Saturday, December 01, 2007

In-game comments post: ACC Championship Game

This is it. This is the game. This is BC's first chance to win a championship in the modern era. Let's make it a good one.

I am in Jacksonville so I will not be online during the broadcast. Win or lose, I will not be back online until very very late. Leave your comments and thoughts below.

115 comments:

LegalEagle92 said...

"Take Your Pick" on ESPN's College Game Day this morning gives the nod to Va. Tech (big surprise).

Regardless of what the pundits have to say, let's have a great day on the field and in the stands!

WE ARE -- BC! GO EAGLES!

eagleboston said...

Talk about karma....I was flipping my Page-A-Day Calendar with 365 Sports Facts to December 1st and what is the topic? Doug Flutie, defeating Holy Cross and then flying to New York to receive his Heisman (occurred on this date in 1984). They even have a nice action photo of him tossing a pass (not sure which game). That has to be a good sign for BC when the best player in school history has a page on the Page-A-Day calendar on the very day we play the biggest game in modern school history. Go Eagles!

Bravesbill said...

Nice to know that Mike Ryan is the best QB in the nation. It's going to be a looooong game with these idiots announcing.

X said...

rut roh

eagleboston said...

Bad call Jags. You are one yard from the first down with an inconsistent kicker. Just go for it! If you don't get it, you have them pegged deep. If you do get it, you send a message that we are here to win. Now, we have to defend a short field with a battered defense. Hopefully, Va Tech will not take advantage and score. If they do, no problem as we seem to always be down in big games and we did move the ball well on that first drive.

eagleboston said...

Great job defense!!!

Anfield10 said...

i have tried to keep faith with steve as our kicker, but this seals it. no other kicker in the ncaa hits a low line drive kick from 27 yards...i can't believe we wasted such a good drive

Bravesbill said...

I hear the soccer team's season is over already...

Bravesbill said...

That's 6 points Aponavicius has cost BC. BC cannot continue to drive down the field but put nothing on the board to show for it.

Anfield10 said...

damnit....we have now wasted two good drives....you don't get many chances against a D like VaTech's, we have to take advantage....come on D

eagleboston said...

Va Tech is really going to the pressure. I saw a safety blitz on one of the plays in the last series. Logan will have to find some way to counter the pressure. I think if we can get to 21 points, we can win this game, but we hve to capitalize on these drives.

eagleboston said...

Silva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anfield10 said...

i guess there is really nothing more to say about our kicking game, it is horrific....why have we never taught ayers how to kick off?

Danny Boy said...

Little soccer playing Stevie is doing everything in his power to lose us this game

Unknown said...

Alright Sid Vicious!!

eagleboston said...

There is no question BC was late on the out of bounds hit. But let's call thiings fairly. Callendar was crushed well after the play and there was no call.

Anfield10 said...

Not only was callender roughed, it was quite clear he was interfered with in the first place, and then they call a very weak PI on Silva....fishy reffing so far

Bravesbill said...

How could Spaz not see the fade coming when Va Tech put Glennon into the game? What did Spaz think Glennon was going to do? Run an option? Bogus PI call by the way.

eagleboston said...

BC offense 3 Va Tech offense 7.

The offense has GOT to score some flipping points! Va Tech proved it can move on this BC defense so we absolutely need Ryan and Company to get us a couple TD's or we are in serious trouble in the 2nd half.

Deacon Drake said...

Wow... two big, questionable penalties... looks like we have to beat the refs too. I do like how they showed the replay, commenting on how Silva's left hand was on the receiver's back, while it clearly was not... sometimes I wonder if the announcers have a script.

Deacon Drake said...

That kick hit him in the chest... I don't get it.

Bravesbill said...

Aponavicius is a damned jackass, go for two every time now. How do you kick an extra point low like that? He's cost BC 9 points and counting now. What a miserable, worthless kicker for even a crummy high school team.

BaldEagle90 said...

