Arizona package? and other links

The best type of recruiting is when one elite player brings in another. According to Hoffses, that could be happening at BC if Arizona big man Andre Adams joins Sammy Barnes-Thompkins.  Adams will probably have to decide soon. The added bonus of the package is that it helps the transition for two kids far away from home.

For those who missed it, Chase Rettig signed with the Chargers. This follows a tryout with the Dolphins. I don't know why these teams are showing interest now but didn't really pursue Chase after Green Bay dropped him last season. I wish him well and think he can still be a solid NFL backup.

Rettig's teammate KPL is ready to get back on the field.

BC finished 6th nationally for APR success. 12 Eagle teams qualified for being in the Top 10th percentile of their respective sport in graduating student athletes.

Skinner's name floated for job and other links

College of Charleston is looking for a new coach after the abrupt dismissal of Doug Wojcik. Of course Al is getting mentioned. The favorite is C of C grad Anthony Johnson. I don't expect Skinner to get the job, but I think he'd be perfect. Plus who else are they going to get on such short notice?

Chase Rettig got extended playing time in the Packers' preseason game. It wasn't a great showing.

This article on Baker and Troy Flutie is a few days old but worth the read. Troy's recruitment and potential position has been a loaded issue from Day 1. It looks like he is handling it well. Let's hope he develops but isn't forced into playing this year.

Foster joins Baseball (officially) and other links

After weeks of rumor and speculation, BC finally confirmed that Jim Foster joined the Baseball staff. I will stick by my initial reaction that this was a good hire and a surprising career move for Foster. I hope big things are ahead or he has a deal to take over if they don't. Gambino needs his steady hand, especially now that Chin is gone.

Syracuse.com's preview of BC is very complimentary to Addazio. After going from Spaz to Daz, I think most BC fans agree that coaching matters.

Reports out of Green Bay still predict Rettig will be a Practice Squad guy.

Demko at NHL Combine and other links

There were 11 goaltenders invited to the NHL Combine in Toronto. Most scouts consider BC's Thatcher Demko the top prospect at the position.

Rettig is one of many undrafted players trying to make the Packers. But given the Packers' history with  QB development and their willingness to carry four QBs during the offseason, Rettig will have plenty of time to impress.

The Women's Sailing team is ready for Nationals.

Former Eagles settling into their new teams

With ten players signing deals this past weekend, plenty of BC guys made news in their hometowns or with their new teams. Here are just a few of the articles.

As we've been saying, the Packers viewed Rettig's multiple OCs as a positive. He's knows how to learn a new offense quickly.

Nate Freese was the first kicker drafted by the Lions since 1992. Detroit is hoping he's a long-term solution.

People back in Pennsylvania were happy for Andre Williams.

Divitto hopes to make the Jets' roster.

Patchan wasn't the only Tampa native the Bucs signed as undrafted free agents.

Ian White's hometown wrote a long feature on him prior to getting drafted. The San Diego deal will be a nice post script.

NFL Draft ends with a run on BC players

No one really knew where Andre Williams was headed, but in the end if was very predictable. The Giants -- a team with a rich BC tradition -- took Williams in the Fourth Round. The Giants are changing their offense, but I don't think they are going to ask Andre to be a pass catcher. He's going to be about pounding the ball and establishing play action for Eli. I don't think Andre is a fit everywhere, so I am glad he went to a team that will use him well and be patient.

Williams got things started and then what could have been a slow day, quickly became a great day for Eagles. The Seahawks took KPL in the Fourth Round. I think that's a great fit for him as they like to use players in multiple roles, and he has the speed to play a small end but also cover TEs and RBs. The Lions drafted Freese in the Seventh Round and the 49ers used their last pick on Kaleb Ramsey. Freese should be a sure thing for Detroit. If Ramsey can stay healthy, he should also make the 49ers roster.

After the Draft ended, the undrafted guys quickly found teams. Divitto signed with the Jets, Edebali signed with the Saints, Sinkovec signed with the Ravens, White signed with the Chargers, and Rettig signed with the Packers. The Packer-Rettig situation reminded me so much of Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck went through multiple coaches and coordinators and dealt with a lot of losses while at BC. But the Packers proved to be the perfect situation to become an NFL QB. Rettig has the same chance now.

