No grades this week. What would I put? "A+" for the Offense. "A+" for the Defense? "A-" for the Special Teams. Maybe add a "C" for scheduling. I don't know if this game was truly useless yet. We won't know until deeper into the season. But we do know this wasn't a good measurement of the team's capabilities.
Offense: N/A
There was not real pressure and we didn't pass much, but I still liked what I saw from Wade. He's got nice touch. (Let's hope he can do it against elite DBs.) Flutie was fine, but there were a few issues (bad snap). Smith looked really good. Now Howard had no speed and couldn't tackle, but he still darted around well. The passes weren't real tests, but were fine.
The Running Backs were barely touched. They all looked fine. I know Willis supposedly had rust, but I didn't see it. This was the first extended time for Wilson and he played well. I liked Outlow's long run.
The Offensive Line dominated. Not only did they win upfront, I thought the moved well and did a good job with the kickouts and clearing space. Overall only one penalty on the group was a good sign too.
Jackson made a nice catch and looked healthy. Let's hope he's close to his old form. Barksdale will hopefully build off of this game.
Everything worked! Fitch is a genius! Not really, but can you say anything else? He did a good job mixing in the pass without being obnoxious. But was the scheming and game calling that effective or was our blocking and their tackling just that terrible?
Defense: N/A
The area where Howard seemed most overmatched was in the interior Offensive Line. Gutapfel looked super speedy and blew by their guards. Wujciak dominated early too. Kavalec looked very good. The young guys like Smith, Allen and Landry made the most of their extra snaps.
The LBs were very active. Strachan was everywhere (and had a good RAC). Daniels was very productive. Cottrell earned more PT.
The DBs didn't get tested because Howard's passing game was a disaster. Yet they did make good tackles in run support. Simmons was good. Ntantang played well.
Al Groh was all set to talk about Don Brown's blitzing and then Don Brown had to spoil Groh's preparation by rarely bringing extra pressure. We kept it base and got plenty of penetration without doing anything special.
Special Teams: N/A
In general I thought Howell kicked it well on the kickoffs. It seemed like his distance dipped a bit as the game wore on into the second half. The extra points were fine, although I didn't see the logic in the two-point conversion.
Alston's first return was great as he just weaved through everyone. I was glad others also got a chance to return punts too.
The game was over by the time we had our one kick return. I am glad Walker got a shot.
Overall: N/A
It didn't take much strategy or game management on Addazio's part, but I still felt he did the right things. First playing Jeff Smith. When Smith didn't play against Maine, there was plenty of message board chatter about his possible redshirt. Even though Howard was a joke, Smith showed the potential that had been gossiped about all summer. Now that he is playing he can challenge Flutie as the backup and potentially be used in unique packages.
I also appreciated Addazio agreeing to shorter quarters. It might seem unsporting, but it saved both teams from further injury. Based on production and sideline demeanor, I also felt like Addazio kept his team motivated and engaged.
While the win was never in doubt, there were a million ways Addazio could have hurt BC on Saturday. He didn't and for that I am thankful.
Showing posts with label BC vs Howard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BC vs Howard. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
BC wins 4th scrimmage handles Howard
BC won 76-0 and it wasn't even that close. The only bright side of the day is that everyone got to play.
I have a feeling that the debate about the merits of playing Howard will continue until the end of the season. If BC wants to prove the game was worth it, then they can come out strong against Florida State.
I will have grades and second viewing thoughts up Sunday...although I don't know what you can make of this sort of game. For those who attended the game, what was the atmosphere like on campus?
I have a feeling that the debate about the merits of playing Howard will continue until the end of the season. If BC wants to prove the game was worth it, then they can come out strong against Florida State.
I will have grades and second viewing thoughts up Sunday...although I don't know what you can make of this sort of game. For those who attended the game, what was the atmosphere like on campus?
In-game comments post: Howard
Can you imagine what coverage for this game might have been like before ESPN3? I don't know if IMG Sports would provide a radio feed if not for contract obligations. The game shouldn't be interesting, but I know most of us will still watch. Let's hope everything clicks.
Leave your thoughts and comments below.
You can also follow me on Twitter.
Leave your thoughts and comments below.
You can also follow me on Twitter.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
BC-Howard preview
The Maine game provided some insights into the team, certain units and some players. I don't think we will derive that much from this game. BC fans have referred to many games as glorified scrimmages. This game falls into that same group. It is all about getting reps and practice and preparing for ACC play.
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
There has been a lot of talk about why BC is playing this game and Bates and Addazio keep sticking to the party line that their hands were tied by the New Mexico State cancellation. While there is some truth to that, no one seems to look at the big picture and that we were scheduled to play New Mexico State! Urban Meyer's influence is all over this program and one of the key Addazio takeaways is lighten your schedule when you can. While at Florida, Meyer faced the SEC and Florida State every year. So he made sure all his other games were cupcakes. We are taking on Notre Dame and the ACC in what should be a transition year. Howard might not have been the ideal opponent for Addazio, but they are pretty darn close. We will get some experience but never be threatened. And I am fine with that for now. But I hope that as the program develops we don't go this easy again.
