Thursday, January 15, 2015

Season in Review: Biggest Disappointments

Years ago when I produced a similar season in review series, people felt I was overly harsh when I named specific players who didn't meet expectations. To avoid that, I will start this series with the biggest disappointments and select moments or groups that brought the season down.

1. Place kicking

There isn't much to add at this point about our inability to convert an extra point or short field goal. Blame is shared all around. I've followed BC long enough to remember numerous kicking issues -- whether it be kickers getting kicked off the team or guys who got the yips. In every case I felt the program worked around it better than this season. There wasn't anyone else on campus that they could have tried?

2. Slight regression on sacks

Statistically our Defense was better in 2014, but that doesn't always tell the whole story. We were better stopping the run and controlling the clock this year so teams were forced to pass more on us (as a percentage of their overall offense). Yet opponents attempted the same amount of passes in both seasons: 423. Yet sacks fell from 36 to 33. Do you explain away the step back just to losing KPL and Edebali? I hoped in our second season in this scheme the pressures and sacks would go up, not down. Where was the break out year from one of the young LB or Linemen? To become more than just a statistically good D, we need to start dominating. That's only going to happen when we increase the pressure on the opposing QB.

3. The Pitt game

All the other losses can be rationalized away. The Pitt game cannot. As Pitt struggled down the stretch, it only made the loss seem that much worse. How could a team that is focused on stopping the run have tackled so poorly? How could they come out so flat against a ACC opponent? In the long-term, the loss didn't keep BC from reaching a major bowl, but it was still the first time under Daz, where I felt the team came out flat.


7 comments:

Hoib said...

I think you have to add inability to catch a pass. Just as fundamental as Pat, and our execution was pretty similar.

Thomas said...

Who was the kicker before Aponavicius that was terrible and also got into trouble off the field?

NEDofSavinHill said...

OSU, the national champs had two common opponents with BC. Both teams played Penn. St. to overtime. BC beat VT at Blacksburg and OSU lost at home. Shows BC is on the same level as the champs. Atl is right about the Pitt game. They played 13 games this year. They were in 12 of them. Pitt got about 300 yards rushing. Take that away and BC probably has the top rush defense in the land. The Pitt contest was a short week. UMass played a tough game and BC's top O-lineman was knocked out. Pitt had a cakewalk with Delaware but BC's tackling was the worst of the year. 2. The kicking game in football is similar to foul shooting in b-ball. It should be routine but if you are ineffective in that area close games are often lost that shouldn't have been. In the State super bowl Lucas Denis caught a TD and had a pick six. He also held on extra points. Having a defensive player be the holder may be a better idea than an offensive one. They can be on the sidelines taking practice snaps prior to the kick. The d gave up 300 yards or so per game this year. Last year it was over 400. It was much improved. 3. The tv ratings for the playoffs( Rose, Sugar and title game) were strong. About 90 million for those three. Add in the other 35 bowls and about 200 million viewers watched. Why is college football post season worth 600 million dollars for 200 million viewers and MLB gets $1.5 billion a year for fewer viewers? Congress has to look at this disparity.

Big Jack Krack said...

Thomas - I think it was Ohliger - not sure of the spelling.

Ryan Ohlinger or Ohliger.

Big Jack Krack said...

Ohliger may have had trouble kicking, but the guy could run.

I was at the Bowl victory in Charlotte over UNC - kicker Ryan Ohliger took a fake field goal into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown run that sealed Boston College's 37-24 victory over North Carolina in the Continental Tire Bowl.......

My biggest disappointment was the Penn State bowl game - just like last year, we weren't ready defensively, and our offensive game plan was very curious at times.

The loss was on the coaches for sure.

eagle1331 said...

Agree with BJK.

CSU was disappointing, as was PITT, but we got the bowl game we wanted and probably better than most of us thought we could in August.

Allowing them to come back in that game, dropping in to a prevent defense, giving them penalties and big conversions to help... it was one of the roughest losses I've witnessed in person (not quite BC-Syracuse 2004). That was a heart breaking game.

Bravesbill said...

A 3 sack difference isn't much at all Atl so that can't really be a disappointment. Plus BC had a few big leads this year that they tried to sit on so they didn't bring much pressure (CSU, Va Tech, even Penn St).