Report: Smith, Flutie moved to WR

BCI reported that Jeff Smith and Troy Flutie both moved to Wide Receiver during Spring practice. The move makes sense given the log jam at QB and the lack of playmakers at WR. The hope is that both will translate their knowledge of the passing game into getting open. We will see if either can catch.

Based on what they did as QBs, Smith would seem like the natural WR. He is quick and dangerous with space. I don't know what to expect from Flutie.

It will be interesting to see how each player takes to the move. Both had plenty of opportunity at QB, but not under ideal circumstances. In a perfect world they would have grown in an offense and had an experienced OL and a good OC in place before they took the field. Instead if was sink or swim time.

I want both to stay, but understand if either go. They came to BC to be QBs and now they are not. Some players embrace that type of change. Let's hope they both do.

Addazio gets his 5th year QB

Former Kentucky Quarterback Patrick Towles announced that he'll use his last year of eligibility at BC. Although Towles is far from a super star or sure thing, this is great news for BC. Assuming BC can fix some of its other Offensive problems, Towles gives them an experienced, tested (SEC) QB. The comparisons to Tyler Murphy are obvious. Like Murphy, Towles has started and won in the SEC, but never held the job consistently. Both are big and athletic. The difference is that Towles can throw and Murphy was an elite runner. Towles also fits into Daz's stated desire to shift the Offense to more of a pro style. I like the move and think it sets a decent baseline of returning to a bowl.

Towles transfer does raise some other questions. What exactly will the Offense be and who will be calling the plays? Addazio must have sold him on something. Even if the guy loves the Jesuits, I don't think he would use his last year of college football without knowing what BC's offense would look like.

The other issues are related to our current QBs. It is easy to predict that some transfers and position changes are coming. This is now the second 5th year QB that has been recruited over Darius Wade. Will Wade put up with it? Should BC fans even care? If Wade can't beat out Towles, what does he have to complain about. And what of the other QBs. Do Fadule and Flutie stick around to see if the Towles offense fits their skills. Does Jeff Smith move positions or look for a new school? That will play out through Spring Practice.

There are a few BC fans criticizing Addazio for not developing a QB on his own and having to resort to transfers again. Personally I don't understand that gripe. Addazio is tasked with winning games and finding the best players he can. Sometimes a transfer might be a more efficient method than traditional recruiting. I think Addazio would love a four year starter as much as the next guy, but one year starters are better than the mess we had this season.

Welcome aboard Towles. I hope you are the missing piece to unlocking a great season at BC.

More frustration in Fenway

Let's run through the 2015 BC Football checklist. QB rotation? Check. Ineffective Offense for long stretches? Check. Clock management issues? Check. Special Teams' mistakes? Check. Wasting a great defensive performance? Check. So, this was a complete copy of most of our loses this year, yet Addazio has the gall to lose it with the refs? This loss was on Addazio and his staff. This season is almost over and they still are just throwing stuff out there hoping it works.

Fortunately for Addazio, he built up plenty of goodwill in his first two seasons, because this is using most of it.

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

Addazio sticking with Fadule

John Fadule's story is not over. The walk-on who played most of the game Saturday will be getting the primary practices snaps this week and will play against NC State. This is some of what Addazio said:

"I think we'll keep developing all of our quarterbacks. But as we go into the week, John Fadule will be getting his share of the reps with the ones. That's going to happen. I'm not into just straight anointing people given how quickly this has come about. But certainly his performance is one that we're excited about. Exactly how we'll divvy up [the quarterback reps]? I can't tell you that yet. But we're excited about his performance and looking for him to build on that. What I think he brought into that game was real toughness, real energy and he moved the team. That's really important. There's some stuff that needs to be cleaned up but nothing that you wouldn't expect from someone who hasn't taken too many reps in running the offense."

At this point Addazio has watched back the game film and talked to his coaches. They clearly like what they saw. Addazio spent most of his Monday press conference praising Fadule. While I see the issues going all in on Fadule, I think Addazio is making the right call. We need to win and Fadule provides a more aggressive and crisp option than Flutie. While I still think Smith has more game breaking potential, as long as he is not at 100% and as long as the Offensive Line remains so inconsistent, Fadule seems like the best option.