The one surprise is that Matt Patchan has not signed with any team yet. Given the number of private workouts Patchan had, I think he'll catch on with some team soon, unless there is an issue we are not aware off. UPDATE: Patchan signed with Tampa.

I don't know if any of these guys will be stars, but they are all getting a chance. That's what matters.

Checking in with Luke and other links

Luke Kuechly is still working on his BC degree and getting ready for another big season in Charlotte.

More talk of the Falcons' interest in Chase Rettig.

Some BC students got caught running the Marathon with fake bibs. I still don't understand the fuss. I know plenty of people who ran without numbers in the past. Did tightened security keep those without numbers out this year?

BCI went through a list of potential new Baseball coaches.


Johnny Gaudreau will be part of Team USA at the IIHF Men’s World Championship this May.

Tweets of the Week

@bcatleagle @ESPNMondayNight @ESPNCFB 5 different!

— Chase Rettig (@ChaseRettig) February 27, 2014

People can squawk about BC being bigger upset and it is, but BC was supposed to be an NCAA team this season. Duquesne not even close.

— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) February 28, 2014

I thought bout doin a sex tape to get more twitter followers but it is clear now that all I needed to do was say somethin bout basketball!!

— Steve Logan (@steveloganshow) February 27, 2014

Our @JennyVrentas with the insightful first piece in a draft series on BC RB Andre Williams (@drewill44): http://t.co/3QWOMa90J6

— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) February 26, 2014

#EagleElite status at the NFL combine! BC setting the bar high! #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/I5PkgE7cf4

— Steve Addazio (@BCCoachAddazio) February 24, 2014

Chase Rettig's future

Even if he lights it up at this all-star game (h/t BCI) and BC's Pro Day, Chase Rettig won't get drafted. That is not necessarily a knock on him. It is about value and perception. If the gurus consider him the 22nd best QB in the class, it is unlikely that any team is going to use a pick on him. Why waste a pick when they can sign him as a free agent? I've always been one of Chase's biggest believers and think he can be a 3rd and/or Practice Squad QB next year. All he needs is just one team to give him a shot and then make the most of the shot. This is why I think he will succeed in this process.

Picking up a new offense

The revolving door of Offensive Coordinators at BC certainly stunted Rettig's college career. When philosophies and approaches change every season, the offense never become second nature to anyone. That hurts blocking and timing in the passing game. Yet through each change, you never heard of Rettig struggling to learn or connect with his new coordinator. If anything it was the opposite. He picked it up early and impressed the coaches. When he gets into camp Rettig will have a leg up on the guys who have only played in one system their whole career. 

Having to make tight throws and tough decisions

We can all rattle off bad plays and bad throws Rettig made over the years. But as we all know, many of those decisions and throws were under duress or Rettig trying to do too much. In the NFL the speed of the game is a huge adjustment point. Because our line was in shambles his first few years, Rettig is used to throwing quickly and in a tight spot.

The odds are long for Rettig as they are for any prospect. But he showed he can survive in college. Let's hope that same perseverance pays off at the next level. 

Strong

Our offense might not be the most fun to watch but there is a certain beauty in imposing your will on the other team. They know we are going to run. We know they know. And yet BC still had a very productive game on the ground and broke it open with a long Andre Williams TD. The defensive effort was better than the stats will indicate. They allowed some big plays but offset that by making big plays too. This was a very big win for this season and hopefully for Addazio as he builds the program.

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

Run, Chase, Run

Chase Rettig is coming off one of his worst games and we are facing (in Addazio's mind) the best defense we've faced this year. It doesn't appear like a great time to bounce back or regain your confidence. I don't know exactly what is going on with Rettig. He's always held the ball a bit too long, but now it is becoming a real problem. Is it the new offense? Is it a lack of faith in his receivers? Is he being coached to hold on rather than force a pass? Has he lost his confidence? Or are not enough guys getting open? Based on watching and on what Addazio said, I think it is probably a little bit of everything.

The most challenging part of this slump is that Rettig still represents our best chance of going bowling. We know he can get hot. We know there are winnable games left. And the alternatives are not better. This is not Porter-Ryan or even Shinskie-Rettig. It is much more equivalent to Crane-Davis. The backups can't do the one thing that Chase can -- throw the ball.

