Think back to our first few years in the ACC. Every team was in it because no team was great. It all really came down to who played well within the division. That’s how Wake won. That’s how BC won during the two Jags years. Now -- with another Jameis Winston suspension looming -- it seems like the Division might be up for grabs again. BC remains a long shot, but there is no reason we cannot make a run. Our one ACC loss was out of the Division. If we play well, we can beat anyone left on our schedule. Of course to do that, we have to start by upsetting a vulnerable Clemson team this week.
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I ran into a Clemson fan this morning...in Nantucket. I'm here for a wedding and he was here as part of his trip to see the game Saturday. He couldn't have been nicer and talked about how much he loves coming up to New England for the game and thinks we have a good team, etc. I know much has been written about the Clemson fan culture and their hospitality, but all the cliches and stereotypes are true. It is really hard to hate them when they are being so nice and courteous all the time.
Three Simple Keys
1. Murphy rushing for more than 100 yard. Last week proved it is just that simple. He's our best player and our best chance to make a big play. We need him running at least 12 times and we need him to break some big plays.
2. Better Kickoff Coverage. We cannot give them shortfields. I am fine with the deep squibs. But the guys have to do a better job tackling.
3. Great blocking. As I wrote earlier in the week, Addazio is worried about Clemson's DLine. We need to control the line and avoid mistakes. If Murphy doesn't have time, we are not winning.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 7-3 at home
-- Addazio is 5-5 in ACC games
-- Swinney is 14-15 on the road
The current line is BC+5
Factoid
Since we don't play Notre Dame annually anymore, the O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy is the only annual trophy tied to a BC game. Clemson is 5-1 in the series since the Trophy debuted.
Scoreboard Watching
An undefeated Notre Dame is traveling to Tallahassee to play undefeated Florida State. The only thing that is missing is the Irish taking on BC the next week. I am not one of those BC fans who lives for the Notre Dame rivalry, but I never minded bursting their bubble the week after big Florida State wins.
I hope to see…
BC connect on some deep balls. The bomb to Amidon last year was a thing of beauty. But it was also a good call because Clemson kept cheating up to stop the run. Murphy has yet to show he can throw a deep go as well as Rettig, but the play will be there.
BC is in trouble if...
We don’t get to Stoudt. When Brissett had time last week, he picked our secondary apart. Once we got pressure on him, NC State's offense went stagnant. If Stoudt has time, he can make the throws and Clemson still has plenty of playmakers.
Bottom Line
I see this as the game as the perfect storm for us. It is at home. We are riding high after last week and seemingly have most of our issues worked out. Clemson is trotting out their former starting QB after their dynamic freshman QB got hurt. I don’t think this will be easy, but I still think we can bring enough pressure to slow them in the redzone and we get a few scores on some big runs from Murphy.
Final Score: BC 27, Clemson 23
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Mihalik & Keyes awarded ACC accolades and other links
Brian Mihalik was named Defensive Lineman of the Week and Josh Keyes received the Co-Linebacker of the Week award from the ACC. Both had big games on Saturday. Keyes notched double-digit tackles for the first time in his career. We will need that continued effort on Saturday to stop Clemson.
Keyes and Hayley Dowd were named Eagles of the Week by BC.
Eric Hoffses has been providing some information about the basketball team's practices including a glimpse of how Dennis Clifford looks on the court. All reports are that practices are intense and that Christian is working the team hard. This Q&A with Patrick Heckmann touches a little on that and on his efforts to improve his defensive game this year.
Coach York has received a pledge from a class of 2018 recruit, TJ Walsh. A lot can happen between now and 2018, but it's good to see that a strong recruiting pipeline is being built into the future.
Keyes and Hayley Dowd were named Eagles of the Week by BC.
Eric Hoffses has been providing some information about the basketball team's practices including a glimpse of how Dennis Clifford looks on the court. All reports are that practices are intense and that Christian is working the team hard. This Q&A with Patrick Heckmann touches a little on that and on his efforts to improve his defensive game this year.
Coach York has received a pledge from a class of 2018 recruit, TJ Walsh. A lot can happen between now and 2018, but it's good to see that a strong recruiting pipeline is being built into the future.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
How good is Clemson's Defense?
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| Clemson DC Brent Venables |
After touching on BC's win, Addazio quickly turned his Monday press conference to Clemson and their Defense. He seems legitimately scared of the Tigers. This wasn't fluffy coach talk, Addazio is comparing them to the 2009 Alabama team he faced at Florida. Addazio is always respectful of our upcoming opponents but this was over the top for him. It got me thinking, if he is this worried, should we all be worried? After looking at the stats, I don't know what he's seeing.
