Eagle in Atlanta -- atleagle.com

Total collapse against the 'Canes and Heckmann has Mono

2012-01-29T15:00:00.004-05:00

This was a terrible loss. The team outplayed Miami for most of the game yet their mistakes kept the Hurricanes in it. Then at the first sign of Miami going on a run, the team melted with numerous mistakes and a lack of effort. I don't expect the guys to play great every game. But I do expect them to have more poise than this. They got run out of their own building against a mediocre team in a game they controlled. How did that happen?

Before I get into likes and dislikes, let me address the Patrick Heckmann situation. He's been diagnosed with Mononucleosis. This explains a bit of his lackluster play of late. The illness will sideline him for most of the season. Speculation is that he will be back in late February or early March. While unfortunate for him, I don't think the team will face much of a setback. Heckmann's been a non factor lately. While the team has had problems, I don't think he would have been the difference maker. Now he gets a chance to sit, decide if he wants to stay in the U.S. and the other players get to develop.

Likes
-- Matt Humphrey's effort. Smart shot selection for the most part and really strong defense. He can set a tone with his D.
-- The trapping and rotation on defense. The guys looked good for long stretches doubling their big and rotating around.
-- Daniels driving to the basket. He can convert those. If he does it will open shots for other guys.
Ryan Anderson making his foul shots. His role will be as a post player. If he converts his free throws, he'll be that much more effective.

Dislikes
-- Turnovers. Even before Miami's run the passing was very sloppy. Everyone was guilty and it was often making passes that didn't need to be made.
-- Not having an answer for their run. Donahue called a timeout, but their was no stopping Miami. He need a calming influence and some plays that can get the tempo back on our side.

Sweeping UNH, another recruit bolts and other links

2012-01-28T23:21:00.003-05:00

BC needed overtime to complete their weekend sweep of UNH.

I am fighting every urge in my body to slam Spaz for losing another recruit. This time it's Donavan Henry, who decided he'd rather run track at Northeastern. I pray that Spaz salvages the class this weekend.

Rutgers commit Michael Giacone visited BC this weekend.

This article on Coughlin and Belichick is sprinkled with anecdotes from TC's days at BC.

This report says that Donnie Fletcher's stock is down after his Senior Bowl week. He also allowed some long receptions during the game.

Craig Smith called his time at BC the best four years of his life. (Thanks to Peter for the link.)

Maine is locked in for BC's game on September 8.

Cameron not so Crazies and what it means for Superfans

2012-01-27T15:08:00.004-05:00

Duke's legendary basketball fans -- the Cameron Crazies -- made news this week as fewer and fewer of them are attending basketball games. This trend should raise eyebrows at every private school playing big time sports. At BC it should set off alarms. Duke has a high-profile and historically dominant basketball program with a limited-availability student section. Every current student at Duke was well aware of this experience prior to arriving on campus. If they can't get their kids to come to games, what hope does BC have? This is more than just winning and losing. This is about kids today, current trends and the changing sports culture at private schools.

Gregg Doyel thinks kids are bored. I agree that the sameness of the game day environment is a factor. I know when I was a student a decade ago there was always something going on around campus. Going to a BC sporting event was just one option. Now many of those same options and distractions exist plus a million more entertainment choices. Going to the game -- regardless of the outcome -- might not seem that exciting when you can watch in your room while also playing video games or hanging out or studying or whatever.

There's another theory often mentioned on the BC message boards that is probably applicable to Duke: Nerdification. As both schools continue to raise their academic profile (Duke remains above BC) and continue to become even more exclusive in their admissions, the student body is bound to become more serious and academically focused. While plenty mock nerdification, I am not suggesting BC or any school hold back on bringing in the best and brightest. They just need to understand that those students might not care as much about sports. Current students at Duke and BC are accomplishing incredible things and working very hard. It is no wonder they don't have time to go to games. State schools can offset their nerdification with pure numbers. It is easier to fill a student section when you have 30,000 undergrads.

I don't know Duke well enough to suggestion solutions for them. But BC should realize that winning games is not the only way out of our student malaise. I think the answer is shrinking the student sections and creating some demand for the seats. While I love the Superfan tradition, I think BC needs to do more to educate the new students as they arrive on campus. Being a BC fan is about more than just a yellow t-shirt. Indoctrination about our history and the experience are the way to go. If that doesn't work just tell them they can use game attendance to earn extra credit.

Doug Martin talking offense

2012-01-27T15:03:00.003-05:00

This may be the era of constant video and wonke football talk, but there isn't much out there on Doug Martin. I did come across this video which will give you some insight into what he wants to install. Martin is talking about New Mexico State but the applications to BC are numerous. He was only at NM State one year and was just installing his offense when he gave this interview. What stood out to me was that he described the scheme as West Coast and has an emphasis on short passes to set up the long passes and runs.

Show BC Fencing some love

2012-01-27T14:46:00.004-05:00

Although I focus on the big sports, it is important to remember there are many other student athletes at BC and their events can also be great to attend. Saturday morning, BC Fencing has a rare on campus appearance. Here are the details:

The meet begins 9 AM at the Flynn Recreational Complex. It will continue until 4 PM. BC will host and compete against MIT, Smith, Brandeis, Vassar and Brown. This is BC's first conference meet of the season and the last home, duel meet for seniors Peter Souders, Brian Like, Chelsea Rosenbauer, Gabi Goode, Molly Wolfe and Michelle Gaglia.

Riffing on BC news

2012-01-27T00:02:00.003-05:00

There are a few stories that deserve more than just a link but not their own posts...

Tampa Bay hired Greg Schiano and it had a ripple effect on BC recruiting. BC is targeting Don Bosco WR Leonte Carroo. They are also trying to get TE Michael Giacone. This shift is a gift for a BC class that had numerous holes to fill. Let's hope our staff is working overtime to close these kids.

Jags and McGovern were both mentioned as candidates for the Rutgers job. I don't think either will get much beyond an interview. Rutgers will reach for someone with some sizzle. I am not sure how Jags would fit in Piscataway, but I actually think McGovern would do very well at Rutgers. He's not the showman that Schiano was but he knows New Jersey. Leveraging those roots could build on Schiano's recruiting momentum. The question that will haunt McGovern in any interview is how much the defense is his doing and how much is Spaz.

Regardless of whether he salvages this recruiting class by flipping some Rutgers recruits, I think this recruiting season raises concerns about Spaz's ability and willingness to close on these BC targets. Two recent articles really jumped out with damning quotes. First Jameson McShea -- who called BC his dream school -- said this regarding head coaches in his recruiting process:

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Murphy and not much time with Spaz [BC head coach Frank Spaziani],” McShea said. “That's basically what it came down to.

BC slow played McShea so you can sort of rationalize Spaz not putting time in with the kid, but that just raises other questions. Why don't we cultivate our backups better? Why don't we kick up the sales pitch when it appears that other recruits are waivering? The other story was BC missing out on QB Matt Johns. How did we lose him? Mike London's charm and sales pitch.

“When I went to Boston College I was like, ‘this is it,’” Johns said. “My parents said, ‘let’s go visit Virginia.’ We actually went down and spent a day with the coaches and got to talk with them and then I had a little sit down with Coach [Mike] London.

“After that point, there was no No. 2 school.”

Army announced earlier this week that they had switched dates with BC. We will travel to West Point this fall and they will return in 2013. There's been speculation as to why they switched. I think it comes down to BC trying to change perception and tweek demand. A seven game home slate going into 2012 with Spaz and a lagging economy is not enticing to BC. If they keep it smaller and highly desirable (ND, Miami, Clemson, VT) there won't be as much Grouponing. The hope would be that the program and the economy would be in better shape to help ticket sales when Army returns in 2013.

Likes and Dislikes from the UVA loss

2012-01-26T22:57:00.003-05:00

BC lost to UVA by 17 and I am encouraged. It's been one of those things. Not all loses are created equally with this team. For example, the Wake Forest game was very discouraging. The team had no poise, terrible movement and questionable effort. Tonight against the 'Hoos, the team kept fighting and showed much better offensive decision making. Here are my likes and dislikes. Leave yours in the comments section.

Likes
-- Dennis Clifford's ability to get off a shot inside. He still makes mistakes and puts the ball on the floor too much, but I was very impressed with Clifford's ability to post up inside against a good defensive team and still get off his shot. It leads me to believe he'll start killing teams that don't have defensive big men.
-- Lonnie Jackson's basketball IQ. When he drew the foul on the 3 attempt it reminded me of Jared Dudley. He also made good decisions on penetrating and on help defense.
-- Ryan Anderson's Defense. Nine defensive rebounds and a block. He played really well.

Dislikes
-- Patrick Heckmann's entire night. He only played 11 minutes but they were pretty bad. I tweeted about it and a few other's chimed in. I have no idea what's wrong, but he made some terribly sloppy, careless passes that cost BC on the other end. His defense was terrible too. Maybe he is still hurt. Maybe he's home sick. I don't know but until he gets out of it we cannot afford to waste possessions like that.
-- Rushing shots as UVA pulled away. BC tied the game at 44 and then UVA went on a run. That's expected, but I didn't like the way BC just rushed shots and chucked 3s. A smart basket would have slowed UVA and potentially gotten BC back in the game.

Women's hoops blownout and other links

2012-01-25T23:08:00.005-05:00

If more people cared, I think there would be outrage about the Women's basketball team. Wednesday night North Carolina ran them out of the building, winning 77-46. BC is now the only ACC team yet to get a conference win and only has five wins overall. The concern is that this is Crawley's fourth season and the decline has been steady. BC fans can be patient but I think BC needs to show a little more fight as the season winds down.

Tom Coughlin's reputation for delivering in big games started at BC. (Thanks to Dave for the link.)

Donnie Fletcher is making the most of his time at the Senior Bowl practices. This report noted that he had speed in one on one drills. He also showed strength and pushed a WR around.

One of BC's Plan B recruits -- Jameson McShea -- decided not to commit and is going to Harvard. Gene told Around the Res that this class would have 18-19 recruits. If Spaz is on the same page, he better scrounge up some new verbals quickly.

Cory Schneider weighed in on the Tim Thomas White House controversy.

Report: BC to hire John Thomas for S&C

2012-01-24T12:47:00.003-05:00

Coachingsearch.com is reporting that BC is set to hire former Penn State Strength & Condition coach John Thomas. Like most staffers under Paterno, Thomas was not retained by new coach Bill O'Brien.

Thomas is of the High Intensity Training school of thought. This is about having guys lean and able to do multiple repetitions. It is probably closer to what Jason Loscalzo taught as opposed to the more stretching and mobility school of thought used under Todd Rice and TOB. Here is a good recap from a guy who trained under Thomas. For those who care, Thomas doesn't like overweight linemen.

I don't know Thomas's connection to Gene or Spaz. My guess is Spaz both are connected enough to Penn State people, so that when these guys were cut lose they could pick them up. Obviously with any Penn State hire, someone will ask "what did this guy know about Sandusky." I don't think it is an issue at all. Thomas is not a recruiter and did not overlap much with Sandusky. Although Sandusky had access to the facilities there have never been any reports that a S&C coach witnessed anything.

Overall, I think this will be a solid hire. BC needs someone who can coach these guys up and get them in shape. As an outside observer, Penn State always seemed to have that area covered.

Catching up with Jared Dudley and other links

2012-01-23T15:57:00.003-05:00

SI.com featured Jared Dudley. He continues to do the little things the Suns ask. I also find it interesting that despite his growing media profile, Dudley still sees his future as a college basketball coach.

After spurning BC, Akeel Lynch officially committed to Penn State.

BC used the open scholarship to offer Massachusetts Tight End prospect Jameson Mcshea. BC also locked in a verbal commitment from Ohio DB Bryce Jones.

Super Bowl Eagles

2012-01-22T23:18:00.004-05:00

For the second time in five years the two NFL teams with the most historical ties to BC are facing off in the Super Bowl. Below is a list of the BC connections. (Be sure to add any that I might have overlooked in the comments section.) [UPDATED]

New England Patriots
C Dan Koppen -- BC 2003 (currently on the IR)
DT Ron Brace -- BC 2009
Defensive Assistant Brian Flores -- BC 2004
Scout Dujuan Daniels -- BC 2002
Robert Kraft -- member of the Board of Trustees

New York Giants
LB Mark Herzlich -- BC 2011
LB Mathias Kiwanuka -- BC 2006
G Chris Snee -- BC 2004
KR Will Blackmon -- BC 2006
Tom Coughlin -- Former BC head coach
Strength and Conditioning Coach Jerry Palmieri -- held the same position at BC under Coughlin
Assistant Offensive Line Coach Jack Bicknell, Jr. -- BC 1985, also coached at BC under Jags and is the son of former BC coach Jack Bicknell
Wide Receivers Coach Sean Ryan -- Graduate assistant at BC 2001-2002
John Mara -- BC 1976
Chris Mara -- BC 1979

Not a good Saturday and other links

2012-01-21T23:16:00.002-05:00

Lots of losses today...

I hoped the two ACC wins were a sign that BC could beat the lessor teams in the conference. They struggled to do that today in loss to Wake Forest. There were plenty of issues but the offense was stagnant. We couldn't get much going inside because of Wake's shot blocking and then weren't hitting out 3s. Even though we had some successful give and gos and pick and rolls, I think we still need more cutting to the basket.

Maine beat the men's hockey team again and this time it wasn't close. The game was tied in the 3rd, but Maine went up and then picked up some empty-net scores late.

The BC women fell to 0-6 in ACC play with their loss to Virginia.

Dirk Koetter -- Matt Ryan's new Offensive Coordinator -- has made the rounds in coaching. What I didn't know was that Coughlin hired him at BC before he left for Jacksonville. I always assumed he was brought in by Dan Henning. This article on Coughlin quotes a few BC folks.

This Rivals article paints a gloomy picture for our upcoming recruiting class.

Jason Loscalzo leaving for Washington State

2012-01-20T10:43:00.003-05:00

As I just tweeted, Jason Loscalzo is leaving BC for Washington State. This may not seem like a big deal, but the roll of the Strength and Conditioning coach is becoming more and more important as he is the only staff member allowed to interact with the players year round. I will have more later.

Good interview with Gene and other links

2012-01-19T10:36:00.003-05:00

Around the Res posted the second part of their interview with Gene. They did a nice job. These types of interviews can be difficult and lend themselves to pat answers, but Around the Res didn't go with just softballs. They pushed on recruiting and on our football success.

This article on Kuechly includes a note about transfer Marcus Grant and early enrollee Joel Zoungrana already being on campus.

With Donnie Fletcher's invite, BC continued its streak of sending players to the Senior Bowl. BCI crunched some of the numbers.

Road test in Raliegh

2012-01-19T10:03:00.003-05:00

Two ACC wins provided a big boost of confidence to this young BC basketball team. They also have us believers thinking this fledgling squad will mature quickly and compete soon. Thursday night will provide another test as the guys take on NC State. The Pack are 13-5 and very good offensively. To win BC is going to need to be strong defensively and cut down on turnovers.

Even though it is early, this could be a big turning point in the season. A win would prove that the team can compete against the better ACC teams on the road. It would also provide a much needed boost to BC's RPI rankings.

Questioning Win Homer's new star

2012-01-18T23:13:00.005-05:00

I am suspicious of BC recruit Win Homer's bump from three star to four star on Rivals.com. Earlier this week, Rivals updated its Rivals 250 and the Virginia OL prospect debuted at 248. Previously Rivals gave Homer three stars, listed him as the 51st best tackle and the 12th best player out of Virginia. Even though he now has four stars plenty of players above him in his position ranking and in his state ranking still only carry three stars.

The three other major services, Scout, 247Sports and ESPN have not altered their rankings of Homer. Why was Homer bumped and why now? He hasn't played since the last ranking. He hasn't received any new offers that we know of. My suspicion is that a BC-friendly evaluator gave a BC-bound prospect a bump to help BC's overall ranking and offset some of the bad news on the recruiting front. In a potential quid pro quo, BC gets an artificial improvement to its class and the largest BC recruiting news site continues to keep a good relationship with Spaz and staff.

Let me state that I am not accusing all of Eagle Action (Rivals's BC site) of juicing the stats. In fact, I think Eric Hoffses is the best BC beat writer around. I also think Adam Rose is a rising star on the BC media scene. My long problem with Eagle Action has been with Mike Farrell and his willingness to color outside the lines when it comes to BC recruiting.

As I have always said, rankings really shouldn't matter. It is a subjective, man-made measurement. There may be a correlation with rankings and success, but I don't believe there is causation. BC's talent should be judged by how it does on the field. Who and how we bring in talent is important. What outsiders think of that talent is meaningless.

Homer may be the best member of this BC class. I hope Rivals collectively found something in his tapes or recruiting to make them think he will be a star. If they were throwing a bone to Spaz, then all they did was tease BC fans...again.

