Season in Review: Biggest Surprises

We all had expectations for the season and a few players we thought might shine. However, I doubt any of us predicted the impact these three guys would have. Here are the biggest surprises of the 2014 season.

1. Sherman Alston

When he committed, Alston seemed like a nice player to round out the recruiting class. He showed good speed and smarts, but didn't project to a true position in college (mostly because of his size). Here was a New Jersey player that Rutgers didn't recruit. Yet as soon as he got on campus, the rumblings began. Addazio and his staff realized they had something. They just didn't know what he was. And with that they did what ever they could with him, using him on punt returns. as a WR and most effectively as a Split End getting the ball on jet sweeps. Alston proved most effective when he got a little bit of daylight. Once he got some space, he could use his speed and elusiveness to turn little plays into big ones. His breakout game was USC, but he drew attention anytime he got on the field. In fact a common complaint as the season wore on was that we were using him too often as a decoy instead of getting him the ball. Other players had bigger years, but Alston was the biggest bonus since so little was expected.

2. Justin Simmons

In August did you expect Justin Simmon to lead the team in tackles? The junior had a nice career prior to this season, but nothing to indicate that he would make such a huge jump in productivity. Simmons wasn't just a pile jumper getting lots of tackles. He saved the Wake game with a critical INT and also got to the QB when asked to blitz. Simmons also showed versatility as he split his time between corner and safety. He wasn't our best defensive player, but he was the guy who made the leap during a crucial transition season.

3. Aaron Kramer

An after thought who had never started a game, Kramer was thrust into the spotlight when Harris Williams went down against UMass. It seemed like our Offensive Line might crack, but Kramer played well against UMass and then followed the solid play throughout September. He might not have been as consistent as some of the other starters and had some tough games later in the season, but overall Kramer played well and much better than most of us would have expected.

Year in Review: Defensive MVPs

Usually the defense carries the day for BC. This year it was the better side of the team, but still not that good. Or at least not as great as BC usually is. Talent was a big issue, as was experience. Even with some holes in the roster a few player stood out.

1. Luke Kuechly
Kuechly concluded his BC career with one of the most statistically impressive seasons in Boston College history. His productivity and fundamentals were well known prior to the season. This year he showed an added toughness by finishing the season despite a bad elbow injury. He also got better as the season progressed. Never a real liability in pass coverage, Kuechly became much better as he proved in his performance against Miami. I've debated where he ranks among the all-time BC greats, but there is no denying he was this team's most valuable player.

2. Kevin Pierre-Louis
Because of who he played next to and because he dealt with nagging injuries in the latter part of the season, it is easy to overlook how good KPL was in 2011. We already knew he was tough and strong but this year I think he improved in his ability to diagnose plays. He blew pass blockers and did a better job when in zones. If he's healthy, he should be all conference next year.

3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway's biggest issue among his critics is who he is not. He's not a game-changing sack machine. But he had a really solid 2011. Fourth in tackles, the leader in sacks and he had a INT. What he lacks in dynamism, he made up for in consistency. Holloway improved from last year and improved during the season. When you look for silver linings, that is one.

Year in Review: Biggest Disappointments

In the past when I've done the "Biggest Disappointments" people felt it was unfair to single out college kid for being disappointments. In keeping with the tradition but softening the criticism, I did not target any particular player this year. Also, I could say 1. Spaz 2. Spaz 3. Spaz and be done, but that's not the spirit of this. We all know how bad Spaz is. This series is about looking at more specific aspects of this season.

1. Kevin Rogers/Dave Brock. Gary Tranquill was the scape goat of Spaz's first two seasons. That was all suppose to change this year. We know what happened. We had the worst total offense in the ACC and scored the fewest points. Our national rankings were also pitiful. Rogers can escape some of the blame since he wasn't around very long and our Northwestern game wasn't bad. But he still was around long enough to make an impact and didn't. I've been advocating that Brock stay on as OC, but that is not an endorsement of how he handled things. We remained ultra conservative, put in predictable packages and never did one thing well.

