Kind of a cool look at the development of BC Football Camp brochures.
Although our recruiting class is starting to fill up, things still look promising for Brandon Clemons.
As expected Don Treadwell took the Miami of Ohio job. If he does well there, he will certainly be candidate to replace Spaz in a few years.
However, very few borderline pro hoops prospects have brothers who were first round NFL Draft picks. BJ and his burgeoning success has got to be a model for Corey. BJ is making more playing football than Corey ever could make playing hoops in Europe. Plus Corey has a slight understanding of the physicality of football. I know that is not the same as getting hit yourself, but it does count for something.
Now if Corey decided to play football, his natural position might be an issue. Would he be a WR? A Tight End? Maybe a Defensive End? With such a limited window to try football, I think Spaz and his staff would have to give him a quick tryout at each position and see which one he gravitates towards. If he can't catch, then you put him on D, etc.
Could Spaz even use him? That is another question. We have decent depth at WR and TE. Corey might not even see the field. While we have some nice experience returning at DE, Corey might be able to work himself into that rotation. Does Spaz have a scholarship for him? Maybe. It looks like we will max out on the recruiting class, but a kid is bound to leave or wash out before fall practices begin. If it really came down to cost, I am sure BJ would pick up the tab for Corey to be a football walkon for one semester.
Although Corey is a good athlete, he could have a really strong year in football and still not get a shot at the NFL. It might not be worth the trouble or potential injury, but it would be a fun end to the Raji family's time at the Heights.
Likes
-- Trapani's improved shooting. I've been harping on Joe's clunkers, so it is only fair that I mention a night when he was hot. If not for foul trouble he would have had more points.
-- Solid rebounding. Rebounding can be a deceptive stat -- especially rebound differential -- but BC put up a solid number and generated some good second chances.
-- Second half comeback. BC was down going into the break and started the second half with a nice run. Those are the sort of momentum shifts we will need later in the season.
Dislikes
-- Turnovers! Everyone was guilty, but especially Reggie. Against a team like URI, which can score in bunches, that is dangerous. You hope that with a healthier Paris this wouldn't be an issue.
-- Defensive lapses. Based on the recaps, twitter feeds, and audio broadcasts, it seemed like URI got plenty of good looks. We also didn't generate many turnovers and had zero blocks.
This makes the South Carolina game this weekend much more critical. We need another nice out of conference win for our resume. This team has shown the ability to put losses behind them. Let's hope they do it again against the Gamecocks.
Days between BC's games with Syracuse and Nevada: 43 days
Days between Oregon's last game and the BCS national championship: 37 days
Days between Auburn's last game and the BCS national championship: 37 days
Days between Nevada's games with La Tech and BC: 36 days
Days between BC's 2007 ACCCG appearance and the 2007 Champs Bowl: 27 days
Number of games BC played between October 2 and November 13 (42 days): 7
Since Nevada has a long layoff, I don't think the gap will negatively hurt our team. I am just worried about other BC fans like me. We might have to watch some of these meaningless bowl games just to remember what college football looks like.
He is expected to enroll early and will hopefully make an impact in 2011. Let's hope this is a sign that BC is going to close their recruiting class with a bang.
Nevada fans are pumped up for this game. This is going to feel like another one of our virtual road games.
ESPN.com put together a cool feature for their All America team. Of course Kuechly made the team.
I get more and more impressed when I read things like this about Steve Donahue. Most -- including someone like me -- would have looked at the previous stats and dismissed the chance of turning some of the guys into outside shooters. Instead Donahue looked at their form and asked for practice. It is paying off.
I don't know what Herzy plans to do after football, but maybe he should go into recruiting (or at least sales). The guy is a closer.
This is an interesting report regarding TV ratings for bowl games. Ironically some of the ACC teams deemed to have the best fans are not good TV draws. BC is not listed as the biggest TV draw but we usually cause year over year ratings improvements.
Finally, a look at the bubble going up. This is cool but I still think we need a permanent, football-only practice facility.
Call it bitterness. Call it motivation. Call it redemption, but Dominique Davis is using his BC experience to succeed at East Carolina. I actually am rooting for the kid and glad he got his act together.