BC responds to Steve Lively and I give my two cents

2012-01-18T14:50:00.005-05:00

Last November, I was blind copied on a letter written by Steve Lively to the Board of Trustees. Earlier this week Lively followed up his first letter with another email. I ignored it this time. Since his last email, Lively had now included a racial component to his criticism that I didn't want to delve into. I certainly have my agenda and think race and sports are intertwined, but I don't necessarily want to endorse everything Lively is saying. He's certainly welcome to voice his opinions -- as many BC fans, alumni and bloggers have been doing for years. He also sprinkled in numerous personal anecdotes that make his argument seem less a mission to fix BC and more about "getting" Gene. [Copies of the full letter are on various message boards.]

BC finally responded to Lively's criticism with the following statement.

Steve Lively’s letter regarding Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo is perplexing and unfortunate, and filled with irresponsible and baseless claims. It has caused a number of people, including several of Steve’s former football teammates, to express concern for him and his judgment.

Under Gene’s leadership, the BC Athletics program has remained true to its traditions and the pursuit of excellence. Boston College has one of the highest student-athlete graduation rates in the country, its athletics facilities have been upgraded significantly, and its athletes have succeeded on the field and in service to the wider community.

Gene DeFilippo has the confidence, respect and support of countless members of the Boston College community, including University President Fr. William Leahy, as well as colleagues in intercollegiate athletics throughout the United States.

Jack Dunn, University Spokesman

I blame Gene for many of the issues currently facing BC sports. I also think he oversteps his role and can lack tact at times. That doesn't gloss over all his many accomplishments while at BC or the improvements he has made to the school. We joke about how he is quick to remind people what things were like when he arrived, but he does deserve credit. However, he is in a high profile role required to make tough decisions. Over 15 years you are going to upset people, make enemies and make plenty of poor decisions. Also after 15 years you will tend to get complacent, set in your ways and start to think your past success means you can always make the right decision. Gene's persona and the comments he continues to make to the media and alumni are going to cause controversy. As much as we would like a victory lap conclusion to his career and smooth transition to his retirement, he may be too controversial for that to happen.

Lively can keep challenging Gene, but the statement from Dunn shows that the school's leadership has Gene's back. At this point I recommend individual fans keep up with your personal feelings and continue to use your gifts to the school as a vehicle to send a message.

More recruiting defections

2012-01-17T23:41:00.004-05:00

Following on the decommitment of Sam Grant, running back Akeel Lynch announced that he will not be attending BC. With Jaxon Hood taking other visits and Steven Daniels rumored to be having NCAA admissions issues, Spaz finds himself with multiple holes in his already small recruiting class. I have never been one to get worked up about recruiting rankings. I do get concerned about roster management. I also think this raises questions about Spaz and his staff's approaching to recruiting. Spaz has two weeks to fill these holes and prove that he can still sell BC to waivering recruits.

This is Spaz's fourth recruiting class. His defenders have been pointing towards it for two years. They said that a smaller class would allow Spaz to focus on quality. They also said he would use the extra time to really hone in on players who fit at BC. Now it looks like that time was wasted. While I am sure the losing season hurt his message, a good salesman would use the losses as a chance for players to make an immediate impact.

Finally the question needs to be asked: if Spaz isn't winning on the field and isn't closing on recruits, how can Gene keep saying he doing a great job? It doesn't look like many members of this recruiting class will help Spaz this season, but if he doesn't recruit well it makes the rebuilding job post-Spaz that much harder.

NCAA screwing Ifeanyi Momah

2012-01-16T16:25:00.004-05:00

Always known for selective enforcement, the NCAA has some explaining to do regarding their denial of Ifeanyi Momah's 6th year of eligibility. Compare his case to two more prominent players who received an extra year of playing time.

Case Keenum redshirted his freshmen year (fall 2006). He played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman (fall 2007). He played in 13 the following year (fall 2008). His redshirt junior year saw him start in 14 games (fall 2009). In his fifth year (fall 2010) he started three games and suffered an ACL injury. The NCAA granted him a sixth year and played in 14 games. In all he was allowed to play in 57 games and his school was not punished for their elective redshirt in 2006.

Robert Marve redshirted his freshman year (fall 2007). In his redshirt freshman year Marve started 11 games. In 2009 he transferred to Purdue and had to sit out a season. This used his third year of NCAA eligibility. In his fourth year of eligibility (fall 2010) he started four games before injuring his knee. After recovering from his knee injury, Marve played in 10 games (2011 season). It should be noted that Marve also admitted to the NCAA that he received illegal benefits as part of the Shapiro scandal at Miami. But was sparred punishment because of his cooperation. He was just granted a 6th year of eligibility. In all Marve has played 25 games, played in multiple games across three seasons and allowed to transfer and escape penalty even though his former Miami teammates had to miss games.

Now a reminder on Ifeanyi Momah's history. He played in seven games as true freshman in 2007. He only played in 11 games as true sophomore due to injury. He redshirted in 2009. In 2010 he played in 13 games. In 2011, he was injured in the first game. That consists of only three full seasons. He has never been in any trouble and has his degree. He missed one full season due to injury and 83% of another season due to injury. Why was he not given the same opportunities as Marve and Keenum?

BC is following the proper channels, but this stinks to high heaven. If the NCAA doesn't reverse its decision on appeal, the school should hit the media hard.

Kuechly Draft news and other links

2012-01-15T21:38:00.005-05:00

Because they have yet to invite Juniors, Kuechly is still not on the list for linebackers at the NFL Combine. NFLDraftScout.com lists him as the top inside linebacker prospect. This analyst thinks Kuechly would be a good fit with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Paul Peterson will call plays for Sacremento State this year. Let's hope he lights up the scoreboard and we can bring him to BC one day.

As he stated, Mike Dawson has left college coaching and is now the AD at a Massachusetts high school.

Scout posted an update on Sam Grant...and it is not looking good for BC.

Good wins and recruiting news

2012-01-14T23:17:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago I feared BC would have a terrible ACC slate. Now after three games we are 2-1 in conference. Saturday's solid win over Virginia Tech was another example of the team maturing. This was the most they've gone inside and it helped the offense all over the floor. The defense was much better too. Now I am feeling better about how the team will do in the following weeks.

BC made the most of their second Frozen Fenway appearance by beating Northeastern 2-1. The win wrapped up a sweep of the Huskies.

BC commit Sam Grant visited Michigan this weekend and is now choosing between Michigan, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Staff is finalized

2012-01-13T09:11:00.003-05:00

It has been floating around the BC message boards for a few days, but BC confirmed that this will be Spaz's staff for 2012.

Doug Martin -- Offensive Coordinator and QBs coach
Jim Bollman -- Offensive Line (running game coordinator)
Ben Sirmans -- Running Backs coach
Ryan Day -- Wide Receivers coach
Sean Devine -- Tight Ends coach
Dave Brock -- Special Teams coach
Bill McGovern -- Defensive Coordinator and LBs coach
Mike Siravo -- Defensive Backs and Recruiting Coordinator
Jeff Comissiong -- Defensive Line Coach

Ben Johnson -- who served as the interim Tight Ends coach this fall -- will be moving on. Per NCAA rules, he cannot move back to his Graduate Assistant spot.

On paper, I think this is the best staff of Spaz's four seasons. We will see if the results on the field change. The best moving of the pieces might be what Gene and Spaz did with Brock and Devine. Both are valuable recruiters, yet had questionable results as OC and OL coaches. Now we keep them on staff, yet have a tactical and teaching upgrade at those key positions.

What's interesting is that despite all the rumored grumbling, that most of the guys stayed. BC certainly has its drawbacks, but the grass is not always greener.

What was Max Holloway thinking?

2012-01-13T08:51:00.003-05:00

Max Holloway took many BC fans by surprise when he announced he would bypass his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Max earned his degree so you cannot begrudge him for wasting an education. This clearly is a personal and football decision. But as a football decision, I don't know if it makes sense.

Pros
Currently Max is out of position in BC's defense. He's a little undersized to be a classic 4-3 DE. NFL teams might see him as someone who might thrive in a 3-4. Another year at BC wouldn't have helped him hone 3-4 skills, so if he impresses in the workouts and interviews he might get drafted in the later rounds. I am sure Montel Harris's injury was in the back of his mind too. Leaving now -- while he is still healthy -- allows him the chance to play professionally. If he returns and gets hurt, that might not be an option. Finally, maybe he needs the motivation. As we've said, college football is a grind. Especially when you are not winning. If he wasn't passionate about returning to BC, it is best to move on and challenge himself.

Cons
At this point, he is a long shot to get drafted. With fewer rounds of the NFL Draft the Undrafted Free Agent path is more common, but certainly not easier. A breakout season next year might have raised his stock a bit. He might also have played his last down of football. There are no guarantees in the sport. If he loves to play, giving up a final year at BC might be a mistake.

For BC, this is not good news. Holloway was not an elite player, but he was very consistent and someone we could have used next year. It also makes you question the morale and motivation if players are leaving on the slight chance of getting drafted.

Eagles beat Clemson, avoids winless ACC schedule

2012-01-12T23:30:00.002-05:00

This isn't the same as beating a No. 1 North Carolina, but tonight's win over Clemson is an important step. I am glad the team avoided a winless ACC season. I trust Donahue and a 0-16 ACC season would have created a ton of baggage. With that out of the way, let's get another two or three. Here are my thoughts:

Likes
-- Lonnie Jackson hitting 3s. If the other team gives him a little space and a little time, he is dangerous from out there.
-- Defensive rebounding. One of the reasons Clemson could score for stretches were due to our defensive rebounding.
-- Dennis Clifford close to the basket. He looked good down on the block. You can see how he might blossum as he gets used to the speed of the ACC.

Dislikes
-- Not converting on Free Throws. With a team full of shooters, we need to get to at least .500 from the line.
-- Humphrey's turnovers. Humphrey had another good game but was too sloppy at times with the ball.
-- Heckmann's minutes. I know our other wing players got hot, but Heckmann needs to play more than 12 minutes.

Reader hockey memories

2012-01-11T23:21:00.003-05:00

I got a lot of good submissions. Thanks to all who shared. Here are some of the best.

Sick Before the game from Dave

1998 Frozen Four -- National Championship game -- I was 8 years out of BC and BC last made the Frozen Four in my senior year (1990). I had tickets to the 1998 title game at the Fleet Center and I was pumped. I ate something real bad at Wonder Bar (the old Bunratty's) for lunch. I was a victim of a nasty case of foood poisoning and was relegated to my hotel room in Cambridge where I watched every second of the glorious OT game against the hated Michigan Wolverines.

BC hit the post several times in the OT -- I did not know what was going to kill me 1st -- the food poisoning or the stress of that incredible contest.

BC lost, I was sick all night, but I knew that BC hockey was back and back in a big way -- one could see that Jerry York was a magician and multiple titles would be in BC's future. It was just a matter of time.

That 1998 BC team got me through one night of gastrointestinal hell.

A couple different people sent in a note regarding Gionta's five goals including Richard and Carter.

Championship party gets a little big from Stephen.

Started at BC in 1997, so we had two horrific losses in the championship game our freshman and junior years. Finally had a standing room only Mod viewing party for North Dakota (round 2) in 2001 and saw the OT game winner. Our neighbors had dragged their sofa and TV into the middle of our Mod yard, so we ran outside to start drunkingly hi-fiving people.

Well... other mods saw us outside and ran over... followed by underclassmen from Walsh, Vanderslice, etc. Next thing we know, the entire campus is in our backyard and it's a full scale riot. Our fence was torn down and somehow the Boston Globe got into my roomates bedroom and took a picture of the crowd from above. But the funniest part was my parents came to Boston the following day, and I had to explain to them why my backyard was no longer grass, but a sea of crushed Natty cans.

But the winner were two of my loyal readers (Bill and Jane) who witnessed Snook's Kelley's 500th win in 1972. I am as guilty as other people of glossing over what happened at BC prior to my own arrival, so I am glad these two reminded us how great BC's been at hockey. As I said they both submitted the Kelley win but I only had one pair of tickets. Fortunately Jane's a big fan and already had tickets. Thanks to all that submitted and let's hope the game is fun.

Year in Review: Defensive MVPs

2012-01-11T16:19:00.003-05:00

Usually the defense carries the day for BC. This year it was the better side of the team, but still not that good. Or at least not as great as BC usually is. Talent was a big issue, as was experience. Even with some holes in the roster a few player stood out.

1. Luke Kuechly
Kuechly concluded his BC career with one of the most statistically impressive seasons in Boston College history. His productivity and fundamentals were well known prior to the season. This year he showed an added toughness by finishing the season despite a bad elbow injury. He also got better as the season progressed. Never a real liability in pass coverage, Kuechly became much better as he proved in his performance against Miami. I've debated where he ranks among the all-time BC greats, but there is no denying he was this team's most valuable player.

2. Kevin Pierre-Louis
Because of who he played next to and because he dealt with nagging injuries in the latter part of the season, it is easy to overlook how good KPL was in 2011. We already knew he was tough and strong but this year I think he improved in his ability to diagnose plays. He blew pass blockers and did a better job when in zones. If he's healthy, he should be all conference next year.

3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway's biggest issue among his critics is who he is not. He's not a game-changing sack machine. But he had a really solid 2011. Fourth in tackles, the leader in sacks and he had a INT. What he lacks in dynamism, he made up for in consistency. Holloway improved from last year and improved during the season. When you look for silver linings, that is one.

A little info on new turf, Jesuits on sports and other links

2012-01-10T23:13:00.004-05:00

I was curious about the timing of the change in Alumni's new turf, so I reached out to BC. The plan is to switch out after Spring Ball and graduation. It will be ready well before practice begins in August.

Tim Tebow's dad's church hasn't always said the nicest things about the Catholic Church, but I thought this Jesuit's thoughts on Tebow's praying was interesting and fair.

Here is one of the first take's on Kuechly as a draft pick.

Eric Hoffses talked to other writers who have covered Doug Martin in the past. The best recurring theme is that he adapts to his talent.

CBS thinks we still have work to do with our football recruiting. Top verbal commitment Akeel Lynch continues to talk to other schools. Cameron Shorey -- a New Hampshire DE -- is hoping for a BC offer.

Reggie Jackson is impressing folks in Oklahoma City.

Win free tickets for BC hockey game at Fenway

2012-01-10T22:54:00.002-05:00

The marketing folks behind the Frozen Fenway event are offering one of the blog's readers a pair of tickets to BC's game Saturday. They recommended some sort of contest, so let's keep it simple. If you are interested in the tickets email me your favorite BC hockey memory. I will post the best responses and pick a winner late Wednesday.

As a reminder, Fenway Park is hosting a number of hockey games for Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012. The 16-day event began Jan. 1 and will continue through Monday, Jan. 16.

Here is the full remaining schedule:

Wednesday: All private skating

Thursday: NU has their practice from 9-10 am followed by practice for Harvard/Babson and Union/Norwich.

Friday: We have the Norwich/Babson game from 3:30-6 followed by Union/Harvard from 7-9:30

Saturday: Boston Rivalries game. At 4 p.m., the Boston College Eagles will face off against cross-town foe Northeastern Huskies. That game will be preceded by a match-up of long-time high school rivals Boston College High School and Catholic Memorial at 1 p.m.

Sunday: Back-up weather day for Saturday’s game.

Allow me to rant about the BCS and the ACC's role

2012-01-09T23:12:00.003-05:00

I love college football but I really hate the current BCS and bowl system. There are a million reasons to dislike it but my major gripe is that there are now only 12 teams eligible for the national championship and they all happen to be in the SEC. Heck, Alabama showed tonight that you don't even have to win the SEC to win a national championship. This isn't me hating the SEC due to an ACC inferiority complex. It is me hating on a system that is not decided on the field and where one conference is now benefiting from money, marketing and media hype. It would be like the World Series was only decided between the Red Sox and Yankees every year. I want a playoff. I want home playoff games and I want automatic qualifiers from all the major conferences. If we keep this slow march towards a "plus 1" and keeping the bowls and allowing six or seven SEC teams in BCS games, then most of the ACC will be squeezed out. College football will only be a power group of 40 or so schools. We need a playoff and the ACC needs to lead the charge. The conference needs to do it for the money and do it for the survival of the other 120 schools playing FBS (DIA) football.

The ACC could lead the change but we have gutless apologizing leadership. The conference, its coaches and its media members are constantly defending ACC football. Who cares? We don't oversign like the SEC teams. We have more admission restrictions. Of course our football will suffer a bit. Because we are not a collection of tradition football powers and because we have a group of private schools, we will never travel as well to bowl games. I know all the ACC teams got rolled in bowl games, but once again it doesn't matter. The bowl games are quirky neutral site games after long layoffs. If we had a real playoff, I am sure a hot ACC team would make a run on occasion.

Instead our leaders sit by and allow ESPN to prop up the bowl system and the SEC to be the primary beneficiary simply because they deliver ratings and hype. The regular season doesn't matter. Alabama just proved that. History doesn't matter or else they wouldn't have ruined the bowls. Academics don't matter or else SEC's would try to graduate their players. Cheating doesn't even matter. Look at the slap on the wrist Ohio State got. So we ignore all these issues to keep the old boy network of bowl reps, coaches and ADs protected. Having 70 teams in bowls helps perception. Having say 16 playoff teams would ratchet up the pressure on coaches and ADs.

