Two 7-5 teams will meet up in Yankee Stadium for the 2017 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Boston College and Iowa are going to play with both teams fighting to the seven win mark. Here is the 2017 New Era Pinstripe Bowl preview:
Akrum Wadley (Photo by the gazette.com)
Iowa was the ultimate spoiler of the season, as their big win kept Ohio State out of the College Football Playoffs. They beat three other bowl teams (Wyoming, Iowa State and North Texas) to get to their seven win total. They had a tough Big Ten schedule and only lost one game they should’ve won, which came at the hands of Purdue.
They are an average scoring offense with 28.3 points per game. The Hawkeyes are always built on the offensive line and running the football. Akrum Wadley is an NFL Draft prospect and amassed 1,021 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He is the only player who gets a lot of carries, finishing the season with 230.
Nate Stanley has been a good game manager at quarterback and protects the football. He has 2,338 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. Nick Easley has 50 receptions for 498 yards and four touchdowns. Noah Fant is a touchdown threat every time he catches the ball with 10 touchdowns on 28 receptions. Akrum Wadley is also a great receiver out of the backfield with 329 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense allows 19.9 points per game this year and is the main reason this team got to seven wins. Iowa ranks 39th against the run and 49th against the pass. Linebacker Josey Jewell is a leader on the team and has 121 total tackles. Corner back Joshua Jackson has really helped Iowa force turnovers with his seven interceptions.
A.J. Dillon (Photo by bostonglobe.com)
Boston College has a young team, but they have played well for Steve Addazio. Five of their seven wins came against bowl eligible teams. Their biggest wins came over Louisville and Florida State.
The Eagles score 26.2 points per game and do most of their damage on the ground. Freshman A.J. Dillon has been a star for Boston College with 1,432 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Veteran Jon Hilliman helped out with 622 yards and five touchdowns. The two have made running the ball look easy this season.
Anthony Brown is also a freshman doing big things for the Eagles. The quarterback has thrown for 1,367 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. It hasn’t always been pretty, but Brown has shown moments of poise. Yet another freshman, Kobay White, leads the team in receiving with 396 yards. They aren’t a great passing team, but Tommy Sweeney has helped with 375 receiving yards as well.
Their defense only allows 22.5 points per game which helps considering their low offensive output. They rank 101st against the run and 32nd against the pass. Harold Landry has been a transcendent player for Boston College, but has only been able to get five sacks this season. He is questionable to play in this game with an injury.
Both teams are inconsistent, but it should be a low scoring game. Boston College will give it to Dillon and Hilliman early and often, while the defense will hold Iowa.
Boston College Eagles 20 Iowa 15
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