Comparing BC coaches through first five years

You will hear a lot about Addazio's accomplishments in the following weeks, as I assume BC will extend his contract. College Football requires a bit of puffery to keep the recruits coming and the media paying attention. But to BC fans it will feel empty because so many of the accomplishments -- seven win seasons, four bowl games -- are a product of modern college football. The reality is that when you compare him to other BC coaches who have lasted as long at BC, Addazio's accomplishments are similar to his predecessors. And more frustrating, he has not had a real outlying 'high' season, while still having a 'low' season. Take a look.

Here are BC coaches since WWII through their first five consecutive seasons. (I excluded Myers interrupted tenure.) [CLICK TO ENLARGE GRAPHES.]

As you can see, when looking at wins only, Addazio starts and finishes better than most, but doesn't have that one break through season. But it is easier to win seven games when you play 13. Now let's look at the same group of coaches' winning percentages.

The path of Addazio's line on the chart remains the same, but how it compares to others looks a little less impressive. He's now squarely in the middle.

But what about the modern era of scholarship limitations, the FBS/FCS split, TV games, etc? How does Addazio compare to guys like Bicknell and TOB? Take a look.

Once again, Addazio falls into the middle. But I would argue that his first five years are more frustrating because he showed neither the progress of TOB nor the lightning in a bottle moments of Bicknell's early years.

But beyond graphs, here are the simple records of Bicknell, TOB and Addazio through their first five years.

Bicknell --- 36-22-1 (Wn Pct .619)
TOB -- 31-27 (Wn Pct .534)
Addazio -- 31-33 (Win Pct .484)

What do I conclude? Addazio is an average coaching producing slightly below BC's historic norms. He's not special and doesn't seem like the type of guy who will ever break through or capture a special year. He's certainly better than the likes of Henning or Spaz, but the longer he's here the more he seems like TOB.

None of this is fireable. What we don't know is what Martin Jarmond's expectations are. His job gets harder if Addazio keeps winning seven without ever showing signs of anything more.

I will explore this theme throughout the offseason. But after five years, I think it is safe to say we know what we are getting in Addazio and I don't think anyone is excited about it.

Cold end to a roller-coaster season

Bowl games can be tricky things from a fan perspective. The format and setup are such an anomaly, it is hard to put too much into their outcomes. Yet with a month to prepare and it being the final game of the year, you want your team to win. BC did not win and ended the season on a very frustrating note. After dominating the first half, BC only led by seven. In the second half, Iowa looked like a new team and BC couldn't adjust. There were and are plenty of excuses -- the field, the weather, the refs -- but the simple answer is BC lost a winnable game. For the fourth time in five years, Addazio finishes 7-6.

I want to have optimism about the future. I do think there is a ton of talent returning. But right now, I still wonder if Addazio can ever push enough of the right buttons to be more than a 7-6 coach. 

I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up later this week.

Below is my post-game Periscope.

Pinstripe Bowl: post-game Periscope https://t.co/83dvpc4y2H

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) December 28, 2017

"Start spreading the news..." BC to Pinstripe Bowl

After some 11th hour worrying, it all worked out for BC in the end. The Pinstripe Bowl selected BC for their December 27 game at Yankee Stadium. BC will face Iowa. This is a pretty perfect setup. It is a winnable game against a respectable opponent in a desirable location near a large percentage of our fanbase. Reviews of BC's last trip to the Pinstripe Bowl were good, so I expect another good showing by our fans in the New York area.

Like BC, Iowa finished 7-5 with some impressive wins but also some head scratching losses. I think it helps that BC has former Iowa staffer Jim Reid to help BC get familiar with their opponent. Addazio needs this win for many reasons. But getting to eight wins the first time in a bowl against a Big Ten team would be a nice way to end the season. Losing to cap another 7-6 season would be a letdown.

The teams and the fans should be excited. I am.

Perry in the mix

In his press conference Monday, Steve Addazio said all options are on the table, including playing true freshman EJ Perry. This should not be a surprise since there have been plenty of signs that the staff was high on Perry. The most basic is that Perry seems to shadow Addazio on the sidelines. There's always the No. 8 just over Addazio's shoulder. The other clue on Perry's standing is that over the past few weeks Meter and Cronin have brought him up on their broadcasts. This weekend all the talk and promise could shift from "what if" to actual playing time.