I do think Clemson is talented and will give us trouble, but the numbers don't back up Addazio's fears. The Tigers are a middle of the pack defense so far. Their 7th in the ACC in scoring per game and 3rd in yards per game (just slightly ahead of BC). Georgia scored 45 on them and UNC score 35. They held Florida State to 23 points, but that was without Winston.
Will they put pressure on BC? Sure. Do they have playmakers? Of course. Is Venables a good coordinator? Yes, but we knew that last year. They contained our main threat in Williams, but Willis and Amidon exploited them for big TDs. This year we have more weapons and are not as one dimensional. Scoring won't be easy, but we have plenty of guys who can break a big play.
Addazio knows more about his team and more about Clemson than I do. Maybe he's right. I just hope we are giving the Clemson coaches the same sort of worries they are giving us.
Bob Ryan: an appreciation
Grantland posted a great tribute to Bob Ryan last week that is well worth the read. I know many BC fans dislike Ryan, but he was great to me as a student and supported this blog in the early days. Anyone who likes sports and likes the passion and the arguments and being an advocate, should appreciate what Ryan did and how he changed the dialogue. The article doesn't focus on his time at BC, but Ryan has always kept BC close and mentioned how it helped shape his career. He's always been fun to read and fun to talk to, so I am glad he's getting his due.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Start petitioning for Williams, Swigert 6th years now
Every NCAA student athlete is eligible to play in four seasons. However, things are not always that cut and dry. When you start your playing time plays a role in the NCAA's eligibility clock. The varied transfer and graduation rules also apply and then there is the issue of injuries and redshirts. Every once in a while the NCAA will grant a sixth year of eligibility to a student athlete who faced a unique injury or extenuating circumstances. As anyone who followed the Ifeanyi Momah case knows, getting that 6th year is a total crapshoot. Now we have two more guys -- Bobby Swigert and Harris Williams -- looking at a potential 6th year request.
Of the two, Swigert seems like the more likely guy to get a 6th year. In fact it is sort of implied in Addazio's update on Monday.
Harris Williams' case won't be rubber stamped by the NCAA. He only played one game this year, but he redshirted as a true freshman. Like Momah, the NCAA could very well rule that decision was elective. Even if BC comes up with something to explain that first redshirt, I don't know if the NCAA will care. Like Swigert, Williams might be even more valuable next year when so much of the line turnsover.
We won't know anything officially until after the season is over. The best aspect of all of this is that both guys have their degrees and BC is playing well without them. Let's hope they play again though because both have earned a better ending than the one they've had.
Of the two, Swigert seems like the more likely guy to get a 6th year. In fact it is sort of implied in Addazio's update on Monday.
Bobby Swigert is really doing well. We have to see if it's this season or next. He looks great & he is starting to get confidence. - Addazio
— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) October 13, 2014
To me, the "this season or next" means that BC knows Swigert will get a 6th year. Based on his numerous infections and setbacks, I could understand why. All the issues essentially relate back to the initial injury (one of the NCAA's loose criteria). I hope Bobby waits. We are not a pass heavy team this year, so I don't know if he would have much of an impact. Next year he could be featured from the beginning of the season and could potentially play in all 12 games.Harris Williams' case won't be rubber stamped by the NCAA. He only played one game this year, but he redshirted as a true freshman. Like Momah, the NCAA could very well rule that decision was elective. Even if BC comes up with something to explain that first redshirt, I don't know if the NCAA will care. Like Swigert, Williams might be even more valuable next year when so much of the line turnsover.
We won't know anything officially until after the season is over. The best aspect of all of this is that both guys have their degrees and BC is playing well without them. Let's hope they play again though because both have earned a better ending than the one they've had.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Second viewing thoughts and grade report: NC State
The game had a disjointed feel on TV and I sense many of you felt that way. In some markets it started late because of the Miami game. We all sat through the rain. Finally others got cut off by hockey starts. Watching the game back uninterrupted it was much more obvious how much BC controlled the game. Even the early scores weren't telling the whole story. BC moved the ball methodically where NC State kept drives alive off of broken plays and near misses. It was no wonder once things settled that we pulled away. The score could have been more lopsided if not for a few BC mistakes and going easy on them late. The USC game was certainly more exciting, but this might have been the better performance.
Offense: B+
Where would this team be without Murphy? He's probably our best runner (or at least the one who is able to make something out of nothing) and he made good throws and decisions in the passing game. I never felt he forced anything. I also only counted two zone reads where he handed off and could have run for daylight on his own. The fumbled exchange with Willis wasn't great but that was more due to a good play NC State made.
Hilliman and Willis both got plenty of touches but neither had a perfect day. I liked Hilliman's toughness and willingness to fight and stiff arm for an extra yard. Now he just needs to make guys miss in traffic, so he can really break something. Willis is pressing. He took a big loss trying to make something out of nothing and the fumble was just a bad play all around. Wofford blocked well. I am glad we got Outlow the ball, but he needs some carries too.