There is just no excuses for the kicking game. What is up with our historical inability to recruit some warm, living organism, that can consistently kickoff and kick a gd field goal.

I was a frosh 21 years ago and we sucked at kicking and we still do now.

What happened to that wonder freshman they recruited?

eagleboston said...

Leave it to the kicking game to kill positive momentum AGAIN!

I don't know that Apo was at fault as the snap was high but now we have ourselves in a situation where they can tie with a TD.

eagleboston said...

Silva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bravesbill said...

Of course it was Apon's fault. It was his inability to get the ball 8 feet in the air to clear the line. How do you kick the ball virtually into the chest of the defender on an extra point? He's missed like 5 PATs now. That's unheard of.

eagleboston said...

Billy Bennet has chronic back problems.

BaldEagle90 said...

Fantastic. BC recruits the only 18 year old with a 55 year old's spine.

eagleboston said...

Nervous time! Frustating that every year we get on the cusp of greatness and then find a way to blow it. Not scoring points has killed us and now our defense is showing itself to be porous. Further, Va Tech gets the ball first in the 2nd half. Ouch!! Now we know how Virginia Tech felt in October.

Is there any hope? I need some particle of hope to get me through this game.

Bravesbill said...

I heard he strained a leg muscle way back....When was the last time a prevent defense worked? This defense is killing BC this drive.

Bravesbill said...

Nice...BC dominated the entire first half but now finds itself tied due to the damned clown Apon and the idiotic prevent defense at the end of the first half. The score should be 23-14 at the worst. Thanks Apon. The wheels on the bus appear to be falling off.

eagleboston said...

Bravesbill, I was right. Jags blamed it on the snapper.

Bravesbill said...

Jags has to blame it on the snapper...Apon can't take any more hits to his fragile confidence. Just look at the snaps: they were delivered on time (I dunno how they can be late), although 1 was high the holder put the ball down on time, but Apon just kicked it into the line as he always does, kick after kick.

Unknown said...

How could he blame it on the long snapper? Aponovious is terrible; it's amazing BC has made it this far without a kicker. Whatever happened to that highly touted kicking recruit?

EagleInTheCuse said...

For us to not be in the lead right now is awful. The one good thing is that the VT defense has been on the field an awful lot, so hopefully they'll wear down as the game progresses.

It actually reminds me of the way that FSU kept our defense on the field the entire first half, and we all know how that ended...

Here's hoping we can pull this one out!

Bravesbill said...

Jags decided to waste a year of his eligibility so he could kickoff in 4 games.

eagleboston said...

Guys, Bennet is hurt. He can't kick the ball. If you want someone besides Apo to kick the only other option is Flutie and I have to trust that the coaching staff feels Flutie can't do any better than Apo. Besides, I contend the reason we are in deep trouble right now is because Ryan and Company only got to the endzone once.

I have discovered some hope to get me through this game. We have moved the ball well and we have dominated the time of position (although I feel that is a very over-rated stat). No one thought we could play with Va Tech and we are dead-even. If we lose, were back to the cesspool.com bowl so we're not out anything. Winning is just a bonus to a very good season. If we stop them on the first position, I have a very good feel about our chanes. If our defense sinks again, we're toast.

Bravesbill said...

We are in deep trouble because Apon has cost BC 9 points already! It should be 23-14, with BC semi-comfortably ahead. The margin could be much bigger than that if Spaz did not decide to employ the prevent defense there before half, when the defense was doing superb before that.

Deacon Drake said...

How does a kicker have a bad back? Does he work for Mayflower.

At least Apon is doing kickoffs better than normal.

For the first time all year, I agree that we should blitz at least half the time, though ou corners are both way too slow to take VTs WRs one on one.

eagleboston said...

Cripes, we lose Guase and Pruitt on the same play! I should just quit being a BC fan. You have to be a glutton for punishment to cheer for BC football. Every chance they get at greatness with the exception of 1984, BC loses the big game. I feel like a flipping Cubs fan right now.