The answer is to make the game easier for Rettig within the confines of the offense. To do that, Rettig needs to do the one thing that against his nature -- run.

We don't have a pages and pages of the playbook dedicated to QB runs like we will next year. But there are still plenty of plays where there are running opportunities. There are a few options and plenty of rollouts. Either by nature or by coaching, Chase rarely runs in those plays. However, there is plenty of open space. Early in one of our drives, he handed it to Williams on an option play when he could have kept it for a big gain into huge hole. Some of his rollouts (if he stays close to the line) could go for positive yardage. The biggest area where he could benefit from the run, is scrambling forward from the pocket when no one is open. The opponents are not spying him. On many of these plays he could escape for short gains.

I don't think Rettig is ever going to look great running or break open the game. Running has its risks. Rettig could get hurt, but I think the upside of running outweighs the risk of injury.

Right now we are predictable. Rettig running changes that. On true running plays adding him to the mix keeps the linebackers from crashing hard on Williams. On pass plays he can keep the chains moving and maybe start to get safeties and LBs hedging a bit -- which would help our receivers later in the game. Finally on dropbacks, if nothing is there, running helps his timing. He should take his steps, scan and then throw or run. The waiting is a killer. Nothing good is coming of it. He either forces a bad pass or takes a sack. By pushing him to run, it creates a rhythm or a natural clock in his head to make a decision. It might not lead to big plays and will probably result in even fewer attempts, but we may become more efficient on offense.

Things will probably get worse before they get better. After VT we face the easier part of our schedule. Who knows, Rettig could be fine and start completing passes once again. I still have faith in his arm. I just think we need to use his legs to fix things.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: UNC

This wasn't a game we gave away with bad clock management or a missed kick. It obviously didn't come down to one play. But it was frustrating watching it back, because UNC did not play that well. Not as well as the score indicates. Instead BC kept shooting itself in the foot. This echos what Addazio said after the game, but when he watches it back, I imagine he will have steam coming out of his ears. There were that many plays -- fumbles, bad sacks, defensive players falling down, bad punt returns, etc. -- that added up to a big loss.

Offense: D+

We have plenty of issues on offense but Rettig is getting most of the blame. In this case it was justified. He is now holding the ball way too long. There were some positives in relation to his pocket awareness. He was willing to tuck and run more than he has all year. And most of the runs were net positives. But too many throws were late or not thrown at all. Talk of making a QB change is very premature. If we are going to make a bowl, it will be with Rettig's arm.

I was wrong about Rettig prior to the season. I was really wrong about Andre Williams. He's gotten so much better as the season goes on. The touchdown was nice, but he had a huge hole. However, he had a series of runs between the tackles where he ran hard and moved through traffic. For many years Williams was bad between the tackles. If he didn't have space, he wasn't able to adjust. Now he can weave a bit and is still very hard to take down. The only real issue with Williams was the early fumbled exchange. Rouse got a few snaps in garbage time. Willis was on the field more, but didn't get involved in the offense.

The offensive line was good. They got good push on running plays and at different points everyone was asked to pull or run. The pass blocking was also good for the most part. They gave Rettig time on most throws. Patchan allowed a sack, but was good for the most part (despite his penalties). Gallik also let in some rushers. Williams and White both played well.

Amidon had a few nice catches but could do much after the catch. He also dropped a catchable third down. But we need to get him more touches. What happened to using him on end arounds? Naples had a nice catch early. Jackson and Evans both had chances to catch balls but the throws weren't great. I blame it a little on them and on Rettig. A better QB-WR connection would have them coming back to the ball. Dudeck missed his one chance at a catchable ball.

I don't know what to make of Day's gameplan against UNC. We ran the ball well enough, but couldn't build on the passing game. A big problem in my opinion was passing on passing downs. If we run, run and leave us in a passing 3rd down, the defense knows what's coming. We are at our best when we can pass off of play action or rollouts on first and second down. It worked somewhat early. Why move away from it? Why not use some of the shotgun with short crosses that Rettig and Amidon like early in a possession? Get them in rhythm. Teams are flatout challenging BC now. It is going to be on Day to salvage our passing attack. It wasn't effective this week.