Bordner's drop didn't cost us the game but it was still a play he should have made. He looked okay on the other plays. His blocking was good, as always. Alston showed that he could do more than the jet sweep. Crimmins looked better.
The Offensive line was nearly perfect. (I am pretty sure the breakdowns were by design, which I explain in the next paragraph.) Vardaro didn't show any rust. Silberman had one of his better games. Gallik was good. Betancourt was too.
When your biggest problem with the offense is lack of a killer instinct, you don't have real problems. Every time we could have put this game away (like the end of the first half) or a few of the drives in the second half, we would screw up or stall out. While there is blame to share, I still want Day to make things a little more crisp in our two minute drills. Other than that, it was a good scheme. The shovel passes worked well, especially off of the option. We got Alston more involved and gave Murphy some more direct runs. NC State did blow up a few plays when we purposely left a DLineman unblocked, but I think we will adjust. At Oregon Chip Kelly would often leave a big man unblocked if he was away from the action, yet he got burned with it a few times. BC just needs to be more respectful in future scouting of DTs.
Defense: B+
Wujciak played well and really kept after Brissett. He hasn't shown that much of a motor so far this year. Mihalik played well too. Obviously the INT was big, but in general he was doing a good job putting pressure on and helping collapse the pocket. Gutapfel also played one of his better games. Kavalec didn't record a tackle officially but was still involved in many of the collapsed pockets.
Keyes gets much of the media attention -- and played well Saturday -- but Daniels made some big plays too. When he's not asked to do too much in coverage he can be very good in stopping the run and getting to the QB. Both LBs were key in the pressure. Sometimes they came on delays. Sometimes on the edge. But it all worked. When we went with 3 LBs, Strizak also got some snaps (and some in place of Daniels) and looked good.
Johnson made the most of his new position and playing time. He made some nice tackles and was good in coverage. Asprilla tackled well and nearly had an INT. Simmons was very active and played well. Sylvia totally missed on one of Brissett's scrambles. Moore was fine. Brown played a bit more and looked ok.
I thought this was the best example of Brown adjusting in game. They moved the ball early by basically picking apart zones and overloading one side with three receivers to only watch one leak and find a soft spot. Our adjustment seemed to be to bring with just four guys by overloading one side or one gap. It worked for the most part and forced Brissett to start making bad throws and bad decisions. I don't know if the coverage improved (it probably didn't) but the pressure increased enough that it didn't matter. That is how the design is supposed to work. Aside from the whiffs mentioned above, the tackling was better. State doesn't have a good offense but they do have a good QB. We brought pressure and that made all the difference.
Special Teams: C
Knoll was steady on his chip shot and I don't blame Howell for missing the long one. Howell's punts are fine. The kickoffs are a disaster. Part of it is his inability to get them deep with hang, but the other issue is the porous tackling. How can you allow one return of 50 and another of 34? We are lucky that neither changed the game. I am really surprised we haven't figure it out yet and fear what we will do when a team has real playmakers back there like FSU.
Alston's long punt return was great. I am glad his first instinct is not just to fair catch it.
Overall: B+
As I mentioned in my first postgame reaction, I think Addazio passed a few test with this game. The first was bouncing back on the road following a loss. The second was dealing with the delays and coming out as the more dominant team. Now if he can get the Special Teams fixed and improve the two minute drill, we would really be on to something.
We are now at the midway point of the season sitting at 4-2. The record was very predictable, but our style of play and development speaks to more than that. We should be 5-1 and look like we will be better than the six wins that many of us projected. I am very encouraged by how this season is playing out and hope that we finish the second half as strong as the first.
Offense: B+
Where would this team be without Murphy? He's probably our best runner (or at least the one who is able to make something out of nothing) and he made good throws and decisions in the passing game. I never felt he forced anything. I also only counted two zone reads where he handed off and could have run for daylight on his own. The fumbled exchange with Willis wasn't great but that was more due to a good play NC State made.
Hilliman and Willis both got plenty of touches but neither had a perfect day. I liked Hilliman's toughness and willingness to fight and stiff arm for an extra yard. Now he just needs to make guys miss in traffic, so he can really break something. Willis is pressing. He took a big loss trying to make something out of nothing and the fumble was just a bad play all around. Wofford blocked well. I am glad we got Outlow the ball, but he needs some carries too.
Bordner's drop didn't cost us the game but it was still a play he should have made. He looked okay on the other plays. His blocking was good, as always. Alston showed that he could do more than the jet sweep. Crimmins looked better.
The Offensive line was nearly perfect. (I am pretty sure the breakdowns were by design, which I explain in the next paragraph.) Vardaro didn't show any rust. Silberman had one of his better games. Gallik was good. Betancourt was too.