The ACC could lead for change. We could work with the other schools to get a playoff. We could lead by example and it would mean more money and a better chance at championships. Instead our gutless leaders will sit back and watch Alabama and LSU play for another title next year.

Hockey ties Merrimack

2012-01-08T23:25:00.002-05:00

I know that most BC fans were watching former Eagles battle it out in the Meadowlands, but BC Hockey had a game against Merrimack this afternoon. After getting an early lead, BC allowed Merrimack to come back and tie the game. Despite the competition, the crowd was strong. BC listed attendance as 7,114. BC is now 22-0-3 against Merrimack in their last 25 games at the Heights.

Two great BC stories

2012-01-07T22:56:00.002-05:00

For those who haven't already read them, please enjoy these two positive articles on BC sports.

Falcons and Giants share BC ties.

BC basketball honors leukemia survivor.

Signs of life in lopsided loss to UNC

2012-01-07T22:38:00.002-05:00

That was as good of a 23-point loss as you'll see from BC basketball these days. I was most encouraged that the guys didn't fold. We've seen plenty of BC basketball teams give up during blowouts. These guys didn't. I was also encouraged that they went on some runs against an elite team. It was more validation that certain members of the team have ACC-level talent. The issue remains that they cannot put it all together for 40 minutes. Here are my thoughts. Leave yours below.

Likes
-- Ryan Anderson scoring inside. Even though he was giving up size, Anderson did well inside. He showed good strength and good touch. It was his 3-point shooting that suffered.
-- Dennis Clifford's defense. For the first time against a good team we got physical. Clifford made an effort on the boards and helped shutdown some UNC possessions.
-- Productive minutes from Moton. As Daniels emerged the past few weeks, I wondered if we would see more of Moton. Today he played well. He was good defensively and in transition.

Dislikes
-- Not enough movement towards the basket. We spend way too much time passing around the perimeter. When we cut, we had success. Donahue needs to get these guys thinking about cuts...especially with an aggressive opponent like UNC. The shotclock violations were maddening.
-- The turnovers. Some of it was pressure but a lot of it was sloppy play.

More staff changes as Spaz brings on new OL coach

2012-01-06T22:29:00.004-05:00

BC's offense has been barely functional under Spaz. There were numerous reasons and issues, but I always felt it started with the offensive line. Without solid protection up front all of other other issues were magnified. For a school that prided itself on its offensive line tradition, this was unacceptable. Finally Spaz made a change. He hired former Ohio State Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line coach Jim Bollman to be offensive line coach/running game coordinator.

Bollman comes with a wealth of college and professional experience. Almost as importantly he overlapped with Spaz one year at UVA and was Tranq's OLine coach at Michigan State (so there is more familiarity with Spaz than say Kevin Rogers had). He's available because Urban Meyer decided to bring in most of his own folks at Ohio State. They gave him the running game coordinator title, but I wouldn't read too much into that. Martin is still going to call plays. I assume that Martin and Bollman have a some familiarity given the Ohio connection between the two.

Ohio State fans are mocking us, but I am not too concerned. If Bollman can just get our guys to be more consistent and less confused on plays, he will have done his job.

I'll have more on Bollman as I learn more. For now I am optimistic. We needed a teacher and a veteran who has seen it all and can instill fundamentals back into our offensive line. On paper Bollman is that guy.

Sean Devine will remain on staff as the Tight Ends coach...and that is a good thing. He's been one of our hardest working recruiters. I know OLine U fell apart under his watch, but I think it was probably a bad fit from the start (I'll explain why in another post). Now he can redeem himself by helping us close out strong on the recruiting front.

Luke Kuechly enters NFL Draft

2012-01-06T22:17:00.003-05:00

Luke Kuechly is leaving BC early to enter the 2012 NFL Draft. It is not really surprising and stinks for BC fans, but it is the right move for his football future. Experts project the All America Linebacker to be a first round draft pick, likely to go in the teens. The prolific Kuechly broke tons of records and earned dozens of awards while at BC, so there wasn't a lot left to accomplish. I take him at his words when he says he loves BC but his draft stock will never be higher. While BC should improve next year, I don't think Luke is going to miss a championship run.

I don't know what his legacy will be. He wasn't flashy. He dominated during a blah time on the Heights. Even though it is unrelated, I think a lot of what we think of his time will be influenced by his success as a pro. But there is no denying that he made a huge impact while on the field. His productivity is unmatched and I've never seen a guy shed blockers like he did.

No one on the teleconference asked him about his injured elbow but I imagine Luke's stock will go up through the combine and interviews. He's got underrated speed and incredible instincts. People will wonder about his size as a MLB in the NFL, but I think he'll be great in any system and any position.

As with all BC guys, I wish Luke nothing but the best and thank him for representing BC with such class.

ACC hoops play primer and other links

2012-01-06T07:07:00.003-05:00

BC begins ACC play this weekend against North Carolina. As you can imagine, the Tar Heels are heavy favorites. I just hope that BC keeps it close. UNC will be without one of their freshmen stars in James Michael McAdoo. Here is Andy Katz's overview of the ACC.

I found this roundup of links regarding Dana Holgorsen to be very enlightening. As we continue to struggle scoring points, I think our approach to offense has to change. It is not just play calling. It is about execution and preparation.

BC offered a scholarship to 2013 target John Montelus. He is an offensive tackle from Everett.

In an offbeat but interesting story, Billy Flutie saved someone from chocking at the Applebee's in Cleveland Circle!

BJ Raji is ready for another Super Bowl run.

The women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Virginia Tech.

The women's hockey team also lost a close game, falling to St. Lawrence 2-1.

Kuechly's still undecided and other links

2012-01-04T22:51:00.002-05:00

Luke Kuechly has yet to make a decision on his NFL Draft status. This post from Draft Insider claims that he is torn between his love for BC, unfinished business in college and the fact that his draft status is at its best now. What isn't mentioned anywhere is the status of his elbow. The rumors floating around say that injury is more severe than most know. The smart move is for Luke to bolt, but selfishly I would love to see him back.

Mark Herzlich is still not 100%.

BC's outdoor hockey game at Fenway has been moved up two hours to 4 PM so that fans can watch the Patriots' playoff game that night.

Are big-time sports worth it and spoiled kids

2012-01-03T16:21:00.002-05:00

Thanks to John W for passing along this Atlantic article on college sports. The Flutie Effect gets mentioned but it is not the focus of the article. I know the stats of the Flutie effect have been debated and challenged for years, but I do think sports (specifically football) have had a definite positive impact on Boston College. While the school is so much more than sports, sports has been a great vehichle for spreading that message. And our unique position of being the only Jesuit school playing big time sports is a strong selling point.

In contrast, this is the type of article that makes you cringe at college sports. Nothing makes the process seem more exploitative and mercenary than learning kids are picking programs based on jersey numbers.

Losing to URI: what it means with the ACC season about to begin

2012-01-02T23:35:00.004-05:00

Let me say that this was a bad, bad loss. URI is not a good team and BC squandered multiple chances to win. But I will keep looking on the bright side. Despite the mistakes and head scratching decisions, there were some positives that have me optimistic about being competitive in most ACC games. As always, leave your thoughts below.

The good news
-- Heckmann made a clutch shot to force the second OT. The drive and pump fake and the patience were huge. It was the type of move that would have been good against most teams.
-- Ryan Anderson's overall play. He was the best player the whole game. However, he was pulled for parts of the overtime when we needed more outside shooters. It was a questionable call.
-- Our flaws can be corrected. In my opinion, the two big areas of concern -- rebounding and movement on offense -- can be improved. While rebounding is somewhat instinctive, there are adjustments Donahue can make to improve things.

-- The bad news
-- the rebounding. Guys were overpowered. Guys gave up. Guys didn't follow shots. It was bad all around and the big reason we lost.
-- No idea on many halfcourt sets. There were tons of possessions that were pass, pass, pass, force something. I am not saying bring back the flex, but the players need to have purpose and urgency. Too often guys are just standing around.
-- The rotation is getting tighter yet results are not showing. Daniels, Heckmann, Clifford, Anderson and Jackson got the majority of the minutes. All were good to decent. Yet they still don't play with any comfort with one another. We had a critical turnover towards the end of regulation where Daniels passed it to Jackson over the midcourt line. It created a backcourt violation. But both the whole team was at fault. No one moved for Daniels. No one alerted him to the pending trap. Jackson was already moving back on D when the pass came his way. I know these guys are all freshmen, but we need baby steps.

Lynch update and other links

2012-01-01T23:15:00.003-05:00

In the middle of this link is an update on BC verbal commitment Akeel Lynch. He continues to take visits and doesn't sound like he is headed to BC.

BC basketball lost out on prime target Luke Fischer. The Wisconsin big man has decided to attend Indiana.

Former BC QB Justin Tuggle will play linebacker for Kansas State next season. He is third on the depth chart so LB might be the only way he sees the field.

Predictions for 2012

2011-12-31T16:10:00.003-05:00

I've seen this in other places, so I thought I would do a BC-sportscentric one as 2011 comes to a close. This is not a wish list. Just some hunches I have...

BC will be bowl eligible in 2012. We underachieved in 2011 and have plenty of talent returning. I like the change in Doug Martin. But I don't think 2012 will be much fun. I still expect Spaz to blow some games for us.

Gene Defilippo will announce his "retirement" in 2012. Gene has pissed off plenty of people lately. I think there is a chance that the powers that be will let him know that the 2012-2013 school year will be his last.

BC will win at least one game in the ACC Men's basketball tournament. The Harvard game should have been a wake up call for me, but I am still drinking the Donahue koolaid. I think we will get better in ACC play and pull off an upset in Day 1 of the ACC Tournament.

BC will make it to another Frozen Four. It doesn't feel like it right now, but does anyone doubt Jerry York's ability to peak at the right time?

Sylvia Crawley will be fired after the 2011-2012 season. I know she has a young team too and has had success so far at BC, but I just think there are enough things in play that BC might make a change.

Frank Spaziani will not be fired. I think being bowl-eligible and my predicted change in the AD spot will save Spaz. If BC does change AD, it is probably better that the new AD decided Spaz's fate in 2013.

Hockey loses, Hoops loses and other links

2011-12-30T08:40:00.002-05:00

Hockey returned to action after their long break. Unfortunately they began the new portion of their schedule they way they ended things prior to the break: with a loss. Thursday's disappointment came with a 4-2 loss to Michigan in the Great Lakes Invitational. The have a chance to redeem themselves in the consultation game against Michigan Tech.

I had a lot of optimism about the basketball team taking on Harvard. It wasn't to be as they lost 67-46. The big concern was the inability to score in the second half.

Blauds comes out with a defense of the talent that left the program during the Donahue-Skinner change. I loved Al but I am not going to kill Donahue for running these guys off and/or not doing more to keep them. As painful as this season is, Donahue's legacy will be about what he does with his own players.

BC recruiting target Jamil Pollard recommited to Penn State. I know Spaz didn't want to take advantage of his alma mater's downtime, but I wish we had exploited their issues a bit more. It is disappointing that we lost a kid to a school in the middle of a scandal and without a head coach.

It looks like former BC Defensive Coordinator Phil Elmassian will take the same role at UMass.

As I tweeted, the New Yorker wrote an article on Don Bosco. It is an interesting read considering all the BC-Bosco connections over the years.

A reminder about giving to BC

2011-12-28T23:31:00.002-05:00

With 2011 coming to a close, many are making their final charitable donations of the year. Some frustrated BC fans have said they won't give to the school or Flynn Fund as long as Spaz and/or Gene are still around. I understand the logic but strongly recommend an alternative. If you planned on giving to the Flynn Fund but won't this year, please give to the BC Fund.

Even at a nominal amount, it is important to support the school. Your money goes to a variety of projects and needs. Think of all those things you love about BC. Most of those aspects were influenced and helped by a series of small gifts from people like us. Plus it helps the school's rankings.

We all keep close ties to BC in part because of athletics, but sports are not BC. The school and community are ultimately what it is all about. That community and ideal is supported by the BC Fund.

Finally, if you are frustrated, bypassing the Flynn Fund and giving to the BC Fund will give you a voice. You can share your thoughts and frustrations with BC. And if enough money shifts from one fund to another, the school will finally have to address the issues they have with their athletic leadership and their most visible team.

Recruiting news and other links

2011-12-27T23:02:00.004-05:00

BC's has new competition for Illinois running back David Smith. Oklahoma is coming on with late interest and Smith seems interested.

Not surprisingly, BC is still in the basement of the ACC Basketball power rankings.

Congrats to BJ Raji on his first Pro Bowl.

For those who missed it, Sean Williams was very Sean William-y in his return to the NBA.

Voice of Flutie era retires and other links

2011-12-26T23:50:00.004-05:00

I am always jealous of college programs with established radio play-by-play men. One of the big upsides of having a "voice" is that their is an added depth and connection to all the big moments. The man who called BC football for a decade -- Dan Davis -- retired right before the Christmas holiday. Despite his tenure and his moment in Miami, Davis hasn't been associated with BC for decades. It's a shame that even since Davis moved on we haven't had a long tenured voice of BC sports. Maybe we will luck out and have Meter calling BC games for years to come.

Davis's call

Future Eagle Justin Simmons earned a defensive honor from his local paper.

BC is going after IL Olineman Logan Tuley-Tillman.

BCI has a good update on the potential division shifts within the ACC. Let me restate that I would looooooove to see us drop Virginia Tech as the cross division game in exchange for Syracuse.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T07:31:00.000-05:00

Blogging will continue on the 26th. For now enjoy the day and your friends and family. Also, check out BC's special Christmas post: Christmas Message from Father Neenan

How Matt Barkley is different from Luke Kuechly

2011-12-23T23:36:00.004-05:00

USC's JR quarterback Matt Barkley made headlines this week by announcing he will return to USC for his senior season. This was big news because Barkley was likely to be a high pick. Most experts projected him to get drafted before our star player Luke Kuechly. With most of these cases I think the player should leave. I understand why Barkley wants to return. Unfortunately his reasons don't apply for Kuechly.

Upside
Barkley would have been the second or third QB taken this year. If he has a great senior season, he could be the first overall. That would come with much more money. Kuechly is expected to be a mid-first rounder. But he is unlikely to move much higher. Teams just don't use No. 1 overalls on linebackers. With new slotting of draft spots the signing bonus between No 16 this year vs No 9 next year is nominal. The difference for Barkley between No. 10 this year and No. 1 next year is significant.

Team strength
Barkley has the chance to be part of a national championship. That sort of team accomplishment is worth delaying a professional career. Most never get a shot at a championship. Kuechly won't be playing for a national title. He is better off getting his pro career underway rather than risking injury in the Tire Bowl.

The real unknown is Luke Kuechly's elbow injury. If he cannot work out at the combine then returning makes sense as he would need the senior season to prove he is healthy.

If you can't get Steve Logan, you might as well turn to Doug Martin

2011-12-22T23:01:00.008-05:00

Earlier this week when Doug Martin interviewed for the OC position, I had the following email exchange with a guy who knows Jags and Steve Logan.

Me: Given his connection to Jags and Logan, would Doug Martin actually take a job under Spaz and Gene?

Him: Very little chance.

That exchange shows the gossip and speculation is often a bad predictor. But now that Doug Martin is our new Offensive Coordinator, the question should be asked: why?

Why after picking Spaz over Steve Logan three years ago and scrapping his offense are we bringing in a Logan-disciple? Why are we changing offenses from a more prostyle to spread when we have been recruiting players into a prostyle scheme for three years. And why would a guy who clearly can get an inside opinion on all the nonsense that goes on between Flip and Spaz take the job?

When guessing about unanswerable questions, I revert to Occam's razor. My guess is that Gene and Spaz talked to a lot of guys and felt that Martin was the best candidate willing to take the job. Switching from prostyle to a more modern spread might lead to growing pains, but production was so bad there was no reason to lock into the other scheme. Also, I am sure Martin feels he can adapt his scheme to the current BC personnel. As for Martin taking the job...Jags and Logan both liked what BC represents and the type of kids you coach at BC. Logan's son even worked for Gene. Regardless of how things ended they probably spoke highly of BC as a program. Martin might know there are issues and Spaz is on the hot seat, but all things being equal, he is being well paid to coach at a BCS program.

There are a million things to analyze as far as what Martin will do, but these are my short Day 1 thoughts. Some are good. Some are not.

-- I like that Martin is a well know personality in Ohio. He won't be a key recruiter, but he can help our efforts, especially in Northeast Ohio.
-- I've always liked Martin's ability to find under the radar skill guys like Joshua Cribbs, Eugene Jarvis, and Julian Edelman.
-- I like that his offense has been pretty consistent. Martin is no Mike Leach, but I think he is our best OC since Steve Logan.
-- I wonder what he will want to do with the offensive line. Do we go back to a more strict zone blocking scheme?
-- Will the other staffers support him or does he have input on staff changes?
-- Why didn't the players know more about the pending change (see the twitter responses)?
-- How will we use our deep roster of Tight Ends?
-- Does he want a QB who can run or will he adapt year to year based on player's strengths (like Logan did with Ryan and Crane)?

