BC-Syracuse preview

A must win November game against Syracuse: it is BC deja vu! This time it is Bill O'Brien's turn. He also has the unfortunate fate of facing one of the best Orange teams in a long time. BC's problems are apparent. They can't consistently move the ball and they haven't figured out how to maximize Castellanos. We know TC is talented. A good staff will figure this out and stop the bleeding. Let's save the season...we've done it against Syracuse before. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
The ACC met with private equity regarding the breakaway super league. Obviously the focus is on the money first and logistics second, but I still have real doubts about the feasibility of this whole thing. If these schools breakaway into a closed league making billions of dollars, how are they going to keep from making players employees? I also wonder why the super league would need or want 70 teams. We have decades worth of history of the big names not wanting to share their riches with the small guys (Texas, Notre Dame, etc). Why would they do so now? In the end, the breakaway is coming, but I don't think this current proposal will be the winning formula. 

Three Simple Keys
1. Win the turnover battle. If we can force some INTs and protect the ball ourselves, we should win.
2. A balanced game from TC. Let's assume he is healthy, then give him some space and let him run. Don't ask him to work from the pocket over and over.
3. Dominate on the OL. We haven't been as consistent up front as we need to be. Sustaining long drives will all be about the OLine.

Gambling Notes:
-- Syracuse leads the series 33-23
-- Fran Brown is 4-4 against the spread
-- BC hasn't beaten Syracuse at Alumni since 2014 
The current line is BC-2

Factoid
Spaz, Hafley and Henning all won their debuts against Syracuse. TOB, Coughlin and Addazio did not.

Scoreboard watching
UVA at Pitt. It looked like the Panthers might be the best team on our schedule but then SMU handed them a loss. Will they bounce back this week?

BC is in trouble if...we can't punt. Once again, it comes back to a coaching issue. Can we win this game with terrible punting? Sure. But it will be very frustrating if the coaching staff hasn't figured out a work around on our ugly, ugly Special Teams. 

I hope to see...a big day on the ground. Beyond TC going off, it would be nice to see all the running backs get good productive carries and a few big explosive runs.

Bottom Line
I think we bounce back this week. There have been so many frustrating points in the losing streak and plays that could have turned the game. This week, those plays go our way and we get a late turnover to lock up the win.
Final Score: BC 35, Syracuse 27

BC-Syracuse preview

I don't consider Syracuse a rivalry in the sense that I get overly emotional or take great pride in beating them. However, I do recognize that our games with the Orange -- especially in the Dome -- tend to be either huge trap games or huge boosts to various seasons. This game comes at a critical time. With a win, we become bowl eligible and keep the hot streak going. Lose and all the recent goodwill and momentum goes away. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
The basketball season starts next week and I am excited. I think there is a general optimism among many casual BC fans and a lot of optimism among the hoops diehards. The experts still predict BC to finish in the bottom half of the conference, but many have us sneaking into the Tournament. We are still in the honeymoon phase with Earl, so I think we can do it. I just like entering the season where people beyond BC have a little faith in what's ahead.

Three Simple Keys
1. Protect the ball. Hafley didn't throw TC under the bus, but you could tell when talking about the UConn win, he was frustrated. Statistically BC dominated, but the scoreboard didn't show it. We can't turn the ball over and kill our drives nor give the Orange good field position.
2. Stick with the run. I know we are going to run. Everyone knows. But the key, which has paid off in the last three games, is the steady diet of run that wears on the other team. Our OLine is very good. Syracuse is not great against the run. So stick with it and hope that in the second half it leads to BC controlling the game.
3. Stop the run. Like us, I think Syracuse will try to control tempo, establish the run and then open up the passing game. If we run stop on first downs, we win this game.

Gambling Notes
-- Hafley is 1-2 vs Babers
-- Hafley is 1-1 in Syracuse
-- Babers is 4-3 vs BC
The current line is BC+2.5

Factoid
Neither team has won three in a row in the series since 1998.

Scoreboard Watching
Louisville-Virginia Tech. If you are reading this blog you probably know that the BC Twitterverse is hyper-focused on BC's path to the ACC Championship game. Aside from running the table ourselves, we need some help. It would be very helpful to the cause if Virginia Tech upset Louisville this weekend.

BC is in trouble if...TC is not 100%. Last week he made some mistakes and missed some time and BC still won. That sort of thing can happen against a UConn. It won't in ACC games.

I hope to see...the DLine step up. The rest of the D is looking pretty good, but the Dline is still not disrupting much or generating a lot of pressure. We could use a big game.