2. Offensive Line. Apologists for Spaz and Sean Devine will say that our offensive line is lacking talent. I disagree. I think many former BC Oline coaches could have molded these guys into better units. As I pointed out during the season, we had trouble executing a basic double team.

3. The hype surrounding our schedule. I was as guilty as anyone of thinking our schedule was tough. It was a paper tiger. Northwestern was very beatable and lost to Army. Central Florida dominated us, yet never looked the same again. The Florida State team that killed us had serious issues. Spaz thought Notre Dame was a "Top 5" team yet they had four losses.

Year in Review: Biggest Surprises

Although it felt like a series of low points, there were plenty of pleasant surprises on this BC football team. As part of the Year in Review, I looked back on three guys who exceeded expectations.

1. Ryan Quigley. Quigley has been a solid punter from Day 1, so it may be hard to call him a surprise, but this year he took it to a new level. He was fourth in the nation in punts inside the 20...many of which were pinned inside the 10. Quigley was consistent and also did very nice job with our kickoffs. There were many times that I felt Spaz went too conservative and was too quick to punt, but Quigley always bailed him out. Many things went wrong this year, but anything related to Quigley did not. I wish he didn't punt so often, but it was a pleasure watching his work.

2. Dominic Appiah. When Spaz's defenses are at their best, it usually starts upfront. For the past three seasons we haven't really had a game changer up there. We expected guys like O'Neal or Quinn to step up or maybe get some big contributions from Ricci, but Appiah was the one who really progressed as the season wore on. As a DT, his job is to push the line and clog the middle. One of the reasons our defense got better towards the end of the season was because Appiah finally gave us a difference maker at DT. As we used more three-man fronts, Appiah was often the lone DT out there and played well. Plus I like his hustle. The defensive line has been an issue for a few years, but I think next year it will be a strength.

3. Manny Asprilla. Asprilla's rise was very similar to Appiah's. Other young DBs were supposed to make an impact this year. Not much was expected of Asprilla. Yet as the season wore on, he was getting more and more snaps. He was the one making tackles. Our corners are expected to cover and make plenty of tackles. Asprilla showed a toughness and instinct that should serve him well going forward. I also liked his quickness on corner blitzes. If his freshman year was any indication, Asprilla has a chance to be special.

Year in Review: Top Surprises

This is Part II of my Year in Review series. For this, I try to highlight guys or groups that I didn't expect much from and in turn exceeded my expectations.

1. Alex Amidon and Bobby Swigert
Their Bowl game was bad and they were maligned throughout the season by the talking heads, but these two guys really stepped. Swigert had more of an impact and became one of the few consistent aspects of our passing game. Amidon did not have the same sort of impact but towards the end of the season was making some tough catches in traffic. We have a lot of problems on offense, but don't let people fool you on these two. They can play.

2. The Defensive Backs coaching and system.
People hate our reliance on zone defense and the corners playing well off the line. You will also hear plenty of complaints about Mike Siravo as recruiting coordinator. But those gripes aside, it is hard to deny how well prepared the DBs were this season. Davis goes down. Other guys step up. Gause goes down. Fox looks good. Fox gets dinged and Ryan Lindsey plays corner. But roster shuffling isn't what it is all about. Fox, Noel and Okoroha all had breakout seasons. Their position coach deserves credit for having them ready.

3. Andre Williams
His real impact was only felt late in the season, but what an impact it was. Williams provided a combination of power and explosiveness we haven't had at the position in a long time. Nevada adjusted to his style and he still has many areas for improvement, but I don't think anyone would have guessed that he had this much potential heading into the season.

Season in Review Part I: Biggest Dissappointments

This has always been one of the tougher pieces to write because you hate picking on the players. So in this case, I will factor in some other facets of the program. Here are the Biggest Disappointments of the 2010 season.

