Saturday, November 27, 2010

Streaky regular season ends with a win in Syracuse

Lose five in a row. Win five in a row. I tweeted after the game that a win is a win and I believe that, but I still feel like this game and this season had missed opportunities. I didn't love the gameplan but it worked well enough. I know Tranq is likely to retire, but I hope this isn't our offense of the future. Do we really need to give any RB 40+ carries? But my big picture discussion of our coaching and approach will wait until later this week.


I am on the road Sunday, so I don't know if I will have my second viewing thoughts up late Sunday or some time on Monday. I may have a smaller post before then on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

43 comments:

Dan said...

"I know Tranq is likely to retire"

Please expound on this ATL. Do you know something or you kinda just meant hope like the rest of us?

eagle1331 said...

Did Kuechly get 10+ tackles? I missed the game..

Lenny Sienko said...

I counted ten (10), assuming that tackles on special teams go into the total. Great hit on kick coverage!!

mmason said...

ATL--thanks for all fun & games this season. Your NDFTGBL optimism was a good tonic for my unabashed chronic fear of a BC meltdown. You helped get us thru another wild year of rookie QBs, weird play calling, and the BC Learning Curve. Eagle Football is better today than it was in September, and now we get a shot at another Bowl game.

Hope it's San Francisco--would love to see BC win in my hometown and see alot of BC fans there havin' some fun. Go Eagles!

Dan said...

Didn't get to see much of the game but from the highlights, Williams looks scary good. He should really change his number to #1 so him and Montel can be 1-2. Montel Williams to the face!!!

The thought of the two of them coming back next year should make the rest of the ACC nervous. We're losing some good lineman, but there is plenty of beef in the Redshirt1 and incoming O-lineman.

Big Jack Krack said...

The Boston Globe reported that Kueckly had 10 tackles - 21 straight games - 171 this year.

BCDoubleEagle said...

Now that we've secured our twelfth straight winning season, here's a list of all the BCS teams I could find that have not had a losing season since 1999 or before:

Boston College
Florida
Georgia
Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Florida State

CT said...

Good, boring win today.

We won the games we should win against inferior competition. I'll take it.

Part of me really wants to play Boise. Most of me really doesn't.

eagleboston said...

Since when did ATL become a Debbie Downer? I always thought he was the king of optimism as he has never predicted a BC loss.

As one who has not shied away from criticizing this coaching staff, I have to give them credit. The team rebounded nicely after 5 losses. Young, and I mean young, players gained valuable experience. We finished with 7 wins in a DOWN year. Are you kidding me? How many schools would love to say that? Texas can't. 12 straight bowls. Only 6 other schools are ahead of BC. 6! And we have done this with 3 different coaches.

This was a very good day for BC football and I am excited for the future.

BCDoubleEagle said...

BC women's soccer wins its NCAA elite eight game 1-0 on a corner kick in OT. On to the final four!

Big Jack Krack said...

Great news, DoubleEagle _ congratulations to our women"s soccer team.

Big Jack Krack said...

TOB is in trouble in another huge game.

EAGLE_IN_LA said...

For a really good chuckle ... go to statefansnation.com and go to the most recent blog comments on the NCST-Maryland in-game thread.

The references to BC fans are great! (they're about how NC State fans now know why we weren't all that unhappy about TOB leaving BC for NC State after the 2006 season).

EAGLE_IN_LA said...

I don't mean to keep harping on the TOB thing ... but I think its a little ironic that on the day that BC plays Syracuse for the first time since 2004 (and beats the Cuse) ... that TOB, now at NC State, is going to crap the bed (again) in a very meaningful game for his team with a potential slot in the ACCCG/BCS bowl game on the line.

Scott said...

Having a backfield of Montel + Williams isn't much scarier then just giving all the carries to one or the other. Sure, if we split their carries, they will both be fresher in the 4th ... And to an extent their complementary styles may prove to be better fits for particular type of defenses.

But if we really want to make the backfield stronger, I think we might want to explore split backs with mis-direction. When the RBs cross or head in different directions, it holds and spreads the defense. And although Chase won't run it much, if he fakes two and drops back, that will be the 3rd dimension of pressure.

eagleboston said...

I've been over TOB for a number of years, but I do find it fitting that on the day BC avenges his 2004 WTF, he lays another WTF for the Wolfpack.

chicagofire1871 said...

The offensive play calling today seemed a little bit more dynamic than in games past. If nothing else, at least they freshmen have been blooded this season and next year, Tranq can step aside and the kids can learn something new from a new OC.

BC's record of stability is incredible, but no one here can say that you wouldn't want a record similar to most of the other schools on BC Double Eagles list. Hell, I'd even take Wake's 1 ACC Championship!

mod34b said...

" I know Tranq is likely to retire"


bravo!! Iis that a news flash!!! Do tell the details. That is huge.

-----------------------------------------------

the 43 carries by Williams was ridiculous. There were so many missed opportunities for play action passing, variety, balance.

I am a little foggy on is, but did Rettig ever throw over the short-medium middle other than the very nice almost TD to the very wide open TE (pantale?).