Great article on Reggie Jackson in the Globe. We sort of knew his story prior to the year but as the team grows and surprises I expect we will learn more and more about our star guard.
The second portion of this video shows how the BC hockey teams made a difference with a local special needs hockey team.
BC commit Kyle Caudill more than held his own against one of California's top teams.
[The following is a little history lesson for those younger BC fans.]
In the old days, when bowls still meant something, the college football postseason kicked off on Christmas Day with Aloha Bowl. BC played in the game twice and it was the prefect for us.
Why was the game perfect? Because it provided everything we needed and didn't ask much of BC in return.
We can whine about Boise or Detroit, but at the end of the day none of us actually have to go to these games. The player and coaches do. A trip to Hawaii was rare and a true treat. The guys got a unique experience and warm weather.
The game actually provided a showcase for BC. This was the first bowl game of the year and it was on ABC on Christmas Day. There was nothing else on. Millions of desperate sports fans tuned in just to get their football fix. And for BC fans it was great. The games were afternoons kickoffs, so you could open your presents, have a little family bonding and then watch BC. There was no juggling of schedules or figuring out where you were going to be for some random, midday weekday kickoff.
Plus we played real teams. In 1994, Kansas State was ranked and favored before our defense tore them apart. Like us, Arizona State squeaked into the 2000 Aloha Bowl, but at least they were a name from a power conference.
Playing in Hawaii also meant BC wasn't expected to travel. Few schools did. We just needed to provide a solid TV rating (which we always do).
Finally Hawaii just looked great and fun on TV. The scenic shots in and out of commercials made you feel warm. I wanted to hop on a plane after seeing Dan Henning in a Hawaiian shirt or watching TOB try to hula.
We played in the last Aloha Bowl. The official NCAA certification ended and was later replaced by the Hawaii Bowl. But the Hawaii Bowl is not different though. It is basically an extra home game for the University of Hawaii and is rarely on Christmas Day. Maybe one day BC will find themselves in this newer bastardized version of the Aloha game again, but it won't be the same. None of it is the same...I guess for Christmas I should ask Santa for an NCAA playoff with a championship game in Honolulu.
Likes
-- Another well rounded effort from Josh Southern. Very positive minutes from our big man with few mistakes. Is he becoming our second best player?
-- Paris remains hot from outside. Four big 3s, plus he also had seven assists.
-- Making our free throws. Especially important in the final minutes.
Dislikes
-- No ability to shut down Bryson Johnson. This guy was hot and nailing threes. Yet we never did anything to shut him down? No fronting. No doubles. Allowing him to get good looks from 3 felt Skinner-esque.
-- Raji's shooting. I know he hit some big outside shots, but I don't know if he should be chucking 3s. Maybe he should be closer to the basket to get some points off of putbacks.
On the football front, BC picked up another commitment. This time from upstate New York Safety Josh Keyes.
BC told NJ WR Mike DeTroia that he might get a scholarship offer late in the process.
October 13, 2008: Tommy Bowden forced to resign.
Miami
May 12, 2010: Miami signs Randy Shannon to a new, four-year contract.
November 27, 2010: Miami dismisses Randy Shannon.
The Future
I don't think Spaz will be fired within the next year like Bowden or Shannon. But I am 100% certain he will not be coaching BC in 2015 (the final year of this extension).
There are a couple of things you must remember in all of this.
1. We have a very competitive and often meddling Athletic Director. If you were unhappy with the losing streak, imagine how Gene felt. He will be loyal publicly and will temper expectations publicly, but that doesn't mean that he found this season's low acceptable.
2. Any buyout or payment to Spaz built into this contract would never keep BC from doing something. In fact, you could rationalize any buyout with an uptick in ticket sales. Just do some back of the envelope math. Let's say we struggle with attendance again and on the season fall short of a sellout by 5,000 tickets sold each week. Go conservative and factor in just a six game schedule. Then go conservative again and factor in a $20 in revenue per ticket unsold. Now using just those potential lost crowds and rounded numbers have unexciting, mediocre football costing BC $600,000+ in revenue per year.
As I said on twitter, I took this announcement as being a sign that Gene and Spaz are probably on the same page for now. I expect a staff small staff tweak this offseason.