Some BC fans don't think it is fair or wise to use Perry now with just two games remaining. I don't really think it is the fans' call. Addazio mentioned having a talk with Perry and his parents about playing him now. If he and the Perrys want EJ on the field, why should we care about his redshirt? He can always redshirt again down the road. As much as more time and development helps a career, it doesn't guarantee anything. Look at all the "development" time Darius Wade has had. Does it show on the field? Does Wade's seem more comfortable in the pocket than he did two years ago? Playing now gives Perry a chance to see live action and something beyond practice.

If Perry does prove to be better than Wade and they beat UConn, he suddenly gets a chance to practice with the first team for month of bowl prep. The downside is if Perry struggles and only plays a little bit. Then he has little to show and has to sit another year. But either way if Perry plays now, sitting down the road is almost inevitable. You would have to assume he would want to be in a different eligibility year than Brown so that he could be the starter after Brown uses up his eligibility.

Even with the uncertain QB status, BC remains a heavy favorite over UConn. There is no reason BC should lose this game. Wade seems like the best answer, but I don't want BC to struggle if Perry is ready to go.

Brown out of year; Addazio gets no free pass

Some bad but not unexpected news on the injury front. Anthony Brown is done for the year.

Boston College redshirt freshman QB Anthony Brown is out for the season with a right leg injury. #BCEagles

— Jason Baum (@JasonBaumPR) November 13, 2017

This is unfortunate and very disappointing. While inconsistent and raw, Brown played very well as a Freshman and was a key part of BC's best games. I hope for a speedy and smooth recovery and look forward to him playing again.

HOWEVER...

BC sits at 5-5 with UConn and Syracuse remaining. Win won game and BC goes bowling. Lose both and BC is home with a 5-7 record in Year 5. If Addazio cannot get one win from these two struggling teams, he does not deserve to come back. Injuries are bad luck and BC has been unlucky this year, but a good coach manages games around injuries and a good program builder has an effective plan for his back up quarterback.

Darius Wade is the presumptive starter. Fadule is out for the year too, so I assume true freshman EJ Perry is the backup. I know Addazio wanted to redshirt Perry, but if Wade is not up to the task, I say play Perry now. If he helps beat UConn, then all of a sudden he is starting games as a true freshman and starting a bowl game. He can always redshirt next year if he and his parents want that extra year. But the point remains, Addazio has to pull out all the stops and get BC to a bowl game and finish with a winning record. UConn is terrible. There is no reason BC can't win just by handing it off to Dillon 30+ times.

When Addazio beat FSU, I said he was safe. Now -- because he mismanaged the NC State game -- that breathing room is gone. If he can't get this team ready without Brown, BC needs to make a change.

Is the bye coming at the wrong time?

BC is the hottest team in the conference. For the first time in years, the offense is clicking. We have a QB who seems to grow in confidence every week. It feels like we could take on Alabama. Instead we have a bye.

Bye weeks can be very helpful. Your players get a chance to get healthy. You also get extra time to prepare for the next opponent. But Addazio's track record with byes is not great. He is 2-9 at BC following a bye week (he was 2-2 off of byes at Temple).

Some of Addazio's struggles are probably less about a bye and more about bad football. In 2015 we didn't beat anyone -- bye, short week, back-to-back road games, etc. But even beyond that, he has not done well. I don't know if it is a focus issue or just dumb luck. My only explanation is that in general Addazio is not some sort of Xs & Os guru, so that extra time doesn't serve his strengths. He's not cooking up some sort of unique twist. But the areas where he excels -- motivating players, getting them to buy in and grind it out, is not served by the time off. The players catching their breathes or losing focus for even a week, is hard to overcome. Who knows? There is no easy way to explain it. The record is the record.

While I don't love the bye placement this season, I think the bigger issue will be who our opponent plays. NC State lost to Notre Dame last week and plays Clemson this week. Those are two tough, emotional games. I like having to play them after they have faced the best. I think it helps our chances as they may be discouraged or beat down.

Unrelated to this actual game is the extra recruiting time the bye provides. Maybe that is the way Addazio overcomes his bye issues:  recruit so much talent that you can't lose.

Looking at BC's strength of schedule

Now that BC is winning, many are trying to figure out what happened during the losses. Even before the UVA win, Addazio was quick to point out how good the teams we lost to actually were. Notre Dame looks playoff bound. Clemson is the defending champion. Virginia Tech is ranked. Even Wake has a winning record. Also consider BC didn't play a FCS team. Does that justify the losing? In my opinion, no. Especially the ultra-conservative approach and the blowouts.  But I am biased. So is Addazio. The computer rankings are not.