I thought keeping Brock in place was the best solution for BC's 2012 season. Now I am talking myself into the Martin hire. If he can recapture any of the Logan magic, we could be a surprise team in 2012. But my fear is that his two new bosses Coach Flip and Coach Spaz will screw it up in some other way.

Dawson done: surprising first staff change

2011-12-22T10:32:00.003-05:00

Most of BC observers have anticipated a staff shakeup. A 4-8 season merits one. However, I was somewhat surprised that Mike Dawson was the first assistant to go. BC said he is leaving on his own and pursuing opportunities outside of football. I've been known to shoot down BC press releases before, but I actually believe this for a moment. Being an assistant can be a tough game. Dawson was probably doing well financially at BC, but he is only one staff shakeup away from being a MAC or FBS assistant again. Regardless of where you coach, the hours are long and the season can be a real grind. And there is always recruiting. Some guys get off on hitting the road to find the next star. Others hate trying to sell to 17-year-olds. So until he pops up at another college program, I am going to take BC and Dawson at his word that he is leaving college football.

As for what it means to BC, the timing isn't great. While not an ace recruiter, Dawson was still the lead guy on some key prospects. I think our Special Teams were pretty good, but we weren't doing anything that was not replaceable. Dawson also helped out with Defensive Line. It will be interesting if that area is addressed when we bring in a replacement.

Spaz now has nine staffers officially. He has to bring in one more. We know he's interviewed multiple Offensive Coordinator candidates. Given the last line of the press release ("Spaziani said he would make further announcements about his staff in the near future."), I think we will see more than just a new OC.

Another win for basketball

2011-12-22T00:58:00.002-05:00

Some think getting excited about beating a team like Sacred Heart is a sad sign of lowered expectations. I don't. I think each win is a benchmark of improvement. BC could have let this game slip away but didn't. Now we have another off week to keep getting better. Here are my thoughts. As always, leave yours.

Likes
-- Matt Humphrey bouncing back. I don't know what to make of Humphrey yet. We need him to be a solid, senior leader. Instead he's been streaky so far. After a terrible game against Bryant I worried about his shot. It fell tonight.
-- Making our foul shots. Steady improvement from our team of shooters. Jackson -- who clearly can shoot -- was the only guy who didn't make the majority of his free throws.

Dislikes
-- Defense as Sacred Heart cut the lead. Now that we've seen glimpses of this team's scoring potential, we need them to be more consistent defensively.
-- Jordan Daniels' shooting. I like Daniels. He's got good ball handling skills and helps our tempo. Right now he is not a real threat to score away from the basket. That needs to change or else everyone will play off of him.

When did the BC fanbase's perception change on bowls?

2011-12-21T09:59:00.003-05:00

BC's not in a bowl this year and I sort of miss it. Bad BC football is better than no BC football. While I think that most BC fans would watch any BC bowl game, I think any pride or passion related to our string of bowls is long gone. This morning I started to wonder when that changed.

Even if we didn't travel in droves, BC fans used to get excited about bowl games. I think they lost their luster to us as the number of bowls increased and some of the destinations and opponents left a lot to be desired. That travel apathy then started to hurt BC's reputation, which then started a vicious cycle of getting sent to even worse bowl games.

If you go back through BC's bowl timeline, I think things turned south with Detroit. Let's look back and see if you agree...

1940 Cotton Bowl
1941 Sugar Bowl
1943 Orange Bowl

These three were the pinnacle of BC's Bowl history. It was such a different time and place, I don't think fan interest is relevant to BC's current football program.

1982 Tangerine Bowl
1983 Liberty Bowl
1985 Cotton Bowl

The Flutie era bowl games are also of a different time and place. While not as prestigious as the BC Bowls in the 1940s, we still faced elite programs and had one of the most exciting offenses in college football. Most BC fans cared about these games.

1986 Hall of Fame Bowl

The Hall of Fame game is an interesting comparison to our current issues. It was post-Flutie and a bit of a bounce back year. We played a elite team in a typical bowl destination. BC did travel well and fan interest was good. If we were to bounce back next year and end up in a decent bowl game, I question if our fans would respond like the BC fans did in 1986.

1993 Hall of Fame Bowl
1994 Carquest Bowl
1994 Aloha Bowl

These were the Coughlin/Henning era bowls. 1993 was a big year for BC and we showed up for the Bowl. The Carquest was a major letdown after fumbling away the Sugar Bowl with the loss to West Virginia. BC fans didn't really show up. I always felt the Aloha Bowl under its older form was the perfect bowl game for BC. It was an appealing destination for the players, it usually had a good opponent, it was the only game on Christmas Day and we were never expected to bring fans.

1999 Insight.com Bowl
2000 Aloha
2001 Music City Bowl

For TOB's first bowls we did not travel. Random dates and locales made this understandable. Yet the opponents and the excitement of being back in the bowls made most BC fans still care about these games.

2002 Motor City Bowl

In my opinion, the Motor City Bowl changed it all. We played Toledo. The game was a weekday after Christmas. Our casual fans started asking "we are playing who? In Detroit?" Any reward or excitement about being in a bowl was gone. Fans watched but no one cared.

2003 San Francisco Bowl
2004 Continental Tire Bowl
2005 MPC Computers Bowl
2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl
2007 Champs Sports Bowl
2008 Music City Bowl
2009 Emerald Bowl
2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Three trips to San Francisco. Two to Charlotte. A trip to Disney World and to the Blue turf thrown in. Some of these games were actually very fun and memorable, but none of them did anything the general fanbase's attitude towards bowls.

I would love to see BC champion a playoff. It would be a much better system for a school like us, but in the meantime, I just want BC back in a bowl. My fear is that if Spaz is the coach to return us to a lower-tier bowl, fans will care even less.

Year in Review: Biggest Disappointments

2011-12-19T23:10:00.004-05:00

In the past when I've done the "Biggest Disappointments" people felt it was unfair to single out college kid for being disappointments. In keeping with the tradition but softening the criticism, I did not target any particular player this year. Also, I could say 1. Spaz 2. Spaz 3. Spaz and be done, but that's not the spirit of this. We all know how bad Spaz is. This series is about looking at more specific aspects of this season.

1. Kevin Rogers/Dave Brock. Gary Tranquill was the scape goat of Spaz's first two seasons. That was all suppose to change this year. We know what happened. We had the worst total offense in the ACC and scored the fewest points. Our national rankings were also pitiful. Rogers can escape some of the blame since he wasn't around very long and our Northwestern game wasn't bad. But he still was around long enough to make an impact and didn't. I've been advocating that Brock stay on as OC, but that is not an endorsement of how he handled things. We remained ultra conservative, put in predictable packages and never did one thing well.

2. Offensive Line. Apologists for Spaz and Sean Devine will say that our offensive line is lacking talent. I disagree. I think many former BC Oline coaches could have molded these guys into better units. As I pointed out during the season, we had trouble executing a basic double team.

3. The hype surrounding our schedule. I was as guilty as anyone of thinking our schedule was tough. It was a paper tiger. Northwestern was very beatable and lost to Army. Central Florida dominated us, yet never looked the same again. The Florida State team that killed us had serious issues. Spaz thought Notre Dame was a "Top 5" team yet they had four losses.

More baby steps with win over Bryant

2011-12-18T23:52:00.003-05:00

If you watched the entire game, you know things could have gone another way. But BC stayed composed and pulled away from Bryant for their second straight win. There were many positives and a few concerns. My thoughts are below. Feel free to leave yours.

Likes
-- Lonnie Jackson's 3-point shot. We know that Donahue needs shooters. It looks like he might have one in Jackson, who made seven three-pointers on Sunday. Jackson won't get that many good looks going forward, but his ability and the mere threat of him nailing a bomb will open other things.
-- Ryan Anderson's all around game. Anderson wasn't flashy, but he put together another solid game. You can tell by how he moves around the basket that he's going to be a consistent and smart rebounder.
-- Jordan Daniels's tempo. Daniels is not a scorer. He also pushed the ball when he didn't have any teammates with him. But I like that he gets the ball up court quickly. The guys will get used to playing with him and start joining him on rushes up the floor.

Dislikes
-- Humphrey's shot selection. It is not just the misses. It is the fact that he doesn't drive to the hoop more.
-- rotations. How did we let them back in during the first half? I think the big issue is that without Daniels running the point and a shooter, BC settles for bad shots. I know Donahue has to make many people happy and see what works. But it is important that he starts to get a regular rotation. BC cannot afford a rotation that doesn't produce consistent points.

Momah gets 6th year! and all the others are able to come back too UPDATE

2011-12-16T15:40:00.006-05:00

UPDATE: I wrote the post based on the tweet. BC's article later clarified that Momah still needs NCAA approval. I assume he will get it.

Injuries to college athletes are especially unfair. Their respective careers are so short that any game or season missed is one less chance to shine or contribute. Of all the guys who missed time this season, I felt especially bad for Ifeanyi Momah. He was a guy who came in with such raw potential, did what was asked of him, yet never got a chance to put it all together. It seemed like 2011 might be the season where it finally clicked. He was healthy and back on offense full-time and had a new offensive coordinator. Things were going according to plan until he got hurt. Now he gets the rare sixth NCAA year. I hope he makes the most of it and we get something special.

Also of note is Montel Harris's opportunity to return. He comes back to a much more crowded backfield than the one he left. But another season means another chance to break the ACC's rushing record. I also feel he was misused and rushed a bit this year. Let's hope all the time off means he'll finally be healthy in 2012.

Ramsey should be a contributor if he is elects to use his fifth year. I also look forward to seeing Jones and Wujciak back.

Year in Review: Biggest Surprises

2011-12-15T23:48:00.003-05:00

Although it felt like a series of low points, there were plenty of pleasant surprises on this BC football team. As part of the Year in Review, I looked back on three guys who exceeded expectations.

1. Ryan Quigley. Quigley has been a solid punter from Day 1, so it may be hard to call him a surprise, but this year he took it to a new level. He was fourth in the nation in punts inside the 20...many of which were pinned inside the 10. Quigley was consistent and also did very nice job with our kickoffs. There were many times that I felt Spaz went too conservative and was too quick to punt, but Quigley always bailed him out. Many things went wrong this year, but anything related to Quigley did not. I wish he didn't punt so often, but it was a pleasure watching his work.

2. Dominic Appiah. When Spaz's defenses are at their best, it usually starts upfront. For the past three seasons we haven't really had a game changer up there. We expected guys like O'Neal or Quinn to step up or maybe get some big contributions from Ricci, but Appiah was the one who really progressed as the season wore on. As a DT, his job is to push the line and clog the middle. One of the reasons our defense got better towards the end of the season was because Appiah finally gave us a difference maker at DT. As we used more three-man fronts, Appiah was often the lone DT out there and played well. Plus I like his hustle. The defensive line has been an issue for a few years, but I think next year it will be a strength.

3. Manny Asprilla. Asprilla's rise was very similar to Appiah's. Other young DBs were supposed to make an impact this year. Not much was expected of Asprilla. Yet as the season wore on, he was getting more and more snaps. He was the one making tackles. Our corners are expected to cover and make plenty of tackles. Asprilla showed a toughness and instinct that should serve him well going forward. I also liked his quickness on corner blitzes. If his freshman year was any indication, Asprilla has a chance to be special.

Kuechly AP All America and other links

2011-12-14T16:16:00.004-05:00

At this point I don't know if one award means more to Luke Kuechly than any other, but he has been named to the AP All America team. This is fairly prestigious due to the legacy of the team and the diverse voter set.

Luke made SI's team earlier in the week.

As BCI noted, BC football had its worst attendance numbers since Alumni expanded in 1994.
Donnie Fletcher picked an agency. He is predicted to be a mid-round pick.

Robert Francois is making the most of his playing time in Green Bay.

BC High Tight End Jameson McShea is considering BC. He just decommited from Temple.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Miami

2011-12-14T09:33:00.008-05:00

Sorry for the delay in putting this out. I have been on the road a good bit since Thanksgiving and didn't even get to watch the game back until Monday night. It was interesting to have the time to digest it all. Since the game, Gene'e spouted off about Spaz, Spaz has had the clumsy interviews with the Globe and Herald and the football world has taken shots at BC for keeping Spaz. But I see the Miami game as microcosm of what should have been in 2011 and what we may be in 2012.

Offense: B

This is really what Chase Rettig should have been all season. We moved him around out of the pocket early to get him space and some time and he hit his throws. We followed it up with some good protection and he made some darts from the pocket. He stood up to some tough pressure and made really great decisions. It was only later after some failed Bordner stuff and line shuffles, that the happy feet and "run for your life" look came back. But overall it was probably his best game of the season. I think he has a bright future. I just hope another change on offense doesn't screw things up. Josh Bordner also got a bum deal out of the Miami game. It is the most telegraphed offensive set in the country. Against a good defensive team like Miami, his plays are doomed. The fumble was bad, but I blame that more on just Bordner not getting enough reps. Protecting the football comes, in part, from practicing carries and getting hit in games. I think Bordner deserves a shot at becoming our QB, but not at the expense of having a totally different offense for him. That's not a sound strategy for any team.

Finch had another strong game. He hit the holes well and ran hard when we needed to keep drives alive. Williams had some nice tough runs, but also had a few where he got tied up in traffic. Kimble didn't get to do as much.

Anderson and Pantale both played well. I also liked using Anderson as sort of an H-back and having him go out for passes. Pantale found the spaces in Miami's coverage and made some nice catches. He also ran hard after the catch. Swigert was good and BC did a good job of getting him in motion and in space. Elliott made some nice catches.

We used a lot of different offensive line combinations. Some were more effective than others. I hope that next season we stick with one lineup. I think the switches midgame just create confusion. Spinney had probably his best game in a while. Harris Williams looked good at times but also got overpowered on occasion. Richman has similar issues. In pass protection he seemed to struggle, but was good pulling and in run blocking. Solid game from Cleary. Wetzel was good. Betancourt looked good in his time.

I liked the offensive scheme. I thought we planned well for Miami. We had a good mix of conservative plays but also still challenged them deep. We added a few new wrinkles. My complaints were simple: the use of Bordner and going ultraconservative late. Both times they brought Bordner in, it killed drives and momentum. If you want a package for him, why not use it when the team needs a spark? Rettig was playing well. He was making throws. There was no need to pull him.

Defense: B

Edebali also closed out the season with his best game. He brought pressure. He was good in coverage and his tipped pass was a thing of beauty. I don't know if he read the running back's face or just put his hand out there, but it was a great play. Appiah played well again. Holloway was good. Mihalik, Ricci and O'Neal played well albeit in limited snaps. Quinn was fine.

For all his tackles this season, Kuechly didn't change every game. That is not a criticism. Just more fact. He had to do so much and react to so much that many of his tackles were three of four yards down the field. His pass coverage was often a step out of place because he had to do other things too. Yet against Miami it all came together. It was easily his best game in pass defense. He also had some tackles behind the line of scrimmage. I think it shows that if his teammates play a little better, Luke can create real havoc around the field. Divitto played well too and made some nice saving tackles. Duggan wasn't as active. KPL was decent but not near the ball as much.

The first big pass was bad, but I don't think it was Fletcher's fault. I think he was expecting Safety help. The rest of the game was really good for Donnie. Asprilla played well too. The safeties weren't as strong early. On both of Miami's explosive plays, the safeties were out of position to make a stop. As the game wore on, things got better. Hughes looked good late.

I didn't have any problems with the defensive approach. The big plays early were an issues, but I think those were more mistakes and breakdowns as opposed to being caught in the wrong formation or blitzing or failing to adjust. In fact, I think the adjustments were pretty good. We were getting plenty of pressure from the front four so we only blitzed on occasion. As the game progressed we used even more three man fronts. Overall it was a good effort.

Special Teams: B+

Quigley was his usual very good self. Swigert attempted returns in traffic. Since we kept their scoring down, Evans wasn't as busy, but was fine. McCaffrey made another special teams tackle. It was the usual.

Overall: B

It was probably our best game of the season, yet things were still in doubt towards the end. And the fact that they were is on Spaz. As I mentioned up above, the shuffle at OLine doesn't make sense to me. I also think we killed scoring opportunities with the Bordner stuff. We burned timeouts again.

I was glad to see the team rally from a deficit. I also was glad to see us go for it on a fourth down. At the end of the day, the guys had nothing to play for, yet played hard. And winning always feels better than losing.

Nagurski Award added to Kuechly's Trophy case and other links

2011-12-12T23:57:00.004-05:00

After receiving the Lott Trophy, Luke Kuechly added yet another honor on Monday by winning the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player. It's been an incredible run. With all the accolades, if he does come back BC should try to position him for the Heisman.

Luechly also made ESPN's All America list.