Oh well, it could be worse. At least we are going to the cesspool.com bowl.

billg said...

Jags got it right - don't put all blame on the kicker.

Good snappers deliver the ball laces out so the holder doesn't have to spin the ball.

Problems occur when the ball is delivered laces out and without good velocity....the holder simply doesn't have time to spin the ball.

eagleboston said...

By the way, I know it is early to go negative, but I did the same thing the last time we played Va Tech and we won, so I'm trying to work the same mojo here.

Bravesbill said...

What are you talking about Bill? The snap comes on a spiral, the snapper can't direct which end the laces come. It is the job of holders in all levels including the NFL to put the ball down and spin it to make sure the laces are out. The ball was down in plenty of time. Are you blaming the laces being in for Apon's misses? Laces do not affect the height of the kick, only the direction. If Apon can't kick it over the line, the laces don't matter. Sorry to burst your bubble.

eagleboston said...

Looks like Army gave Navy quite a battle.

Bravesbill said...

Very disappointing performance by Army yet another year. Can't stand it when the naval folk win the game.

Boyd said...

WTF? How can you call a delay of game penalty when you didn't whistle the play dead? Am I missing something?

eagleboston said...

Akins comes alive!!! The last 3 games he has stepped it up.

billg said...

Bravesbill

Trust me on this....I know deep snapping.

The fact is good snappers can very precisely deliver the ball to the holder with the laces *exactly* where the kicker needs them.

Here's a recent article about UCLA's snapper that discusses same.

10:00 PM PST on Thursday, November 22, 2007

By KEVIN PEARSON
The Press-Enterprise

LOS ANGELES - Christian Yount would prefer that nobody knew his name, since most of the time if people do know it, that means he did something wrong. But for Yount, completing his freshman season in anonymity is something he welcomes.

A freshman long snapper on the UCLA football team, Yount has been one of the pleasant surprises among the younger players this season, having gone through the first 10 games without a bad snap.

"If you go unnoticed, it means you did a good job," Yount said. "I think its going good for me this season."

The No. 1 long-snapping recruit in the nation out of high school, Yount is helping continue the recent tradition of standout Bruins special teams players.

In the game against Arizona State, Yount snapped to punter Aaron Perez nine times, and on eight of those kicks the laces were up so Perez would not have to spin the ball before dropping it for his kick.

Yount also has been consistent with having the laces out so Perez, who doubles as Kai Forbath's holder on field goals, does not have to spin the ball on field-goal attempts.

Perez said that early in the season he asked Yount to place the ball at his chest instead of his hip, and that was the only time he had to make the request.

"He's done phenomenal," Perez said. "He's a blessing in a little disguise and has been so consistent. I'm sure there are professionals out there who struggle with consistency, but he's pretty (darn) good."

matthew2 said...

wow... I just checked the comments for the first time, and you guys are pathetic. By you guys, I mean anyone who is already giving up and being so negative.

We are still dominating -- our offense is playing very well, and although we have let them into the game and they shouldn't be, it's not like they are moving the ball on our D or anything

eagleboston said...

Matthew I'm doing reverse psychology. Whenever I go negative, we always kick ass. You gotta work the mojo even if it does not make sense.

Bravesbill said...

Even if that were so Bill (which the validity is in doubt considering every holder spins the ball), what exactly are you saying is causing Apon to miss? The ball is put down in more than enough time so Apon does not have to alter his kick. And like I said before, if the laces were in, that does not affect the height of the ball, only the direction. It causes the ball to curve, not veer downward. So I will ask again, what is causing Apon to miss besides his own lack of kicking ability?

eagleboston said...

Cam Martin is out. That is a huge hit to the Va Tech defense.

billg said...

Bravesbill

Bravesbill - it is so - whether you want to believe or not.