Based on the most-popular strength of schedule formula, BC has had the 10th most difficult slate so far this season.  As a point of comparison, the very disappointing and injury-plagued Florida State has had the most difficult schedule this season.

As the season concludes, the SOS rating will take a bit of a hit (thanks to UConn), but this has been a challenging slate. I am sure that the SOS will be used to evaluate Addazio by Jarmond and others. Let's hope that BC wins enough that the schedule is not used as another reason to justify losing.

Re-examining the "lost season"

College Football and the College Football media love narratives. One of the narratives related to Steve Addazio is that 2015 was a "lost season" where he was snake bitten with injuries. The theory is that the season and its record should be graded on a curve. Bill Connelly worked in the idea when talking about "hot seats" in this article. What the media fails to realize with that season is that BC already gave Addazio a mulligan. It did not fire him after the embarrassment. He will be judged primarily on how he does this season. But if the media or BC decision makers do look at 2015, they will realize that history has not been kind to the narrative. Addazio's lost season looks more like a really bad coaching job.

1. The Darius Wade issue. Wade had a season ending leg break in the Florida State game. Losing your starting QB is always a tough blow. But Wade has done nothing since to validate Addazio's decision to build the season around him. Addazio admitted that he did not bring in a transfer and was ready to go with his homegrown QBs (Wade, Flutie and later surprisingly Jeff Smith and John Fadule). Even if Wade stays healthy, does the season become a success? I think Addazio doubts it because he has had numerous chances to put Wade back on the field and hasn't. In hindsight, it seems like Addazio entered the season without a good idea of what he had at QB. That's not good coaching or roster management.

2. BC only won three games despite having the best defense in the country. When one side of the ball is that good, you just have to be competent in other aspects of football to win even a few games. Addazio didn't. A good coach would have done some triage to the roster and offense to put together some sort of simple, winning game plan for a few of the games.

3. BC finished 1-5 in games decided by seven points or less. This speaks to Addazio being a poor game manager and not just unlucky (although luck is a factor in close games). The Wake Forest game was epic mismanagement. The Duke game was too as he kept Flutie in way too long. The Syracuse game also saw BC squander a late tie against a bad Syracuse team with a fired coach. If Addazio flips two of those games and closes out the near upsets of Notre Dame and Louisville, his job is safe now.

4. 2015 was the first sign that Addazio had real issues managing his offensive staff. As I have said, when you are the worst at one aspect of something, it is a complete failure in how you plan, how you practice, how you teach, how you evaluate, and how you work together. We were a complete grab bag of styles and players and approaches. BC started four QBs that year who have little in common other than their uniforms. I don't know what Addazio was trying to be. I don't know if Todd Fitch did either because he was shown the door after the season. Now if that season was just a one-time issue, I would buy into the "lost" narrative. But Addazio has yet to stabilize that side of the ball. Was last week's outburst a turning point? We will see. Right now it looks like an aberration. 

5. Even Spaz didn't have a winless ACC season. And Addazio's only won three ACC games since. That is not lost. That is a pattern. 

Takeout pace and how does the D look?

As I wrote, giving up 42 to Louisville was bad. You will not win many games when that happens. Now some -- including some coaches -- might say that when you score 45 and score many of those points quickly, you are bound to give up more points. Even before this scoring outburst, BC was playing faster i.e. uptempo. And there was the belief that the new pace would impact the D. The faster pace was part of the reason for resting players.

But just because BC is playing at a faster pace, doesn't mean that we can't make fair comparisons between different BC defenses. Instead of total D and points allowed -- which are impacted by pace, we can look at yards per play allowed. In this measure, it is about how good you are down to down. Here are the stats of BC's yards allowed per play under Addazio:

-- 2017 yards per play allowed: 74th -- 5.7 per play
-- 2016 yards per play allowed: 26th -- 5.0 per play
-- 2015 yards per play allowed: 5th -- 4.3 per play
-- 2014 yards per play allowed: 33rd -- 5.0 per play
-- 2013 yards per play allowed: 86th -- 5.8 per play

As you can see, the team was most stingy in 2015, when it was near the top of all defensive statistics. Now, I know that you could still claim that pace impacts yards allowed per play. If D has to face more plays, they might still wear down and allow more big plays that skew the numbers. But I think what this does speak to is that the current D is not as good as last year and clearly not even in the same ballpark as the 2015 D.