1. Game Management. I know I am considered a Spaz hater and major critic, but I think even his biggest supporters would admit the Spaz's in game management and use of timeouts is troubling. We had multiple games where we had timeouts and clock before the half and elected to burn time. We wasted way too much time on some possessions only to settle for a field goal (Clemson). We failed to use time outs in close game (Duke) to preserve time in case the opponent scored and we needed to answer. It was just mind numbing. Don't get me started on ever going for it or using a surprise play on special teams. That sort of thinking doesn't fall into the "we know what we are" mindset. I am sure Spaz can rationalize his management. If you think your team is limited, you want to do whatever you can to protect them. I would argue that a limited team that has trouble scoring needs to maximize their chances. Settling for a field goal or taking a knee wastes valuable scoring opportunities. No one really presses Spaz to explain his game management so I don't expect things to change in 2011. I hope that with a maturing team and a maturing QB he can use every opportunity we have.

2. Offensive Line U. We never looked like a unit that had four returning starters. We never looked like a unit that had two NFL draft picks. Part of the problem arose from training camp when we shuffled players around. Part of the problem was inconsistency from certain players. When the scheduled softened up and we moved Richman back to guard and Spinney to Center, things finally clicked. I even think we looked better with Cleary at RT. But then many of the same old problems arose against Nevada. BC had problems with speed and assignments. I will acknowledge that our one dimensional offense didn't help the OLine. Since the opposing Defenses didn't respect our ability to pass, our Line was often left to block seven or eight unrushing guys. But that doesn't excuse the general inconsistency. We have talent. We have a tradition. Was it the scheme? Was it the coaching? We'll find out in 2011.

3. The passing offense. I was going to complain about our failure to use the Tight Ends in the passing game, but what's the point? How can you gripe about one position, when you only had 180 completions on the entire season? We were only good for 13 completions a game. This is in 2010 when all the rules enable passing. This is in an era when teams play uptempo and the very pace of play enables extra snaps that should naturally feature a pass attempt or two. We were so flawed at one of the basic offensive concepts that we only completed 180 passes in a 13 game season. If you want to look on the bright side, it was a three completion improvement over 2009! Some will say our passing numbers with Crane/Davis were also bad. But 2008's offense was better and Crane and Davis also produced positive rushing yards. At the end of the day, we were terrible at throwing the ball in two years under Tranq. We used five different starters at QB and never developed even a few fundamental plays. Thankfully it should get better next year.

Football 2009 In Review: Defensive MVPs

This was an annual feature until last January got thrown upside down by the coaching chaos. I will look back on the season in four parts. This is part 2, a straight forward look at our defense.

1. Luke Kuechly
The defense lost its three biggest stars, saw some its most experienced players fight through injury (Scafe, Albright, McLaughlin) and had a new defensive coordinator. We desperately needed someone to step up. Kuechly did more than that. The true Freshman was a tackling machine and played beyond his years. He modestly attributed his success to "not being blocked" but he clearly has great instincts, great anticipation and great speed. Like other stars, he also has a sense of the moment. Just look at his goalline plays against Wake or Florida State or his flight over the pile against Maryland. His 158 tackles shattered every record BC had for freshman and got him notice nationally. His stats may change next year as he will be asked to do different things, but this year he was clearly the best player on the team.

2. Marcellus Bowman
Everyone comments on Bowman's bone rattling hits, but he put in a very well-rounded season. He collected 73 tackles and had two INTs. Bowman also improved as the season progressed and became more careful and effective in his pass coverage. Bowman's progression from raw scout teamer to defensive leader shows the importance of getting a guy in the program and allowing him to mature physically and mentally.

3. Roderick Rollins
Rollins's stats and season might not have gained much attention, but he was very, very good. In fact, his stats suffered because more often than not, the opposing QB threw to the other side of the field. Even though he wasn't challenged often, he still managed 43 tackles and team leading 3 INTs. Our scheme doesn't really empower a "shutdown corner" but Rollins's play this season was an example of teams scheming away from him and his solid coverage.

Football 2009 In Review: Top Surprises

This was an annual feature until last January got thrown upside down by the coaching chaos. I will look back on the season in four parts. Let's begin with the positive: top surprises.