Two of BC's top verbal commitments are taking other visits and hedging a bit on their commitments. Let's hope BC is able to cherry pick a few recruits from other schools in transition. BC is still in the mix for RB David Smith.

The New York Times college football blog thought Spaz had one of the worst seasons in college football this year. But according to Blauds its only nameless people in chat rooms that are critical of Spaz.

The baseball team picked up a commitment for their 2013 class.

Win over Stony Brook gives another glimpse into team's potential

2011-12-11T23:22:00.002-05:00

In normal years we wouldn't think twice about a win over Stony Brook. This year is a bit different. We have no identity and wins look like they will be hard to come by. But the best thing about these wins is that you are starting to see things come together. Here are my likes and dislikes. Leave yours in the comments.

Likes
-- Jordan Daniels as the main (only) point guard. Daniels has some real issues and it will be interesting to see if ACC teams exploit his size in matchups, but for now he's just what we need. He's got good handle. He can start the offense. He can penetrate. Improvement is needed on his shots and as the clock winds down, but Daniels can play.
-- Ryan Anderson near the basket. You can see how Anderson is going to improve as he thickens out. He moves well without the ball. He also has a good eye for rebounds.
-- Heckmann and Jackson's 3s. These guys made some big shots to change momentum and kill their momentum. Heckmann had a nearly perfect shooting night. As GMan said, having him come off the bench might be a nice dynamic.

Dislikes
-- Shot selection. There is still not enough penetration or driving to the basket. They dumped it to Clifford plenty but I think we need to see more dribbling/driving towards the basket to get some easy shots and more movement.
-- Offensive rebounding. We need more second chance shots. Plus these guys seem to have a bad habit of swatting and tipping it to a teammate instead of rebounding.

Blauds writes worst BC article in history

2011-12-10T14:51:00.004-05:00

The line-by-line takedown of a mainstream article by a blogger is a trope at this point. Yet after reading Mark Blaudschun's feature on Spaz, I felt there was no other choice. I hope Blaudschun didn't spend much time on it since he could have just asked Coach Flip to write the article himself. Prepared to be pissed...

When you are the coach of a team that went 4-8, as the Eagles did this season, you get a lot of questions. When you coach at BC, where the underground chatter overwhelms the public utterances, you can easily be swept away.

This season, some of the feedback was downright vicious, coming from all areas, including the student paper, whose sports editor wrote a sermon-on-the-mount column telling Spaziani and the local media what was wrong with the way things were being run at BC.

“I view it as my duty, therefore, to keep the administration honest, especially when The Globe and The Herald refuse to do so,’’ wrote the editor.

“With the football team struggling through its worst season in over a decade, the two most prominent papers in Boston have accepted the excuses of head coach Frank Spaziani and athletic director Gene DeFilippo at face value. They have chalked up the team’s record this year to injuries, youth, and bad luck. Neither The Globe nor The Herald has criticized the decisions from the sideline.’’

Blauds and BC have no idea what real scrutiny is like. "underground chatter" vs "public utterances" is part of every sports fanbase in the country. In fact in most places the "chatter" is not underground. It is in your face every day. Do you think the Patriots would be worried about "underground chatter" after losing 2/3rds of their games? How about the Red Sox? Or what about the teams of the SEC or Big Ten? One of the reasons the Spaz hire and Gene's actions get so little notice is because in general our fanbase is loyal, has relatively low expectations and doesn't like to air laundry publicly. Gene and in turn Spaz have taken that relationship for granted and blatantly insulted any logical fan with some of their self-serving comments.

Thank God for The Heights Sports Editor Paul Sulzer for using his platform to state the obvious and give voice to the ignored. Blauds is just upset that a Senior in college out worked him and called him out for his hack efforts.

Other criticism comes in Internet chat rooms, where it is easy to throw grenades without attaching a name to them.

I love the Internet chat room cliche. Does anyone at the Globe read what Blauds is writing? Look at any Boston.com article on BC and you will see tons of comments attached by readers to those articles. It is not chat rooms that are harboring these BC fans. It is on blogs, message boards, Twitter, Facebook and other media. And for every anonymous grenade thrower, there are hundreds with their names and BC affiliations attached who aren't afraid to share their opinion. If Blauds every actually paid attention to Twitter he would see dozens of Spaz's former players mocking him and criticizing him openly!

It has been a tough year for the AD, whose public utterances have created a firestorm in some quarters. Much of it has come from DeFilippo simply telling the truth.

It could be a dreary winter at BC, with both the men’s and women’s basketball teams looking like bottom-feeders in the ACC. Even the men’s hockey team, which has national championship trophies on display, has hit some speed bumps.

But BC does one thing as well as anyone. It brings in good kids who become better adults. For the most part, it turns out poster boys for everything a parent wants in a child, people such as Matt Ryan, Luke Kuechly, and this year’s Scanlan Award winner, Ryan Quigley.

I could go on and on with Gene's firestorm comments but one thing he is not doing is telling the truth. Anyone with rudimentary math skills can tell you that. Basketball and hockey are unrelated to Spaz and the problems with the football team. You can certainly question some of Gene's decisions regarding those sports, but no one is calling for his head because of that.

I am glad Blauds recognizes that BC produces good kids, but that is part of the culture that preceded Coach Flip or Spaz ever setting foot on campus. Coach Flip is quick to take credit for it, but there are thousands of BC athletes in all sports who come in as good kids and leave as good adults that never say more than two words to their AD. And most become good adults because of who they are, the values their families had, the environment in which they matured at college, the education they received and often because of the coaches and assistant coaches they had while at BC. This has little to do with Gene or Spaz. They didn't create this culture. They are just care takers. BC will be producing great student athletes long after these two excuse makers are gone.

I'll skip over the talent and record issues Blauds gets to next. It is just more fluff that no critics are really concerned with. I want to get to the most egregious stuff Blauds spewed.

Were mistakes made? Of course.

Dubious coaching moves during games caused some inner turmoil. The issue of fan treatment is ongoing. But BC fans are different than their brethren. The core base is loyal beyond belief and needs to be treated with extra tenderness and consideration.

The student body can be indifferent to the point of distraction. Let’s face it, BC athletics is not the only game in town, unlike many other college outposts. Not even close.

But the bottom line for BC is that Spaziani is the man in charge, and he sees a big picture that many outsiders - and even insiders - do not.

Mistakes? There are too many to recount. But that is what all the Spaz apologists fail to address. Forget talent. Forget Jags. Forget injuries. Spaz is not a good in-game decision maker. He is cowardly in his approach and a fool when it comes to use of timeouts or scoring. This is costing BC games. There is no one to blame.

Dubious coaching moves didn't just cause inner turmoil. They created a meltdown at halftime of the Central Florida game that led to Kevin Rogers' firing. God forbid Blauds ever dig deeper on that. I get in trouble for passing on gossip, but given the statements last week in the Globe regarding Spaz possibly taking over the defensive reigns regardless if McGovern got the UMass job and the weird statements he's made regarding the Offense, do we just want to call it inner turmoil? People reading between the lines would say Spaz doesn't have a ton of goodwill on the staff.

The biggest part of the problem is that Spaz is not the man in charge. Coach Flip is. If Spaz was the man in charge he would have 100% say in his own staff.

“In this world, as you go forward, success is important,’’ said Spaziani, who in three full seasons at BC has compiled a 19-19 record. “It is the barometer that everybody measures you with.

“Success is subjective. It is someone else’s measuring stick for what you did. That’s the way the world works. We have to function in it.

I don't think Spaz gets it. One of the beauties of sports is that success is not subjective. If you are an artist or a teacher or a lawyer or a business person, success has a degree of subjectivity. Your measuring stick might not be the same as your competition or your peers. In sports, someone wins and someone loses. It is objective. 4-8 is not the same as 8-4.

There will be issues, of course. Internal staff changes could be coming.

But Spaziani says he sees a clearer picture than anyone else. He sees a foundation being laid for not only next season but the year after that and beyond.

“To the guys coming back,’’ said Spaziani, “you’ve seen the edge. Why did we get better? You kept working and you started to get an edge. You need to keep that edge.

“Step back, nonbelievers. There is a foundation here.

“In four years, we won’t be talking about 4-8. We won’t be talking about who is in the Orange Bowl. We will be talking about what we did.’’

If we don't turn the corner, there won't be a "year after that and beyond." Spaz is on the clock and so is Gene. The anger you read and hear now will only grow as these two continue to insult their critics with nonsense.

Spaz is talking about four years from now. I am not trying to be an ageist, but Spaz will be 65 next season. In four years he will be eligible for Social Security. People are questioning his desire and motivation now. Are we to expect him to have a burning desire in four more years?

In an era when coaches are fired after two years, when critics call for their heads after only one season, BC is different. Give DeFilippo credit for having patience under fire - heavy fire in some quarters.

Changing head coaches would mean more turmoil. Four coaches in seven years is not the way to build a program.

Frank Spaziani knows that. And while there are no guarantees that things will improve dramatically next season, there is nothing to say they won’t.

BC is not different from other schools and Gene DeFilippo is not patient. He fired Jags after two years and showed no patience. Do you think he is going to show any patience with Sylvia Crawley? Would a patient program be on their fourth offensive coordinator of the Spaz era?

I could list dozen of programs that have had frequent coaching changes over a short period of time. Turnover doesn't matter when you make the right hires. When you have the right coach the progression is obvious. Just like the decline is obvious now.

But if four coaches in seven years is even a consideration, why isn't that Coach Flip's fault? How does he escape blame from Blauds? Coach Flip let the winningest coach in BC football walk. He fired Jags after two seasons. He made the decision to promote Spaz, even though he himself didn't give the job to Spaz two years earlier.

Blauds is right that there are no guarantees things will get better. But what is guaranteed is that Spaz's approach will cost us wins and both Spaz and Gene will continue to make excuses for their losses and take credit for things that are about BC and not about them.

New recruit and other links

2011-12-09T23:48:00.004-05:00

BC added a bit more size to its recruiting class by securing the commitment of Arizona DT Jaxon Hood. Hood is not particularly highly rated, but did have solid interest from a few other programs. He would be the first Arizona guy we've had on the football team in a long, long time.

BC lost to UMass-Lowell 3-2 on Friday night.

BC Draft held a Q&A with CJ Jones.

The best scenario discussed in ACC expansion would be BC playing Syracuse every year and allowing Pitt to become annual rivals to Virginia Tech.

Baby steps in loss to Providence

2011-12-08T23:39:00.003-05:00

Things are getting better. BC still lost, but the team kept it close for most of the game.

The best part of the game was a breakout performance by Jordan Daniels. With Moton's ankle hurting, Daniels played most of the game. He played good defense and was pretty controlled on offense. If he develops quickly he will ease the pressure on some of the other freshmen and open up the offense.

The team also made a lot more shots. We know they can shoot and we know the staff is loaded with guys who teach shooting, so for most it is only a matter of time before shots start falling. The bigger issue is staying aggressive on offense.

I'll have more on the basketball team on Friday.

Honors everywhere and other links

2011-12-08T16:45:00.003-05:00

Luke Keuchly added the Lombardi Trophy to his list of honors. This has been a busy week for Luke, but he won't be on ESPN's award show tonight. Amazingly Kuechly was not a finalist for the Bednarik Award for best defensive player.

Other BC athletes and coaches were also honored Thursday. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America named Ed Kelly their South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

The women's soccer team placed three players on the All-Southeast Region.

BC finished 2nd for the services of IL defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie. He said all the right things about BC, yet still picked Iowa.

Here is an interesting article on Dave Emma's post Hockey career in Finance.

Saucony is rolling out a campaign around Mark Herzlich.

We hardly knew ya, Mike Faragalli; the coaching rumor mill keeps turning

2011-12-07T23:33:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week Spaz hinted to the Herald that he would hire a new offensive coordinator to replace Dave Brock.

Wednesday, numerous message board posters on Eagle Action claimed that current Virginia Running Backs Coach Mike Faragalli would be named the new offensive coordinator and play caller. By late morning the football coaching sites were claiming a done deal too.

Spaz was on the road recruiting (with Dave Brock) so there wasn't any official confirmation. But by late Wednesday the earlier rumors were being shot down. The afternoon updates were worse as the reports said Spaz offered Faragalli and the Running Backs coach turned the job down.

Now we are back to square one. Based on the rumors and the fact that he is still on staff, I hope that BC has been upfront with Brock. Letting him twist in the wind would be unkind and leave BC looking stupid if the end of with Brock as OC again. For now let's hope he is onboard with the change and ready to help BC win again.

The struggles to land Faragalli -- when this would be an obvious step up from position coach to coordinator -- speaks to the challenges BC will have filling the spot. Being Offensive Coordinator at BC is not that great a job right now. Outsiders will wonder about our talent level, the Gene-Spaz relationship, Spaz's track record with Coordinators, Spaz's future, what happened with Rogers, the cost of living in Boston, and inheriting a bunch of position coaches. With all those issues, BC will have a hard time convincing someone with a stable job to take the risk with Spaz.

There plenty of good coaches looking for work. BC will find someone. But based on whats happened so far I don't think we will have an A-List blockbuster hire. Instead we will hire a coordinator who has as many questions as BC does. Until then, we will let you know what the rumor mill is saying.

Tidbit from another tone deaf article and Kuechly speculation

2011-12-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

Others have already tackled the Herald's Spaz article. It was more of the same of lowering expectations, not taking ownership of the current situation and addressing some of the gossip regarding staff friction. What I found interesting is that Spaz sort of gave credence to the growing rumor that Brock is out as Offensive Coordinator.

In that regard, Spaziani admits that likely being on his fourth offensive coordinator next season in as many years is not what he hoped for.

As I've said before I want Brock to stay on as Offensive Coordinator. He has experience. He has the relationship with Rettig. He was who Spaz wanted all along. The results stunk this year, but give the guy a full season of prep and his own playbook. Why force another OC on Spaz that he doesn't want? If Coach Flip is going to keep picking Spaz's coordinators, why doesn't he just drop the pretense and officially put on a headset on the sidelines? As of now nothing is official and Brock still doesn't know his fate. Even if he does come back the above article isn't the greatest confidence builder for 2012.

Also all the message boards are buzzing that Luke Kuechly needs Tommy John surgery on his elbow. He sustained the injury in the NC State game. The severity of the injury is not keeping him from making the rounds on the awards circuit. Surgery is always serious, but this is not a huge deal for a football player (as opposed to a pitcher). I don't think it will impact Luke's decision either way.

Statistical Snapshot of the Basketball team

2011-12-05T16:50:00.003-05:00

We are not a good basketball team right now. But because we've struggled through the easier part of our schedule it is going to be tough to measure progress in terms of wins and losses. If we only get one win in ACC play does that mean we didn't get better? I think to measure success, we should measure our statistics and efficiency. Right now Donahue has no set rotation. He is giving his minutes to everyone and looking for anyone to step up. Six weeks from now I believe we will have a more consistent rotation, a more consistent use of minutes and guys who better understand our offense and defense.

To get a benchmark of where we are, I decided to use Kenpom's high level ratings. I did this because he measures efficiency not necessarily just points and averages.

Currently we are 254th in adjusted offense and 296th in adjusted defense.

I don't know how much that defense number will change but I think the offense will get much, much better. If it doesn't and our record is terrible, then we will have to start asking tough questions about this group of freshman. Until then though, let's do our best to measure the baby steps.

Butkus makes personal delivery to Kuechly

2011-12-05T09:18:00.004-05:00

It's not every day that a Trophy's namesake flies to Needham to attend a team banquet, but that's what happened Sunday. In an unusual and surprise move Dick Butkus handed Luke Kuechly the 2011 Dick Butkus Award for being the nation's best college linebacker. It is an individual award and certainly doesn't replace a bowl trip, but I think it was a nice way for the team to end its season.

Other players recognized with individual honors included Ryan Quigley, Chris Pantale, Mark Spinney, Max Holloway, Lars Anderson, Will Thompson, Donnie Fletcher, Nick Lifka and Zach Wolfe.

BC beats BU, BC loses to BU

2011-12-03T23:54:00.005-05:00

The Hockey team salvaged some of their weekend by beating BU 6-1. This game was sort of the reverse of Friday. BU had more shots but couldn't capitalize. Neither team was strong with a man advantage. Congrats also to Goalie Brian Billett for his strong night inbetween the pipes. He saved 40 shots.

Unfortunately we didn't have a perfect day against BU. The basketball team lost to the Terriers 75-61. We had leads and played hard but there are so many problems with turnovers and shot selection. Sunday I will post a snapshot of Donahue's current struggle. I am not worried at all as I think this season will be bad regardless of what we try. But I don't think that Donahue can just forgive all the mistakes as growing pains. We need to get better over the course of the season and need to establish a decent rotation.

Rough start to the weekend: BU wins at Kelley

2011-12-02T21:19:00.004-05:00

One thing I like about college hockey is the home and home aspect to much of the scheduling. That way when you lose on Friday -- like BC lost to BU 5-3 -- you have the chance to bounce back the next day.