The remainder of the schedule is not filled with offensive juggernauts, so the stats do have a chance to improve. But by the time we shoot down this argument, we will just be hit with more excuses about injuries.

Where is the next win coming?

To turn the corner, Addazio will have to start winning. He is quick to point out how tough the schedule has been. He doesn't mention that the remaining schedule is not that favorable to BC. Of the six games left, BC is only favored in one (UConn). What's interesting based on the ESPN ratings is that although the predicted point spreads have shrunk against UVA and Syracuse, the probability of BC winning hasn't moved all that much. BC currently has a 30.8% against Virginia and a 27.8% against Syracuse. If Addazio wants to keep his job, he has to win all three. Would those five combined wins be enough for Jarmond?

At 5-7 with a new AD and a shrinking fanbase, Addazio's future would be a hot topic among those who still care. If he gets to six wins, then BC goes to a bowl game and he is safe for another year. But where would that sixth win come from?

Louisville looks to be BC's toughest remaining opponent. The game is on the road and Louisville's weakness -- pass defense -- is the area where BC is least capable of exploiting something. ESPN only gives BC a 10.8% chance of the upset.

Florida State might be the best chance of an upset. They are struggling and trying to break in their backups. The game is also at Alumni.

Addazio has a good record against NC State, but they look much improved.

Last year, Addazio stopped the bleeding long enough to get to a bowl. This year, I think he has enough talent to do so again. Let's see if he has the team's belief and a game plan sound enough to do it.

"Beauty" is subjective, winning is not

I didn't want to spend this week lecturing Addazio again about what to say and what not to say. But he keeps using his radio show to defend the team against those who don't know what they're talking about. Hoffses assumes he means BCI and me. I am guessing Addazio also hears the noise from the fans on the message boards, twitter and at Alumni.

While Addazio thinks he's building something beautiful (see the clip below), my concern is that he and his current staff are not capable of delivering on that promise.

Wish vine was still around for this one from Daz pic.twitter.com/EwjtNkEm72

— ERIC HOFFSES (@EJHoffses) October 8, 2017

I agree with Addazio that the players are developing. I agree that the talent level is improved. But the coaching staff still has to mold that talent into a unit and give that unit a clean gameplan. The gameplan needs to be something they can execute. Since Ryan Day left, Addazio has shown no ability to produce a competent college football offense. You don't have to "know" football to notice a trend:

Boston College's Offensive Efficiency under Addazio
-- Current Offensive Efficiency: 106th
-- 2016 Offensive Efficiency: 117th
-- 2015 Offensive Efficiency: 123rd
-- 2014 Offensive Efficiency: 32nd
-- 2013 Offensive Efficiency: 48th

When you continue to struggle offensively over the course of three seasons, it is a failure. It is not due to youth, injuries or a tough schedule. It is a breakdown in teaching, coaching, planning, and adjusting.

Right now Addazio sits at 2-4. We only have one remaining game where we are currently favored. If he really thinks he can deliver on this team's potential, he can just ignore the critics and win. Go on a run and shut us all up. Trust me, it would make both sides happy. Until then, I suggest he spends less time reading his critics and more time figuring out how to improve his offense.

The Class of 2013

Year 5. Year 5. Year 5. BC fans heard that signpost many times in the early days of Addazio. In general, five years is a fair time to judge a coach. In theory, by Year 5, the coach should have the roster he wants, the coaches he wants and the schedule he wants. All the growing pains and adjustments should be over. All the talent should be mature. We know how Addazio is doing. Maybe we should see how the other Power 5 coaches hired in 2013 fared.

Gary Anderson, Wisconsin. Left Wisconsin after two seasons. Just resigned from Oregon State.
-- Record at Wisconsin: 19–7, Big Ten: 13–3
Anderson is an example of how unpredictable these sorts of hires can be. His first two seasons in Madison were great, but he wanted more control, fewer admissions hassles, and a larger budget. He was also a west coast guy who wanted to be back home. That didn't work out as his time at Oregon State was a disaster.
 
Bret Bielema, Arkansas. Still coaching at Arkansas
-- Record at Arkansas: 27–29; SEC: 10–24
After the chaos following Petrino and his interims, Bielema had a real claim to a rebuild. That is how he excused away his first year. Since then, he's produced a bunch of Daz like seasons (7-6). Right now he is firmly on the hot seat at 0-2 in the SEC.

