is the toughest guy on the entire football team."

ABOUT DUKE (3-1, 1-0): Boston College allowed a kickoff return for a score against Northern Illinois, a bad sign entering a matchup with Duke return specialist DeVon Edwards. The junior safety took a kick back 100 yards for a score last week and had a 95-yard return for a touchdown earlier in the season, giving him five for his career. Edwards' colleague in the defensive backfield, Jeremy Cash, was the National Defensive Player of the Week after recording 12 tackles, two caused fumbles and a sack against Georgia Tech.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Blue Devils WR Johnell Barnes, the team's leader in catches (17) and yards (200), will miss the first half of the game after being ejected due to a targeting penalty against Georgia Tech.

2. Flutie and Smith combined to complete 5-of-14 passes for 92 yards with a touchdown and an interception last week.

3. Duke QB Thomas Sirk has thrown for 264 yards with three interceptions over the past two games.

PREDICTION: Duke 17, Boston College 10