When your biggest problem with the offense is lack of a killer instinct, you don't have real problems. Every time we could have put this game away (like the end of the first half) or a few of the drives in the second half, we would screw up or stall out. While there is blame to share, I still want Day to make things a little more crisp in our two minute drills. Other than that, it was a good scheme. The shovel passes worked well, especially off of the option. We got Alston more involved and gave Murphy some more direct runs. NC State did blow up a few plays when we purposely left a DLineman unblocked, but I think we will adjust. At Oregon Chip Kelly would often leave a big man unblocked if he was away from the action, yet he got burned with it a few times. BC just needs to be more respectful in future scouting of DTs.
Defense: B+
Wujciak played well and really kept after Brissett. He hasn't shown that much of a motor so far this year. Mihalik played well too. Obviously the INT was big, but in general he was doing a good job putting pressure on and helping collapse the pocket. Gutapfel also played one of his better games. Kavalec didn't record a tackle officially but was still involved in many of the collapsed pockets.
Keyes gets much of the media attention -- and played well Saturday -- but Daniels made some big plays too. When he's not asked to do too much in coverage he can be very good in stopping the run and getting to the QB. Both LBs were key in the pressure. Sometimes they came on delays. Sometimes on the edge. But it all worked. When we went with 3 LBs, Strizak also got some snaps (and some in place of Daniels) and looked good.
Johnson made the most of his new position and playing time. He made some nice tackles and was good in coverage. Asprilla tackled well and nearly had an INT. Simmons was very active and played well. Sylvia totally missed on one of Brissett's scrambles. Moore was fine. Brown played a bit more and looked ok.
I thought this was the best example of Brown adjusting in game. They moved the ball early by basically picking apart zones and overloading one side with three receivers to only watch one leak and find a soft spot. Our adjustment seemed to be to bring with just four guys by overloading one side or one gap. It worked for the most part and forced Brissett to start making bad throws and bad decisions. I don't know if the coverage improved (it probably didn't) but the pressure increased enough that it didn't matter. That is how the design is supposed to work. Aside from the whiffs mentioned above, the tackling was better. State doesn't have a good offense but they do have a good QB. We brought pressure and that made all the difference.
Special Teams: C
Knoll was steady on his chip shot and I don't blame Howell for missing the long one. Howell's punts are fine. The kickoffs are a disaster. Part of it is his inability to get them deep with hang, but the other issue is the porous tackling. How can you allow one return of 50 and another of 34? We are lucky that neither changed the game. I am really surprised we haven't figure it out yet and fear what we will do when a team has real playmakers back there like FSU.
Alston's long punt return was great. I am glad his first instinct is not just to fair catch it.
Overall: B+
As I mentioned in my first postgame reaction, I think Addazio passed a few test with this game. The first was bouncing back on the road following a loss. The second was dealing with the delays and coming out as the more dominant team. Now if he can get the Special Teams fixed and improve the two minute drill, we would really be on to something.
We are now at the midway point of the season sitting at 4-2. The record was very predictable, but our style of play and development speaks to more than that. We should be 5-1 and look like we will be better than the six wins that many of us projected. I am very encouraged by how this season is playing out and hope that we finish the second half as strong as the first.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Wolfpack and weather can't stop BC
This was the type of bounceback game we all wanted to see. BC went on the road and handled NC State. Murphy was crisp on the ground and in the air. The Oline was better. After a rough start the D stepped up. Other than some bad weather and shaky Special Teams, BC had a pretty great day. From a long-term, program building standpoint, there were two encouraging signs. First the new wrinkles the coordinators added worked. The staff used the extra time well. The second sign was how Addazio handled the long lightning delay. It is a little thing that most fans would expect from a professional staff, but we've seen poor coaches look clueless during weather delays. As deflating as the last loss was, I feel much better now.
I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.
I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday.
In-game comments post: NC State
The home team rules this series...which is not good for BC. Let's hope they come out strong and shake off any post-loss hangover. However this game ends, I think it will swing the momentum of the rest of the season. Leave your thoughts and comments below.
You can also follow me on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Twitter.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Tweets of the Week
Forgot about this gem from BC's Steve Addazio, pouring some cold water on the pending Jacoby Brissett-Tyler Murphy reuinion ..
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) October 9, 2014Addazio: "I really don't care that much about it to be honest with you."
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) October 9, 2014@BCBradBates - watching @CollegeGameDay right now, we need a home and home with Ole Miss!!
— Steve Aponavicius (@saponavicius) October 4, 2014Maryland's red out was a smooth ploy to wash out the number of Ohio State fans on TV.