Dave Doeren, NC State. Still coaching at NC State.
-- Record at NC State: 30–27; ACC: 12–23
The parallels to Addazio are all over this comparison. Both came from the MAC. Both had early success due to a Florida QB transfer. Both had some turnover in their coordinators. Doeren had interest in the BC job -- or at least leveraging BC's interest into a better NC State offer -- but never really got much traction with Bates. He's seemed overmatched at times and made many questionable game management decisions over the years, but right now it seems like he has done the better job rebuilding. It should also be noted that Addazio is 3-1 vs Doeren in the ACC.

Sonny Dykes, Cal. Fired after four seasons. 
-- Record at Cal: 19–30; Pac-12: 10–26
Only one winning season and rubbing people the wrong way got Dykes fired after last year. Cal -- which has all sorts of financial issues in their Athletic Department -- was willing to eat much of his contract just to make a change.

Darrell Hazell, Purdue. Fired midseason in Year 4.
-- Record at Purdue: 9–33; Big Ten: 3–24
Remember when this guy was a hot name and considered the best hire? As we potentially head to a change, it is important to remember that the guy with the best agent or the most friends in the media doesn't always turn out to be the best coach. Hazell was bad from Day 1 and barely won any Big Ten games.

Mark Helfrich, Oregon. Fired after four seasons. 
-- Record at Oregon: 37–16; Pac-12: 24–12
If Addazio inherited a mess, Helfrich inherited the opposite. His roster was talented. His program was considered a national power and Kelly left the most dynamic playbook in college football. Eager to leave his own stamp on the program, Helfrich ditched Kelly's offense. He maintained some success the first two seasons, but Year 3 was a disappointment and Year 4 was a disaster.

Butch Jones, Tennessee. Still coaching at Tennessee.
-- Record at Tennessee: 33–23; SEC: 14–20

Jones seems like a dead man walking in Knoxville. His five win first season was forgiven, but he has yet to break through the nine win ceiling and has upset fans with his offbeat press conferences. Barring an immediate turnaround, Tennessee is going to be looking for a new coach.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech. Still coaching at Texas Tech.
-- Record at Texas Tech:28–27; Big XII: 14–24
I think there are many casual college football fans that assume BC is generally happy with Addazio. Just as I think your typical BC and CFB fan would assume Kingsbury is well regarded at Texas Tech. While he was a breathe of fresh air, the results of his first few seasons were uneven and somewhat uninspiring. A decent start this year has cooled "hot seat" talk.

Mike MacIntyre, Colorado. Still coaching at Colorado.
-- Record at Colorado: 23–34; Pac-12: 10–29
Another guy with a slow rebuild. But last year's 10-win season earned him Coach of the Year awards. Mac had a history with Bates, but never really got on BC's radar. He currently stands at 3-3, however, last year's success has bought him some time.

Gus Malzahn, Auburn. Still coaching at Auburn.
-- Record at Auburn: 40–19, SEC: 21-14
Malzahn started off with a bang and made it to the National Championship game before losing to FSU. Since then, it has been a struggle to recapture that magic and the explosive offense. This year's hot start has probably bought him another year.

Scott Shafer, Syracuse. Fired atfter three seasons.
-- Record at Syracuse:14–23; ACC: 7–17
Timing is everything with these hires. Because Doug Marrone left for the NFL in January, Syracuse was left to scramble for a coach and picked Marrone's DC. I have had many 'Cuse fans tell me that had they made the change during a traditional time period, they probably would have targeted Addazio. By the time Marrone left, Addazio was already locked up at BC. Shafer was abrasive and only had one winning season. The Orange cut their losses. He did however go 2-1 against Addazio.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky. Still coaching at Kentucky.
-- Record at Kentucky: 24–31; SEC: 10–25
I always thought Stoops would have been a good fit at BC, but he was hired at Kentucky before we even got the chance to fire Spaz. It has been a really slow rebuild, but he seems to have things going in the right direction. The Wildcats went to a bowl last year and are currently 5-1.

Virginia Tech was also unique in how they handled the end of Beamer's career

Since Addazio used Virginia Tech as a model for patience earlier in the week. They were unique in how they gave Frank Beamer more time in the early 1990s than a Power 5 would typically give a coach today. But that was then, this is now. Virginia Tech also broke with college football conventional wisdom with how it handled the end of Beamer's career. Instead of letting their icon hang around too long like Florida State and Penn State did, they put heavy pressure on him to retire when things started slipping.