Defense: C+

The defensive line was probably the best part of the D. Ramsey played well and brought pressure. Appiah made plays for the first time in a long time. Mihalik made some good plays early. Edebali did well closing.

Steven Daniels is so much better than he was at the start of the year. We knew he was a big hitter, but he's doing a better job covering a lot of space. Divitto had a better game. He's not getting tackles for a loss, but is tackling well. KPL made some plays early but wasn't as active late. Little had a huge play in his debut.

Sylvia was the first BC player to get tossed for targeting and I am okay with that. The replay looked like he was slowing down a bit, but he still led with his head/shoulders without using his arms. If you are really going to break up a touchdown, you need to wrap up or reach in. A knock out hit might get the WR to drop the ball, but that is no longer legal. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts from here. The rest of the DBs had a similar situation from other weeks. They were decent tackling but not great in coverage. Asprilla got burned early turning the wrong way. Williams fell down on a touchdown.

The defense wasn't the real problem but the results weren't great. It didn't feel like a Don Brown day. BC certainly brought pressure and generated some huge drive-killing sacks, but most of the time their QBs were given way too much time. Our multiple looks and guys faking the blitz didn't seem to bother either of their QBs. Like I said with Day, teams now know a bit more what to expect. Brown needs to keep mixing things up or just blitz even more. The blitzes were what worked best.

Special Teams: C

Freese's punts were fine and our punt coverage was fine. Freese also had a solid kick off and made his FG.

Willis handled all the KRs and was fine. He didn't get a big break on any but made good decisions and ran hard.

Spiffy had some issues on the punts. He let one sail way over his head and then had some questionable decisions on returns. Dudeck was fine on his one punt return.


Overall: C-

The offense couldn't score. The defense allowed long, multi-play drives and the special teams didn't do anything special. Our gameplan was to get control early and grind it out. That was the problem. We didn't have a Plan B. Or at least a Plan B we could execute. We adjusted a little on D by bringing more pressure. On offense we couldn't come up with anything.

I appreciate Addazio's candor. UNC probably has more talent, but they didn't overwhelm us like USC did. BC made too many mistakes to win. That happens to all coaching staffs. The key is how Addazio regroups and gets the team to play better.

I know there is a lot of focus on Rettig. I've been blogging enough to see plenty of QBs struggle. This is not a Porter-Ryan or even a Shinskie-Rettig. I think this is more like Crane-Davis, where your backups are not the answer. So now the offensive staff needs to find something that works. It is triage time. If they don't, we will have many more games like this.

Why did Rettig wear an "NP" on his helmet? UPDATE

FYI: After I posted, A.J. alerted me that the sticker was in honor of his former teammate Nick Pasquale.

Last week against USC, Chase Rettig wore a circle sticker on the back of his helmet with the letters "NP" (see picture below). I took note of it at the time, but did not read an explanation after the game. 

Then Saturday a series of players in other games wore circular stickers with the letters "APU." Their stickers were a protest about college athletes getting paid. Obviously the letters are different, so Rettig's sticker is likely unrelated, but I still don't know why he wore it. If anyone has any answers, email me or post it in the comments.

Where are our other WR options?

Addazio is thinking of using David Dudeck at Wide Receiver in an effort to establish a viable No. 2 at the position. I don't love the idea of moving our only healthy running back, but Dudeck has proven very adaptable throughout his short career. The bigger question is why aren't any of the other guys ready to step up?

The void is caused in part by Bobby Swigert's medical redshirt. We also lost Johnethan Coleman to graduation. But there are still other guys on the roster who should be ready now. Addazio also referenced Crimmins when talking about the need. He dropped a catchable ball Saturday but other wise looked ok. Rettig needs to target him a bit more. Spiffy Evans has good open field skills (as he's shown on returns) but needs to work on his hands. Harrison Jackson supposedly has great hands but wasn't on the field as much last week. Barksdale is a probable redshirt. Zougrana? Grant? Who knows why they are not getting on the field.

A Tight End could also be a viable second option. There were plenty on the field on Saturday. Yet none were targeted.