— Tyler Duffy (@tyduffy) October 4, 2014It was a pitch perfect moment for @SNFonNBC with a flash performance by @BCBostonians: http://t.co/8NxF5IWbdR #SNF
— Boston College (@BostonCollege) October 5, 2014Game Watches: NC State
Since this is our first real road game, our Boston fans can finally host a Game Watch! For Game Watch regulars in other cities, this is just a chance to reconnect with your BC football friends after a week off. If your chapter is not listed below, post the information in the comments section.
Boston Game Watch
Warehouse Bar & Grille
40 Broad St
Boston
Denver Game Watch
Whittier Pub
2000 East 28th Ave
Denver, CO 80205
New York City Game Watches
Joshua Tree
513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.
American Whiskey
30th Street between 7th and 8th Ave
Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox & Hound
1501 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
Phoenix
San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Company
602 Broadway St.
San Diego
San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St.
San Francisco
Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.
Boston Game Watch
Warehouse Bar & Grille
40 Broad St
Boston
Denver Game Watch
Whittier Pub
2000 East 28th Ave
Denver, CO 80205
New York City Game Watches
Joshua Tree
513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.
American Whiskey
30th Street between 7th and 8th Ave
Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox & Hound
1501 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
Phoenix
San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Company
602 Broadway St.
San Diego
San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St.
San Francisco
Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
BC-NC State preview
This game is a test. Not only are we playing a true road game, but we are seeing how the team and staff responded to the tough Colorado State loss. Can they recover? Will they be ready for their first hostile crowd? From a bowl eligibility standpoint, this is a must win. From an evaluation of Addazio as a program builder and team manager this is even more critical. Does he have the skills to get everyone back on the same page and win a very winnable game?
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I rarely go to games, so it shouldn't really matter to me, but I don't like when BC frontloads its schedule with September home games. I understand why they do it. It helps the team build confidence and win totals early in the season. Also, September is traditionally a good month weather wise, making for a better home experience. My problem with the concept is that BC pays for it on the other end with tough away stretches. I also think it hurts demand and attendance when there are multiple home games in September. A lot of our fan base cannot go every week. If the games were more spread out, we might be able to improve attendance.
Three Simple Keys
1. Protection for Murphy. NC State is not great at getting to the QB. If we give Murphy time, he might be able to make some big plays from the pocket.
2. Stop them on 3rd down. CSU was 8-14 on 3rd Down. That can't happen again.
3. Force turnovers from Brissett. He's been very careful with the ball this year and has only thrown one pick.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 3-4 in away games while coaching BC
-- The visitor is 1-8 in this series
-- Doeren is 1-8 coming off a loss while at NC State
The current line is BC+3.5
Factoid
Did you know that Jacoby Brissett and Tyler Murphy were teammates at Florida? You will only hear this about 3,000 more times between now and the end of the game.
Scoreboard Watching
Until either team breaks through and becomes a consistent winner again, I think Syracuse is our closest peer program. Their coach took over around the same time as Daz and they are still backfilling talent gaps. It will be interesting to see how they hang with Florida State. The 'Noles could crush them to the point where their season starts to fall apart. Or Syracuse could put up a good fight and raise expectations for the rest of the season.
I hope to see...
A big day from the defensive line. Their ranks are getting thinner, but they really set the tempo on D. Against USC, they changed the game. Against CSU, they couldn't close on the QB.
BC is in trouble if...
Knoll cannot convert FGs either. Even outside of the lost of points, not having a competent kicker changes all the possessions. Suddenly you're going for it when you might have kicked. When this happened with the Matt Ryan teams, I didn't worry. With Murphy I worry about making the most of four down territory.
Bottom Line
I don't feel great about this game. The CSU loss exposed some issues and I don't know Addazio well enough to know if he can fix them. However, I still think we are a better team than NC State and can run on them. I think it is another close game, but BC holds on and gets a true road win.
Final Score: BC 31, NC State 24
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I rarely go to games, so it shouldn't really matter to me, but I don't like when BC frontloads its schedule with September home games. I understand why they do it. It helps the team build confidence and win totals early in the season. Also, September is traditionally a good month weather wise, making for a better home experience. My problem with the concept is that BC pays for it on the other end with tough away stretches. I also think it hurts demand and attendance when there are multiple home games in September. A lot of our fan base cannot go every week. If the games were more spread out, we might be able to improve attendance.
Three Simple Keys
1. Protection for Murphy. NC State is not great at getting to the QB. If we give Murphy time, he might be able to make some big plays from the pocket.
2. Stop them on 3rd down. CSU was 8-14 on 3rd Down. That can't happen again.
3. Force turnovers from Brissett. He's been very careful with the ball this year and has only thrown one pick.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 3-4 in away games while coaching BC
-- The visitor is 1-8 in this series
-- Doeren is 1-8 coming off a loss while at NC State
The current line is BC+3.5
Factoid
Did you know that Jacoby Brissett and Tyler Murphy were teammates at Florida? You will only hear this about 3,000 more times between now and the end of the game.
