Louisville is a very good team with a great coach and a great QB. We have neither, so that put us at a handicap to start the game. But we only made things worse with dumb mistakes, dumb penalties and dumb game planning. Watching it back only reinforced that this game should have been closer. Not that BC should have won, but we are not six touchdowns worse than they are.
Offense: F
Towles wasn't good, but he wasn't as bad as he's been. Other than the INT, his throws were decent. He was still to slow to get rid of the ball or feel where the pressure is really coming from. Wade's one completion was nice. I wish he had received more playing time. I don't think we have anything to lose.
Rouse's TD run was nice. Even as he was getting popped and twisted around, Jones still looks good in the passing game. Hilliman's still lacking the physical skills or instinct to find the soft spots.
Callinan made some nice catches. I was glad to see Thadd and Jeff get the ball on running plays. Sweeney didn't get targeted enough.
This might be the worst OLine performance I've seen in four years under Addazio. It might be one of the worst I've every seen any BC OLine play. They looked slow, lost and then ever got called for some dumb penalties. Lowry as terrible. Lindstrom also had all sorts of problems, whether it be assignments or even just getting push around. The only guy who didn't have a rough day was Baker. He is probably our best Lineman. Montiero had some bad misses and a costly penalty.
The Wildcat and return of the Jones throw and the end arounds and reverses. all scream of desperation. The stuff that worked last week, didn't work this week. My problem is that our base stuff was totally ineffective. But when the blocking is that bad, there is not much you can do.
Defense: F
You know the team was overthinking when Landry got near Jackson and then slowed down to sort of wait on him. He shouldn't even be thinking that way, especially when he is steps away from a sack. Kavalec had some nice plays. Ray had a really dumb penalty. Allen struggled. Gutapfel was fine. Smith was fine.
Considering what a running threat we knew he would be, the LBs struggled. They were out of position or missed tackles on some of Jackson's best runs. Strachan played pretty well and was active. Schwab missed Jackson a few times. Milano also seemed to miss him when he had the chance on big plays.
Moore had his best game in a long time and made some good tackles. Harris had an INT, but also made some big mental/coverage mistakes. Yiadom didn't look good, but then made one pass deflection in the second half that showed glimpses of what he did last year. Johnson was active. McClary missed some tackles.
Jackson makes everyone look bad, but I don't think we adjusted well nor executed well. We needed more pressure and to give him more different looks. Reid was back but there was never any indication of who was performing what task or calling the D. I don't know who to blame, but I am going to have a bigger piece this week about the DBs.
Special Teams: B
The best play on the day for Special Teams was picking up the fumbled punt. At least the guys were ready and hustling.
They put Walker back on Kick Returns. He had good success last year, but hasn't been featured there much this year. He was good. So was Willis. Maybe because there were so many kick returns, they hoped a change up might spark something.
The punts were fine.
Overall: D
I touched a bit on this in each unit, but I find Addazio's game planning very disconcerting. For example, it felt like he decided to run the ball and keep Jackson off the field. The problem is we are not a great run blocking team. Especially when teams either load the box or have a great DLine (like Louisville). What we can do relatively well is quick short passes. That worked against NC State and put less pressure on the OLine and on Towles. If done well, short passing can still have a ball control feel. Yet we didn't take that approach, therefore we couldn't move the ball and couldn't slow down the Cardinals.
The only positive I picked up on is that the Defense played hard even as they were being crushed. I know there are no points for "heart" but I am hypersensitive to teams checking out on losing coaches. I don't see it here.
The timing couldn't be worse for Florida State, but that is why Addazio makes the big bucks! Hopefully we can figure out a way to hang with an elite team and win a big game.
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9 comments:
Overall a "D"?
I can't imagine what more is required to get an overall "F"?
I think you do nicely highlight the core problem: the OL. Can't do anything without decent OL play.
OL is supposedly Daz core area of competence. Not. He can't recruit decent OL, he can't develop OL and he can't coach them in the games Again OL is Daz's area of expertise. He is just so bad.
BC averages 12 points in conference play. That is last in The ACC and last in all of FBS. It is better that the historic low of 9 points per conference game from 2015. But I would not call it progress.
