Who is the most important player of the 2006 season?

I am counting on a big year. An easy out of conference schedule and a solid QB has me thinking conference title. Yet a few plays or one player can make a difference between Boise and Pasadena. So who is the most important player of the season? Ryan? Silva? Toal? Nope. All are valuable. But we have enough of a team in place that we can still rally if one those guys falters. The real lynchpin is actually Jack Geiser. Who the hell is Jack Geiser you ask? He is the true freshman we’ve recruited as a Long Snapper.

Now I’ll admit that it is a bit of a stretch to say that the season rides on his ability to fling a ball accurately between his legs. But Geiser will play a pivotal role. BC special teams have been consistently sloppy for the past six or seven seasons. The low point came in 2003. That year BC had two punts blocked, our punter sacked, saw a bad snap fumbled away and another result in a safety. There were also plenty of wounded ducks and bad returns in 2003 that all started with bad snaps. The source of the miscues? Francois Brochu’s injury. Our reliable Long Snapper red-shirted and BC rotated a series of guys who couldn’t get it done. The field goals weren’t helped either by the erratic snaps. Special teams clearly cost us the WVU and Miami games that year and nearly cost us ND and Rutgers.

So now Geiser comes in with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I am prepared for BC special teams to be an inconsistent mess…they always are. But if Geiser can’t get it done, things will quickly go from bad to worse. Keep your fingers crossed and have the TUMs handy.