Friday defined frustration as BC outshot the Terriers but still fell behind 3-0 after two periods. Power plays remain an issue as BC was just 2 for 11 with the advantage.

Saturday night the teams move down the street for another game. It will be the last regular season game between the two.

BC bloggers stepping up and other links

2011-12-01T23:50:00.003-05:00

One of the best things you'll read this week is BCI's Q&A with the New York Times Paul Myerberg. What I find interesting and refreshing is that Myerberg still thinks BC is a desirable job. It is a reminder that there is still hope.

Athough his twitter account has worried some BC fans, Spiffy Evans' interview with BC Draft shows that he is still committed to the Eagles. We just need the him to develop as a playmaker and run a kick off back too.
BC picked up its first recruit for the 2013 class in CT Tight End Andrew Isaacs.

Kuechly wins DPOY, hoops loses and other links

2011-11-30T23:11:00.002-05:00

Luke Kuechly is bound to win many awards, but the most deserving was being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. He joins Mark Herzlich as the only two Eagles to win the award since joining the conference in 2005. In my opinion this means the most because it is the conference award. The voters know Luke and have seen his unbelievable production up close. Most of the other awards are heavily influenced by reputation and politicking.

BC lost their game within the ACC-Big Ten challenge for the first time, going down to Penn State 62-54. It was frustrating in that the team had the lead for long stretches only to falter down the stretch. We keep seeing glimpses from different guys, but nothing is sustained or consistent. The other issue remains the rotation. Donahue is trying a lot of different thing, but we don't have a group of five guys who can play long minutes together AND play good defense AND generate points.

Here is a good recap of our pending recruits.

Recruiting update and other links

2011-11-29T23:20:00.005-05:00

BC is in the mix for Ohio defensive lineman Alex Pace. It seems like the staff is using this time -- usually allotted for bowl prep -- to hit the road and recruit. What's interesting is that we are competing for multiple guys even though this was supposed to be a small recruiting class. My hunch is that we will string the fifth year Seniors along hoping to land better options on the recruiting front.

HD also thinks recruiting is the underlying issue. Of course she doesn't mention that most of the current recruiters were recruiting under Jags too.

I am glad that others are noticing how tone deaf our Athletic Director can be.

Cam Atkinson is having a good season in the AHL.

Kuechky is a Finalist for the Lott award and the only BC player to make the All ACC team.

Revisiting the Year 3 trend

2011-11-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

I could see the Spaz excuse train coming from miles away, so last July I wondered why Spaz was still using his roster as a potential reason for struggles in Year 3. Forget about Spaz and many of his assistants being part of the staff that recruited our team, even a new coach should have most of his players in by his third year. Yet the Boston media and Spaz apologist accept the lack of seniors as the reason why BC struggled. Forget the sloppy line play, the strange in game strategies, or the inability to score points. Who does this in their third season?

Even Dan Henning -- who is the definition of Coordinator not cut out for the Head Coaching job -- was 5-7 in his fifth year. Yes, Dan Henning, in the middle of a gambling scandal and player apathy won more games than Spaz in his final year at BC. Ed Chlebek, who has the dubious honor of coaching the worst season in BC football history, had steady improvement and was 7-4 in his third year.

With Year 4 underway and a roster of experienced upperclassmen that he recruited, it is time to start thinking of Coach Flip and Spaz's excuses for Year 4. These are the ones I expect. Add yours in the comments.

-- "You can't expect to lose a player like Luke Kuechly and not expect a big drop off"
-- "We replaced Duke with Georgia Tech on the schedule"
-- "We are still dealing with Jags's poor recruiting"
-- "Montel Harris is still not 100%"
-- "The schedule is much tougher than last year (improved Army, Northwestern on the road)"
-- "Poor fan support hurts recruiting and our home field advantage"
-- "Rettig is still not developing"
-- "Injuries"
-- "The ACC is on an upswing, so things are tougher than they were for TOB and Jags"
-- "Still have many true freshmen on the two deep"
-- "The new turf in Alumni is making things too slick"

A break from football news (other links)

2011-11-27T23:36:00.003-05:00

The BC women's basketball team beat Bryant to even their record to 2-2. They take on Wisconsin Tuesday as part of the ACC/Big Ten challenge.

Women's Ice Hockey defeated Brown 3-1 on Sunday.

This article dives into the Hockey team's issues on Power Play.

Considering they only went 1-2 and suffered two sound defeats, I actually think the 76 Classic was a net positive for the basketball team. We have no idea what we have, yet these guys are playing very, very hard. They are not playing smart yet and we don't have any reliable scoring options yet, but you can see the effort. You can also see Donahue coaching his ass off. He is doing his best to manage the games instead of letting guys figure it out on their own. I think the key in the coming weeks will be improving the defense. I also think BC needs to work for better shots (and obviously make them). But I still have tons of faith in this team based on effort alone.

What to do about Spaz's staff

2011-11-26T14:35:00.005-05:00

At any normal BCS program, retaining a 3rd-year coach who just went 4-8 would require some staff changes. BC is not a normal program. Spaz doesn't have a 100% control in staffing, so I don't know what will happen. Obviously I have been way off before so take this all with a grain of salt. I have no direct contact with any current staffers so this is all second hand gossip mixed with my opinion.

Dave Brock
Brock needs to come back. Although our offense was terrible this season, it is not fair to Chase Rettig or the other offensive players to make another change. Brock is who Spaz wanted all along (over Day or Rogers) so I assume he is safe. If Brock comes back, he needs to have 100% control of the offense from Day 1. If he wants to scrap everything and switch to an option or a spread or whatever, it needs to be his call. He has BCS experience and has been the lead recruiter on many of our key offensive players. I also think that Brock should have a say in the offensive staff. If he thinks we need to make a change on a position coach, then we should make it. We can't have dissension on the staffs. We cannot have guys undermining each other based on their offensive preferences or cliques. If Brock returns, Spaz has his guy in place for the most critical BC season in 13 years.

Ben Johnson
Johnson received a battlefield promotion when Rogers was fired. The Tight End play remained consistent and supposedly Johnson has been good on the recruiting front. Johnson also has a history with Brock. There is absolutely no reason to make a change here.

Sean Devine
Sean Devine may be a great recruiter. He may be a really hard worker who is passionate about BC. He may have a great feel for Chip Kelly's offense. Those are all great attributes. But he's paid to coach our offensive line and the offensive line play has been declining for three years. I hear from football alumni at random times, but one recurring theme is former BC Olineman frustrated watching our current squad. They are never throwing players under the bus. Instead they are pounding their keyboards about technique and assignments. The coachable things. Perhaps Devine should stay on, but not as OL coach. BC needs to find a great OLine coach who can restore our tradition and help the guys on the roster develop.

Mike Siravo
People who following recruiting closely complained about Jags's approach to recruiting. Many of those same recruitniks are upset with Spaz's disappointing recruiting results. The one constant is recruiting coordinator Mike Siravo. Although we were in the same class, I don't know Siravo personally but he has plenty of defenders. They will tell you Mike works very hard but is undercut by his head coaches. The head coaches' folks will conversely throw Siravo under the bus and say he is Gene's boy. Who knows at this point? Siravo's career has been closely tied to Gene. I doubt he is forced out unless Gene decides to cut him loose.

Bill McGovern
Everyone talks about Spaz's loyalty, but Bill McGovern had a stint at BC well before Spaz hit the scene. McGovern is also a BC parent. I don't want him out. If anything I hope that like Brock he gets more autonomy in 2012. The rumors surrounding Spaz and McGovern are always interesting. Some people have referred it to an old married couple. But if the breakdowns in this year's defense are due to Spaz's meddling, then I want him to leave McGovern alone. Or, if Spaz is going to be the DC and call the plays, then let the public know about it.

Coach Flip is not very good at math or history...

2011-11-26T14:15:00.003-05:00

or public relations or marketing.

Forgive me for parsing Coach Flip's quotes to the Herald, but they are too good to ignore.

Math

"Spaz is the best coach that we’ve had in the 15 years that I’ve been here."

Spaz's winning percentage: .512
TOB's winning percentage: .625
Jag's winning percentage: .714

History

Jags won two Atlantic Division Championships
TOB is BC's all-time winningest coach

Public Relations

In an interview with the Herald, DeFilippo addressed the calls for Spaziani’s job.

“It doesn’t matter,” DeFilippo told the HeralD

Marketing

"Spaz is coming back next year."

Coach Flip and Coach Spaz will be back in 2012

2011-11-25T20:56:00.003-05:00

Per Dan Duggan of the Herald:

@DDuggan21
Gene DeFilippo on Frank Spaziani: "Spaz is coming back next year and our future here is really, really bright.”

@DDuggan21
DeFilippo also called called Spaz "The best coach that we’ve had in the 15 years that I’ve been here."

Gene DeFilippo is either blind or deaf. That is the only acceptable explanation. Because you would only come out with a strong endorsement of Spaz after this season if you did not see the problems in how Spaz approaches these games. Or worse he doesn't hear the growing outcry from our fanbase.

I think Gene thinks he always has BC's best interest at heart. But I suspect he has his best interest at heart. He is tied to Spaz's success. He risked his career with Spaz. He picked Spaz over candidates with more upside. And Spaz is probably the last coach in America that will let Gene serve as Coach Flip (our unofficial head coach). This means we are in for another letdown in 2012. This team has potential, but I have no faith in Spaz helping us reach our potential. His approach to games and his roster is stuck in the 1970s and ignores all the new data and strategies.

In the end, I will root like hell for BC. I hope we win every game and I hope I am wrong about Spaz.

To those who are upset by this, take comfort that Spaz and Gene's future at BC is not long. Their ages alone assure that. BC will prevail and one day football will be fun again. Until then keep cheering on the players, keep supporting the program and keep the pressure on our administration.

Thanks for playing hard

2011-11-25T18:43:00.002-05:00

Winning is so much better than losing. The game is more fun. You feel better after. And most importantly the players are smiling and hugging on the sidelines. The team deserves credit for playing hard when there was nothing to play for. Rettig was awesome. Outside of a few plays, the defense was awesome. Quigley was really good too. And of course Kuechly changed the game.

The game was more interesting than it had to be because of the game management. But it was a win.

I am pretty sure that Spaz is coming back. I think that was decided before this game happened. We have multiple problems but Spaz is the most fixable. That theme will populate our offseason.

I am on the road and will be traveling but will have a recap and grades up. Just not sure it will be Sunday.

In-game comments post: Miami

2011-11-25T13:59:00.001-05:00

This will be our last taste of BC football until the Spring Game, so let's enjoy it. Is it the final game for Kuechly? Or Spaz? We won't know for a at least a few days. But both questions add a bit of intrigue to the game. Leave your comments and thoughts below.

You can also follow me on twitter.

BC-Miami preview

2011-11-24T10:50:00.004-05:00

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

Guest Blogger: All About the U

2011-11-23T10:08:00.004-05:00

When Yahoo! Sports dropped the hammer on Miami this summer, the most informed rebuttal didn't come from Miami or a member of the established media, but from a blogger. That blogger was Vishnu Parasuraman of All About the U. Vishnu's work exposed some of the holes in the report and some of the credibility issues that Shapiro had. It was great work. In prep for BC's final game, I've asked him a few things about the 'Canes. His answers below.

1. How is offense under Fisch different from the Whipple days? What happened last week against USF?

VP: I think the main difference between the two offenses is the focus of the offense. Fisch is more dedicated to running the football (although that has been done inconsistently effective this year), while Whipple seemed to force the pass. By doing this, Fisch has taken pressure off of Jacory Harris to be the play maker on the offense, instead shifting focus to getting the ball to the WRs and RBs and letting them make plays. Jacory Harris is an intelligent, accurate QB. His one pitfall is his arm strength. Whipple's offense required deep, downfield, power throws that are more suited to an NFL arm. This resulted in a lot of interceptions. In Fisch's offense, Harris has been able to utilize his strengths and thrive, making the whole offense much more effective.

The difference between the offense against USF versus the rest of the season was the offensive line. USF's defensive line dominated, which shut down the entire offense. Jacory Harris was sacked 7 times, and the 'Canes totaled 40 carries for only 57 yards. Jacory Harris still managed to be effective and efficient, going 27/35, 259 yards with no interceptions, but the sacks and negative run plays constantly put the team behind the chains. Also, a drive ended with a fumble and another with a blocked FG, so there were some points left on the field.

2. The defense seems to be much more consistent. How should BC attack the scheme?

VP:I think the key to the defense's resurgence has been moving LB Sean Spence to MLB. He had been playing outside most of the year, with the exception of the Georgia Tech game where the 'Canes defense also thrived. He was moved back inside against FSU and remained there against USF. It has made all the difference in the world, as the defense was the weakness of the team most of the year.

Truth be told, for most of the year, whatever the opposition did, run or pass, it was effective. Obviously, this defensive resurgence the last few weeks has changed that. I think the way to attack this defense the way it is currently playing is to go with an intermediate passing game and mix in some runs. Mark D'Onofrio tends to play his CBs off the WRs, and there is room to complete passes in the 5-10 yard range. If BC is effective doing that, it should loosen up the run defense as well, and the 'Canes are susceptible to being run over. Also, play action passes to the TEs and FBs seem to be really effective. But in general, I would use the intermediate passing game to set up the run.

3. Given all that has happened, what is your opinion of Golden's first year? Do you think his name constantly being mentioned for other jobs will significantly impact the program he is trying to build?

VP: I would give him a passing grade, but barely. He certainly has had to deal with a lot of issues, and that does and should give him a lot of leeway. On the flip side, I think there is more talent on this team than the 6-5 record indicates. This senior class was the #1 recruiting class in the country, and while many of the big name players have not panned out as expected, enough of them have to warrant a better record. Every Miami loss has been close and decided in the last minute of the game, so there was certainly potential for a much better season. Golden's handling of the scandal off the field has been excellent, but I feel the team left a few wins out there.

The Miami program has never been about the coach, so I don't think Golden's name being mentioned will really hurt, especially since he has pretty emphatically said he is not going anywhere. The main concerns going forward are the on field play and obviously any sanctions that might come from the NCAA. The sanctions speak for themselves, but it has now been a decade since the 'Canes have won a championship and 8 years since they have been in a BCS bowl. The school is a small private school with limited resources competing in a pro sports town(something BC fans can sympathize with), so the main draw has always been the reputation of the school as a football powerhouse. Now, people like myself that are older remember the glory days, but the kids being recruited now were 8 years old the last time Miami was dominant. I think Miami needs to be relevant next year on a national level (at least ranked by year's end) to take a step forward in the building of the program.

4. What is your prediction for the game?

VP: I was concerned before the game that the 'Canes would come out flat on senior day after becoming bowl eligible. With the decision to not play in a bowl game, this game became a lot more interesting because it is essentially the bowl game for both teams now. I think it will be close for the first half, but that Miami, which is a second half team, will pull away in the second half and win 27-14.

Select Football Alumni send letter and survey to Board of Trustees

2011-11-22T13:01:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned, the BC Football Alumni are some of the most dissatisfied when it comes to the state of our football program. A group of them, led by Steven Lively, sent a letter to the Board of Trustees. They are also circulating a survey with regards to their level of satisfaction, their ticket buying status and their future financial support of the program. The letter follows.

November 17, 2011
Kathleen M. McGillycuddy, Chair
Boston College Board of Trustees
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Dear Mrs. McGillycuddy:

My name is Steven Lively and I am proud alum of Boston College. Included herein are my reflections, which are supported by a host of dissatisfied fellow alums, regarding the precipitous down-turn our football program and, more importantly, the Athletic Department in recent years. I love Boston College, and am concerned that current and future generations of students, parents, alumni and others who have enjoyed Boston College football, and other sports will not, unless change is enacted soon, have that opportunity in the future.

Discussion Points:
1. The steady decline of a historic and significant economic base for the university.
2. The steady decline of the football program.
3. Loss of BC Football Alum financial support for the university.
4. Loss of significant BC Football fan base.
5. Declining BC Football ticket sales.
6. Anger at and resentment of our Athletic Director.
7. A shifting away from a traditional athletic director’s role to that of fundraiser.
8. Concern that there may be a self serving motivation to receive higher compensation on the part of Athletic Directors, i.e. surcharging.

In closing, I ask that you and members of the Board investigate and make your decision. I have provided my contact information below. Thank you for the attention that you will give this most important matter.

Sincerely,

Steven R. Lively,
1983 Graduate & Boston College Football Alum
Office Contact Number: XXX-XXX-XXXX
E-Mail: XXXXX.com
CC: Boston College Board of Trustees Members
Father William P. Leahy, S.J., President
Dineen A. Riviezzo, President Boston College Alumni Association Boston College Football Alumni

What I find interesting is that they are taking this directly to the Board instead of routing it through Gene or even Father Leahy. As we know there is a perception -- right or wrong -- that Gene can do whatever he wants and doesn't welcome feedback. Bypassing him ensures that the Board knows that there are real problems.

I still don't think a change will be made next week, but efforts like this may change the climate.