The issue long-term is what do you do with Fadule and the other QBs. Right now all are young and all are dealing with a limited sample size. Who is going to be the best and how do you tell? In my mind, this comes back to philosophy and what Addazio truly wants to run. Was the Tyler Murphy power game his preference? If so Smith would seem like the guy to get reps. Does he want some sort of prep-school Tebow deal? Then Fadule. If he wants a better passer like Rettig, then you would think Wade would be the guy once he's healthy.

Addazio can buy a little time with Fadule but eventually he will have to pick a direction. Or maybe Fadule will play so well that Addazio lucks into a consistent, effective QB.

In-game comments post: Clemson

A rare live game for me. If you are a BC fan at Clemson and stuck in the nosebleed seats like me (section TDT), be sure to say hello. I am bringing the whole crew to their first BC Football game. Pray that they don't leave the Stadium Clemson fans.

This is also a big day for Jeff Smith. Is this the start of BC's turnaround or just more of the same? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

BC-Clemson preview

I'm trying to talk myself into a BC win this week, but I just don't know Addazio yet. With TOB and Spaz, as fans we all knew them as coaches better than they knew themselves. We could feel when things were going wrong or when BC really had a chance. I want to believe. I want Addazio to pull one out and turn the season around. But can he?

The other problem here is that I don't know who he is starting at QB. Speculation is that it is Smith. I am writing the preview as if it is going to be Smith. If it is not, I don't know if anything below will still be relevant.

Some might argue the confusion plays to BC's advantage. I don't. Clemson is better than BC in nearly every way. The element of surprise from a QB won't throw them off. However, yo-yo-ing on our part just keeps us from reaching our potential.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
The QB issues won't end this week. Next year, Wade will be back facing off against whoever gets the most snaps this fall, plus this fall's backup, plus incoming recruit Anthony Brown. Let's hope for our sake and Addazio's that someone steps up and becomes the clear QB.

Three Simple Keys
1. Control the clock. Addazio's time of possession theories are too inflexible. But this week keeping the ball for long stretches works. This is also why I think Smith starts. The running game is more effective with him on the field.
2. Score early. I know I am getting picky. At this point scoring at any time would be a blessing. If we score early though, I think it will give our defense a boost and might make Clemson press a bit.
3. Better WR and Tight End blocking. As I keep writing in my second viewing thoughts, the drop off from blocking by WRs and TEs is killing our offense. If these guys don't get the second level LBs, or don't stop the DBs, there are no big plays.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 6-6 on the road as BC's coach
-- BC has lost three straight at Clemson
-- Addazio is 7-6 after a loss as BC's coach
The current line is BC+16

Factoid
This has been mentioned numerous times, but it is too good a factoid to ignore.

#BC is 1st team to lose back to back games allowing < 10 points in both since 1989. Last team to do it? Boston College! h/t @ESPNStatsInfo

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) October 10, 2015

BC finished 2-9 that season.

Scoreboard Watching
I am curious to see the Michigan-Michigan State game. Michigan's Defense has been all over the news the past week and in each article them seem to make reference to our defense. Under different offensive circumstances, we might have a shutout streak going too.

I hope to see...
A bounce back for Jordan Gowins. He looked good and the fumble really wasn't his fault (the Wake kid's helmet hit him perfectly). I would hate to see him buried on the bench when we need him the most.

BC is in trouble if...
We are rotating two QBs again. I believe Addazio is going to start one guy, but if he starts switching again, it means that BC's in a bad place.

Bottom Line
We can beat Clemson. The Defense is good enough. Can the rest of the rest of the team do their part? I am voting yes. I think BC wins a low scoring game with a field goal miss coming back to haunt Clemson.
Final Score: BC 14, Clemson 13

Addazio will pick one QB

Nothing is settled, but it will be. Addazio promises.

I am going to settle on one quarterback. I will announce that later in the week. - Addazio

— BC Football (@BCFootballNews) October 12, 2015

Picking a guy is the right first step. Building a gameplan around that one guy is the second step. Scoring a point is the final step.


The bigger question is will Addazio really ride with one guy if things go wrong?