Scoreboard Watching
Until either team breaks through and becomes a consistent winner again, I think Syracuse is our closest peer program. Their coach took over around the same time as Daz and they are still backfilling talent gaps. It will be interesting to see how they hang with Florida State. The 'Noles could crush them to the point where their season starts to fall apart. Or Syracuse could put up a good fight and raise expectations for the rest of the season.
I hope to see...
A big day from the defensive line. Their ranks are getting thinner, but they really set the tempo on D. Against USC, they changed the game. Against CSU, they couldn't close on the QB.
BC is in trouble if...
Knoll cannot convert FGs either. Even outside of the lost of points, not having a competent kicker changes all the possessions. Suddenly you're going for it when you might have kicked. When this happened with the Matt Ryan teams, I didn't worry. With Murphy I worry about making the most of four down territory.
Bottom Line
I don't feel great about this game. The CSU loss exposed some issues and I don't know Addazio well enough to know if he can fix them. However, I still think we are a better team than NC State and can run on them. I think it is another close game, but BC holds on and gets a true road win.
Final Score: BC 31, NC State 24
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Gunnar Esiason's story and other links
With all the discussion of the basketball point shaving, it is nice to turn our attention to a better BC story. Recent grad Gunnar Esiason is staying in the family business by coaching high school football. He also continues to fight his cystic fibrosis. The article is worthwhile just for Gunnar's outlook and perspective on his disease and making the most of each day.
Drew Barksdale decided to announce his hamstring surgery via Instagram. I am sure Addazio loved that.
While it might not seem like it, the ACC is producing some very good defenses.
Soaring to Glory posted part of their Hockey preview. In this post they predicted the most difficult games of the season.
NEISA named Erika Reineke Women's Sailor of the Week.
Drew Barksdale decided to announce his hamstring surgery via Instagram. I am sure Addazio loved that.
While it might not seem like it, the ACC is producing some very good defenses.
Soaring to Glory posted part of their Hockey preview. In this post they predicted the most difficult games of the season.
NEISA named Erika Reineke Women's Sailor of the Week.
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
The problem with Playing for the Mob
I wanted to love this movie and come out as a big Jim Sweeney fan. After watching ESPN's 30 for 30 on Playing for the Mob, I am disappointed in both.
First, the actual movie. I think 30 for 30 is one of the best things ESPN has ever done. I especially think the college sports subject matters work best since they haven't been exhausted by other outlets. The U, The Best that Never Was, and Pony Excess were excellent. Even Chris Herren's movie -- that wasn't officially a 30 for 30 -- was great. This film lacked the energy and flow of those previous movies. There was nothing original. It was competent enough, but the pacing was slow. But the biggest problem with the film was the probably its selling point in getting made -- the Goodfellas' connection. Goodfellas is a masterpiece. The acting, the drama and even the humor are still fresh with each viewing. That film takes you into a world and gives you the look, the feel and even the smells of this unique time and place. If you are going to incorporate Goodfellas into your documentary and even top it off with Ray Liotta's narration, you better have something great and fresh. This isn't it. Goodfellas builds into a frenzy, especially during Hill's coke-fueled arrest. This film doesn't build. Instead it scatters all over the place. First it is a low-level mob story. Then a college jocks getting in over their heads film. Then it becomes a Henry Hill story and then it becomes a Kuhn-Sweeney story. It is certainly not a BC story and it is not really a college basketball story.
The film wraps up with Sweeney's anger and frustration with his part in the scheme, his association with the scandal and his relationship with BC. He's adamant that he didn't shave games and that he was just in over his head. College kids do dumb things. We all make mistakes that can follow us long after. I don't know what Sweeney did or didn't do. The film gives him his time to clear his name but like the juror in the film, I still feel like Sweeney knew and did more than he admitted.
Of other folks BC figures featured, Bowie comes off well and didn't get a fair shake. McDonald represents BC well but also helped expose how sloppy and disorganized the whole fix was. Cobb seems to have a healthier perspective than Sweeney. I don't understand why Tom Davis still can't talk about it.
The film does confirm that this was always a sexier story than an actual conspiracy. No one made real money. They couldn't shave games properly. It was only uncovered because of Hill's big mouth. I don't think BC ever did anything wrong. This could have happened anywhere...even BU like Hill initially remembered. The school suffered a media black eye and was amplified years later with the Football gambling scandal. Maybe this film will finally put it all to bed. I understand why the school doesn't want to deal with Jim Sweeney. Why should they? What does BC owe Sweeney? Who is entitled to closure in life for anything? Let alone when you are potentially culpable in a crime. Sweeney brought out his Eagle of the Year award for the film. Even if he didn't commit a crime, did he really live up to the ideals of the award?