What's the deal with keeping such a tight leash on Rettig? Guy needs to real game passing experience to develop.

Why would coaches trust William s (43. carries), a real untested guy and fumble risk, over Rettig and passiing (just. 19 attempts)

yes, the strategy worked, but I would like to see more team development.

CT said...

Wow. A potential Boise matchup is pretty real.

Looking forward to seeing Williams get 60 attempts in one game.

Lenny Sienko said...

Rettig's completion to the wide open tight end on the blown coverage was the only throw over the middle I can recall. I, too, thought it odd that there were no other attempts over the middle-short or long. Its not as though SU was known for a great secondary this season.

chicagofire1871 said...

To anyone who thinks we could play Boise..it ain't happening. Boise travels worse than we do for non-BCS games! Boise will stay at home for the Humanitarian Bowl and Hawaii will stay home for their bowl, so it'll be between Nevada and Fresno, so the SF bowl will pick Nevada because they are WAC champs and are ranked. Simple as that. It's going to be BC vs. Nevada, there is no other scenario that makes even remote sense.

Benjamin said...

Miami just fired Shannon and Whipple. There is now a good offensive coordinator looking for a job. We have a team looking for a good OC. Thoughts on Whipple coming to BC?

mmason said...

All I really want to know is this: How many times did we kick FG's in the red zone this season, as opposed to scoring TD's? It's a ratio thing that explains a choice our coaches made...just an info question.

Oh, yeah, and this,too: Does anybody out there see just how good Andre played today, having to complete Tranq's endless fantasy that one frosh RB can carry the entire offense on his back for the last half of the last game of the entire season when everyone knows every play that old OC will call on nearly every down? The kid should be canonized...or at least get free life insurance.

We just won another game in which we scored only 1 TD in a Div. I NCAA football game. Did we break a record doing that? Is that a good thing? (Are we the SF Giants of the ACC?)

Oh, and 1 more thing: How can we go to the Kraft Bowl in SF if only the MAC & Pac10 can be invited? What's the deal on that?

mod34b said...

Just updated CBS bowl projections have us going to the Military Bowl in DC v ECU. CBS has GTech going to SF

Sounds like a bad swap

Mm- Acc has contract for alternative team if PAC unable to supply team to Kraft - not enuff PAC eligible teams this year

chicagofire1871 said...

Not sure who else is out there for the OC position, but I'd take a flyer on Whipple.

What Miami SHOUD have done is fire Donna Shalala. I put complete blame on her shoulders for the implosion of Miami football. Demolishing the Orange Bowl?! Playing in the middle of nowhere in the Dolphins stadium?! Are you kidding me?! She's killing what should have been the prize jewel of the ACC

mmason said...

Mod--yeah, I saw that DC Military Bowl show up on the projections,too. ECU is not a good deal. It's a no win for us flat out. Our ACC 7-5 isn't worth diddely bowl-wise, but for the 15 extra practices. I can see Tranq in practice now, just running Andres up the middle, telling Chase to never throw on 2nd down and running FG drills inside the 20 on 4th and 2. Looks my trip to SF just got hosed...and then USC just lost to ND. I'll never hear the end of that until we kick the Domers butts next year--WHICH WILL HAPPEN, I KID U NOT.
Go Eagles! We shall be BCS bound next year! Don't Stop Believin'!

Dan said...

Wow, Whipple being on the market is definitely interesting. A lot of folks wanted him instead of Jags. Definitely worth looking into.

Also, Miami has a four star recruit from MA. We should take shot at luring him over.

Ry said...

not to mention that if we draw ECU in the DC bowl, we'll be facing off against Dominique Davis who has looked good and definitely has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Walter said...

"All I really want to know is this: How many times did we kick FG's in the red zone this season, as opposed to scoring TD's? It's a ratio thing that explains a choice our coaches made...just an info question."

MMason, I have the answer for you and it's very telling:
According to cfbstats.com, we were second in the country in terms of that ratio, kicking fg's 42% of the time and getting td's 34% of the time. Not scoring the other percentage of the time.

These stats were accurate going into this week, it seems. There was only one team (horrific Memphis) ahead of us and our overall red zone scoring offense is 98/120.

And with our 3 red zone fgs to 1 td, perhaps we took the crown this week, too.

http://www.cfbstats.com/2010/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category27/sort07.html

Galvin said...

Kraft bowl officials may take us over G-tech. The Kraft Big Cheese made a statement that he wants all his hotels booked and seats purchased. That points to Nevada over Boise as was previously mentioned. How does G-Tech travel? We have a good north cali alumni base and have represented decently in the past. I think we can beat Nevada too. I think Boise would murder us this year.

Eddierock said...

I have been as critical of Nyquil as anyone this season, but I have to say that he called a nice game yesterday. He took some shots down the field; the Swigart pass play was nice and should stay in the play book. However, the young qb and his young receivers weren't quite clicking and it was obvious fairly early that the orange had no answer for Wiiliams. Also, offensive line dominated like we have been waiting for all year. Recall that third and one when retting went with the keeper, offensive line surge was incredible.

Go Eagles!

mod34b said...