Part of this is on Rettig. He needs to give other guys a chance. Part of it is on the coaching too. They've had months to develop a reliable No. 2. Design plays for other guys. Use the Tight End by design. The plays to Wolford worked well. He was a nice surprise, but you cannot tell me that there aren't other players who could also excel if given the chance.

We are lacking depth. That's clear. But Addazio and his staff need to do their best to make something out of nothing. Dudeck might be the answer. I just hope someone else steps up. 

Everyone is writing about Rettig and other links

The Heights wrote a nice feature on Chase Rettig. What stood out was this summation of his stats despite teh issues around him.

Of the 35 teams that allowed 30 or more sacks last season, only eight also had a 3,000-yard passer*. Rettig was one of them. These eight teams averaged 126 rushing yards per game. BC only averaged 90. The other schools in this grouping also didn’t have to rely on one receiver so heavily, like the Eagles did with Amidon. All of them, except for BC, had at least two wideouts bring in more than 600 yards.

Heights and Lows compared Rettig to Riley Skinner.

The Raiders cut John Wetzel.

BC is one of many teams interested in New Hampshire prospect Chris Garrison.

Dunbar suspended and other links

The NFL suspended former BC linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar for four games. Dunbar denied PED use and instead said it was based on something he took by accident.

Here is another interview with Chase Rettig.

The Rant Sports guys are at it again and predict a rough go of it for Addazio.

Injuries on Oakland's offensive line might open up a spot for John Wetzel.

Encouraging first scrimmage

Addazio wants to run, so we run...Chase Rettig included. That was the big takeaway from the first scrimmage. The BC write up had quotes from the coach. Those in attendance said it was a fairly balanced performance. Kimble is getting all the attention but reports are freshman Myles Willis showed good burst.

Chase Rettig ran three times. I don't love the idea, but he might need to run once or twice a game to keep the opposing Defense honest. True freshman James Walsh also got some snaps at QB. Unless he proves to be much better than our current backups, I don't see Walsh playing this year. They can probably reshsirt him and help his development.

A few players were dinged up, but no major injuries. Austin Tedesco was impressed with WR Harrison Jackson's play and Steven Daniels turned heads on defense.

Reading between the headlines: We're screwed if Rettig gets hurt

Vega captured our QB issues in a balanced, informed manner in the Globe. What a blogger like me might have said is "we're f-cked." We all heard the talk out of spring practices and summer workouts: "the new staff loves Rettig", "they are going to let Chase throw", and "we will go as far as Rettig takes us." Depth was discussed but not in specifics when it came to QB. With Addazio publicly saying Bordner and Marscovetra are fighting for the second spot, it is clear that QB is the area where our depth is most alarming.

I am probably not being fair to our two primary backups. Both have put up with a lot and stuck around. Both have also shown glimpses of potential. The revolving door of coordinators and Spaz's haphazard approach to offense impacted them as much as it did Rettig. Neither were truly allowed to develop. But I also think both have limitations and neither are as good as Rettig throwing. Both might be more athletic and better suited for what Addazio would like to run, but we are a passing team this year. A mid-season switch due to injury will likely be a total mess.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. One of Spaz's biggest recruits was Christian Suntrup. However, he is not made for this offense and his development has been a disappointment (so far). James Walsh and Mack Lowrie may be diamonds in the rough, but no one expects a true freshman to come off the bench to great success.

I am getting excited about this season, so I am trying to ignore that we will certainly be without Rettig in 2014. The only thing keeping me from saying "we're f-cked" then too, is the pipe dream that another season will give Addazio time to develop and/or recruit the perfect QB for his system. Until then, pray for Rettig's continued health.

Addazio's passion and other links

Addazio has been a popular topic for ACC writers. Here is another profile.

Rettig's playbook challenges including trying to spit out Kevin Rogers' NFL lingo.

BC hasn't been that great against the spread over the past ten years, however, the past few seasons really skewed the results.

BC is recruiting a Matt Ryan for basketball. That won't be confusing at all.

Rettig feature and other links

I thought this was a good feature on Chase Rettig. I would love to see the stacks of playbooks he's kept. An enterprising TV producer will get a shot of the binders and put it on during a game this year.

BCI and a Wake Forest blog are helping a food bank. Find out more here. 

Dan Koppen tore his ACL. Given his age and injury history, this might mean the end of his career.