1. Mike Morrissey
Everyone loves a walk-on story, but rarely does a walk-on work his way into the starting lineup. Morrissey isn’t exactly our “Rudy” though. He was a “recruited walk-on” meaning TOB and company liked him enough to give him a shot to earn a scholarship but offered no guarantees. Having contributed occasionally in his first few seasons, Morrissey broke out this year – just when the depleted LB corp needed him most. Since his father was in the NFL and walk-ons have to work extra hard, Morrissey showed good instincts in coverage and reading Ds. What surprised was his speed. He was good in coverage and outside or some bad tackles in the Emerald Bowl, was pretty reliable all season. Morrissey is not a game changer or have the upside of LeGrande (the guy he split snaps with) but he was a crucial part of the season and did more than expected.

2. Chris Pantale
Pantale was a well regarded recruit and we heard good things coming out of his redshirt year, but he exceeded most expectations. The team's third leading receiver was also a capable blocker. I guess what most impressed me about Pantale, was his toughness and hands. It seemed like he pulled in a bunch of passes with someone drapped all over him. If anything we didn't get him the ball enough -- especially in the redzone. It will be nice to see him mature in the offense and add a little more size.
3. Ryan Quigley
Punters are rarely appreciated, but Quigley was very good this year. 30% of his punts went pinned the other team into the redzone with only 5% rolling for touchbacks. He got 77 punts off without getting blocked once. It wasn't all controlled either. He could boom them when he had to. In an ideal world, he would never punt, but watching Quigley punt this year was a pleasure.

Football 2008 In Review: Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda...

Sorry to the delay in the year in review stuff. Got a little sidetracked with the coaching change. Keep in mind that I am using what happened during the season. Any of the off the field drama that happened after Nashville didn’t influence this.

This portion was formerly known as the biggest disappointments. I softened the tone to acknowledge that all these guys make huge sacrifices for our school. But I still feel the need to point out poor performances or guys who wasted opportunities. You’ll notice two names that are not on this list: Chris Crane and Dominique Davis. While both generated numerous mistakes and agita among BC fans, they are not the type of players I try to feature here. The point of this are the guys who blew it or let us down for other reasons. Crane and Davis offset their cringe inducing moments with enough big plays to get a pass here.

1. Billy Bennett. It is easy to pick on a kicker, but this kid never delivered on his potential and then doubled the disappointment by being a jerk off the field. Even before his fallout he wasn’t nearly as consistent as or as powerful as we needed him to be on kickoffs. Some kicks had distance yet no hang time. Others had hang time without distance. He never got a shot at kicking field goals, but he also never did anything in practice to give the staff confidence that he could make the kicks under pressure.

2. Jeff Smith. Another case where it may seem like I am picking on a player. That is not my intention. Yes he’s battled injuries, but if you talk to people around the program that was not why he wasn’t on the field at the end of the season. He never showed the desire or aptitude to be used in the regular offense. When I saw Haden and Harris get caught from behind all I could think about what could have been. Smith is probably the fastest player in the ACC. The guy who couldn’t even be touched against Kent State never showed up after that game. It’s a shame. We could have used a focused Smith this year on offense.

3. Kick off coverage. This sort of relates back to Bennett, but even after he was gone things weren’t good. The tackling was often poor and the guys often seemed to just sit back and wait. The staff rotated a variety of different guys in there (starters, backups, etc.) and nothing seemed to click. The only game where you could say it cost us was Clemson, but the field position battle does influence our ability to score and the kickoffs did us no favors.

Football 2008 In Review: Top Surprises

Every season I try to acknowledge the difference makers of the season. Many stepped up this year and will be featured in other sections, but these three guys are examples of players who were previously maligned or had little expected of them. All three took big leaps this year and show how you should never give up on anyone.