UPDATED: I didn't alter the letter in any way. Image below.

Basketball has a long way to go

2011-11-21T23:38:00.002-05:00

The basketball team got whipped by UMass. If you are into pain, you can rewatch it on ESPN3.com. As for what went wrong -- everything. The defense was lost. The ball handling was sloppy. We couldn't shoot. The shooting is what hurts the most. I understand if the guys don't work well together yet. I know that will take time. But I don't understand why their foul shots and open shots are not falling. Hopefully it is something a little more measurable and fixable than nerves.

I have not given up on this team at all. They still have a lot of basketball to play. At this point I just want to see small improvements.

Heights Sports Editor signs off with strong column

2011-11-21T12:32:00.003-05:00

For those who don't pay attention to these things, the Height transitions its staff on the calender year, not the school year. So that means the different editor jobs change around this time. With that, they all get to write their send off pieces. With his time nearing an end Sports Editor Paul Sulzer wrote a very strong column on Spaz. Go read it now. It's comforting to know that the next generation of Eagles do share our passion.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Notre Dame

2011-11-20T22:35:00.008-05:00

This game was frustrating because we did so many things right. We had the perfect defense in place for them. Our special teams were excellent. But the offense couldn't do their part. The same problems plagued us and there is no reason things should be this bad with only one game left. It is a real shame that we are not going to a bowl game. The offensive guys could use the practice reps.

Offense: C

Rettig was very inconsistent. He made some great throws and some awful ones. As Mayock pointed out a lot of it is his footwork as the pocket collapses. But that doesn't explain it all. There are still some times when he has time and is a little off. Bordner seems like a tough kid and a hard runner. If he plays more, he'll get better at his reads (see below).

Finch played well and has a good feel for holes. Kimble also ran well. Williams was not as effective. Obviously in space Williams is great and he can run over anyone. Yet when things are clogged up, he doesn't have Kimble or Finch's knack for finding softness. Sinkovic played well.

The Tight ends were very good. We finally got to Pantale and he delivered. Anderson had a nice catch and blocked well. Swigert made some nice catches and in finally winning one on one battles. Larmond had a bad drop but also had a nice catch. Amidon was fine. Coleman made a nice catch.

Spinney was probably our best OLinemen Saturday, which makes sense since he was one of the only one now to get yanked out at some point. Richman, Harris Williams and Bettancourt all had snaps at LT, RG and RT respectively. Of the backups, I think Harris Williams was the most effective. Ian White struggled and missed some blocks. Cleary was fine. Wetzel was pretty good. Vardaro struggled.

My biggest problem with the offensive play calling is how we use Bordner. As long as he doesn't throw the football, it is a pure gimmick. I don't mind gimmicks if we benefit. But I feel like it slows the offense and hurts Rettig's rhythm. Plus it doesn't take long for the other team to figure it out. For example, it looks like we actually are using Chip Kelly's play design on the Bordner plays. In those Kelly leaves the DT unblocked and he is the read for the QB. But our plays developed so late and Bordner is not experienced in reading yet so the plays got blown up. ow that is not really Bordner's fault. If he was running this all game he'd have a better feel for when to keep it (see Chris Crane). If he had been in this offense all year, maybe we would throw it with him. It looked like he was going to throw on his roll to the right but he pulled it and ran. So right now it is a pure gimmick. What I would rather see is more of Rettig in the shotgun. We finally attempted nearly 40 passes (welcome to the 21st century). Now we just need to improve on the accuracy, blocking and catching on those plays.

Defense: B

I think we've found our next great DT. Appiah has the elements. He wins one on one battles. He clogged the pocket and he hustles. We dropped him into coverage a few times and he was making tackles downfield. Ricci played well. Quinn had one of his better games. O'Neal was good. Holloway played well and timed the INT well. Mihalik played well as did Edebali. Dan Williams played DE too and contributed.

Notre Dame seemed to focus on Kuechly early. They doubled him a good bit. They ran at him so that their blockers could focus on him. Although it slowed him a bit, he still made plenty of big plays. Divitto didn't play as well. Given his position he has to over a lot of space and sometimes it seems like he might be a step slow. KPL was back and made some nice plays. With him back, Duggan didn't play as much. Lawrence played a little but wasn't in on any tackles.

The announcers kept harping on Fletcher, but he had a decent game...considering all that he was asked. He missed the INT and had a stupid penalty. But he also did a good job of containing. He closed well and tackled well and made a few nice plays in coverage. Asprilla was also good and very active tackling. ALJ played a little. The bigger problem in our secondary were the Safeties. Sylvia had some missed tackles and stupid penalties. Hughes tackled better but still wasn't great in coverage. Rositano missed some chances at big plays.

The defense was well planned. We were aggressive early with blitzes and then as the game progressed dropped a lot of guys into coverage. It was classic BC, but it played well against Notre Dame.

Special Teams: A

In general I think Spaz is too quick to punt but Quigley paid off. Also credit to the overage team for getting downfield and fielding the punts deep in the ND end of the field. Evans was good in his returns. Swigert made some good decisions fielding the punts.
Overall: C

I appreciate the fire the team showed. The game was clearly chippy. However, that resulted in costly penalties. I also hated Spaz sitting on the ball at the end of the first half. It amazes me that no one has talked to him about this. Why haven't any of the assistants showed him the stats on wasting possessions? How can a man with so much football under his belt not realize that points are a premium for this team and he needs to adjust? When he does that, it gives fuel to the fire for those who think Spaz just wants to keep some games close.

As I said, Spaz has now lost three straight to some mediocre Notre Dame teams. I guess we shouldn't expect anything different as long as he is in charge.

Close doesn't count

2011-11-19T20:56:00.003-05:00

I know there are plenty of people who feel good about how BC played against Notre Dame. Yes, there were many positives. Most were on the defensive side of the ball. Ryan Quigley had the game of his life. Still we didn't win. Spaz is now 0-3 against Notre Dame. He had another game where we failed to score in the 20s. He had another game with some head scratching decisions. And we are now 1-16 under Spaz when trailing at halftime.

We are now 3-8. As today showed, we are better than that record. Underachieving cannot be acceptable. Even though I think he will be back, I remain in the fire Spaz camp.

I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.

In-game comments post: Notre Dame

2011-11-19T08:31:00.002-05:00

Spaz can talk up how great this three loss Notre Dame team is. Vegas can have us as huge underdogs. In the end it doesn't matter. What I hope is that our players follow the example of past Eagles and play their hearts out.

And if Spaz plays not to lose, then it means we are one game closer to the end of his regime.

I will also be on twitter throughout the game.

Women's soccer make best of bad Friday

2011-11-18T23:15:00.003-05:00

After OT, the BC women beat Cal 3-1 on Penalty Kicks. With the win, they advance to play Stanford on Sunday.

The men's basketball team lost to Holy Cross. Now a loss to Holy Cross is never a good thing, but in this case BC was blownout. I am not going to overreact. This is still a very young team and they were playing withot Heckmann (ankle injury). I didn't see the game but did listen and my biggest concern was the defense. If we let Holy Cross shoot really well, how will we shut down elite ACC teams? But let's give the young guys time. I still believe they will be much better come January.

In a omen that I hope doesn't spread to Saturday, Notre Dame hockey beat BC in OT. BC was up early, squandered the lead, forced OT and then let in a goal late. It was an up and down night.

Kuechly for Heisman and other links

2011-11-18T15:48:00.003-05:00

Bruce Feldman knows that a defensive player on a bad team isn't going to get the Heisman but he still makes a case for Luke Kuechly's consideration.

The Women's Soccer team has their next NCAA game against Cal Friday afternoon.

BC will play in next year's Charleston Classic.

Game Watches: BC vs Notre Dame

2011-11-18T15:39:00.002-05:00

Since next week's game is Friday, this might be the last big game watch of the season. Here are the following Chapters having a watch. Add yours in the comments section if it is not listed.

Atlanta Game Watch
Slack's Restaurant - Town of Brookhaven Complex
305 Brookhaven Ave., Suite 1250
Atlanta, GA 30319

Austin Game Watch
B. D. Riley's
204 East 6th St Austin, TX 78701

Boston Game Watch
The Baseball Tavern
1270 Boylston Street

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL

Denver Game Watch
Icehouse Tavern
1801 Wynkoop St, No 150
Denver, CO

Los Angeles Game Watches
SHARKEEZ
3600 Highland Ave.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 545-8811

CAMINITI'S
1220 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank
(818) 556-6550

New York City Game Watch
Vertigo Bar & Restaurant
26th & 3rd
New York

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street, Phoenix

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's in San Francisco
2064 Polk Street (corner of Polk & Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94109

Seattle Game Watch
Buckley's in Belltown‎
2331 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121-1709

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
The 19th
19th & I, downtown (just off Pennsylvania Avenue, Farragut West Metro)

BC-Notre Dame preview

2011-11-17T11:44:00.003-05:00

Some Notre Dame fans point to different games against BC and say, "I knew Coach ____ would never win at Notre Dame when we lost to BC in 200_". Davie, Willingham and Weis all had bad losses to BC that helped fasttrack their respective exits. You would think that given the emotion on the BC side of the rivalry our fanbase would react the same way. It won't. I think Spaz is safe for another season regardless of how this game plays out. In my opinion the only thing a blowout will do is show the casual BC fans how far things have fallen.

Overlooked storyline for the game: BC's slow demand for tickets
A few weeks back season ticket holders were given a chance to get extra Notre Dame tickets. That should have been a wake up call to BC. We once had waiting lists and lotteries for Notre Dame tickets. Now even many current seniors are skipping the trip. Gene might think Spaz is not to blame for our current woes, but I hope he realizes that Spaz, as the leader and face of the program, is blunting enthusiasm. Even without a coaching change, that needs to be addressed in the offseason.

Three Simple Keys
1. Turnovers. Turnovers are cliche and hard to actually "force" but I do think this game will be decided by how many BC gets. Notre Dame is pretty good on offense but will also shoot themselves in the foot. BC needs to be ready and look to pick off Rees often.
2. Sticking with the run. This is opposite of what I've been preaching lately, but I actually think we can run on Notre Dame. I also think that controlling the clock may allow us to steal the game.
3. Contain Atkinson. Atkinson is their return man and a true freshman. BC's been decent in special team's coverage. We cannot let Atkinson change the game with one big play.

Gambling Notes
-- Spaz is 0-2 against the Irish
-- No BC coach has ever lost three straight to Notre Dame
-- Kelly has a perfect November record as coach of the Irish
The current line is BC+24.5

Factoid
BC has only played Notre Dame this late in the season (after November 15) twice. BC beat Notre Dame in South Bend on November 20 in 1999 and on November 20 in 1993.

Scoreboard Watching
I am not really watching scoreboards at this point. But I will be paying some attention to UCLA-Colorado and Kansas-Texas A&M. Both matchups involve coaches on hot seats and/or having terrible seasons. I pay attention to this stuff as a benchmark for how much losing other programs will tolerate. BC has to do its own thing, but it is important to look at how other schools decided that the timing is right to make a change.

I hope to see...
A real showcase game for Luke Kuechly. Our record is going to keep Luke from winning some postseason awards. That unfortunately is out of his control. But if he has a big game this week on national TV and follows it with another big effort next week, he might earn some of the accolades he's up for.

BC is in trouble if…
Notre Dame can run the ball. Their offense is good to begin with and pass happy. If they also run at will, we will have a hard time keeping up with them.

Bottom Line
I have a little optimism. Strange things happen when we play Notre Dame as a major underdog. I also could see us picking off Rees and running a pick 6 back to change the game. But for all my Notre Dame optimism, I still don't trust Spaz to play to win. Instead I see this game as a blowout where we pad our score late in the game.
Final Score: Notre Dame 42, BC 21

Guest Bloggers: Blue-Gray Sky

2011-11-16T13:23:00.004-05:00

The Notre Dame blog Blue-Gray Sky set the template for many of the college blogs you read today. Although they retired the blog in 2010, the ND bloggers are still following their Irish closely. I asked Jay (one of BGS founders) some questions about the game and he answered and also included some of the other writers in the responses. So what follows is a little different. Each paragraph is a different writer, but it still works and give us an idea of where the Irish are and what outsiders think of Spaz. As for the game, Jay thinks the Irish will win comfortably.

1. It seems like Kelly got the offense humming. Do you think the mistakes and questionable calls that plagued the team in the losses are gone?

"I wouldn't necessarily say that they are "gone," but significantly lessened. I think this is for two reasons: 1. The team has a full season under its belt and is improving, and 2. The difficulty of our schedule is getting exponentially easier as we go through the season."

"Part of the increase in scoring is due to weaker opponents, especially defensively. The first 5 opponents of the year are a collective 31-18 with an average total defense rank of 32. The last five are 24-26 with an average defensive rank of 75.
The other major factor has been a reduction in the number of turnovers. Again, 15 in the first 5 games compared to 7 in the last 5. The playcalling hasn't changed that much although there has been a bit more reliance on the run thanks to the emergence of Jonas Gray (and some weak run defenses lately)."

"First, I disagree with many from the ND fanbase that attribute losses, at least this year, to 'questionable calls'. I think that most of what gets defined as a questionable call is really a disagreement between those fans and the ND staff over offensive philosophy. Passing the ball on 1st and goal from the 1 yard line is not a 'questionable call' to any proponent of the spread offense. However its a sin worthy of excommunication to many ND fans who prefer a run-first, power offense. The only truly questionable call in my opinion this season has been in the USC game where we only ran the ball 9 times. That was a real head-scratcher; although it is partially understandable based on our time of possession, situational down and distances and playing from behind. But still, only 9 runs? That's not justifiable. Mistakes have been our undoing. I think the inexperience of Tommy Rees has a lot to do with it. Poor reads resulted in red zone interceptions. Those seem to be coming down in numbers as Tommy's decision-making is improving. He's had some issues with 'pocket presence' that have resulted in bad fumbles as well. Along with the turnovers, mental errors on defense cost us the Michigan game in the 4th quarter. Those errors can be categorized as either not being 'assignment correct' or using poor technique on a number of key plays. Since our first two games, we seem to have done a good job of eliminating those for the most part. It did not seem that we have been caught in many 'bad schemes' this season (although some would argue that spying Denard Robinson so late in the 4th quarter was a 'bad scheme'... and I think that's a valid point to argue)."

"Nope. Not by a long shot. The mistakes are down due to getting into the flow of the season, playing shittier teams, and inherent randomness. The questionable calls are still there, though they get a little less play when we're winning games by 4 TDs. The offense has been adequate -- and the red zone improvements are much appreciated -- but still is prone to go into slumps, especially when the play-calling gets restricted (e.g. a penalties on 2nd down near-guarantee an ended drive because a run down turns into two passing downs with very little threat of run considering situation and Kelly's passophilia)."

2. Everyone raves about ND's young talent on defense. How have they progressed over the season?

"Well, for the most part. Younger players have filled in at many positions, notably DL, but I did notice a slight drop-off when EJ went out. LB scares me for next year, in all honesty, assuming Te'o doesn't come back."

"Most of the young defensive talent playing meaningful snaps are the linemen and perhaps their best achievement is that they haven't appeared to hit any wall yet. With injuries to both starting defensive ends (with one out for the season) the freshmen DL like Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt have had to play more than anyone would have guessed. And while conditioning for big 350 pound Louis Nix was a pre-season concern, he's been very consistent while playing nose tackle in a rotation with upperclassman Sean Cwynar. The young linebackers have had some success filling in earlier in the year although they aren't playing as much outside of special teams now. The defensive backs have all but been invisible as ND has really leaned exclusively on the veteran starters."

"I think they've done a good job. The fact that you can have true Freshmen defensive linemen come in and make any contribution to a decent defense is testament alone to what they bring to the table. We shouldn't be in the position that they should even be seeing the field, but that's a depth issue that was a hold-over from the previous regime. I'm not sure any of that 'young talent' was ready to move ahead of Ethan Johnson or KLM on the depth chart had they not been injured. But at the end of the day they're getting valuable reps and experience that will help make them major contributors in future years."

"I'm much more bearish on our young talent than most, at least in part due to seeing our 2nd team D look like absolute dog diarrhea every time they come in at the ends of blowouts -- even when playing against other second teamers, also in part due to looking at all the upperclassmen they're playing with to hid their flaws and realizing how much we lose this year. The linemen have gotten in more, but partly due to attrition and due to the older guys not fitting the scheme at all. Lynch looks good, though it's hard to tell because he hasn't actually made that many plays, we just assume he's really good because we see offenses having to hold him every play (note: this is pretty worthless in general, because ND doesn't draw holding flags. Ever. See also: how Victor Abiamiri should have been an all-American, but was merely average because he was allowed to be molested every single down). Tuitt looks to have the bulk to play inside, which is a pleasant surprise for a freshman; can he continue to gain weight and keep his athleticism? Nix has been a space eater, but isn't a playmaker at this point in his career. Houndshell looks overmatched at this point, and there's no reason he shouldn't have redshirted. The young linebackers who have played look absolutely lost, with the exception of Moore, who only plays in garbage time. They're athletic and promising, but not even close to there yet."