When the ball comes in slow (the problem Jags mentioned at halftime)...and the laces face the wrong way, the holder doesn't have time to spin it. The result is a knuckle-ball like trajectory....

You can believe it or not.

eagleboston said...

Griese, "All 4 of the seniors, graduating." Ah, given Va Tech's pathetic graduation rate I doubt that all 4 are graduating.

Anfield10 said...

there really isn't any point debating the kicking game, we know it stinks, it always has at BC...plus, there really isn't much point blaming steve, it isn't his fault we don't have a better kicker on the team

Bravesbill said...

Watch game film Bill, every holder spins the ball. Kickers almost never kick it with the laces in anymore. Further, the laces do no affect height or trajectory, just the direction of the ball.

billg said...

Bravesbill - one more comment.

I'm not suggesting our kicking issues are 100% on the snapper. Actually, he's doing ok given he's standing in as our backup.

What I'm saying is 100% of the blame shouldn't be placed on Sid.

eagleboston said...

Logan needs to do some designed roll outs to slow down this blitz.

Next team that scores wins.

Bravesbill said...

Besides the kicking, it looks like the BC offense is suffering from their usually 3rd quarter woes. How can a team move the ball up and down the field in the first half and then look pitiful in the second? Seems like there might be a lack of adjustment of Logan's part.

Bravesbill said...

To end the discussion Bill, go back and look at Apon's kicks. Not one of them had the laces in. I don't know how a long snapper can be blamed for a missed FG unless he snaps it on the ground or over the holder's head. Usually it;s on the holder or kicker, and the holding has been fine this game.

Anfield10 said...

if you had told me before kickoff we would be tied going into the fourth quarter, i would have been delighted....i really felt we needed to keep this game close to win....but now i can't help but think we have really missed our chance

eagleboston said...

I hereby declare, in my best stentorian fashion, that the debate over the laces on the snap off kicks to be concluded. This by a cloture vote of 62-38.

Anfield10 said...

these refs have been giving some awfully generous spots to VaTech all day

Brandi said...

Bravesbill -

I really wish you went to the game so that way you wouldn't be able to infest this blog with all of your negativity. Yes, the kicking has been awful, but we're still tied. Have some BC pride and cheer for them instead of complaining.

Anfield10 said...

i love how in the second half of the season, and today especially, the keep saying Jags inherited a great team....if it was so great i find it strange that no one in the media had us in the Preseason Top 25

eagleboston said...

Me likey Rollins!

Bravesbill said...

I wish I could have gone to the game but it was in no way feasible. I think I haven't been that negative besides the kicking aspect. And yes, I'm always a pessimist when it comes to BC sports because it prevents me from getting my hopes too high only to have them come crashing when BC finds a way to lose like it seemingly always does in any sport.

eagleboston said...

Anyone else nervous? My nails are filed all the way down to the knuckle. Even 2 beers did not calm me down and since I never have more than two drinks in one sitting, that is surprising. I might have to listen to my hypnosis tapes.

Anfield10 said...

I am surprised you could even stomach drinks...my stomach is always churning so much during every BC sporting event that beer would just be awful - this game is NO exception

Anfield10 said...

we need a BIG play on D, something to infuse some energy back into this team and get us a score

eagleboston said...

Great, that offensive drive did not do anything to calm me down. Do I go for the 3rd beer?

Overtime will force me to place the cardiologist on call.
I still think the next team that scores win.

eagleboston said...

Who is Alex Smith? Man we are down to the walk-ons.

Griese: Who is Ragee? Do you mean Raji?

Anfield10 said...

Why does our defense look so winded when it is theirs that have been on the field for so long? gosh, the wheels are really close to falling off everything now

Bravesbill said...

--Positive Comment Alert--

Rollins has been very good so far, esp. with open field tackling.

eagleboston said...

Game over. Oh well, who is going to Bosie with me?