I don't expect BC to change its position on any of the guys involved and I don't think they should.
Monday, October 06, 2014
30 for 30 primer and other links
The earlier reviews of Playing for the Mob are coming in and all seem very positive. I will have a post and discussion after the film air Tuesday night. For those too young to know what happened, I highly recommend reading the Sports Illustrated article from 1981.
The ACC announced the Clemson game will kick-off at 3:30. ESPN U will carry the game.
Addazio will give Mike Knoll a shot as the place kicker. Let's hope he can convert some field goals. He also said Vardaro is healthy and ready while Abdesmad is out for the season.
The ACC announced the Clemson game will kick-off at 3:30. ESPN U will carry the game.
Addazio will give Mike Knoll a shot as the place kicker. Let's hope he can convert some field goals. He also said Vardaro is healthy and ready while Abdesmad is out for the season.
Sunday, October 05, 2014
What's causing the coverage breakdowns?
If BC makes one stop, we win the CSU game. As we know, that didn't happen, primarily because BC had another coverage breakdown at a critical time. In this case it was 4th and 10. Unfortunately that breakdown wasn't an anomaly. While this becomes a bit of one blogger echoing another, BCI's Dan Rubin saw the same thing in his game review. While pressure and aggressiveness have been hallmarks of Don Brown's BC scheme, so have those blown assignments. Why is this still happening? Statistically the defense is improved from last year, but these breakdowns are still killers. If BC just fixed them, they would be that much better defensively (and probably 4-1).
Usually when there are issues with one particular unit, I blame this position coach. However, BC has a little history with Defensive Backs coach Kevin Lempa. This is his third go-around at BC and while he's never been the best recruiter or Mr. Personality, Lempa has always been a solid teacher. When Lempa coached under TOB, his DBs were not always the most athletic or speedy, but they were well positioned and knew their assignments. I don't think it is a Lempa-Brown issue either. Lempa worked under Brown at Maryland. At this point he should know what Brown wants and what works.
The players certainly deserve some blame, but not all of it. We've lost DBs to injuries, transfers and attrition yet there are still blown assignments. This is not about talent. If anything our DBs are more talented than they were last year...or at least more talented than they were in the final Spaz years.
The front seven is a factor too. Many of our defensive issues are related to lack of pressure up front. Think back to the last CSU play. That is essentially a broken play. If the three downlinemen get to the QB -- and not just force him out of the pocket -- there is no pass to the endzone. Every missed sack or failure to get to a QB, gives him a few more seconds. Each additional second puts that much more on the shoulders of the DBs. Those extra assignments are when guys get free and coverage is blown.
So the short answer to what's causing the breakdowns is everything. Ultimately this is Don Brown's Defense. If he cannot get the pressure upfront or his players cannot learn their assignments or don't have the talent to stay with their receivers, than he has to alter his gameplans. It is the same sort of adjustment that Day had and has to make when his passing game cannot execute. Brown was the known of the two coordinators when he arrived at BC. He's taught and coached this scheme for years. Now we need him to figure out these breakdowns so that BC can hold on during the next 4th and 10 with the game on the line.
Usually when there are issues with one particular unit, I blame this position coach. However, BC has a little history with Defensive Backs coach Kevin Lempa. This is his third go-around at BC and while he's never been the best recruiter or Mr. Personality, Lempa has always been a solid teacher. When Lempa coached under TOB, his DBs were not always the most athletic or speedy, but they were well positioned and knew their assignments. I don't think it is a Lempa-Brown issue either. Lempa worked under Brown at Maryland. At this point he should know what Brown wants and what works.
The players certainly deserve some blame, but not all of it. We've lost DBs to injuries, transfers and attrition yet there are still blown assignments. This is not about talent. If anything our DBs are more talented than they were last year...or at least more talented than they were in the final Spaz years.
The front seven is a factor too. Many of our defensive issues are related to lack of pressure up front. Think back to the last CSU play. That is essentially a broken play. If the three downlinemen get to the QB -- and not just force him out of the pocket -- there is no pass to the endzone. Every missed sack or failure to get to a QB, gives him a few more seconds. Each additional second puts that much more on the shoulders of the DBs. Those extra assignments are when guys get free and coverage is blown.
So the short answer to what's causing the breakdowns is everything. Ultimately this is Don Brown's Defense. If he cannot get the pressure upfront or his players cannot learn their assignments or don't have the talent to stay with their receivers, than he has to alter his gameplans. It is the same sort of adjustment that Day had and has to make when his passing game cannot execute. Brown was the known of the two coordinators when he arrived at BC. He's taught and coached this scheme for years. Now we need him to figure out these breakdowns so that BC can hold on during the next 4th and 10 with the game on the line.
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Soccer upsets Notre Dame and other links
The Men's Soccer team got the weekend off to a good start by upsetting Notre Dame Friday night. The Irish were ranked No. 1.
