BC-Army preview

Despite our one-dimensional offense, porous defense and terrible record, I still think this season is salvageable. Our remaining schedule is soft and the upside of being pass happy is that we could surprise a team or two. If we do make another run at a bowl game, it starts this weekend. If we can't get our act together, the season could unravel fast.

Hot Seat Thermometer
BC needs a win, but a win won't do much for Spaz. If we win, no one will say Spaz is safe. The common theme will be "he's supposed to beat Army." However, if we lose, his last defenders won't have much more to say.
Temperature: Have you ever accidently turned a heated car seat in the summer? It's uncomfortable until you switch the seat back to normal. Spaz's hot seat has been turned on, but unlike the car, he can't flip a switch to cool things off.

Overlooked Storyline: Michie Stadium is one of college football classic venues
Not only do you have the picturesque setting along the Hudson River, but you get to see much of the pageantry that is part of West Point. As BC juggles its future schedule, I hope our new AD locks in a long series with Army. It is the type of team we should play and it is a great day trip for our fans in the New York area.

Three Simple Keys
1. Don't waste time running the football early. BC needs to establish the pass and score some points. If we run without success early, we will play right into Army's plans.
2. Improve third down defense. If Army sustains drives and controls the clock, they will keep the game close.
3. When you punt, punt well. The pace of both teams will make for fewer punts regardless of how good our offense is. But when we do punt, we need to make sure that they are solid. Giving Army a short field is dangerous.

Gambling Notes
-- Spaz is 0-3 against the spread this season
-- BC is 45-27 against the service academies
-- Spaz is 5-9 in the month of October
The current line is BC-9.5

Factoid
Only four schools have played Army more than BC. Navy and Air Force are the obvious opponents. But the other two teams that have been a bigger part of Army's football history than BC, are Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Scoreboard Watching
With a trip to Atlanta nearing, I will be paying attention to Georgia Tech's game with Clemson. I don't dislike the Yellow Jackets but I wouldn't mind them getting blown out. After last week's meltdown, their season is teetering on the edge. I wouldn't mind them being totally checked out by the time we play them.

I hope to see...
Our Safeties playing better. They got burned last week and against Army they will need to be disciplined. The only way Army beats us is with assignment breakdowns. If the Safeties screw up, those breakdowns become touchdowns.

BC is in trouble if...
We are down at the half. At this point I have little faith in us coming from behind on anyone.

Bottom Line
We can't lose to Army. They are scrappy but we have all the advantages. If we don't beat ourselves, this game isn't even close. I still believe in this team's potential and I think it starts to show this weekend. I see BC lighting it up and finally looking decent on defense.
Final Score: BC 42, Army 14