Anfield10 said...

we brought this on ourselves...you just cannot dominate a team like VT and let them stay this close...i am so depressed right now

Danny Boy said...

Why the hell is the game over? There are 7 minutes left, and we have had great success already today. You cannot have watched any games this year to think that we are done with 7 minutes to go.

Bravesbill said...

Have you seen the putrid offense lately? They couldn't convert third and a foot. BC should still be beating Va Tech 23-21, if it were not for Apon.

eagleboston said...

Since when is Whitworth the fullback? Boy, these announcers stink.

Danny Boy said...

There is no arguing that we shouldnt be in this position. Aponavicius has dealt us a crappy hand. But its a hand that we have been playing with all year. Which is the real BC team? The one that stumbles against VTech, or the one that has moved the ball well against VTech when it matters?

We have an amazingly talented QB, and a extremely capable O line and WR. Lets let them do there thing, and not start doubting them too soon. There is something to be said about the guy who keeps a calm head when everyone around him is losing theirs.

Anfield10 said...

that was an unbelievable tackle by VaTech to stop a TD, especially considering how bad our O has been closing the deal today

Anfield10 said...

well here is the season

Bravesbill said...

Too bad Challenger has no breakaway speed. That would have been a a sure TD. This 4th down play is for the game.

X said...

Looks like VT finally learned not to leave Ryan alone

Bravesbill said...

Ryan left the pocket way too early, he scrambled right into pressure. That timeout BC used for that 4th down play will cost them 40 or so seconds now.

eagleboston said...

Danny, you must be a new BC fan. I have been through this disappointment every year since 1984. We are NEVER going to the next level. It wasn't TOB's fault. It's not Jag's fault. BC just cannot be a big time football team. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we will no longer feel the sting of disappointment.

eagleboston said...

It's Detroit Rock City again! How disappointing that Clemson and Virginia will jump us.

Well, technically, it's not over......

Bravesbill said...

BC will never take it to the next level in any sport. How many times will BC lose in the clutch. Men's Hockey (MSU), Women's Hockey, Men's Soccer (UMass), and Football (Miami, Syracuse, and now). BC Athletics has a glorious history of failing to take it to the next level.

Bravesbill said...

Va Tech finally learned its lesson to not play a prevent defense like they did in the last game. Kudos to Va Tech for that adjustment.

Danny Boy said...

7 years may be considered 'new' to someone who has been watching for 23 years. I have only known the ongoing disappointment that is a TOB coached team. Maybe it was there before him, and that is something I admitedly wouldn't know something about. But there is something different about this team compared to years past. There have been at least three games this year that a TOB coached team does not win that we did. I'm all for doom and gloom and expecting the worst. I have been doing that all year. For some odd reason, today's game has had me the least nervous of all the big games this year (up until the final 7 minutes). I think it is naive to say that we will never be a big time program. Maybe we will never be in a position to compete with the top 3 programs of the country consistently. But we certainly can compete with the best of the ACC on any given day. And I think as this program grows (and it has entered a new growth phase over the last couple years) we will be finding ourselves in this position far more often.

If the program is going to continue to grow, we have to support it, and not expect the worst. The fans need to travel, they need to expect success, and they need to breed future fans of similar practices. Maybe its youthful pride, but our old (not necessarily in age, but in tradition) fans arent cutting it. We need some new blood to infuse some new excitement. If you wander through life always expecting the worst, you'll often run in to it. The one thing that will continue to separate us from the top teams is that their fans expect to win, our fans merely hope to win. That will never cut it in the NCAA.

eagleboston said...

I've decided that next year, I'm going to adopt a Top 5 team and just avoid all BC games. With the loss of all of these seniors, we may not even make a bowl next year. Then again, what is the difference between no bowl and the crappytoiletcesspool.com bowl in Souix Falls.

So, do I adopt Florida? LSU? Maybe I should go with these Hokies?

EagleInTheCuse said...