3. BC is having a terrible season that is somewhat reminiscent of the down years you had with Willingham and Weis. Although I would like a change, I think Spaz is back in 2012. Based on what Notre Dame has gone through, do you think a coach is forever damaged by a terrible season?

"I think this is the wrong question to ask. A coach isn't "forever damaged" by anything--rather I think that poor seasons merely highlight their shortcomings. Weis had 0 development skills outside of offensive skill players and recruited the lines horribly, and that showed in '07. His final two seasons were merely reflections of his actual coaching prowess, i.e. teams that could score at will and yet couldn't stop a high school team. In all honesty, this BC team reminds me of the terrible years Maryland had with the Fridge, simply because they had no quarterback. BC's QBs are awful, in my opinion, and it's holding their team back immensely, because I don't think their defense is half bad."

"A coach can survive a terrible season as long as it can reasonably be shown to be an outlier, whether due to overall youth, last minute coaching changes, or the like. But when the bad year is part of an overall negative trend, it can be pretty hard to reverse course. A terrible season preceded by a slow decline will make recruiting even harder and a drop in recruiting success only makes it tougher to dig out of the hole. But one season by itself usually isn't a killer. For example, Charlie's problem wasn't so much the horrible 2007 season as much as failing to show much improvement over the course of the 2008 and 2009 seasons (1-8 in November) despite plenty of talent on the roster."

"The issue I see with Frank Spaziani is not that he's having a 'down season', its the direction that the program has been going since he took over. 8-5, 7-6 and 3-7 is not a direction that I'd be comfortable with."

"No. Especially not at a place like BC, where program continuity is the name of the game. A single year, even one that tanks recruiting, doesn't really matter, because the recruits don't come in and play anyway ... every year promises a new group of seemingly 20 5th years who have been in the program forever and either have starting experience or are ready to contribute, so that class won't come home to roost for 4 years and you have several years to regain momentum. Even if 4 years later that class ends up being a bust it means that you have a year or two of "catch up" but the load shifts down to seniors and juniors, not freshmen and sophomores. Also beneficial of being BC not ND is that a single bad year doesn't forever turn the fanbase to looking forward towards the next coach no matter what happens for the rest of your tenure. Again, that helps level things out and means that a single year isn't going to be unrecoverable."

Explanation of the missing 31 on Saturday

2011-11-16T09:18:00.003-05:00

When no player wore Jay McGillis's 31 on Saturday, BC fans online wondered what happened. Since no one had an answer, I asked BC SID Chris Cameron. His explained that the decision has always been the players and was never forced by the team. Chris also pointed out that although it feels like BC has been doing it forever this tradition only started with Jazzmen Williams. He did not know if the current McGillis Scholarship holder Donnie Fletcher would wear the 31 against Miami.

Personally I understand Donnie wanting to wear his number in his final home game. I just hope that he or one of the other defensive backs decides to wear the 31 for the final game of the season. College football thrives on traditions and although young, this tradition has heart. It also keeps the connection the defensive backs have to prior teams and it honors McGillis.

New recruit and other links

2011-11-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

After a very slow few months on the recruiting front, BC added another linebacker. Bobby Wolford is from the Jacksonville area and was committed to BYU prior to his switch to BC. What I find interesting about the whole transition is that the Utah paper describes him as a devout Catholic who originally selected BYU because of its faith-based tradition. I wonder at what point the fish out of water aspect of being a Catholic at an LDS school made him decide to switch to BC? He is a solid addition to the class.

There is no easy way to handle this link other than to report that BC lacrosse player Michael Racanelli died. Very little information is available.

Here are some good takes on the basketball game last night from The Heights and the Herald.

Rebuilt hoops squad gets first win

2011-11-14T23:00:00.004-05:00

BC entered the season with hundreds of questions about its roster, its style of play and its readiness for this season. While one win over UNH didn't answer everything, it certainly gave us some idea of how this team will play this year. Here are some thoughts. Leave yours in the comments...

-- I thought we were supposed to be shooters? All of these guys were brought in for their offensive skills, yet most seemed a bit rusty or off. Heckmann is tough but he wasn't exactly efficient in the first game. The FT shooting (17 for 31) was also telling.
-- Cahill getting big minutes. I am glad he decided to play again and I like that he was a calming influence down the stretch, but we will need the younger guys to come along. I don't know if Cahill should average 28 points a minute on a winning team.
-- Heckmann's physicality. The guy isn't Reggie Jackson, but he is willing to drive with abandon. I imagine he will be asked to create a lot by driving to the basket.
-- Anderson's rebounding. He has a good sense inside and can convert.

We will learn more soon. Friday, the guys head to Worcester for the always dangerous Holy Cross. Not all games will wins and they will certainly have their mistakes, but Game 1 showed that these guys should be fun to watch and fun to root for.

Weekend roundup

2011-11-14T08:55:00.002-05:00

Although we won it football, the weekend was rough on a few other fronts.

First the men's soccer team lost to North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game. They weren't expected to be in the Final, so there was a little bit of playing with house money feeling around the game, but still, you want to win. Next is hopefully a good showing in the NCAA tournament. Selections are announced Monday afternoon.

The Hockey team was red-hot and facing a reeling BU team. Do you want to guess how it played out? The Terriers shutout BC for the first time since 1983. The Hockey team has to bounce back quickly as they face Notre Dame this Friday.

The bright spot of the weekend was the women's soccer team. They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by beating Marist.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: NC State

2011-11-13T20:01:00.009-05:00

Watching this back sort of felt like the Maryland game and left me scratching my head. How is TOB's team this bad in his 5th year? I never thought he would be taking the Wolfpack to the BCS but I still thought they would be respectable. Holloway (who I will get to later) was running at Glennon nearly at will. We haven't seen that from him...ever. How have Jim Bridge and Don Horton screwed up their OLine to that extent? As for BC, the first half was pretty good football. The second half was poor and we were lucky NC State didn't steal the game from us.

Offense: C-

Rettig started off strong. He was sharp on his throws and made some nice adjustments. Then as the game progressed things weren't as good. The TD pass to Larmond was perfect, but the INT was bad (even though Elliot shares blame, Chase forced it). But given what he was asked to do and that he was yanked in and out, 9-13 is not a bad day. Bordner isn't really a QB at this point. We didn't ask him to throw. We didn't even add much variety when he is in the game. It was mostly the end around. No zone-option read. No passing. I don't know how long we can do this with him. It seems like TOB's guys adjusted to his presence. In the offseason he will have to improve his passing if we ever want to consider him as a real QB option.

Williams got most of the carries. He had a few nice runs, but I still think he lacks great cutting ability in traffic. He's best in open space and off tackle. Finch returned but didn't get to do much. Sinkovec has some good lead blocks. Glad Kimble is back and hopefully he will be used more in the passing game soon.

Larmond made some nice plays and runs after the catch. Amidon also fought hard for a first down. Amidon had some success early with the end around plays but they stuffed it as the game progressed. Because of limited throws we didn't see much from Swigert or the Tight Ends. Naples was okay with his grab. Elliott looked like he ran the wrong route on Chase's INT.

The offensive line was better as a whole. Wetzel looked really good in run blocking. But for some reason at times they pulled him to give Richman some snaps at LT. It was a mistake as Richman looked overmatched. Cleary and White played well on the right side. Spinney was okay. Vardaro made some good plays and had a few issues at other times. Collectively they still look terrible running screens. Gallik also got in for a few snaps.

I liked the play calling to begin the game. We established the run and then challenged deep. We throw a variety of passes and used the wildcat stuff in the redzone. Then in the second half, we pulled back. Ultra conservative and no variety. NC State adjusted. It was not a good performance. We are lucky we won with only 14 points. I guess my biggest gripe is that Brock didn't add any new wrinkles to the Bordner plays. How can you use him that much and not have more passing involved. It was totally one note and a waste of Bordner and those possessions.

Defense: B

Max Holloway really deserved the star of the game notice he received. He did a great job rushing the passer and playing the run. Quinn was better too but still had his stupid penalty. Edabali played well -- although he didn't get as much pressure on Glennon. Appiah took up a lot of space in the middle. Ricci didn't play as much. O'Neal was in for a bit and made a nice play.

Kuechly played well. As did Duggan. Divitto was good. However all three allowed too much space in the zones and hence we were killed by their Tight Ends. Keyes played well in limited time.

Asprilla is not getting enough attention but he might be the best of the young DBs. He makes good plays on the ball and tackles well. ALJ wasn't as active. Fletcher looked good and made a real nice adjustment on his INT. Sylvia was okay. Hughes is getting better at his tackling. I really like how Williams plays. He's aggressive and a good tackler.

When things are working the coordinator looks good. For the most part, I liked what McGovern did on Saturday. We used a lot of 3-4. This shouldn't have been a surprise to NC State yet they didn't know how to handle it. Even with five blocking three, we got a lot of one on ones on the edge. Since we were getting pressure there wasn't a need to do much blitzing. What I appreciated is that we have finally adjusted to bubble screens and passes to the flats. There was good contain and tackling any time Glennon stretched the field side to side. There one big play was a broken scramble, but overall we played much better defense than we did against Florida State.

Special Teams: C

Not a great day on special teams. A missed FG. The normally clutch Quigley with a kick out of bounds and some average punts. Neither Evans or Amidon broke anything on their kick returns. The punt returns were all fair catches.

The one point I did want to mention on special teams were two solid tackles by James McCaffrey. They were nice open field takedowns.

Overall: C+

If you recall, earlier this year Blauds wrote an article in Spaz's defense about how many close losses BC had. He was trying to frame the season as unlucky. BC's not unlucky. We are just poorly coached and we were lucky to win this game. The guys played hard and the defense made some crucial plays, but Spaz's approach in the second half was to sit on a minimal lead. We had no rhythm on offense as the game wore on. He wasn't aggressive in his use of timeouts to end the first half. It was just another mismanaged game where we had the good fortune to go against an equally mismanaged squad. How can you not challenge downfield more with such a minimal lead? How can you allow you coordinators to become so predictable in a tight game?

Spaz got a little chocked up in his on field interview after the game. I imagine this season has been trying and he's just thankful for the staff and players still playing hard. He's seen enough football to know that many guys and programs would give up in a similar situation.

Fortunately our guys are not quitters. I expect they will play hard this week against Notre Dame too. But Spaz should remember to funnel his thoughts and preparedness into the Irish just like he does when taking on TOB. The TOB game might mean a lot to Gene and Spaz, but Notre Dame will mean a lot more to the people who count most -- the typical BC fans.

Senior go out fighting and get win in their final game at Alumni

2011-11-12T15:25:00.005-05:00

That won't go down as a pretty nor impressive win, but it is still a win. The first half was actually decent. The offense moved well and looked aggressive. BC's defense generated a lot of pressure. But given a big lead, Spaz went conservative and the QB rotation turned bad. But the guys played hard. Technically they don't have anything to play for, but we are lucky they are playing for pride.

For those who were at the game, Spaz got emotional in the post game interview. I am sure this season has been trying and he is proud of his guys playing hard. But that emotion nor the win change my opinion that BC needs a change and Spaz is not the guy who should rebuild this program.

I will post second viewing thoughts and grades late Sunday.

In-game comments post: NC State

2011-11-12T09:24:00.002-05:00

Senior Day and our last home game of the year. It should be interesting...TOB's games with BC always are. Leave your comments and thoughts below.

You can also follow the conversation on twitter.

Guest Blogger: Riddick & Reynolds

2011-11-11T16:34:00.004-05:00

James from Riddick & Reynolds is back to discuss a matchup only TOB could love. My questions and his answers are below.

1. Obviously Russell Wilson was the big story of the offseason. I know Glennon has been decent, but putting the stats aside, how has the approach and offense changed since Glennon took over?

R&R: There has been more of a commitment to running the ball, for sure, but a lot of the same spread principles are still in place. We often put Glennon in the shotgun with an empty backfield and rarely run the ball from the I formation with the fullback as a lead blocker. I think Glennon has tremendous passing ability at times, but the element of his game that he lacks is the ability to scramble, extend plays and keep defenders' eyes in the backfield. It's a less effective offense this year, for sure, and last week's performance against UNC was one of the worst of the year.

2. It seems like instead of being just bad, State's defense has upgraded to inconsistent. How does a team go from allowing 34 one week to shutting a team out the next?

R&R: It seems like a question of motivation. UNC head coach Everett Withers made some pretty inflammatory comments leading up to the game, which sparked some epic smack talk from Tom O'Brien...all of which contributed to an NC State team that came out on fire. They were hellbent on proving a point against the Tar Heels and played like it. Does that mean they WEREN'T motivated against FSU? I don't know. It's not the first time a Tom O'Brien team has looked night-and-day from one game to the next.

3. There were rumblings among BC fans that TOB would retire after this season? Are NC State fans expecting the same? Do you want him back next year?

R&R: I doubt he would, unless the team ends the year on a three-game losing skid. And if that happens, I doubt it'll be a question of "retiring;" Debbie will do her part to "help" him retire, forcefully. I think Tom fully expects to return next year because all of the offseason drama surrounding Russell Wilson and Glennon. It makes little sense to me that he'd endure all the second guessing about his decision to move forward with Glennon only to hang it up before his final year. If State makes a bowl, he'll be back and eager to coach Glennon's senior campaign, and I'll be perfectly fine with that as I think this team--assuming we finally kick this injury bug for good--could challenge for an Atlantic Division title with a senior QB and lots of upperclassmen talent. It's quite reasonable to think, however, that Tom could hang them up after 2012 and retire to the shores of Charleston with his family.

4. What is your prediction of the game?

R&R: As beaten down by injuries and other issues as the Eagles are, I just don't think I can find a way to pick against State in this game. But, if there's one thing about Tom O'Brien's coaching style that BC and State fans are familiar with, it's the danger of the inexplicable loss. And as much as BC has State's number since they joined the ACC, I think it's quite possible the Eagles could come out fired up to perform against the ex-BC coach. I'd say the final score is in the neighborhood of 17-10, State.

BC-NC State preview

2011-11-10T11:22:00.004-05:00

This will probably be TOB's last trip to Alumni Stadium in an official capacity. All the rumors are that he will retire either this year or next. I imagine that in five or six years (long after Gene is gone) BC will welcome back TOB in some sort of ceremony honoring his time at the Heights. I don't think it was a mistake to let him walk and I think he has had some missteps in how he spoke of BC since leaving, but at the end of the day he is still our winningest coach. He is far from perfect but history has shown, he was the right guy for the right time. I am sure he has hurt feelings and feels he never got the credit he deserved for what he accomplished at BC. In time I think both BC and TOB will look back and realize that it was a good fit for a long time.

Overlooked storyline for the game: the BC future of current NC State staffers
If TOB is nearing retirement the NC State guys may be looking for jobs real soon. Given their connections to BC and our potential staffing changes, I would predict that some of them will be back on the Heights again. Mike Reed never worked at BC, but I could see him coming back to Boston. Keith Willis and Jim Bridge both have their supporters around the program. Kit Hughes was very highly thought of for his time at BC. I don't see Don Horton, Dana Bible or Jerry Petercuskie coming back (mostly because of age). I also don't think Todd Rice would be anyone's first choice to lead a BC S&C program again.

Three Simple Keys
1. Stop NC State's short passing. I fear this game could be like Duke where they bubble screen us to death. Bible likes the play and we still have trouble defending it.
2. Go with the Hot Hand at QB. I want Rettig to start. If he is playing well keep him out there. If we need a spark try Bordner. If Bordner plays well, let him keep playing. The in and out is terrible and doesn't help either QB or our offense.
3. Down field passing. I imagine State is going to load up to stop the run. There should be opportunities open downfield.

Gambling Notes
-- NC State has never won a game at Alumni
-- TOB is 1-3 vs BC
-- Spaz is 3-1 at home in November
The current line is BC+3.5

Factoid
This will be the Senior Day for TOB's last BC recruits. Will Thompson, Dan Williams, Lars Anderson and Nate Richman all committed to BC while TOB was still in charge.

Scoreboard Watching
Notre Dame continues their ACC swing by taking on Maryland. They are heavy favorites. I expect them to throttle the Terps. If they struggle maybe we can look forward to our game with the Irish.

I hope to see...
A bounce back game for Finch. No one was really blaming him for the Florida State loss, but his fumble was a turning point. I think he's got good upside, so I hope he has a clean, productive game.

BC is in trouble if…
We can't get to Glennon. If he has all the time in the world, I expect them to put up big points and run away with the game.

Bottom Line
I actually think we will win this game. It's important to Spaz and Gene. We know how to prepare for Bible's offense. It's at home. We've had a longer week to prepare. There are many things in our favor. I also think that Spaz needs to win. He might be out of a job regardless of how we finish, but winning a few games to close the season will help his job security. (BTW, I -- unfortunately -- still believe that Spaz will be back next year.) I think BC wins a close game.
Final Score: BC 20, UCF 17