Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Walking wounded

Every year I predict one or two of our opponents will be checked out by November. Coaches lose the team. Coaches are lame ducks. Or the team faces so much adversity and losing, the whole squad throws in the towel by the last game. I fear that might happen to BC this year. Even if Addazio doesn't lose the locker room, the injuries are piling up to the point where we are really limited in what we can do.

Addazio was clear on some injuries Monday and more vague on others. Kam Moore is done for the season with a broken leg. This is a true loss because he was playing so well. McClary was decent last week, but had issues earlier in the season. He won't be as good as Moore, but hopefully he can make a few big plays.

Jeff Smith is a huge question mark. Even if he passes all concussion protocols by Saturday, we know he is not taking snaps in practice. Can Flutie be effective enough to score against VT? And worse, what happens if Flutie goes down? Walk-on John Fadule. That doesn't inspire much confidence. I would suggest running the ball a lot but none of the tailbacks are healthy. Richard Wilson will probably get carries because he's the only one fresh.

Throwing the ball 30+ times with Flutie seems like a disaster, but WR is one of the only areas where we are healthy. And this Offensive Line isn't going to open up big holes for Wilson and whoever else might get carries.

Fortunately the Defense is great and the Special Teams are improved.

This season exposed many of Addazio's issues and challenges. But maybe it can also expose some of his redeeming qualities. Maybe he can rally the team down the stretch. Maybe he can win a game with smoke and mirrors.

17 comments:

Knucklehead said...

I would start to mix in different defensive players consistently going forward. You don't want to lose Johnson, Simmons, Strahan, Kavalec, Gutapel. Daniels is a 2-3rd round pick. They are not getting him off the field. Wojack(spelling) Tim Bulman junior isn't coming off either.

Put Lichtenburger in at linebacker so he transfers out.

mod34b said...

"Maybe he can win a game with smoke and mirrors."

Seriously? Daz? No way.

His hallmark over the past 3 teams and 8 years as a been an absolute unyielding stubbornness; a refusal to change no matter what.

Hoib said...

Lichtenburg is a w/o.

JBQ said...

Why are there so many significant injuries? These are not hamstring pulls. They are broken bones: Wade, Hilleman, Moore. I did not see any dirty hits. Smith was "ear holed" which means targeting to the head. The suspicion is that someone is coaching dirty tactics. So far, there is no way to prove it. I saw the tape of Kuechley hitting T.J. Yeldin formerly of Alabama. Cool Hand Luke led with his head to Yeldin's thigh. He jammed his head and could have been killed. Russell, the qb at Baylor went head to head and suffered a broken neck. He also is very fortunate. There has to be some way to stop the brutality. The helmet is the problem. It is a weapon. A study was done in which it was stated that the leather helmet was safer because you couldn't use it as a weapon. This past weekend, the seventh national high school football player was killed this season on the field

Napolean Bonaparte said...

Hey JBQ - you might find this old NY Times article interesting: http://nocera.blogs.nytimes.com/death-and-football-by-clark-booth/?_r=0

eagle1331 said...

I still don't understand why we don't let Robinson play quarterback. He was great in HS. We don't have a better option. Sure, he's been good on special teams and acceptable as a WR, but that isn't where we need him right now.

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EL MIZ said...

eagle1331 - Robinson also was playing QB in the preseason for a time before being moved to WR. its not as if he'd be completely green. Willis, a former HS QB and arguably our best remaining player on offense, would be completely green, but given how the season has gone and how simple our playbook is, i really wouldn't be opposed to putting him at QB, having Outlow, Hilliman, Gowins and Wilson as the RBs and just go to a full-on option offense. the upside of that offense is about the same as Flutie throwing it 20+ times a game.

Hoib said...

Who plays at the skill positions, or what style is used, or plays called, don't matter if you can't block. The rest of this season should be about getting the O line up to speed for next year.

JBQ said...

With thanks to "Napoleon Bonaparte" on the article. The original printing was in 1976 by Joe Nocera. It was reprinted on Feb. 12, 2012 by Clark Booth. There were quotes from Super Bowl 5. The average salary was 55k. John Fitzgerald was the Dallas Cowboy center out of BC. He played with a plastic encased ankle and a 5 inch scar on the knee, and a 3 inch scar on the elbow. The life span in a 1972 study showed football (58), boxers (62), baseball (65), and track (72). Rocky Bleier from "the French school" compared war to football. War was safer. The filly Ruffian was shot because the insurance pay off was so high. The reference to "meat on the hoof" was unmistakable. With the amount of money today compared to then, bodies are even more expendable. The problem has now extended through college football and down into the high schools. Disabling college injuries have no workman's comp. They are "student athletes" who are not paid. BC needs to be in the forefront of protecting "life and limb" for those who put on the uniform representing the school. That is why I feel that Mehdi Abdesmad should have sued Nick O'Leary based on his future earnings for the brutal injury suffered while being targeted in the game two years ago against Florida St. There was not even a flag thrown. This act of intimidation turned the game around against the Seminoles. No one said "boo" and the game was lost. Mehdi is Canadian and doesn't understand the legal system. BC should have a lawyer some place who would take up his cause. Maybe such a case action would send a message to the establishment.

Joseph said...

" This past weekend, the seventh national high school football player was killed this season on the field". True and a shame and a great life changing loss for friends and families. How many teens were killed in auto accidents or by guns. These did not get near the publicity

eagleboston said...

I have to tell you, the violence of the game really turns me off to the sport. So many young people are being crippled and brain damaged. There is not a lot you can do about ankles, knees and shoulders. It's Physics 101 when you have large bodies colliding at high speeds. But I think a lot more can be done about head injures. Every single game, I witness players lowering their heads and slamming into the opponent. It's a miracle players are not killed with all of the targeting and helmet collisions. I think the NCAA needs to be much more vigilant about cracking down on helmet to helmet contact. Players need to be taught to tackle with their heads up and players violating those principles need to be ejected. They will learn very quickly to keep their heads up when they start losing playing time.

I think we often forget these are human beings with hopes and dreams and no one, no one, should have their life destroyed for playing a game.

eagleboston said...

whoops, that should read "injuries" no "injures."

Knucklehead said...

People don't live forever. Take risks if you want to and deal with the ramifications on your own dime and your own time.

mod34b said...

EB

All heart. No head.

Let's ban boys softball, boys water polo boys gymnastics. All with higher fatality rates than football

link to article


Let's ban cheerleading as it is more led to injure our children than football

Let's ban men's lax because it has the same fatality rate as football.

C'mon.

Hoib. This is your issue too.

Hoib said...

EB

RIGHT ON! You rarely see a proper tackle these days. Use the shoulder and wrap. I think I've figured out Mods problem, hit in the head too many times.

mod34b said...

Hoib - you might be right.... Yes I did have "my bell rung" many times on the football field.

Back then, if you "had your bell rung" some doctor would run out on the field, with a little white stick that contained "smelling salts" The doc would crack the stick under your nose and you would get a blast of ammonia up your nose. This would wake you right up! Whoa.....

U went to the sidelines - to crowd applause - and "shook it off." No concussion protocols. you were soon back in the game!

ah, the good old days