Ultimately I think Spaz's future -- regardless of his contract -- will remain year to year. With his age and his boss you can't expect anything else
Here is a Q&A with Jared Dudley. He mentions coaching at BC, but refers to the job as a stepping stone. Et tu, Jared?
Now that Pitt has a new coach, BC is trying to talk one of their commits Terrell Chestnut into coming to Boston.
Ohio lineman Joe Thuney is still waiting on a BC offer.
Future BC QB Christian Suntrup is playing basketball for his high school. That sort of athleticism is usually a good sign of a recruits athleticism.
Donahue's system deserves some credit for the improvement. Plus the general maturity is a factor. I guess the biggest explanation for the improvement is Biko's work on 3s during the offseason. Supposedly it was a focus and he shot hundreds a day. Unfortunately too many guys ignore their deficiencies in the offseason. I am glad to see Biko did not. If he keeps up this pace during ACC play, BC will have done something rare: replaced a serviceable player with a killer offensive weapon without making a roster change.
The Boston Gridiron Club added to Harris, Keuchly and Castanzo's list of accolades.
HD thinks Rettig needs to step up in the Bowl game. I'm interested in his progression too. With a month to prepare, a game in his home state and facing a porous defense, this could be a chance to Rettig to shine. HD is also expecting Rettig's experience to pay off in 2011.
As Daniels committed, rumors popped up that another BC verbal Christian Suntrup was waivering. Rivals reached out and Christian says he is still on board and loves BC.
Josh Haden and his younger brother will restart their college careers at Toledo.
The ACC named Reggie Jackson its player of the week.
Articles keep saying that BC has already sold 5,000 ticket for the Bowl game. That's encouraging. My fear though is that the article misinterpreted BC's commitment vs actual ticket sales.
Bubble alert and it is only December. Lunardi has us in the big dance.
Rivals named KPL to their freshman team. They honored Nate Freese too.
Now (2010)
Tom O'Brien. After becoming BC's all-time winningest coach, TOB left to be the head coach at NC State.
Frank Spaziani. Spaz moved from RB to the defensive side of the ball in TOB's third year. From there he shaped years of successful BC defenses before becoming the head man himself in 2009.
Al Golden. The ever ambitious Golden left BC to head recruiting at Penn State. Then it was onto UVA before becoming a head coach at Temple and now Miami.
Mike London. Like Goldon, London was certainly ambitious and made stops along the way at Virginia and the NFL. He won a national championship at Richmond and is now at Virginia.
I should also note that in 1997 TOB also gave Michigan State Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell and former BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski their first BCS level jobs.
I don't know what it says about the ACC or TOB that all these guys got their first big break at the same time. It is also interesting to note that after building his first BC staff with young, aggressive coaches, TOB has stuck with a more mature and loyal staff since.
It wasn't all perfect though. The press gave us a bit of trouble. After a hot start Rubin cooled off a bit and didn't do much defensively. We struggled with their bigs. And Josh Southern -- who has looked so good passing out of the post -- forced some bad shots.
The statistical gurus are loving it all though. Check out Kenpom's tweets during the game.
Now our style is not perfect or particularly balanced (see Yale) but our tough early schedule has proven that we can and will hang with anyone. It also showed that we are going to be fun to watch.
I don't know if it is good ol' BC luck or if he is just off to a good start, but Danny Rubin's play has been much better than expected. What's crazy is that Donahue was slow playing him at Cornell and Rubin was ready to walk on at Colgate. Now he is burying jumpers for an ACC team.
BJ Raji made huge strides this season.
Here is a story from a few days ago on John Cahill one of our walkons receiving serious playing time.
Although he didn't win many individual national awards, Luke Kuechly was named to the Walter Camp team.
This Maryland blog has a good early take on our basketball team. I can't wait for the game against the Terps on Sunday. We've shown we can beat some quality teams, but this game will show if we can be competitive within the upper half of the ACC.
But the pending change leads us into one of the great parlor games of the BC offseason: picking our new offensive coordinator. I always assumed it would be current WR coach Ryan Day. Many said Spaz preferred current TE coach Dave Brock. Now there is speculation that internal promotions would be fallback options and Spaz would rather bring in an outsider. So here are some real candidates and some speculative and satirical ones.