Bravesbill, did you just say the hockey team will never get to the next level? That might be the most ridiculous thing you've ever said, which is really something. Boston College IS college hockey. Granted we've lost a lot of championship games, but making it there year in and year out IS the next level. Plus we won in this decade, so you can't really say that. Yes we've lost a few games this year, but in terms of programs, there aren't many better out there, if any.

Bravesbill said...

I'd say go with USC. Pete Carroll is a coaching god. See you all in Tennessee or Boise!

eagleboston said...

Danny, I have been saying this all season amidst heavy criticism. We will NEVER go to the next level because we are an academic school. We recruit scholar athletes while the elite teams recruit any idiot who can spell their names. The other academic schools, Navy, Stanford, Notre Dame, Northwestern are even worse off than us. The last academic school to win the title was Notre Dame in 1988, and they had history and tradition on their side.

You can have all of the eternal optimism you want. Just wait a few years and you will be like us. When you have seen BC have shot after shot after shot at the next level only to see them fail every single time, how can you not be jaded? Eventually, you get so beaten down that you expect the worst. Moreover, we are a dinky school in baseball-land with high academic standards. That does not equal greatness on the gridiron.

I'm done with BC football. I gave them my all and my heart has been ripped too many times. Next fall, I'm going to play catch with my son in the backyard.

Eagle in Brighton said...

Tough loss. Real tough loss.

Eagleboston...good riddence. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Bravesbill said...

I meant that BC Athletics in general do not take it to the next level. As for hockey, it has a great knack of losing big games(all the Beanpots, it's won 1 Championship after making the finals 7 or 8 times). And heck, BC hockey could take it to the next level if it won championships every now and then instead of merely making the Frozen Four. Granted, it would be greedy to expect that, but it could do a lot to ease the annual anguish of all BC fans.

eagleboston said...

Bravesbill, I have decided to go with Florida. Tim Tebow will have a bunch of talented youngsters and Urban Myer can go toe-to-toe with Carrol. I'm going with the Gators!

Bravesbill said...

I'm going to disagree with you eagleboston as to why BC has not taken it to the next level. It's not because of academic standards (many schools have high standards and have won conference championships in its history). It is because BC is still not an established football program. It is in a pro-sports city and most of its success does not permeate out of the Northeast. Man people on the west coast do not even know a Boston College exists, let alone gives a crap about their sports. It's a Catch-22. BC will never recruit well unless it becomes an established and respected football program. It will never become an established football program if it cannot recruit well.

Bravesbill said...

Typical East Coast bias there eagleboston haha...I guess I'm displaying my West Coast bias. The dynasty is not over, it's just not awake.

X said...

I have to agree with Bravesbill on the last post, concerning the Catch-22 BC finds itself in. Boston is a very pro-sports city and BC is a very regional school. Is it changing? Sure. But right now BC is an academic school trapped in a pro-sports-loving area without much tradition to fall back on. I believe you CAN win while being an academic school; you just need the right combination of athletes and coaching.

05Eagle said...

Tough loss. If we go up 17-7 instead of 16-9 after that touchdown it's a much different game....Eagleboston, I just wanted to make sure I had this correct. Didn't Wake Forest, a small academic school, win the ACC championship in 2006? Thought so. BC won't be competing for the national title anytime in the near future, but there is no reason they can't take it to the "next level" and win an ACC championship.

Deacon Drake said...

Ugh... special teams absolutely murdered us.

Tech is a good defense, but anytime with crossed the 30, we should have come away with points. 7 net point come off it (-2 for the block), with 7 opportunities.

The crappy special teams puts more pressure on both the offense and defense. And yes, BC is the only team that employs a pass-rushing DE/LB as a kick returner.

eagleboston said...

O5 EAGLE: Read my post. We are a tiny, academic school in baseball land. Wake Forest is the only game in town and they are in a much bigger college football area.

