Thursday, November 24, 2011

BC-Miami preview

Most times when teams nothing to play for, games are boring. But every once in a while two teams with nothing to play for put on a classic. In TOB’s first year BC closed the season with a hard fought win over Army. The stadium was half-filled, there were flurries at the end and neither team was good. Yet the game was good. Maybe tomorrow’s game will be fun. That's what I am hoping for.


Overlooked storyline for the game: The last game for some BC 4th year players
Speculation on which redshirt junionrs will be asked back is a staple of the time between the end of the regular season and BC bowl game. This year we don't have that time and the coaches don't have the extra practice time to evaluate the guys. Currently I would say that Donte Elliott, Hampton Hughes, Nick Clancy, Mike Goodman, Jr., and Bryan Murray are all borderline guys to return. Personally I would invite them all back. Spaz is quick to talk about depth and leadership. All of these guys can help us next year.


Three Simple Keys
1. Throw a pass with Bordner.
We know he will play Friday. If we don't incorporate a pass into his series or plays, we will just be wasting another possession.
2. Stop the run. I really think BC needs to put this game on Jacory Harris. To do that, they need to shut down the run first.
3. Get penetration with the defensive tackles. I've been singing Appiah's praises, but we also need Quinn and Ricci to be really good tomorrow. With them collapsing the pocket it starts all sorts of good things for BC's defense.


Gambling Notes
-- Spaz has not won a game in the state of Florida
-- BC has not a game at Miami since Flutie's miracle
-- BC is 4-23 all time against Miami
The current line is BC+14.


Factoid
This is BC's second game in Sunlife Stadium. Long before the Hurricanes moved to their current home, BC played Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl.


Scoreboard Watching
Virginia-Virginia Tech is really the most important game of the week for ACC fans. If the Hokies beat Virginia and Clemson them might sneak into the BCS Championship game. They need some other teams to lose and voters to bump them, but the computers will love the UVA and Clemson wins.


I hope to see...
Chase Rettig to have a good game. I don't know what our future is with coaching. I also don't know how we will approach our offense next year. Those possible changes could mean the end to Rettig's time as BC's main QB. He hasn't been good but I think he showed a lot of toughness in some rough situations. Let's hope his season ends on a high note.


BC is in trouble if…
We can't score in the first quarter. Last week was encouraging. Despite the early deficit, the guys kept playing. I don't expect the same sort of resolve if BC is down early in this game.


Bottom Line
I think this will be a long, sluggish game. I think Miami will put a lot of pressure on our Oline. While BC will slow down Miami early, I think they will wear on us and pad the score in the second half.
Finale Score: Miami 24, BC 13

9 comments:

JBQ said...

"Red shirt junior" means that the player should be finishing his college education. That would appear fair. The new (about 5 yrs) one year NCAA scholarship which is renewable yearly is on the edge of ethical behavior. There are no longer 4 year scholarships. The school has a committment to the student and not to the athlete. To back this up, there are NCAA regulations on the graduation rate. Many schools will not renew a scholarship after the first year. So, what does this do to graduation rates?

JERZeagle said...

FSU beat UMASS today by 20. We lost to UMASS by almost 40. The ACC should be fun this year. I really do like anderson and heckmann though. We should just recruit point guards next year. 4 point guards every year until we find a stud. There is no excuse to not having a true point guard since Louis Hinnant.

Big Jack Krack said...

Speaking of that - I noticed that Quinn and Noel are listed as juniors. I thought that Quinn was redshirted - can't remember about Noel. Do these players have 2 years of eligibility remaining, or just one?

Go BC beat Miami.

curranac said...

Is this Luke's final game as an Eagle? What's Montel Harris' status for next year?

Certainly would not be a story book ending for either record setting career.

If they return, both would be big building blocks for next year.

Big Jack Krack said...

Just doodling and thinking that today might be a fun game.

First of all, however, I hope that I am not going to witness Luke Keuchly's last game as a Boston College Eagle. I know he can probably graduate early and all that, but maybe, just maybe he will return to go out the winner that he truly is.

It's presently partly to mostly cloudy, with patches of sunshine and 80 degrees in Miami.

Maybe we could look at today as a win-win.

If we win - beautiful. If we lose, it will mark the end of a tough season - and the bottom for this program. We will have witnessed the rock bottom - and it's all the climb back up from here. All negative talk and lowering the expectation talk, and slim margin/tough to manage talk must end once and for all. After today, it will not be tolerated.

What will the BC Administration do to placate (and bring back) the fans and get us back up to 8/9 wins with an occasional 10 plus win season?

The first thing they can do is make sure to coach the players to win!

Go BC - beat Miami this afternoon. Make us forget Flutie today.

dixieagle said...

I love you BJK! ;)

Go Eagles!!!

Big Jack Krack said...

Thanks Dixie - I'll be there in person cheering for all of us.

I agree with Curranac - let's bring back Montel and Luke - and Kaleb and Ifeanyi and all other eligible 5th year seniors.

Let's go Eagles - come out with gold pants today!!!!

We're off to Sun Life Stadium with nothing to lose - so let's shock em all and win the game!!!!

mod34b said...

Sadly, this maybe the closest we come to the Orange Bowl in years!

And more depressingly, no football until 9 full months pass, and the 10th month appears. uuugggghhhhhh

1 December 2011
2 January 2012
3 February 2012
4 March 2012
5 April 2012
6 May 2012
7 June 2012
8 July 2012
9 August 2012
10 September 2012 - BC football returns, hopefully without Spaz.

Lenny Sienko said...

In the Great Scheme of Things, BC's last football game of the 2011 season is not a big deal. Unemployment, taxes, war, old age, and death diminish the importance of a game, which amounts to an anthropologist's nightmare.

I've spent 47 years rooting for BC football. It seems a little sad that whether or not I am cheerful or depressed for Saturday and Sunday in the Fall is dependent upon the actions of a bunch of teenage athletes.

That said, I will be there faithfully and dutifully in front of my TV watching our Eagles play their last game of the year. I hope they win!!

I'll be switching back and forth with the BC basketball game, which is even more irrelevant, but which I would not miss for the world.

I am sorry for Coach Spaziani's difficulties. Anyone who has underperformed and disappointed others can sympathize with Spaz and his staff. However, they must go and everything must be new and fresh for the Spring, so that, if we are still around, hope may bloom eternal, maybe even with a spread offense.

Go You Eagles!!