What a complete waste

I am not saying "fire Addazio" but today confirmed that he is not a great coach. Great coaches don't screw up games to that degree. And great coaches don't have whole units of the team (offense and special teams) this mismanaged in Year 3. That was the second time BC was shutout in three ACC games. When you cannot score (in the third year of a program) it is not just a quarterback issue. It is an issue in play calling. It is an issue in coaching your own players. It is an issue in evaluating your roster. It is an issue in how you practice in season. It is an issue in how you prepare all offseason. We miss Ryan Day more than anyone could have predicted. Addazio needs to seriously rethink everything on offense and doing that midseason is a bad place to be.

What is all the more frustrating is that this might be the best BC defense in 20 years. But it is all wasted.

When Addazio was hired I thought he might be an emotional TOB and that he would have a similar ceiling to TOB. Now that I know he's not doing anything special at BC, I hope he still can win as often as TOB did.

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

BC-Wake Forest preview

Addazio says he is waiting for one of the QBs to step up. He wants one guy to show him something more...something different from the other guy. BC fans want a sign too. We want to see that Addazio can adapt and can handle rough patches and can win the games he is supposed to win. Despite our offensive struggles, BC is favorite this week. If Addazio is a very good coach, he takes care of business at home. If we lose, we will have more questions than just who should be the next QB.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I don't want to keep going back to the Duke game, but there was a little wrinkle that I failed to mention that shows their coaches are doing a good job. If you recall after every questionable catch that went their way, Duke quickly ran to the line to start the next play. We see something similar with every NFL team. You don't see that urgency as often in college. Maybe because tempo is already part of most team's game plans. Maybe because the NFL has had replay longer. But I found it interesting that Duke reacted how they did. It showed that their players have good situational awareness and good sideline communications.

Three Simple Keys
1. Continue to stretch the field with deep throws. Despite their tendency to hang, flutter and miss their target, I still want Smith and Flutie attempting big throws downfield. Every once in a while you'll hit a big TD and at a minimum, you will keep their Safeties honest. I don't trust Flutie or Smith enough to pull off lots of short passes in heavy traffic.
2. Turn anything between the 50 and the Wake 25 into 4-down territory. Addazio can rationalize this ten different ways, but this is one area where the statistics show he's being too conservative. We can't make long field goals. We have an outstanding D. Every possession in that area should play call as if we are going for it. Run on third down if needed.
3. Get better blocking from the Tight Ends and Wide Receivers. There has been a lot of criticism of the OLine, but the biggest drop off between the first two year and this one is between the blocking of the WRs and Tight Ends. On other teams that might not be a big deal. For us, it is. We depend on those guys to engage the Linebackers and DBs who are crashing the line when we run.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 12-6 at home
-- Addazio last started 0-3 in ACC play in 2013
-- Wake if 1-4 at Alumni as a member of the ACC
The current line is BC-7.5

Factoid
BC has scored only one touchdown in ACC play.

Scoreboard Watching
On Friday night, NC State travels to Virginia Tech. Aside from watching two future opponents and potentially the last days of Beamer Ball, I am also interested to see how VT manufactures offense. It hasn't been pretty for their OC Scot Loeffler. Prior to calling plays for Beamer, Loeffler coached under Daz at Temple.

I hope to see...
Sherman Alston get back in the groove. Addazio mentioned players pressing and it looks like that is an issue with Alston. He can be so dynamic. We just need to find him the right situations.

BC is in trouble if...
We don't score at least 20 points. 20 points seems pretty arbitrary on my part, especially given how good the Defense is. But I think that barrier represents a comfortable enough margin for BC to control and win the game. If we keep slogging along in low-scoring battles, every mistake is magnified and someone will steal at game at Alumni.

Bottom Line
Neither QB pulls away from the other, but they both look much better. BC also gets its first defensive touchdown of the year and mostly keeps Wake in check all day.
Final Score: BC 24, Wake 13

Another candid Addazio press conference

People have been really critical of the QB situation. Just look at some of these quotes:

"...quarterback play has to get better and there are varying different reasons for those things. Some is age, some is not, but that is what we have to get better."

"I'm not sure at this point that either one can handle the whole game."

"Troy - on that last play - he just ran himself to a problem. It was a tremendous pocket. Stand there and deliver the ball! If you don't like it, shiver up and run vertically because all we were trying to do was to get seven more yards to get a field goal, or at least an attempt..."