1. Paul Anderson. I feel terrible that Anderson ended up as one of the goats of the bowl loss. It shouldn’t overshadow a very good season. Prior to this year Anderson was known for getting beat on big plays and being a below average tackler. This year he blossomed and became a game changer. His instincts in the passing game matured to the point where he became very good at reading opposing QBs. He also showed great ability to turn an INTs and fumbles into a scoring opportunities for BC. Anderson also became a much better run stopper. When you think of Anderson’s season think of the big tackle he made on third down on Vandy’s final drive. It is a more appropriate microcosm for his season than the dumb touch on the punt return.
2. Marcellus Bowman. Bowman was another DB who looked slow and lost at times last year. This year, even as a reserve player, he came out as a sure tackling, hard hitter. His biggest moment of the year was his interception at Florida State. He showed unexpected speed and helped change the game. I never thought Bowman would contribute as much as he did this year. The promise he showed means our talented secondary will have multiple guys fighting for Anderson’s starting spot next fall.
3. Justin Jarvis. It’s unfortunate that the announcers choose to focus on Jarvis' shaky hands from his first few years. Now, I would argue, he has the best hands on the team. He hangs onto passes and showed good run after the catch ability. His stats suffered from our anemic QB play (I’ll have more on this impacting 2008 stats in the coming weeks) but he has real skill and made some important catches along the way.

Football 2007 In Review: Offensive MVPs

The three Offensive MVPs are so obvious it is hard to come up with a unique take or anything insightful. (My fear is that we won’t truly realize Ryan and Callender’s value until we see their replacements next season.) Changing schemes could have been a disaster. The example these three set and their outstanding production made the transition better than anyone could have anticipated.

1. Matt Ryan. For the third straight year Ryan provided that precious mix of production and heart. Allowed to audible for the first time, Ryan became a college Peyton Manning – making numerous adjustments on the field. Predictably this led to him breaking nearly every single season passing record at BC. His flirtation with the Heisman, BC’s dance near the top of the polls, and our coming up short in the ACC Championship game may have added a tinge of disappointment to BC’s and Matt’s final season. It shouldn’t. Matt had a fantastic end to a great career. Now when you talk BC QBs, it is no longer the big two (Flutie and Foley). It is the Big 3.

2. Andre Callender. 'Dre was our leading rusher and receiver. Not much else to be said…other than the huge leap he made in production! Here are some facts and figures to emphasize the point. Prior to this season, Andre caught 62 passes in his career. This year he caught 76. Prior to this season, Andre had scored 8 touchdowns in his career. This year he scored 13. Although he had been our leading rusher as a Sophomore, Andre had never carried the ball more than 150 times during a season. This year he had 211 carries. Last season he ran behind an offensive line that included two NFL draft picks (and a probable third in Cherilus) and averaged 4.3 yards a carry. This year with a less experienced line that struggled with a new style of play, he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. Oh, and he was on the receiving end of one of the most exciting plays in BC history. This huge step forward wasn’t from some bench warmer. AC has been a contributing player for three years. I never would have expected this sort of season. In the past he had a reputation for fumbling and taking plays off. Not this season. He was hard working, tough and smart. He may have been our best blocker too. I still can’t believe he didn’t get first team all ACC. Callender will be missed.

3. Ryan Purvis. Like Callender, Purvis went from solid platooner to All Conference. Not asked to block as often or in the same way, Purvis was able to blossom as an outlet receiver for Ryan. His good size and surprising speed proved to be a good matchup over the middle. Outside of the occasional drop, Purvis was sure handed and crucial to our comebacks against VT and Clemson. Another guy who shattered his previous bests, Purvis did everything asked of him and more.

Football 2007 In Review: Defensive MVPs

Outside of Silva, picking the top three defensive players was difficult. On a whole the defense played well and many different players stepped up at various points. A started strong (Brace, Tribble) only to fade late. Others (Akins, Albright) struggled early and were playing great as the season closed. The following three guys were our best performers.

1. Jamie Silva. This is the no brainer. He led the team in tackles and interceptions. Was a great run stopper. Greatly improved his coverage skills. Silva was smart, instinctive and a player who got better each year. He was a pleasure to watch and was as important to the season as anyone else on the team.

2. Mark Herzlich. I was surprised that Herzy didn’t get more postseason recognition within the ACC. Because of our heavy rotation of linebackers, he wasn’t able to roll up the stats like Silva, but Herzy was very, very good this year. Watching the games back can often expose the guys on D. They miss tackles or are in the wrong place all the time...it is the nature of the sport. You don’t stop the offense on every play. But watching back, I rarely found myself throwing the remote because of something Herzy didn’t do. If he needs to work on anything, it’s his pass coverage…yet saying that, the guy still tipped a few passes and had an INT.