The Heights went deep on Boston's College Athlete Bill. Bates weighed in too. Bates -- as usual -- was careful with his words, but the impression the article gives is that he thinks it is all a mistake. It sounds like bad law that doesn't cover the complexity or the specifics of college athletics. I still feel like this is political grandstanding by local politicians.
This was from earlier in the week, but Deadspin charted college teams' recruiting success vs. their recruiting success. It just happened to focus on the Spaz's years and as we know, both areas suffered from neglect under our old coach. Believe it or not though, even with Spaz's poor recruiting, he underperformed with those players.
The Heights went deep on Boston's College Athlete Bill. Bates weighed in too. Bates -- as usual -- was careful with his words, but the impression the article gives is that he thinks it is all a mistake. It sounds like bad law that doesn't cover the complexity or the specifics of college athletics. I still feel like this is political grandstanding by local politicians.
This was from earlier in the week, but Deadspin charted college teams' recruiting success vs. their recruiting success. It just happened to focus on the Spaz's years and as we know, both areas suffered from neglect under our old coach. Believe it or not though, even with Spaz's poor recruiting, he underperformed with those players.
Friday, October 03, 2014
Bryce Jones dismissed
Head coach Steve Addazio announced junior Bryce Jones is no longer a member of the team due to an undisclosed violation of team rules.
— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) October 3, 2014
BC announced (on a Friday without a Saturday game) that Addazio dismissed Bryce Jones for the catch-all term "violation of team rules." Jones is still a BC student, so that limits some of the things that might have gotten him in trouble. Eventually an explanation will leak out.From a football standpoint, I am not concerned. Like many of our DBs, Jones was wildly inconsistent. (I will have post about our Defensive issues this weekend.) We have enough raw depth in the defensive backfield that we should be able to cover his absence.
I have no idea what Jones did or what he plans to do with the rest of his BC career and his remaining eligibility. I wish him the best of luck and hopefully he gets his act together.
Tweets of the Week
5 yrs ago I was blessed to be cancer free & announce it on @CollegeGameDay to remind others they have #WhatitTakes http://t.co/W0uauNiQJW
— Mark Herzlich (@MarkHerzlich) October 3, 2014Andrew Luck "confirms" @Hasselbeck emails Colts' Stanford grads w math problems for 6th grd daughter. NFL Live Q courtesy of @tthasselbeck
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 30, 2014“When you let these games get away, they’re gone forever.” -BC head coach Steve Addazio
http://t.co/QogiJXpu9b pic.twitter.com/eQ8cQqpyDj
— Heights Sports (@HeightsSports) September 28, 2014rock bottom, hope she gets help RT @JTalty: .@MelissaJoanHart is so into Bama she follows recruits on Twitter: http://t.co/zSdI9f46Yz
— The Solid Verbal (@SolidVerbal) October 1, 2014Thursday, October 02, 2014
Checking in on Addazio's Year 2 at Temple
I didn't follow Temple in 2012. Beyond the stats I don't know why things fell apart midseason. But I hope Addazio learned something. BC cannot afford four-straight losses right now and despite the exposed weaknesses, BC can still beat any or all of their next four opponents.
Addazio had talent and roster issues in 2012 and was trying to compete in a major conference while fielding a MAC-level roster. BC doesn't have that same excuse. I hope Addazio understands the other factors in his slide as BC needs to rebound now. At NC State, Clemson at Alumni, at VT and at Wake should not lopsided. BC will probably be favored at Wake and gets Clemson at home. BC needs to get two wins out of this block. It will get us closer to a bowl and will show that Addazio is a guy who can adapt and not just win with some other guy's players.
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Sweeney talks 30 for 30 and other links
As we near the premiere of ESPN's 30 for 30 on the BC Basketball scandal, some of the participants are doing press. Former BC point guard Jim Sweeney has never talked about the scandal, but is now sharing his side. College kids do dumb things, but it will be interesting to see how these guys feel about it now. I obviously cannot wait for the film.
If we want to get a glimpse of what Addazio's future offense might look like when he gets his players, Mississippi State might be the best example. Daz took over Dan Mullen's scheme at Florida when Mullen became a head coach. BC currently uses more power running than MSU and fewer zone runs, but Mullen is showing that a run heavy spread can work in the Power 5 conferences.
The ACC named BC runner Liv Westphal their performer of the week.
If we want to get a glimpse of what Addazio's future offense might look like when he gets his players, Mississippi State might be the best example. Daz took over Dan Mullen's scheme at Florida when Mullen became a head coach. BC currently uses more power running than MSU and fewer zone runs, but Mullen is showing that a run heavy spread can work in the Power 5 conferences.
The ACC named BC runner Liv Westphal their performer of the week.
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