Those quotes aren't from a message board. They're from Steve Addazio. As much as I question what Addazio is doing, I am always thankful for his candor in these weekly press conferences. Maybe because he's not getting grilled by a horde of SEC local media types. It is probably just Vega, Thompson, and a few student reporters. Maybe he has his guard down. But he admits that he's hoping one of the guys steps up and takes the decision away from him. He shares a story about going to his own defensive staff and getting their opinion. Clearly the staff is struggling with each guy's limitation and as Addazio said the expectations to win now vs developing a player.

Addazio is also candid about his criticism of Special Teams, Hilliman, the OLine and Alston. And I think he does it without really blaming any of the guys or throwing them under the bus. There's nothing here that crosses a line, but it is more than most coaches would say. Or at least more than past BC coaches ever said.

Speaking your mind or playing it close to the vest doesn't matter if we don't win. And we need to win this weekend. If not I think Addazio's press conferences will take a very different tone.

BC-Duke preview

All seasons have a broken record aspect to them. I feel like this great defense covering the mistakes of an awkward QB rotation will be the theme for weeks to come. Is there any other way it can play out? Take this week for example. Flutie will start and probably get most of the snaps. But is he going to do anything remarkable to win the job permanently in really wet weather? Unlikely. While Smith will get snaps, his limited time also gives him fewer opportunities to show he can do more than run. My fear is that neither will ever play enough to shine and instead it will become which guy makes bigger mistakes.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Addazio talked patience in his media appearances this week and there is also plenty of fan chatter about lowering expectations. I find all of it premature and a little disconcerting. Injuries happen. Having to play young QBs happens. Collectively we had low expectations for Addazio's first two seasons and his teams performed well. Now, in Year 3, why can't we expect him to do well again? We are already have three wins and have one of the best defenses in the country. Even with sloppy QB play, we should compete with every team on our schedule and still finish at .500 or better.

Three Simple Keys
1. Connect on at least three play actions passes. There were so many open WRs last week biting on our runs. Those plays should be there this week. Whoever is QB needs to hit the open men (in stride). It will lead to some huge plays.
2. Let them have the short stuff. In order to avoid our pressure, I think Duke will try to dink and dunk it down the field. I have no problem with that. It makes big plays less likely. Field goals will be iffy in this weather. And I think we are very capable of forcing turnovers on short passes.
3. Redzone scoring. Kicking is always an issue. Heavy wind and rain won't make it easier. BC needs to capitalize with touchdowns any time we get near the endzone.

Gambling Notes
-- Cutcliffe is 1-1 against BC
-- Addazio is 3-3 in October as BC's coach
-- Addazio is 4-4 in ACC road games
The current line is BC+6.5

Factoid
BC won its only game in Wallace Wade Stadium.

Scoreboard Watching
Notre Dame at Clemson is probably the biggest ACC game of the week and are arguably the two best teams left on our schedule. I am hoping one team exposes the other and gives us hope for our contest later in the season.

I hope to see...
A big Jeff Smith TD run. I know there are plenty of Flutie fans out there. I don't dislike the kid, but I just think Smith is a better fit for everything we are trying to do. If he makes a big play, I think Addazio will roll with him and the offense will finally have some identity. Flutie feels like a square peg in a round hole.

BC is in trouble if...
They give up another non-offensive touchdown. This defense can cover a lot of mistakes but they can't stop points given away on a turnover or Special Teams screw up. If it happens against Duke, it will cost us the game.

Bottom Line
I started off with the broken record analogy...well maybe it applies to bloggers too. I just feel this is the week where we figure it out on offense. I think the OL blocks well, Smith and Rouse cross Duke up on the option stuff and BC controls the tempo and score.
Final Score: BC 17, Duke 9

Ugly win

Sometimes you feel good after a close win. Not today. That was ugly.

I didn't like the way they used Flutie. I didn't like they way they used Smith. And using Rouse after an official head injury notification that came from BC, is highly questionable.

Once again, BC's defense did everything only to see the O and Special Teams nearly give it away. The D is going to have to carry this team the rest of the way, since everything else from the game management to simple kickoffs is a mess.