3. Jo-Lonn Dunbar. Injuries and a few quiet games kept Dunbar from having the season he did last year. But his absence during losses to FSU and Maryland showed his value to our scheme. Even in his limited role against Clemson, Dunbar made a few important plays. He had a few rough patches in the Bowl, but not enough to but a black mark on a good season and a great career.

Football 2007 In Review: Biggest Disappointments Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda

In the past I labeled this post the biggest disappointments. The title and the tone were perceived as overly harsh (mainly by Mrs. Atl_eagle). Ultimately I appreciate all of our players and thank them for their work and contribution to the school. However, that doesn’t mean they all performed at the level that was expected of them or didn’t blow an opportunity or two. Because this is a public forum and because I am not an expert, people may say this post is out of line. Yet similar things are being said in coaches' offices and scouting rooms. As always, especially when I take on a touchy subject, please let me know what you think.

1. AJ Brooks. He was supposed to be one of the players to benefit from the coaching change. No longer in the doghouse and given a new offense to maximize his talent, there was a chance for something big (or at least the chance to become a regular contributor). Instead he fumbled away this fresh start early in his season. Later he added onto his costly fumbles with an equally costly off the field fracas. His return next season remains in doubt. If he does return, hopefully he take advantage of his third chance.

2. Gosder Cherilus. I actually feel bad for Gos. He was one of our best players last year. He dominated at Right Tackle. My only gripe last season were his occasional stupid penalties. This year he moved to Left Tackle. Two things happened -- his play declined and his penalties increased. He’d look good for times and then he'd get beat soundly by a pass rush or fall down on a run. It hurts because by all accounts he's a good kid who came back to improve his draft stock. Instead I think he set it back.

3. Dejuan Tribble (the punt returner). Tribble had a good season as a Corner. His punt returning was extremely frustrating. He was beyond tentative...almost passive in letting numerous balls roll downfield. This put us in precarious field position too many times. As Jamie Silva showed as his fill in, even the smallest return can make a difference.

Football 2007 In Review: Top Surprises

This is part 1 of my annual year in review. Here are the top surprises. Many players stepped up and a few others will be acknowledged in next sections but these three particularly performed beyond the preseason expectations.

1. Ryan Poles. Poles' great start was one of the early highlights of the season. I am not sure if it was the coaching change, scheme change or just old-fashioned maturity, but a guy who had been wildly inconsistent and never played to his potential looked fantastic to start the season. He was moving well and dominating his assignments. He’d be giving Ryan an extra second on a roll out on one play and then leading Callender down the field on the next. Watching it all finally click was exhilarating. The abrupt end of his year and college career was equally sad. Poles’ Achilles tendon turned into the OLine’s Achilles heel. After he went down our screens and running game were not as effective. I hope he is able to recover and make an NFL roster. If he plays like he did this fall, he can be an NFL lineman.

2. Taji Morris. Morris is another guy who had bounced around for five years. First he’s a DB, then a Running Back and then back to Corner. The only consistent thing about his career was minimal playing time. That changed this year. Thrust into the starting spot opposite Tribble, Morris played much better than I expected. He proved to be good in run support and a good tackler (a big requirement for Corners in our scheme). He never became an All-ACC, shutdown type, but in every good year you need some guys to play better than they ever have. Morris exemplified that.

3. Rich Gunnell. If this had been written before the bowl game, I probably would have featured someone else. But Gunnell deserves credit for the Champs Bowl and his growing playmaking skills. Early in the season he dropped a few balls and I thought he’d be just another in a long line of adequate BC WRs. However, the second half of the year saw him blossom into a sure-handed and smart wideout. His adjustments were noted in the Champs broadcast, but his same smarts paid dividends in the Clemson game. Rich also showed surprising speed and strength. Gunnell’s emergence, along with the return of Robinson and Purvis give me hope that whoever is throwing the ball for us next season may put up some good numbers.

Honorable mention for biggest surprises: Matt Tennant, Nick Rossi, and James McCluskey. A year ago, few BC fans would have predicted how well these guys would play given their history or limited experience.