Three Simple Keys
1. Cleaning up Special Teams. Addazio spent much of the week talking about it. Let's see the results. We need better place kicking and better decisions on the returns.
2. Dominant OLine play. Howard might employ the same aggressive scheme as Maine. But regardless of what they do, the talent disparity is so large that we shouldn't have trouble with their pressure.
3. Getting explosive plays. I am sure Addazio wants to control the clock, but I would prefer if we just score early and often and put the game away in the first half.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 4-3 in September as Head Coach at BC
-- Howard has never defeated an FBS team
-- Bethune Cookman and Delaware State are the only MEAC programs to beat an FBS team
There is currently no line for this game on the major betting sites.
Factoid
UPDATED: This is BC Football'sfirst second game against a HBCU (historically black college and university).
Scoreboard Watching
South Florida vs Florida State. I keep telling myself that next week will be close, but I don't know enough about our team or the Seminoles. They are a home favorite this week, so this shouldn't be in doubt. What will be telling though is how their offense looks.
I hope to see...
Flutie and/or Jeff Smith get extensive playing time in the second half. This might be the only extended playing time either get this year.
BC is in trouble if...
If we cannot put up more than 30 on them. Not in trouble with regards to winning this game, but in trouble for next week.
Bottom Line
In the 21 years I have been following BC closely, I cannot think of a weaker opponent than Howard. The only reason I think the score won't be more lopsided is because I think we eat clock and play the backups extensively. Everything we do works and they have trouble moving the ball. Maybe they get a field goal late when our freshmen are in the game. Let's hope no one gets hurt.
Final Score: BC 35, Howard 3
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
There has been a lot of talk about why BC is playing this game and Bates and Addazio keep sticking to the party line that their hands were tied by the New Mexico State cancellation. While there is some truth to that, no one seems to look at the big picture and that we were scheduled to play New Mexico State! Urban Meyer's influence is all over this program and one of the key Addazio takeaways is lighten your schedule when you can. While at Florida, Meyer faced the SEC and Florida State every year. So he made sure all his other games were cupcakes. We are taking on Notre Dame and the ACC in what should be a transition year. Howard might not have been the ideal opponent for Addazio, but they are pretty darn close. We will get some experience but never be threatened. And I am fine with that for now. But I hope that as the program develops we don't go this easy again.
Three Simple Keys
1. Cleaning up Special Teams. Addazio spent much of the week talking about it. Let's see the results. We need better place kicking and better decisions on the returns.
2. Dominant OLine play. Howard might employ the same aggressive scheme as Maine. But regardless of what they do, the talent disparity is so large that we shouldn't have trouble with their pressure.
3. Getting explosive plays. I am sure Addazio wants to control the clock, but I would prefer if we just score early and often and put the game away in the first half.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 4-3 in September as Head Coach at BC
-- Howard has never defeated an FBS team
-- Bethune Cookman and Delaware State are the only MEAC programs to beat an FBS team
There is currently no line for this game on the major betting sites.
Factoid
UPDATED: This is BC Football's
Scoreboard Watching
South Florida vs Florida State. I keep telling myself that next week will be close, but I don't know enough about our team or the Seminoles. They are a home favorite this week, so this shouldn't be in doubt. What will be telling though is how their offense looks.
I hope to see...
Flutie and/or Jeff Smith get extensive playing time in the second half. This might be the only extended playing time either get this year.
BC is in trouble if...
If we cannot put up more than 30 on them. Not in trouble with regards to winning this game, but in trouble for next week.
Bottom Line
In the 21 years I have been following BC closely, I cannot think of a weaker opponent than Howard. The only reason I think the score won't be more lopsided is because I think we eat clock and play the backups extensively. Everything we do works and they have trouble moving the ball. Maybe they get a field goal late when our freshmen are in the game. Let's hope no one gets hurt.
Final Score: BC 35, Howard 3
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Previews of Howard and Maine
Here is a preview of Howard. They are replacing much of their offensive talent. As a bad FCS team, I don't think all their new talent will make them suddenly better.
The Maine game wasn't really close last year. Should this year be any different? Maine's QB situation remains uncertain. Against our Defense that could be a huge problem.
The Maine game wasn't really close last year. Should this year be any different? Maine's QB situation remains uncertain. Against our Defense that could be a huge problem.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Predictable TV times and other links
Since it is a Friday game, we knew BC-Florida State would be on ESPN. Friday the school announced the kickoff times and TV coverage for Maine and Howard. Predictably both will be on ESPN3. Both games start at 1 pm. At this point, the ESPN3 things shouldn't bother me. The production values have improved and you can stream it on a big screen, but the whole aspect still feels small time. The other kick times will be announced two weeks prior to the game.
Now that Croke Park is off the table, Aviva Stadium is the likely host of a potential BC-Georgia Tech game in Ireland.
Hanlan generated good buzz at the NBA Combine.
Baseball split their final games with Notre Dame and finished the season 27-27 (10-19 in ACC play). That buys Gambino another season and hopefully gives Bates enough momentum to get the much needed baseball facilities and funding moving.