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

In-game comments post: Northern Illinois

Every week seems like a new start to the season. We are now a month in and still don't know what to expect due to injuries and easy schedules. The offense has a lot to prove and so do the QBs. Let's hope they are up to the challenge.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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BC-Northern Illinois preview

This is going to go one of two ways. Either both QBs are going to be terrible and we come away very frustrated (and probably lose) or one guy stands out early and we roll with him to victory. This game was always going to be a turning point in the season and now with Wade out, it becomes even more critical.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Most coaches hate being second guessed and generally have thin skin. That sensitivity usually serves as a great motivator and provides some of the drive needed to coach at this level. Addazio clearly heard the critics on his decision to kill the clock on the last drive before the half. At the Gridiron Club dinner, he addressed it over and over again. He can justify it ten ways to Sunday, but we know he knows enough about statistics and Urban Meyer's game management strategies, to know that killing clock there is a wrong move. It became a wasted possession in a game with minimal scoring. I hope this overly conservative decision doesn't influence the remainder of the season. In college football you need to go for it whenever you get the chance.

Three Simple Keys
1. Explosive plays. As much as we are perceived as a plodding, three yards and a cloud of dust team, we are really haven't been that efficient or consistent under Addazio. The reality is we plod, plod and then explode. Last week lacked explosion. This week we need a few big plays if we want to score.
2. Avoid Turnovers. The reason NIU almost upset Ohio State was due to turnovers. We cannot be as careless.
3. Close on Hare. Think of how different Florida State would have been without those few Golson escapes. Hare is not that elusive. We need to hit him for a loss, over and over.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 6-4 after a loss while coaching BC
-- BC has won 16 straight against MAC teams
-- NIU coach Rob Carey is 3-3 vs Power 5 teams
The current line is BC-4.5

Factoid
TOB is part of the ESPN3 team covering this game. Being that he's predictable, I expect him to reference his years at BC early in the game but then declare that he will call it down the middle. And then I expect him to do just that. I know he's done some other ESPN3 games, but I can't imagine he's much fun on the broadcast. He let glimpses of his sense of humor escape over the years, but I don't think now -- in semi-retirement -- he's going to become a laugh a minute.

Scoreboard Watching
We are not a triple option team, but we run almost as much as your typical triple option team. That is why it will be interesting to see how Duke handles Georgia Tech. Let's hope they have a lot of trouble.

I hope to see...
A few interceptions. The DBs were great last week. The only thing missing was a game changing, run back on an INT. If they are challenged this week (which I doubt), it could happen.

BC is in trouble if...
We don't score in the first half. That will put pressure on everyone. The D will think they have to win the game themselves. The Special Teams will make risky plays. In those circumstances, mistakes are made.

Bottom Line
I believe...still. I think this is the Jeff Smith coming out party. After we putz around a bit in the first half with both QBs, Smith gets all the snaps in the second and runs for at least one long TD. The D mostly contains NIU and get some breathing room with a late field goal.
Final Score: BC 17, Northern Illinois 13

Everyone's got problems

As we head into the unknown with either Flutie or Smith (or both), there are plenty of BC fans re-calibrating expectations. But I don't know if we need to since numerous opponents are dealing with the same issue.

If you include ND, seven of 15 ACC teams have either an injured starting QB or a QB controversy over who should start right now.

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) September 19, 2015

Look around at the teams on our schedule:

Notre Dame -- Lost Zaire for the year with a broken ankle. (Addazio kept compairing Wade to Zaire in the preseason since they have similar skill sets and are both lefties. They proved to have similar seasons in an unexpected way.)

Syracuse -- Lost Hunt for the year and backup Eric Dungey suffered a head injury last week. His status is unknown.

Wake Forest -- John Wofford left the Army game with an unspecified injury and remains under wraps.

Virginia Tech -- Brewer broke his collarbone in the opener against Ohio State. Even if he recovers in time to start our game on Halloween (unlikely), he will still be less than 100%.

And this is only where things stand now. Other teams will see serious injuries between now and when we play them.

Losing Wade hurts, but I am not resetting my expectations until I see what we really have in Smith and Flutie.