Real
Ryan Day
Pros: Considered bright young coach with head coach potential. Worked with some of the most influential offensive minds in football.
Cons: Never called a game before. No one knows how or what he would tweak from our current system.
Dave Brock
Pros: Has called plays at this level. Key recruiter for our current and future QBs. Would run an offense most similar to Tranq's.
Cons: Would run an offense most similar to Tranq's. Brock sat next to Tranq in the box while this offense sputtered along. That does not disqualify him, but it makes you wonder if he would have done anything differently.
Sean Devine
Pros: Has called a game before. Knows how to run a wide open, high tempo offense.
Cons: Never called plays at this level. Just because he followed Chip Kelly and has Chip Kelly's playbook doesn't mean he can make BC into Oregon. Mixed results coaching our OLine.
Ben Sirmans
Pros: While he doesn't have the BC roots as deep as Ryan Day, like Day, Sirmans is a well regarded coach who has been around many good offensive systems.
Cons: Never called plays. Never designed an offense.
Frank Cignetti, Jr.
Pros: Suddenly looking for a job after Pitt cleaned house. Followed Tranq at UNC so he knows how to follow him and transition to his system. Has a prostyle and balanced attack that would fit with our current roster. Would be the outside name that many desire.
Cons: No connection to Spaz. Pitt's offense has been criticized for many of the same issues we have (redzone, boring style, etc).
Matt Canada
Pros: Probably out of a job at Indiana. Runs a pass happy sort of prostyle offense. Led the Big Ten in passing.
Cons: No connection to BC. No connection to New England. No connection to Spaz. The reason I mention him is that he is the type of guy who might be available and he has called plays before and could probably elevate the play of our current QBs.
Noel Mazzone
Pros: Current Arizona State OC. Has called plays at a BCS level. May be looking for work depending how the dominoes in the coaching carousel fall. Worked with Gene's son while at the Jets. Runs a pro style that would fit our roster.
Cons: No obvious connection to Spaz. No connection to New England. Might not want to job hop.
Imagined
Mark Whipple
Pros: Proven play caller. Knows the region well. Knows the ACC. Runs a style of play that would fit for BC.
Cons: Miami had inconsistency issues too. [This was floated to me as a real possibility but I can't ever see it happening. I don't think Whipple would come back and work for Gene. I don't know if Whipple would work at a place where he could have been Head Coach. I also don't know if Spaz would welcome someone who, if he succeeds, could be a threat to take Spaz's job.]
Paul Peterson
Pros: Passing Game coordinator for a FCS school. Alum.
Cons: No BCS experience. No FBS experience. [A blogger can dream, can't he? If you are going to go with an young unproven guy, you go with Day.]
John DeFilippo
Pros: NFL and college experience. Could run a prostyle offense. Knows BC. Worked with some of the current staffers.
Cons: No play calling experience. [Jags considered hiring John D when he first came aboard but everyone thought it wasn't the right time or situation. Now? What the hell? Everyone thinks Gene is calling the shots. Let's just take it to the next level!]
Galen Hall
Pros: Play calling experience. Seasoned veteran. Can run different types of offenses. Turns 71 in August as opposed to April baby Tranq.
Cons: Wouldn't lower the average age of current staff. [If Spaz's wants an outsider with experience to match Tranq, Hall is his only answer...who is still alive.]
As I said, I expect Tranq to retire and Brock or Day to get the job. I hope that if Spaz does look outside the current staff he makes a hire who won't try to change everything. We have the pieces in place to take big leaps forward offensively. I would hate to start from scratch again.
Likes
--BC's tempo. A lot has been made about Donahue's style. We've seen moments of it, but tonight was probably the best example. We put up a good amount of shots and forced Providence to play our style much of the game, which we led the whole way.
-- Another impressive night from Jackson. He did it all (other than make his free throws). If he keeps it up in ACC play, he is going to get a lot of national attention.
-- No problems with a short bench. We've been playing walkons, but tonight saw our starters log big minutes. Some of them are thriving with more time (like Southern and Paris).