Look, more power to you guys. I hope BC does great, but I'm not going to invest my heart and soul in them any more. I've been following BC for 23 years and my first year was the only great year when we won the Cotton Bowl. I don't think it is possible for BC to get enough scholar athletes to win against the elite teams. They are at a huge disadvantage. Crappy bowls are the best BC can do but at least we get to go to crapy bowls. A lot of schools will be sitting at home this winter.

VTfan4lifffe said...

hahahahahahahaha - nice game eagles. Matt Ryan for Heisman! 5 picks for TDs this season, 52nd in the country in pass efficiency. Just give him the damn trophy already. BC craps the bed again! Glorious!

Thomas Pain said...

Hey VTfan4life, the only reason VT is not in the BCS championship game is because of BC. While I'm not happy about today's game, it ain't bad for a team that was unranked preseason.

Brian said...

23 years or not, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. I was at the game. After its all said and done, I might have spend a grand to see this team play this weekend. This is a special team. As much as it hurts watching them lose we gave it a hell of a run. Im proud of this team. See you real fans at the bowl game. Go bc!!

Chicago Eagle said...

Listen guys, we won 10 games this year and you're all bitchin'. Yes we have yet to make it to the elite level but I'll take the joy of kicking the tar out of Notre Dame, Clemson, VaTech, NC State, Wake Forest,and Miami anyday. This year has been a blast, every damn minute good and bad. We were never out of any game all season. I was at BC when our record was 3-8 and 2-9 in consecutive years with the only wins against Army and Temple. I dream of bigger things just like everyone but to write this team off as a disappointment is such a rediculous thing to say.

Back to back 10 and maybe 11 win seasons are huge for recruiting.

Great job by Jags, Ryan, Callendar, Silva, Herzlich, Pervis, etc. This season has been great. I would love to see a 10 win season next year!

WE ARE -- BC! GO EAGLES!

Soxx22 said...

Eagleboston, we're really going to miss your whining around here. We were unranked going into this year and got to #2. what more did you want from this year? if this was the same old BC we would have lost to Clemson. instead, we won a huge game on the road and got to the championship game in Jags first year. Boohoo you got your hopes up and were let down, that's what happens in sports. why don't you go to a movie or something so you're not let down.

eagleboston said...

I'm sorry everyone. I'm just really bummed out. BC football is the one team in the one sport that I really give a crap about. A lot of you have the Red Sox or the Yankees or the Patriots. But, this is my team. And to get my heart torn out every time is rough. I really thought we could get to the next level and now I'm starting to realize that 10 wins in a tough conference is a remarkable achievement. This is probably the best we can do (after all, how many Matt Ryans are going to come to BC?) and the sooner I accept that, the better off I will be. I do think it is probably better for my sanity to spend Saturdays next fall playing catch football or biking with my kids, and that I shall do.

Soxx22 said...

Hey everyone, how about we all email the Peach Bowl and tell them to take us?? Let's at least try and get into a good bowl game!!

EagleInTheCuse said...

On a better note...is anyone watching this basketball game?!?

I took a shower at half and when I came downstairs we were losing 62-38. It's now 76-73 us, 1:04 left. I think these freshmen are the real deal. GO EAGLES!

Big Jack Krack said...

Well, I was at the game and we're really talking about a small number of plays.

Our injuries really caught up with us, even though it may not have been obvious. The BC players played their hearts out.

Billy Bennett was laughing and joking before the game - and kicking fairly well. Even with a bad back he could have kicked an extra point, never mind a couple a mid range field goals.

So we gave them 2 points in the first half - blocked point after and run back = 2 points for VT - and maybe left 6 on the field for ourselves - decided not to kick a FG once and one was "blocked".

But let's be conservative and talk about the blocked field goal and the blocked extra point. We should have gotten those at this level.

We go in at halftime leading 20 to 14 instead of tied 16 to 16. The BC Coaching staff decides to go hurry up with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the first half - fail - and give VT enough time to score. I found that very curious in this type of game. No clock management.