Addazio's QB hedge better not last long

The old football adage says that "if you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one." While the theory has been attributed to John Madden and Bill Parcells, this week it could just as well be Steve Addazio's mindset. Against Northern Illinois, both Jeff Smith and Troy Flutie will play. He hasn't indicated a starter, but that doesn't really matter. According to Addazio, he's not going to ride the hot hand. Each QB will have packages. So even if Flutie starts out 5 for 5 and throws two TDs, Smith will play. And same holds true if Smith runs for 80 yards on the first play. This is a fine approach for the 1st half of the NIU game, but cannot go much beyond that. If it does, BC is in big trouble.

None of us know what either QB can do under pressure. Not even Addazio. He's validated the gossiped consensus that came out of camp (Smith is a brilliant runner, Flutie more of a game manager). But the past is somewhat irrelevant now. What a guy does in a practice or scrimmage in August is very different from playing against other teams. Based on the second hand information and the garbage time against Howard, I want Smith. As Addazio said in his Monday media time, we have so few players who can truly explode, that having Smith sit is a waste of an asset. If Flutie proves that he can consistently pass against elite defenses, then by all means, let him manage the games. But I don't think we have enough talent on the line or at WR for Flutie to be any use. Smith needs to be the guy.

But the hedge and using both all season is what I fear most. If neither guy establishes himself this weekend, then just pick one and let him and the team take their lumps. Why trot out two ineffective guys when giving all the snaps to the one with more upside might be off later this season?

Second viewing thoughts and grades: FSU

I feel surprisingly better after watching the game back. I am still frustrated that we didn't win and didn't press our opportunities, but I saw enough to believe that things are fixable. Losing Wade is a major step back, but there is still more offensive potential than what was shown Friday night. And the defense might be so good that they will win some games all by themselves.

Offense: C-

Wade's stats weren't great but I thought he played well. He hesitated on a few passes early and missed open men, and his INT was a bad decision, but considering how tied his hands were and how inconsistent the blocking was, he looked serviceable. His running wasn't smooth either, but it was effective. Losing him for the season is a major blow. He showed real potential against a good opponent. Nothing can really be read into Smith or Flutie's snaps. Can we really believe that "Smith doesn't know the playbook" from his time on the field? Or that Flutie makes bad decisions on the pitches?

Hilliman did not play well. Even prior to the fumble, he was getting stuck in pileups. Some of the problems can be blamed on the OL, but not all of them. He needs to make someone miss on occasion. Willis was pretty good and certainly the most productive Friday night. Wofford played well. His blocks were good and he was effective in the passing game. But when he is the leading receiver, it speaks to bigger issues.

We only threw the ball 15 times, but there was still plenty to judge with regards to the WRs and Tight Ends. Alston is great with the ball, but he's not good trying to get the ball in traffic and he's not a good blocker. We need to get him touches (sweeps, screens, etc), but traditional ways are not playing to his strengths. Smith looked good on his sweep, but needs to improve his blocking. Nosovitch wasn't ready for his pass. Sweeney looked okay at some points but then struggled blocking at other points. Swigert was fine and made the right call on his pass option. Callinan's one catch was nice. But as a group, this unit is not as effective blocking as they were last year. I don't know if it was Florida State, going smaller or just lack of emphasis, but this has to get better. It is critical to our success on the edges.

The Offensive Line got beat as a group. Florida State is talented, but there were still too many one on one battles lost upfront and too many mistakes. Williams is not playing as well as he played two years ago. Is it rust? Let's hope it changes soon. Taylor struggled at times before he got hurt. Baker was probably the best of the group. Lindstrom got overmatched a bit.

It is always easy to second-guess play calling, but how can you justify Friday night? I will get into the overall strategy later, but I felt Fitch/Addazio didn't do the team favors with their approach. The best offensive coaches find something they do well and build from that. Day and Addazio did that well in the first two seasons. Where was that Friday? Nothing looked crisp. Everything seemed a step off. There really wasn't one play or one type of play they could perform with authority. It gave the play calling a grab bag feel. When you get shutout it is a full failure. It shows lack of execution, poor preparation and poor personnel management. There's no other way around it.

Defense: A-

This was the Landry we all hoped for. He showed speed. He showed power. He closed often. The only real tough play was the missed safety. Wujciak helped collapse the line and made many nice plays. Gutapfel didn't fill up the stat sheet, but was also good inside. Abdesmad played well.