Dislikes
-- The final minutes. Turnovers and missed foul shots. I can only imagine how Ted Sarandis would have acted as it almost slipped away.
-- Trapani's shooting. Since I was listening not watching I don't know what the problem was, but we need more efficiency from Joe. If his shot is not falling, he needs to get his points off of rebounds and put backs.
-- Courtney Dunn's suspension. It wasn't a factor tonight, but we need his size and legs. It is stupid and selfish to get suspended.
I am very pleased with where this team is and where it is going. I think Maryland will be a real test, but if our shots are dropping there is no reason to think we cannot beat the Terps.
Dislikes
Games I watched
Auburn-USC 50%
Florida State-Virginia Tech 50%
Arizona-Arizona State 25%
Cincinnati-Pitt 25%
Nebraska-Oklahoma 25%
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 2 | Auburn Tigers | -- |
| 3 | Wisconsin Badgers | -- |
| 4 | Stanford Cardinal | -- |
| 5 | TCU Horned Frogs | -- |
| 6 | Michigan St. Spartans | -- |
| 7 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 8 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 9 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 10 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 11 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 12 | Missouri Tigers | -- |
| 13 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -- |
| 14 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 15 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 16 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 17 | Nevada Wolf Pack | -- |
| 18 | Texas A&M Aggies | -- |
| 19 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | -- |
| 20 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 21 | Central Florida Knights | -- |
| 22 | Utah Utes | -- |
| 23 | Miami (Ohio) RedHawks | -- |
| 24 | Northern Illinois Huskies | -- |
| 25 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
HD -- who is usually takes the coaching at BC takes miracles narrative -- rightly points out that much of our late season comeback was built off of a forgiving schedule. She also notes Kuechly's dominance and amazing amass of tackles.
The cool gift at the Fight Hunger Bowl is probably the headphones.
This is from the weekend, but Bob Ryan is on the Steve Donahue bandwagon.
BC is prospecting for the class of 2012 already. Another prospect is Domenic Martinelli.
After the smoke cleared from the bowl scheduling I saw a few tweets and message board posts regarding Randy Edsall and UConn. There is a small contingent of media and opposing fans that like to remind BC that if we had stayed in the Big East we would have played in a BCS game by now. They also like to hint that we should have hired Randy Edsall. As a blogger and a critic I love to use and abuse hindsight, but in this case it doesn't matter. We've made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I have absolutely zero regrets about Edsall or the Big East.
Edsall the Bridesmaid
Randy Edsall was almost the BC head coach four different times. There are varied urban legends surrounding the BC-Edsall courtship. He was deemed to green to take over for Coughlin in 1994. The only admitted time he was offered the job was in 1996-97. Small problem though. Chet Gladchuk was a powerless lame duck so other people were offering the job to Kevin Gilbride and Tom O'Brien. Edsall was left with an empty promise yet no long-term bitterness towards BC. In fact he kept hoping for another chance at the Heights. Like a lot of people who have come through BC, Edsall appreciated what BC offered and saw what Coughlin did firsthand. Later, he was given a cursory look when TOB left. His folks had a more serious discussion when Jags was fired, but still Edsall was left hanging. Those failed flirtations were probably more about what Gene was looking for and less about what Randy brought to the table. Personally I think Edsall would have been fine at BC, but I've never seen anything that made me long for his leadership. I think his team's are decent, but boring. I don't particularly care for his sideline antics at times. It always looks like he is doing a bad Coughlin impression. Yet he lacks Coughlin's smarts and charm and the success that allows TC to get away with some of his ranting and raving. If Edsall had ever coached at BC I am sure he would have been fine, but I don't know if he ever would have helped us break our current ceiling.
The Big East's backdoor to the BCS
The irony of the current BCS format is that it is easier to get in from the Big East or a non-automatic qualifier school than it is to get in from the other power conferences. Add in the extra game that an SEC, Big XII or ACC team must win, and you are left with a real test, not some mini-hurdle like the Big East. But we didn't join the ACC to just to get into the BCS. The move was about money, stability, a future, partnering with like-minded schools and prestige. Staying in what became the Big East would have been a marketing, recruiting and ticket selling disaster. I still don't think the current configuration of the Big East will last. I know any current BCS team -- including UConn -- would glady trade their one trip to the BCS in exchange for a spot in the ACC. Besides, we had our chance at the Big East's joke bid and blew it.
