Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Champs Sport Bowl

I finally got around to watching the broadcast. It definitely had a different vibe than watching it live in Orlando. Overall it was a good end to a very good season. Here are my thoughts and grades.


Offense: B

During the game I did not feel Ryan played well. He seemed off and missed bigger plays downfield. Watching back, I realized the effort was better than I originally thought. His passes were pretty sharp and he did a good job anticipating the pressure. His numbers weren’t great but there were plenty of drops. Not his best effort, but he went out with a win and is the only BC quarterback to play in four bowls.

The running game was anemic and neither AC nor LV did anything particularly special in the passing game. AC did provide a critical block in the first TD drive. Late in the game he had a few runs that burned clock. LV had a few good runs, but that stuff was negated by his dropped passes and a critical blown assignment that led to the Ryan fumble. McLuskey blocked well in the run game (the line was the issue) and ran well when asked.

The line ended their uneven season with an uneven game. The pattern of the past few games held true -- good games from Tennant and Ramsey, off night for Cherilus, decent game from Castonzo and nothing of note from the Hall/Anevski rotation. I was glad Ramsey got credit for his play early in the game. He really finished the season with a nice stretch of very good games. Tennant was solid as usual. The announcers pinned the exchange problem in the fourth on him, but watching it back I thought it was more on Ryan pulling away too early. Cherilus…ugh. I’ll have more on him in the year in review. He once again got called for a false start and had real trouble with their speed. One big positive about Gos…even though he didn’t have a great game, he was the first to back up his teammate during the numerous trash talking scrums.

Rich Gunnell put together another great game. I am excited about his future as his hands are better and he is making great adjustments. He’s also showing that he’s physical and fast enough to be a lead receiver. Let’s hope he build on his efforts next season. BRob struggled but was battling injuries. Jarvis had some big catches. Megwa dropped a few. Off night form Purvis. Loyte had a nice TD and one big drop later in the game.

Loved the game Logan called. Our running game did not work, but he kept them honest with the occasional attempt. In the second half, he started stretching the field with the deep ball. We didn’t put up many points, but considering MSU’s aggressive D and our drops, this was a good gameplan with good adjustments.

Defense: B

The Defensive tackles played well. Brace and Smith were very aggressive and I loved Smith’s hustle. Rossi played well and created the fumble that Herzy recovered. The defensive ends were not as good. Ramella and Larkin got pushed around and failed to hold contain when State ran off tackle. Even the second team D Ends, Deska and Giles had trouble closing on Hoyer.

Herzy had a great game. The play that stands out was his jump to bat the ball in the second half. It was instinctive and very athletic. Mixed game from Dunbar – many good plays but he got burned in the passing game a few times, including the first TD. Akins had a good game too. After a rough start to the season, he played very well down the stretch. Pruitt was quiet. With Dunbar out there, McLaughlin didn’t see the field as often.

Very good game from Tribble. It was good to have him back. Morris played well. Rollins also had a strong game. Gause saw less playing time. Anderson played very well. Good adjustments in the passing game and good run support. Silva – what else can be said? He ended his career with a perfect night. He did everything right and made big play after big play.

Special Teams: C

Our punt returns were good. Everything else, not so much.

The usually sturdy Ayers had a few shanks (although the punt coverage was decent). The kickoffs went deep…and were returned deeper. Our kick coverage has been good this year. Don’t know why it fell apart in the bowl?

Overall: B+

Once they shook off the first quarter rust the team settled in and looked good. At halftime we made the right adjustments. If not for the fumble, the game wouldn’t have been as close. Congrats to Jags on the 11 wins and a great first season.