Steven Daniels dominated too. He was a little out of place on their touchdown pass, but otherwise looked great everywhere. Milano looked good too.

Kam Moore was outstanding. He ran with everyone and made great plays on the ball. He had one of the best games I've seen a DB have without getting an INT or making tons of tackles. Simmons slipped early on a key pass play, but settled in and made some nice tackles throughout. Yiadom looked good. Johnson played very well.

Don Brown's Defense has matured. He's to the point now where he doesn't even have to blitz over and over. Just showing it or releasing guys late does the trick. Even their lone scoring drive was called well. It really came down to a few mistakes and our guys slipping or getting beat. But overall, we did nearly everything right on D.

Special Teams: B

Howell's punts were good and the punt coverage was very good.

Willis' returns were aggressive.

Alston's punt returns were a mixed bag. He was a little conservative in his fair catches and didn't break anything big.


Overall: B-

There was a beauty to Addazio's stubbornness in his first two years. Because of Andre Williams and Tyler Murphy and good offensive lines, we could pound, pound and pound some more and eventually something would break. It is old school and also unconventional, which only added to the beauty. Teams weren't ready for it and it played to our strengths. Playing that way against Florida State with Darius Wade (who is not an explosive runner), our fledgling OLine, and no RBs who matches Williams speed/power combo, and no game breaking WRs, left BC with a very narrow path to victory. My concern and complaint is that when BC struggled moving the ball, Addazio didn't adjust. In the post game, you'll hear him reference statistics to justify his actions, but most of the advance metrics show that conservative approaches and wasting possessions (like the ones before half) will not lead to victory. Addazio had one vision to win the game and even as it became statistically more unlikely, he wasn't willing to adjust. Conceding possessions regardless of time or location is one of the worst ideas in football. I thought Addazio had the team motivated and it fought hard, but that's not enough. You also need to press your advantages however small they are.

This week will be about a different style of coaching. Addazio now has to get at least one QB ready and probably two ready. He also has to fix the offense. I think he can do it. Adjusting midseason is the type of things good coaches do.

Wade out for season

As you've probably read by now, Darius Wade is out for the remainder of the season with a broken ankle. The only good news from the story is that SI believes Wade will apply and should receive a medical hardship redshirt.

Now the Flutie-Smith debate will begin. I want to roll with Smith and will explain that all week. I think he's a better fit for our current personnel and I think he has the chance to turn something out of nothing. With this defense, all we need are a few fluky big plays each game and we can win.

No scoring against the 'Noles

Now we know a bit more about the team. The BC D is legit. Aside from the opening drive, they dominated Florida State's Offense. But it was a wasted effort, because BC's Offense couldn't do anything in a 14-0 loss. It was the first time an Addazio BC team has been shutout. Aside from the losing, the bigger concern is that Darius Wade went down with an ugly looking leg injury. Both Flutie and Smith saw time after Wade went to the bench.

I have a lot of criticism of Addazio and Fitch's approach, but I will save that for the Sunday post. I am frustrated, but think the Defense is good enough to get BC to a bowl game. Let's just hope they can figure something...anything out on offense.

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

What we learned from the final scrimmage

BC held its final scrimmage of the preseason and it appears that the offense looked a little better. Here's BC's recap, the Herald's recap and Rivals' recap. The best news was that Wade looked a little sharper and Flutie had his best scrimmage yet. Adddazio seemed pleased in his post scrimmage quotes. Other news:

-- Alex Howell will be BC's kicker and punter. Howell has been the best of the bunch and only missed one field goal. As nice as it would be to have a sure-shot long-range kicker, all we really need from Howell is consistency. If Addazio knows his range, then they can play call around him.

-- Harris Williams still didn't play, but did practice with the first team. Without him the starting OLine was Bowen, Baker, Taylor, Lindstrom, and Cashman. The whole thing could be shuffled when Williams is ready.

-- Robinson's transition to WR is going well. He had a few big plays in the scrimmage. That's a good sign since many of our experienced WRs are dealing with nagging injuries.

While I don't take anything lightly, I do think BC's schedule lends itself to growing pains. If the offense just keeps getting better, the defense should be able to carry them the first two weeks.