Reid seems to make some bad defensive gambles and Petrino knew how to expose BC for easy scores. Despite Petrino's reputation, I think he think he clearly decided not to run up the score. Louisville could easily have hung 70 on BC
A writer at ESPN said that the SEC East may be the weakest Power 5 division in the country. If that is true and one couples that with a less than stellar group of QBs throughout the league how are they special? Are the ordinary or mediocre? Outside of Bama who looks good in the SEC West? A&M with two losses and two home overtime wins? Two loss Auburn only avoidinf a third loss by one second. Three loss LSU? Three loss Arkansas? Ten years ago ESPN told the BIG LIE that it was a down year for QBs in the ACC. 2016 is a down year for the SEC but the networks are silent. 2. Nice to see Matt Ryan break Peyton Manning's all time NFL record for most completions in his first nine years in the league. Is that the same Ryan ESPN said couldn't play?
Not to pick nits, but bad coaching, dumb mistakes, and dumb game-planning are the hallmarks of a six touchdown-worse team, especially against good teams. If this game was on the road, would we have played them closer? I would argue that their backups were inserted so as not to make it worse! I take it back. We weren't 45 points worse. We're more.
I don't blame the kids at all.
Daz keeps talking up the potential of the Oline. Okay. Next year is it. But we have Wade behind Towles and Harambi at this point. Which means Brown HAS to be the answer. I can't imagine the alternative.
Mod is right. A "D" for effort is grading on a curve. When you're satisfied with the minimum, I guess losing competitively is the next step up the ladder. Perchance to dream.
I remember Michael Vick being surrounded by about 7 or 8 defenders in the backfield at Alumni, before scrambling out and running about 70 yards for a touchdown.
Lamar Jackson didn't get surrounded by anyone, and in fact could have run backwards through holes big enough for trucks.
That's one big difference. We now just wave at them as they go by.
Are we that bad? Has over-coaching/micro-managing got these guys frozen in indecision? Have they not bought in? Have they quit? This team should have beaten GT and Syracuse and hung in there against VT, Clemson and Louisville.
With a half decent coach and this schedule, we could/should be 6 and 3, with a chance to be 8 and 4.
Instead, or beloved HC, who doesn't deserve criticism apparently, has given us 4 and 5 (with a 4th quarter collapse in Dublin and 4 disgraceful efforts in the other losses.)
Worst combined losses in any season in BC history, I'm sure.
Pitiful offense is an understatement and sticking with Towles who never should have been brought in is mind- boggling.
Doug Flutie got his chance because nothing else was working. Duh!
Yet, he will not change. Let's stick with the same old, same old. You can't make this s#$t up.
Next year the DBS seats and Flynn Fund lots will be completely empty.
It's sad and embarrassing, but I have to say - you deserve it, BC - you really do.
CT and Mod, I'm not sure if a D is grading on a curve or is just a refusal to give alma mater an F. 52-7 with Petrino calling off the dogs for the 4th quarter? Yeah, that's an F.
CT, You need to work on reading comprehension. If you missed it then wake up, go back, find it and read it. I said two weeks ago the next BC quarterback will be another transfer. Wade is terrible- worse than Towles because he cannot see over the OL. If he were any good Dazzler would not have signed Towles and given him the starting job. Brown is another wannabe fitting the Wade mold.
That being said in 2018 the Eagles quarterback will be EJ Perry. He can chuck the ball.
Weren't you the one who said Wade was a dual-threat guy? You blog at BCI?
We'll see on Perry. I've said for as long as I've cared that BC should be a pro-style team based on play-action because you just won't win recruiting skill players from the northeast. But you can get the big boys up front from anywhere. Michigan and OSU would each have three losses in the SEC West. We should cater to our strengths. Play anyone, anywhere. Beat them up. Pay attention.
Talk to any factory school down here-CU, FSU, etc- their fans all say the same thing. BC is about being tough. Both sides. Even dolts like them and you know this. Let's get back to that. Daz has the personality for it. Largely dull and charmless. Saban changed. If The Great One can admit he needed a philosophical upgrade, so can lowly Daz.
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