I don't know when we will finally get into the BCS, but when we do, it won't be with an asterisk or by default. We will have earned it and the program will be better for it.
I know some of those around the program are disappointed in another trip to San Francisco but of all the potential options this might have the most upside.
At the end of the day bowls are a showcase for the team. This is a chance to close our season against a highly ranked team. It is a chance to end the season in the last game before the National Championship. It is prime time on a Sunday following NFL playoff football. Sports and football fans will watch. Last year's Boston College-USC game is the third-most-watched college bowl game in ESPN history. This should surpass that. We have a strong contingent of BC fans in Northern California. The late date should give them plenty of time to sell tickets and organize.
Nevada also offers a good test. They are explosive yet a running team. Their defense is solid, but hasn't faced a team or scheme like ours all season. It is a short trip for them, but they haven't played on this field before.
I hate having a month off but I like the idea of BC playing on a weekend night during a regular week. Those "bowl week" games get lost in the shuffle and are mostly forgettable. This won't be.
I will have more on the game, the set up and Nevada in the weeks ahead. I would love to be prepping for a Orange Bowl, but when we were 2-5 this day seemed impossible. All things considered, playing in San Francisco is a nice problem to have.
The hockey team swept BU this weekend. Ho hum. Sucks to B-U.
Kristen Mewis and Victoria DiMartino were named to the 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru Women's NCAA D1 All-America Team. Unfortunately for the girls their season ended with a loss to Stanford Friday night.
Jack Tabb still claims that BC is still a possibility for him.
Here is the latest on Albert Louis-Jean and his new suitors. I would like to see him at BC, but I expect whenever Miami makes a hire, that new coach will go hard after him. I also expect some other schools to emerge.
For those of you who missed the Herzy piece on Gameday, it is included in this link on ESPNBoston.com.
Likes
-- Reggie Jackson's big game. I know Donahue liked Sunday's balanced, team effort against Cal, but you can't overlook a game like this from Reggie. Here he is on national TV against a Big Ten team putting on a near flawless performance.
-- Good ball handling. I didn't expect this when Donahue arrived. Not that Donahue teams are careless, I just thought we wouldn't have the ball handlers on the roster to be so careful. I also thought the transition to a more perimeter based passing system would invite steals.
-- Josh Southern's post passing. This was a factor later in the game but I was impressed with Josh's ability to find open men and cutters. If he can do that every game our offense will become very efficient.
Dislikes
-- Trapani's off night. I know people had big expectations for Joe this season, but he seemed a bit off. I don't know the best way for him to get points, since he's not the spot shooter that say Rubin is. Maybe we should get him cutting to the basket more.
-- Dunn and Elmore's rebounding. Neither logged big minutes, but neither were much of a factor. We are lucky that Indiana is not a great rebounding team. Against better team's these guys will have to step up.
I think we are all excited, but keep Yale in the back of your mind. This team is playing well, but we will have some cold shooting nights ahead. This will be an unpredictable season...let's enjoy the ride.
Record
6-0 but it is a little hollow. They have yet to play a ranked team and have not played away from Bloomington. Their best opponent was probably Evansville.
Rating
Kenpom has the Hoosiers 58th nationally in his power rating. BC is 40th. His ratings favor us in a one on one matchup.
Style
Indiana will mix it up on defense. Crean used to play a lot of man at Marquette but doesn't really have the size at IU to do that against most teams. They rely on different zone looks. Since we are not particularly big, we may see more man to man tonight.
On offense they have some strong perimeter players. Most probably now Maurice Creek, but Christian Watford has been their leading scorer and a solid rebounder. They won't chuck a lot of threes. They are more patient and will find the higher percentage shot and are deadly with putbacks.
Pointspread
BC-5.5
What to expect
I think playing at home and playing with confidence will lead us to another win. I think we can set the tempo early and force IU to play catchup and shoot more 3s than they would like. They don't have size to give us problems, but they will force turnovers. It should be a good test to see if Orlando was a good run or the sign of this team's potential.
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