Galvin. I think Kraft gets the remaining ACC team. I don't think they get to pick ahead of the 8 bowls that have contracts with ACC

Question should be what will Shreveport do. ( no way they pick BC over GT)

eagleboston said...

Do you all think there is someone in Hollywood working on the "Mark Herzlich Story?" They had to revise the script last night and make it even better with Herzy ending his college career with an INT. If that is not an inspirational movie in the making, I don't know what is. Let Disney produce it and make it better than Rudy.

chicagofire1871 said...

I see things filtering out like this:
Orange: VTech
Peach: FSU
Champs: Miami
Sun: NC State
Meineke: UNC
Music: Clemson
Independence: GT
Miliary: Maryland
SF Bowl: BC

Personally, the Nevada match-up seems more interesting than the ECU one or even the #3 pick from MWC which is probably SD State or BYU in the Independence Bowl. I wouldn't look at that as us being hosed again. It seems that both Clemson and UNC consistently benefit from having bowl games relatively close to campus and thus get picked higher than their records might otherwise merit. At least we're not the only team being passed over this year.

EL MIZ said...

From ESPN article on Shannon's firing:

Miami's lone out-of-state commitment is four-star CB Albert Louis-Jean from Brockton (Mass.) High School, who said one of the big reasons he selected the Hurricanes over offers from Notre Dame, Penn State, Boston College and many others was because of the relationship he had with Shannon.

"It was good," Louis-Jean said in an e-mail. "He was the head coach of the school I committed to. That alone was a big thing. He told me they would take care of me and look out for me."

Whether he stays with the Canes or not remains to be seen.

"I just [don't] know," he said. "We'll see."

Bravesbill said...

Chicago--SDSU has no chance of going to the Independence Bowl; they are a guarantee to go to their home bowl the Poinsettia Bowl. Plus, Air Force would be a higher MWC team than BYU although BYU would travel better. I would love to see a BC-SDSU game though

CT said...

On top of a Reno newspaper article, there's now an Idahostatesman.com article that says Boise is likely for the Kraft bowl against BC.

U. of Nevada doesn't travel and is likely going to Albuquerque.

chicagofire1871 said...

I can't really speak to Nevada's traveling reputation (but the Kraft website has waaaay more Nevada fans voting for an appearance than any of the other choices).

With respect to Boise. The national media and college football fans are misguided if they believe Boise travels well. They've had a tremendous run the past few years and been consistently in the mix, but Boise couldn't even sell out their allotment of tickets to the Fiesta Bowl against TCU last season. If you can't sellout your allotment to a BCS game, you can't claim to "travel well".

CT said...

Hmmm, Boise was given 19,000 tickets, sold all but 300 of them through the school, and had more than 40,000 fans at the Fiesta Bowl last year.

StubHub. EBay. Craigslist.

Cheaper. Better seats. Even know where your seats are. Don't have to pay for additional "tailgate" parties that increase the cost of the ticket.

The problem with Boise is that they don't do well with home attendance. Probably because they're pounding the Little Sisters of of Poor by 45 at half.

They actually have a pretty good rep. Pretty good for 14 yrs at Div 1.

chicagofire1871 said...

I might have to retract my earlier surefire statements regarding Nevada to the Kraft bowl. As CT pointed out in that article in the indahostatesman, it sure seems like the Kraft folks are salivating over Boise State. One thing I can't figure, and maybe hadn't thought of before.

The Kraft guys says in the article that the "presence of Boise State might help him land a higher rated team."

Does he mean that if the ACC knows that one of it's teams will go up against Boise State, instead of sending it's weakest member it may try to encourage a stronger team to go west?

The article goes on to state that Nevada is likely to the Humanitarian Bowl, but don't you think that those bowl folks would do anything to avoid featuring the team that destroyed BSU's hopes? Who in Boise would turn out to see them?

Lenny Sienko said...

Where are they now?

Diamond Ferri, who subbed at running back for Syracuse in BC's 2004 loss, must think this is his best time of the year.

Watching Grey Cup and Diamond Ferri, playing linebacker for Montreal, rushed passer, forced errant throw which was intercepted to seal victory for Montreal.

Checked roster...yes...same Diamond Ferri. He has played four (4) years for Montreal, now includes consecutive Grey Cup Championships.

He's from Stoneham, MA.

mod34b said...

BSU would be a very exciting opponent - great TV ratings and a good crowd. We (with the help of an obscure school called USC ) sold out the stadium last year. So we can do it again.

I can't imagine we would be competitive with BSU, but maybe I am buying into the hype.

Rettig will be psyched, for one

would be good for our Cali exposure . Is BC the only ACC team that regularly recruits in Cali?

The likely alternative to the Kraft Bowl is unappealling. Playing ECU in the Military Bowl has little upside and is a real "who cares" game if there ever was one!

Lenny Sienko said...

Herald article has GDF talking about going to Sun Bowl on 12/31/10 in El Paso, due to Miami's loss and Shannon's firing.

Sun Bowl site has us not listed on voting; but 4th after FSU, NCSU, and Maryland...none of whom may be interested.