In Beamer's last four years he went 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, and 7-6. Leadership saw enough. Winningest coach in school history. So what? Six conference titles! What have you done for me lately? Beloved alumni who wanted to see his son or long-time assistant take over. Not gonna happen! Beamer was 68.

Now they still took care of him. He's still visible. Still celebrated and still paid. But that's it. The performance of the football team was too valuable to let it slip into mediocrity.

Addazio's best seasons at BC don't even exceed Beamer's waning days in Blacksburg. Tuesday I told him to stop talking. Now I am suggesting he proceeds more carefully in his examples. Virginia Tech's current leadership wouldn't put up with his results on the field.

Addazio needs to learn to say nothing

Each week Addazio has media responsibilities. The format is pretty predictable. At some point he will get a general question about his upcoming opponent that allows him to riff on that school in pretty much any direction he wants to go. For Virginia Tech, there is clearly something on Addazio's mind. In both his press conference Monday and his radio show, he referenced Virginia Tech's patience with Frank Beamer as the reason for their success today. To the highly cynical it seems like Addazio is shaping the narrative that he needs to return to BC for a 6th year. I am also predicting that as he speaks with the ESPN crew covering the game, he will emphasize the injuries. ESPN will be sure to mention it during the game and probably flash up a helpful graphic. I understand why Addazio is doing this, but he needs to stop. It is only going to make things worse at BC.

I am not telling the coach to stop talking to the media. That is an essential part of the job. Instead, when he does talk to them, whether it is about Virginia Tech or another opponent or Alabama or whatever, just answer in the most banal, empty way. "They've got a great team...", "We've got our hands full...", "We can do it...", "It has been a great week of practice..." , etc. Don't give VT any bulletin board material but also don't do anything to anger your own fans. 

When Addazio talks about Virginia Tech's patience or tells an ESPN crew, who is presumably less familiar with BC, about our injuries, it comes off as self-serving. Down the road, we can talk about whether or not Virginia Tech in the early '90s is a good comparison to current BC (it's not), but Addazio bringing it up has nothing to do with this game or winning this game! He needs to focus on how he is going to beat the Hokies this week. If he is trying to use the media to get a message to fans and recruits, he needs to take a different tone. If you are trying to shape a narrative, have it be that the players are getting better and we can win every game left on the schedule. Don't have it be about patience or struggling in Year 5! 

The injury talk has the same effect. I know he's frustrated with all the injuries. You know who is also frustrated? Every team in the country! Injuries happen everywhere. It is up to the coach to work through them or recruit at such a level that it does not hold the team back. The only loss that you might successfully argue was due to injury was Wake Forest. Since then the Offensive Line backups have played well and the Linebacker backups have been better. Getting blown out by Notre Dame and Clemson can not be explained away by the injury bug. 

Addazio has a new boss and relatively new Sports Information Director. Neither were around for his Year 3 disaster. They might not be aware on how heavily he leaned on injuries as a media narrative then. If you keep using the same excuses, the people paying attention -- the diehard fans -- are going to see through it. And with hindsight, you can start to see that 2015's struggles were not really based on injuries. Addazio had the best D in the country and clearly didn't have the offense ready. He's churned through coordinators and QBs since and still doesn't have the answers. 

Jarmond will have to make a decision on Addazio as the season progresses. I hope he realizes that media narrative does not matter. Winning games does. Addazio needs to stop using the press to preserve his job and instead use all of his energy on turning things around. 

Revisiting the final minutes of the half: Addazio exposed (again)

I haven't had time to watch the game a second time yet, so no grades up until Monday. In the mean time I want to address Addazio's controversial decision to run the clock out at halftime. First I want to remind everyone that Steve Levy and Brian Griese questioned the decision live as it happened. It takes a lot for the TV crew to openly criticize a coach's decision during the game. They usually hedge or help the coach explain it away. This crew did not because it was an indefensible decision.

Second, Addazio's mistake was not just the final drive. The questionable, cowardly and misguided decisions started after Notre Dame scored their second TD to go up 14-10. The Irish kickoff and Walker returns it and ND gets called for a face mask. BC starts at the 40, with 1:57 left and two TOs. Addazio starts with the run, so you already see that he is thinking about killing clock. But Hilliman gets the first down. Addazio then throws and it is a iffy pass to Sweeney incomplete. Now Addazio runs again, killing his own clock. Hilliman only gets four. Third down. Still no use of timeout. If he is so concerned about the "psyche of his freshman QB" why not use a timeout there and get him to the sidelines to talk it over? Does he consider it 4 down territory? Let's see. 3rd down Brown makes a good throw but Walker drops the pass. What does Addazio do on 4th down from ND territory? He punts again. Fortunately for him it is a good punt.

