GoldandBlack.com talks to EagleAction.com football beat writer Riley Overend to get the perspective of the Boston College program heading into Saturday's game. Overend gives us his thoughts on a program that is ranked for the first time in over decade and a tailback in AJ Dillon, who getting buzz as a potential Heisman Trophy finalist.

GoldandBlack.com: Give us some insight on AJ Dillon and what makes him so effective?

Overend: "To put it simply, AJ Dillon has changed the course of this entire Boston College program ever since he took over as the starter at tailback last year against Louisville. Since that game, the Eagles are 8-2 and I believe it's because of him. He has 10 games of 100 yards or more and it's because he's just such a difficult player to tackle. One of his best attributes is his tree trunk legs that keep churning through contact and he breaks a lot of initial tackles and you normally need a group effort to bring him down. He's got an athletic spin move he'll bring and he benefits from running behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. The Boston College coaches knew they'd have a veteran group up front and they've really made it easy for him to find holes to run through in these first three games."

GoldandBlack.com: It does seems like when (Coach Steve) Addazio really wants to run a more old-school, pro-style system similar to Wisconsin. Has he struggled at all to maintain this old-school look?

Overend: "Addazio certainly deserves a lot of credit in sticking with this run game through a pretty dismal stretch of offense from 2015-17 when BC was at or near the bottom of the conference in points per game. However, this is because of Scot Loeffler (former Michigan back-up quarterback from 1993-95) and what happened after he took over as offensive coordinator. Loeffler has been at the head of this sea change to a more play-action style where they do spread you out more but he's decided to implement more jet sweeps and end-around plays to make defenses cover the whole field. Loeffler has been known to throw the ball on first down to actually set up the run in what would seem like a backwards way of football nowadays. Loeffler has been the perfect guy to do what Addazio wants to be known for and that's a running game and I have to imagine it's made it easier to recruit the tailback position for future seasons."

GoldandBlack.com: Let's talk about quarterback Anthony Brown. Jeff Brohm thought he had his best career game at Wake Forest and do you agree he's recovered from his knee injury and taken his game to another level?

Overend: "When you look at when Brown was injured last year and how many games he's into this season, you can make the argument he's still completing what would've been a full freshman season. I think there's still a ton of improvement to come for Anthony Brown as just a sophomore at the position. His accuracy on the play-action passes has allowed him to settle in and he's really asked to oversee the defensive scheme shifts as the leader of the offense. What's impressive is his ability to force defenses to keep a second safety high to allow Dillon to go against seven-man fronts instead of eight or nine players in that box.

"I'm sure Purdue will load the box some but Anthony has done an excellent job of recognizing that and getting the ball out quick to a 1-on-1 matchup over the top. I agree the injury has forced him to be a little different player because his mobility is a little bit less than you saw last year from him. Boston College doesn't do too much designed runs with him out of a RPO action and he's become more of game manager quarterback."

GoldandBlack.com: Describe BC's passing attack because I'm seeing six receivers averaging at least 19 yards a reception. Is there a big-play element to this scheme in the pass game?

Overend: "I will grant you the first two games were against cupcake opponents, but AJ Dillon has scored on the first possession of those two games. So what happens? Defenses load the box and then Boston College unleashes its wide receivers vertically. This is the best set of wide receivers that Addazio has had at Boston College. Receivers like Michael Walker, Jeff Smith and Kobay White allow Boston College to do things they haven't been able to execute before. White is redshirt sophomore that has established himself as a great route runner and very efficient with his play. You combine all that with a tight end (Tommy Sweeney) who could be drafted and you have what I think is the dangerous passing attack in Chestnut Hill since Matt Ryan was here."

GoldandBlack.com: Let's switch to defense and focus on a future NFL pass rusher Wyatt Ray, who had four sacks last week at Wake Forest. It seems like in order for them to get stops, he has to get to the quarterback, no?

Overend: "What I think is going to happen is similar to two years ago when offenses started to focus on Harold Landry, who had 16.5 sacks in 2016 and then you started to see Zach Allen start to get to the quarterback. Now that teams are focusing on Allen as a senior, you're seeing Wyatt Ray emerge like he did last week. One of the keys to his production was his ability to lose some weight and get leaner in the summer and I believe it has allowed him to be a much more productive edge rusher. I think both Allen and Ray are benefitting from the inside play of freshman defensive tackle Tanner Karafa. Yes, Karafa has struggled with double-team blocks in the run game, but he has shown ability to hold his position in the pass game and allow the edge guys to see 1-on-1 matchups without the help of a guard.

GoldandBlack.com: Hamp Cheevers is a former two-star prospect who has really elevated the secondary. He's getting really good grades from Pro Football Focus analysts. What should people know about him?

Overend: "I agree. Cheevers is a guy who is coming off an interception at Wake Forest and I get the feeling that if Boston College is going to allow somebody in their secondary to give a chance with Rondale Moore 1-on-1, it would be Hamp Cheevers. They're both under 6-feet and both are likely one of the fastest players on each roster so I really think that will be a fun matchup. Boston College relies on its veteran safety play with Lukas Denis and Will Harris. Denis had seven interceptions and Harris lead the nation (in 2017) with four forced fumbles so you have the perfect definition of what a free safety and strong safety should be."

GoldandBlack.com: The Pro Football Focus data shows six defensive players playing all 107 snaps, one starter playing 106 and DT Tanner Karafa playing 91 snaps last week at Wake Forest. Is there concern about depth on defense?

Overend: "At linebacker, no. They feel good about what they have there with five different players in that group getting in the game. At defensive line, behind the starters that group is entirely unproven and I would say concern does exists. I do think that fatigue and the big guys up front wearing down is something to keep an eye this weekend."

GoldandBlack.com: Through three games this season Boston College hasn't attempted a field goal, so do we still not know who the kicker is on this team?

Overend: "Colton Lichtenberg has been the starter at kicker for four years but he's dealing with a leg injury and it is still unclear if he'll make the trip to Purdue this weekend. This has allowed for some room for a freshman named John Tessitore, who is the son of ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore, to get some action. He's looked very mediocre so far after missing two extra points and was very suspect in training camp. This concern is paired with the concern in the punt game as Boston College has seen three punts blocked this season and against Wake one was returned for a touchdown. This is has been the most unacceptable area for the coaching staff this season and it's been a point of emphasis this week as they're trying to limit the damage Rondale Moore can have in the return game."

GoldandBlack.com: How do you think Boston College is handling newfound success with a ranking in both polls and being looked at as the program that could challenge Clemson in the ACC?

Overend: "There's a lot of excitement after being ranked for the first time in a decade and you're seeing a lot of national media coverage for the first time in a long while here. Addazio says it's a complete non-issue. They're treating this matchup against Purdue as a challenge where they go on the road again and how to prove they can handle a hostile environment against a Power 5 Conference opponent."

GoldandBlack.com: How do you seen this matchup playing out on Saturday?

Overend: "I like Boston College somewhere around 38-27. A.J. Dillon has forced the most missed tackles in the country among Power 5 Conference tailbacks through three games, and he should shed a few more against Purdue’s front seven on Saturday. If the Boilermakers are going to slow the Heisman hopeful, they’ll have to load the box and leave the secondary vulnerable for Anthony Brown’s play-action passing attack. After limiting dynamic receiver and kick returner Greg Dortch last week at Wake, I do think Hamp Cheevers and the Eagles can disrupt Rondale Moore and Purdue’s aerial attack enough to stay undefeated in what I expect to be a tough road game for Boston College three maybe three and a half quarters."

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.