It's a start

A nice day. A nice win. A sloppy, sloppy game. Shinskie looked like bad Dave of 2009. The defense eased up and allowed Weber State too many easy passes. I am telling myself it is only Weber State, but part of me is concerned. They slept walked for long stretches and we cannot do that against quality competition.

The highlight was seeing 94 back on the field.

I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.

In-game comments post: Weber State

The season is finally here and I don't think anyone is more excited than the Herzlich family. I don't expect much drama, but this post is for you to leave your thoughts throughout the game. You can also follow me on Twitter or join the discussion on the Eagle Insider message boards.

Game Watches: Weber State

This is Labor Day weekend and the game is on ESPN3.com (fka ESPN 360) so there are fewer game watches around. However, if your club is having one, post it in the comments and email me the info.

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614-1413

Denver Game Watch
Big Game Restaurant & Lounge
1631 Wazee St
Denver, CO 80202

BC-Weber State preview

I believe this will be a special season for BC football. There are so many people, storylines, and factors converging at once. But if it is to be a season we never forget, you have to start things the right way and that means beating Weber State. The team needs to come out of this weekend unscathed and ready for the next challenge.

Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game.
"Hurricane Earl this...Hurricane Earl that." The storm is now a Category 2 and is on a path to glance by New England late Friday, early Saturday. It won't prevent Weber State from getting to Boston. It won't impact kickoff. It won't impact play on the field. Yet I think the broadcasters will probably talk about it...in part just to fill time. Unfortunately I do think the game will impact attendance. If people are without power or have flooded basements or just don't want to sit on wet bleachers, they will probably just stay home.

Three Simple Keys
1. Score early. I am not going to go as far as Spaz did in his praise for Weber State, but they are legitimate, solid FCS team. The longer they hang around, the more at risk the game becomes. BC needs to put up points early and not look back.
2. Get confidence in the passing game. I've been told the passing game will be conservative as the staff doesn't want to tip their hands before ACC play. I think that is a mistake. They need to challenge the young guys and get everyone comfortable. I would also like to see the backup QBs get some game action.
3. Stay healthy. This is a priority in any game, yet in a FCS game it is that much more important. We need to come out of this game whole.

Gambling Notes
-- BC has won six straight openers.
-- Weber State has not beaten a FBS team east of the Mississippi.
-- Weber State has never played an ACC team.
Because this is a FBS vs FCS game there is no line on the Saturday.

Factoid
This will be BC's first football game against a team from the Big Sky conference.

Scoreboard watching
The most important game of the weekend is Boise State vs Virginia Tech We need the Hokies to smash them. A resounding win helps the conference and practically eliminates Boise State from a BCS game

I hope to see…
The true freshman play well. If you are going to burn redshirts you hope it is for meaningful players.

BC is in trouble if…
We turn the ball over too many times. We cannot make this game interesting.

Outlook
No disrespect for Weber State, but I am not really worried about this game. I think we will control throughout the game and win with ease.
Final Score: BC 41, Weber State 10

Fresh faces on Depth Chart

We haven't even played a game yet, but Spaz is setting the tone early with all the true freshman on his first depth chart. This will by no means be our look for the rest of the season, but the coaching staff is sending a few messages. First to the current, more experienced players: play better, get healthy or you won't get much playing time. Second to potential recruits: if you come to BC, you can play right away. Finally, to us fans: Spaz is his own man and not following TOB's approach to redshirt as many players as possible. All of this speaks to a win now mentality. It is refreshing and somewhat expected when your Coach is north of 60. Here are a few of the surprises and a few of my thoughts on the depth chart.

-- Andy Gallik as back up Center. A very important spot for an untested true freshman. My hunch is that if anything happens to Richman, you would see Claiborne move over first before they officially burned Gallik's redshirt or threw him in against ACC level talent. Regardless of if he plays this season, it speaks well to Gallik's future.
-- Sterlin Phifer as Harris' backup. After all the kudos piled on the true freshman running backs, I wondered if Phifer would get lost in the shuffle. It looks as though he has earned a few carries a game.
-- Jaryd Rudolph at second team DT. We knew we were thin at DT, but I didn't expect Rudolph to get used early. We will see if he gets many snaps.
-- Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto. If there is any area where we can be conservative redshirting it would be LB. Yet here these two are on the depth chart. Maybe we have two more players in the Kuechly mode!