The second half is all defense, with VT waiting for BC to make a mistake. They score and go up 23 to 16. At this point it should be 21 to 20 Virginia Tech.

We all know the rest. BC drives down the field, VT tightens up and with 3 minutes to go, any other team would have been kicking the winning field goal - BC 23, VT 21. I think under those circumstances our defense might well have held them.

Anyway - tough loss. This was not a 30 to 16 game by any means. Most VT fans understand that, unlike "vtfan4lifffe" who is an idiot.

And that last pick - not Ryan's fault at all - you could see disaster coming all the way because the coaches failed to get the call in on time, and by the time the players got "set". there were only 2 seconds on the play clock. The VT defense had almost a free shot at him. His pass was batted away and picked off. Rest assured, "vtfan4lifffe", NFL scouts know that if they can get some blocking for Ryan, he'll pick professional defenses apart. Matt Ryan will be a very high draft pick and we are very proud of him. Have fun going back to Blacksburg, "vtfan4lifffe".

But look at our injuries, BC - unbelievable. Pruitt was playing through pain all day. Gause is going to be really good, but the loss of Tribble was very damaging to our defense. And Albight's speed from defensive end would have helped as the coaches were platooning the players.

If you told me that we would be in this Championship Game right down to the 3 minute mark without Toal, Raji, Poles, Tribble, Albright, Smith (I wish him well - he was capable of breaking a long one at ANY TIME), our long snapper Geiser, Dunbar and Pruitt playing on guts alone, etc, I would have said no way.

So I think the future looks bright for BC. And the difference between a very good year, and a great year, and a memorable year is the injury factor.

One other thing. VT pressured Ryan all day - he had no time to set for a long pass. Hats off to VT, but we still had our chances.

LegalEagle92 said...

As disappointed as I am with today's loss, I have no regrets in making the trip to Jax. It was a terrific opportunity to see some great plays made by guys who will be working on Sundays next year. Silva's strip and TD and Matt's 4th & 9 completion to Rich Gunnell for a 14-yard reception in the middle of three defenders come to mind. On the Va. Tech side, Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi will continue to rack up interceptions in the NFL.

For the short term, even if we won't be Orange-bowling, BC can still extend its current streak of consecutive bowl wins.

For the longer term, we should build on the successes of this season in our recruiting efforts and use the momentum to increase enthusiasm and support among alumni and friends, family, and others. Over time, I think we can turn around the reputation that "BC fans don't travel well", especially if the ACC moves the ACCCG away from Jacksonville and rotates its sites.

For example, why not publicize the projected BC football game schedule for future years as far as possible in advance? While some of this scheduling information is on the bceaglesfootball.com website, I didn't see it on the official BC Athletics website. Perhaps more casual fans looking to plan a future vacation, or alumni that need more time to plan events due to family commitments or work schedules, would benefit from a targeted marketing campaign that encouraged and assisted them in planning ahead to attend away games (hint to any Fenway Sports Group representatives reading this).

P.S. Bill - thanks for all of your hard work this season in keeping this blog up to date with great content, and for giving us a place to vent our frustrations and/or celebrate.

Bravesbill said...

BC should have been up 23-14 at halftime, probably even 23-7. Blocked FG and BC going for it on 4th down from the 20 cost them 6 points. Add the missed PAT and the 2 point run back, and its 9 total points. Should have been 23-7 at that point. But then Spaz employed the prevent D before half, which is still mystifying and Va Tech scored again. At worst it should have been 23-14 at half. BC in reality should have won the game 23-21 at the worst.

An in speaking of the basketball game, can you believe what happened? Unbelievable comeback to take the lead but utter incompetence from Al in the final minute of reg. and overtime. Having a full load of 5 timeouts in OT means nothing. Call a timeout to design a play on the last possession. Call a timeout to stop a Providence run. Typical Al Skinner though at his finest.

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