Now the Irish get the ball back at their own 10 with just over a minute left. They run and it looks like Kelly might be chickening out too. But no, Kelly calls a timeout. Maybe because he sees Addazio is playing it conservatively, Kelly then decides to open up. Imagine that? Adjusting your gameplan based on what the other coach is doing?!? From there Wimbush starts chucking it. Deep dangerous passes downfield. They complete a few and miss a near INT. Does Kelly back off? Nope. Wimbush keeps chucking and a tip ball does turn into a BC INT.

Now Addazio has the ball in ND territory. 18 seconds are left and BC has two TOs. 1st play incomplete. Was it a bad throw? Eh. It wasn't sharp but it wasn't terrible either. Not enough to say that Brown is going to make a mistake. Now there are really two aggressive options. A quick out followed by a TO and field goal attempt. Or a Hail Mary into the endzone. Both are difficult to complete. Neither are likely, but you know what is also unlikely to happen? Some sort of turnover that leads to an Irish score. Mathematically, BC has all the advantages! Even if you think Brown can't make the Hail Mary throw, there must be someone who can (Fadule?). Instead, Addazio calls a run, lets the time expire and is content going into the half trailing.

The blowouts are a sign of problems, but you know why Addazio has only one second half comeback and a losing record in close games? Because he cannot manage a close game well. What is most confounding is that he didn't regret anything in the postgame press conference. But what do I know? As I tweeted yesterday, it is not like Addazio has ever seen a Redshirt Freshman QB complete a Hail Mary before the half.

Notre Dame runs all over BC

When you lose by 29 at home to your "rival" in Year 5, there are plenty of problems. Talent and scheme are clearly issues. But I don't think the coach is doing everything he can to win. At least he didn't in this game. At the end of the half following an interception, Addazio called a time killing draw. No pass for the endzone. Nothing creative. Just a conservative dumb play. It sends a message to the players and the fans. It also sends a message to your new boss.

I would say this was a bad loss, but all the blowouts are starting to blend together. I think Addazio is done now. The discussion just shifts to when to fire him and who to hire.

Postgame Periscope below. Thanks for those who joined.

I will have grades and thoughts up late Sunday.

BC-Notre Dame post-game Periscope https://t.co/jH3nT36cVn

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 16, 2017

Addazio not making Jarmond's first year any easier

Martin Jarmond went all in on BC's first home game. He greeted tailgaters. He worked the Mods. He supported the players on the Eagle Walk. This should have been a great day. But all his attempts at culture building are going to be overshadowed by what's happening on the field. And once again, BC lost a lopsided game at home. I am sure Jarmond knew he would have to make a decision on Addazio during his first year. I don't know if anyone could have predicted things would turn so sour, so quickly.

Addazio is full of excuses and lacking in solutions. But at this point he can't blame anyone but himself. And the more he loses, the more comparisons to his predecessor become more relevant. Spaziani's ACC record: 13-19. Addazio's ACC record: 10-23. Spaziani's overall winning percentage: .431. Addazio's overall winning percentage: .471. Addazio's next two games are against Notre Dame and Clemson. His winning percentage could slip below Spaziani's soon.

The Offensive ineptitude is Addazio's creation too. Since Ryan Day left and Addazio pridefully said BC would run "his offense," BC has gone through two offensive coordinators, three offensive philosophies, and six starting quarterbacks. In all the ACC games since Day left, Addazio's offense has only scored 21 points once. The execution is terrible and the team seems to have no answer to whatever the other team prepares.

Addazio dug out of a hole last year. This year there is less wiggle room and a new AD who is empowered and not tied to Addazio's history. I would love to see a turnaround, but I am not counting on one.

Checking in on the true freshmen

In the past few years, Addazio has talked about the challenge of using players too early. In his opinion, BC is at its best when it can redshirt most of their players. I don't know if I totally agree with coach. The 5th year transfer rule has changed the dynamic and roster management. But that is topic for a different post. This is about who is playing this year. BC's official stats for the game only listed AJ Dillon and Travis Levy as the freshmen who played. But Alec Lindstrom also saw action as a substitute.

I have no problem with any of those guys playing. If they can help now, get them on the field. This won't be the end either. Addazio said he Petrula was supposed to play too. I am sure he will get in soon.