BC will play Penn State in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
Friday, January 30, 2015
How Howard came about
BC scheduled Howard because that is what Brad Bates and Steve Addazio want. One could point the finger at the ACC's flip-flop on conference games, the ripple effect of Army cancelling a few years ago, the ripple effect of Syracuse becoming a conference game, or the ripple effect of New Mexico State rejoining a conference. It doesn't matter. BC's leaders surveyed all their options and this one made the most sense.
New Mexico State's return date has been on the schedule for a while. However, no one ever really thought it would happen. Once the Aggies rejoined a conference they were left with too many non-conference games. Of their potential games, BC remained their least lucrative and therefore most likely to be cancelled. Brad Bates knew that. BC had time to find a replacement. But none of the solutions made sense.
Solution 1: Play a one off against a Power 5
These games are always available. TV will usually help out in flipping around schedules and most Power 5 programs will gladly buy a game if they don't need a return date. Even recently Tennessee needed a game when UAB folded. This would have been my preference. But I am not AD. BC doesn't need a big payout and doesn't want to set a precedent of not getting return games from peer conferences. Addazio also didn't want to stunt the team's growth by going on the road against heavy weight, especially when we are already playing Notre Dame out of conference
Solution 2: Schedule another one for one with any FBS school
Scheduling one for ones out of the conference isn't that difficult for BC. We are a respectable, but not threatening opponent with a good TV partner in a desirable destination. If Bates calls most programs they will consider future opportunities. The challenge this go-around was finding one who was willing to come to Alumni in 2015.
Solution 3: Buy a game
Every team has its price. BC could have paid some team to come to Alumni for a one off. The problem is that it would have been very expensive. Even with the money from the New Mexico State penalty, it would have been hard for BC to pay SEC dollars to a visitor. We just don't have the ticket revenue. I am sure there were a few eager teams willing to come to BC to beef up their own resume without a blockbuster payday. However, I don't think Addazio wanted test the team like that.
So BC ended up with Howard: a team willing to come to BC at BC's price. The obvious downsides -- outside of losing -- is a disappointed fan base and not getting enough wins for bowl qualification. But the demand for tickets seems to be pretty inelastic. Even with USC and Clemson on the schedule, we didn't sell out Alumni. If we replaced Howard with an Alabama, would Alumni sell out? Would our season tickets packages skyrocket? Probably not. It is going to take a series of things -- including winning -- to improve attendance. The bowl issue could be troublesome but I think BC can politic out of that issue too. If we go 6-6, I think we will still go bowling. There are just so many slots and ESPN remains in our corner. What NCAA team is going to protest if a 6-6 BC team goes to some bottom tier bowl?
Playing two FCS teams is not ideal, but I don't think it will be the norm. BC has scheduling issues ahead, but I think Bates and Addazio will navigate those issues as they try to build a winner.
New Mexico State's return date has been on the schedule for a while. However, no one ever really thought it would happen. Once the Aggies rejoined a conference they were left with too many non-conference games. Of their potential games, BC remained their least lucrative and therefore most likely to be cancelled. Brad Bates knew that. BC had time to find a replacement. But none of the solutions made sense.
Solution 1: Play a one off against a Power 5
These games are always available. TV will usually help out in flipping around schedules and most Power 5 programs will gladly buy a game if they don't need a return date. Even recently Tennessee needed a game when UAB folded. This would have been my preference. But I am not AD. BC doesn't need a big payout and doesn't want to set a precedent of not getting return games from peer conferences. Addazio also didn't want to stunt the team's growth by going on the road against heavy weight, especially when we are already playing Notre Dame out of conference
Solution 2: Schedule another one for one with any FBS school
Scheduling one for ones out of the conference isn't that difficult for BC. We are a respectable, but not threatening opponent with a good TV partner in a desirable destination. If Bates calls most programs they will consider future opportunities. The challenge this go-around was finding one who was willing to come to Alumni in 2015.
Solution 3: Buy a game
Every team has its price. BC could have paid some team to come to Alumni for a one off. The problem is that it would have been very expensive. Even with the money from the New Mexico State penalty, it would have been hard for BC to pay SEC dollars to a visitor. We just don't have the ticket revenue. I am sure there were a few eager teams willing to come to BC to beef up their own resume without a blockbuster payday. However, I don't think Addazio wanted test the team like that.
So BC ended up with Howard: a team willing to come to BC at BC's price. The obvious downsides -- outside of losing -- is a disappointed fan base and not getting enough wins for bowl qualification. But the demand for tickets seems to be pretty inelastic. Even with USC and Clemson on the schedule, we didn't sell out Alumni. If we replaced Howard with an Alabama, would Alumni sell out? Would our season tickets packages skyrocket? Probably not. It is going to take a series of things -- including winning -- to improve attendance. The bowl issue could be troublesome but I think BC can politic out of that issue too. If we go 6-6, I think we will still go bowling. There are just so many slots and ESPN remains in our corner. What NCAA team is going to protest if a 6-6 BC team goes to some bottom tier bowl?
Playing two FCS teams is not ideal, but I don't think it will be the norm. BC has scheduling issues ahead, but I think Bates and Addazio will navigate those issues as they try to build a winner.
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