There will also be guys who redshirt too. And a few of those guys will become long-term impact players. But I believe Addazio needs to play everyone who can make a difference this year. Plan for the future once we get elite dept and don't need any of our true freshmen.

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In other news, here are the the general highlights of the game.

Perspective on plays per game

During the offseason, I questioned how much Addazio would truly embrace the uptempo philosophy. For the first game he clearly did. BC had 92 total plays in the game. That's a lot in general and it is a ton for BC game. For some perspective, here are some other relevant total plays to show how active and fast BC was:

• 2016 Leader in Total Plays Average: Baylor -- 88.6 per game
• 2016 (Addazio Year 4) Boston College Total Plays Average:  67.8
• BC's Total Plays in QuickLane Bowl: 69
• 2015 (Addazio Year 3)  Boston College Total Plays Average: 64.8
• 2014 (Addazio Year 2) Boston College Total Plays Average: 67.8
• 2013 (Addazio Year 1) Boston College Total Plays Average: 62.0

And a few other BC related Total Plays Average:

• 2012 (Spaz's Last Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.5 
• 2009 (Spaz's First Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 65.1
• 2008 (Jags with Crane/Davis) Boston College Total Plays Average: 71.8
• 2007 (Jags with Matt Ryan) Boston College Total Plays Average: 77.9
• 2006 (TOB's final year at BC) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.7

It is only one game, but it is a clear departure for BC and Addazio. However, changing for change sake is not what BC needed. We need to make sure the uptempo also includes more scoring. Running 90+ plays and only scoring 23 points will lead to plenty of losses. 

BC-Northern Illinois preview

As I stated already this week, I hate the idea that Addazio is not naming his starting QB. Why does the guy do this to himself? He's not hurting Northern Illinois. He's hurting himself. The only film on Brown is BC's own Spring Game. The only film on Wade is from two seasons ago against crappy opponents and under a different offensive scheme. What does Addazio think NIU will change in response to either QB? Instead Addazio is wasting his own time, focus and energy on being coy and secretive. I hate to break it to you, Coach, but you are focusing on the wrong thing. BC wins this game regardless of the starter. And if they don't, it will be in part because the staff did not have them ready to play.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
In a recent interview about his new job, Martin Jarmond said he didn't talk to Urban Meyer about Addazio. His explanation was that he wanted to form his own opinion. I don't think that is how I would approach things. If a friend and colleague has a close relationship with your soon-to-be most important employee, who is responsible for your highest-profile unit, wouldn't you pick the brain of that trusted colleague? Or even get a general opinion? Jarmond will have to make a big decision about Addazio some day. Why not get all the quality information you can? I obviously don't talk to Addazio, but from second hand sources, he clearly reached out to his Ohio State network to check up on Jarmond. He wanted to know what kind of leader he was getting. I wish Jarmond had done the same.

Three Simple Keys
1. Control the line of scrimmage. Even with our potential offensive line rotation, BC has a huge size and talent advantage in the battle between our OL and their DL. We need to pound them and open up holes for the running backs.
2. Get Jeff Smith at least six touches. Smith has the speed and elusiveness to be special. We've shown the willingness to give him special plays in the past. Let's make it a priority this game. He should have a few end arounds and maybe a chance to make a pass.
3. Good clock management. We will see how committed Addazio is to his new 'tempo' offense. My concern is that despite playing at a quicker pace, Addazio will still make questionable decisions in the two minute drill.

Gambling Notes
-- BC leads the series 2-0
-- Addazio is 9-11 on the road while coaching BC
-- Addazio is 3-1 in season openers
The current line is BC-3.5

Factoid
The last time BC played on CBS Sports Network was in 2012 against Army. Before that, it was UCF in 2011. That was the game where Spaz allegedly got in a fight with Rogers. So lots of good memories for BC fans!

Scoreboard Watching
Alabama vs Florida State is important for conference supremacy, but also a good glimpse into FSU. If they beat Bama, you know we will have more than we can handle when they come up to Alumni.

What I hope to see...
A dominant performance signally that we are a different program and Addazio is ready to fulfill his promise of a five-year rebuild.

BC is in trouble if...
Whoever starts (Wade) throws some early, ugly INTs. That will shake the team's confidence and give NIU hope.

Overall
I expect a low scoring, somewhat sloppy season opener. I think BC plays conservatively and is strong enough on D to overcome some questionable plays and decisions on Offense.
Final Score: BC 20, NIU 10