Bottom Line
Syracuse looks like a team that is mentally checked out. I think BC goes into the Dome, pushes them around on the Line and pulls away in the second half.
Final Score: BC 31, Syracuse 13

BC-Syracuse preview

Judging a team's mood on TV is admittedly some subjective B.S. but lots of people (including me) thought the BC team checked out and quit last week. It happens. This has been a long, frustrating and disappointing season. The final game won't erase the pain of the season but a win can smooth the edge a bit and give us all some hope heading into the offseason. We could really use a win Saturday.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I don't know where Jeff Hafley is going to start with his offseason changes. It would seem that offense would be Step 1, but I think the injuries raise questions about Strength & Conditioning and the defense is not beyond reproach. But making wholesale changes becomes tricky when half your roster could easily transfer if the mood strikes them. It is so hard to make hires when the perception is that you are a sinking ship. Your choices are often unproven guys or ones that no one wants. I hope whatever he does, the hires are better than the changes he made last offseason.

Three Simple Keys
1. Win the first quarter. Every game we are seemingly in a double digit hole. We need to come out and start the game with some defensive stops.
2. Get Zay 10 touches. The Jet Sweeps and end arounds weren't great but let's try it early. The threat of it should open things up elsewhere on the field. 
3. Run the ball somehow. As much as I believe in Morehead, when we beat Dino's Syracuse teams, it is usually on the ground.

Gambling notes
-- Syracuse is 6-5 against the spread this year 
-- BC is 3-7 against the spread
-- Syracuse leads the series 32-22
The current line is BC+10.5

Factoid
Our last losing regular season also concluded with a game against Syracuse. Of course BC lost that one too. 

Scoreboard Watching
Michigan-Ohio State. I know I often talk about what could have been with regards to Ryan Day, but both Harbaughs had interest in BC when TOB left. A big West Coast booster pushed Gene to interview Jim (he didn't). But Gene did talk to John. 

I hope to see...
The Offensive Line look much better. It has been a well documented mess all year. They now have experience under fire. A solid effort on Saturday would be a small payoff for the misery we all endured this fall watching them look so lost all year.

BC is in trouble if...
Morehead struggles. Assuming we make offensive coaching changes, we will need a solid QB to build around. If things don't go well for Morehead Saturday, who knows what BC will do with the QB position and who knows if Morehead will stick around.

Bottom Line
This is probably more a wish than a prediction. There is very little to base this on. Call it a hunch. I think BC comes out fired up for the first time all year and takes advantage of some Cuse mistakes.
Final Score: BC 28, Syracuse 21

Game Day Info: Syracuse

No comments this year

What you need to know 

Weather: Indoors, so weather won't be an issue 

Radio: SiriusXM 384

TV: Regional Sports Networks. Here is the link.

BC-Syracuse preview

It is probably too early to put a tag on anything Hafley has done or say "Hafley's teams do..." but so far we seemingly play up (and down) to our opponent. That is great when playing Clemson. Not a good approach when taking on a depleted Syracuse team. The Orange are bad and reeling. BC is coming off a very emotional loss. This is the perfect opponent to set things straight. Let's do this and not take anything for granted.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Babers' contract with Syracuse is just the latest reminder that you don't want to get into expensive long-term contracts with college coaches. In most cases you are only bidding against yourself. But the problem is that the size of the buyout often keeps a school from making a move when one needs to be made. Babers turned one great season into a huge deal. And now that it looks like a fluke, Syracuse can't move on becuase they can't afford his allegedly $17 million buyout. (Like BC, Syracuse is a private school, so they don't have to report the size of the deal.) I am all for giving publicity extensions to reassure recruits, but committing big bucks to anyone is rarely worth it. If Hafely continues to have success, BC should pay him, but not lock themselves into anything that is burdensome.

Three Simple Keys
1. Get Long involved in the game. The deep balls and aggressiveness of last week was good. However, getting the ball to Long is a higher percentage play (in most cases) and helps both the running game and those home run balls we keep attempting.
2. Get pressure with just the front four. We got burned on blitzes last week. Syracuse's QBs are a mess (Culpepper is the likely starter) but they still have an offense designed to get rid of the ball quickly. If we get pressure with just four, there should be lots of chances to get turnovers and very few big plays.
3. Don't forget to runover them if needed. Our running attack isn't as good as last year's. But Cuse is still a mess at stopping the run. If we are struggling in the passing game, just give the ball to Bailey. It worked last year.

Gambling Notes
-- Syracuse leads the all-time series 31-21
-- BC is 5-12 in the Carrier Dome
-- Babers is 2-2 against BC
The current line is BC-14

Factoid
The home team has lost four straight in this series.

Scoreboard Watching
It is all about Clemson vs Notre Dame. Did we expose the Tigers last week? I think we sort of woke them up. I also think they were looking past us a bit. Now they get their shot at Notre Dame. I think they will bury the Irish to make a statement. But Notre Dame needs a strong showing too. The winner will basically control the ACC and probably end up in the playoffs (even if they lose an ACC Championship Game).

I hope to see...BC with less than six penalties. I keep harping on it, but it is ridiculous at this point. BC enters this weekend 101st in fewest penalties per game. We are not talented enough to get away with that.

BC is in trouble if...we turn the ball over. Syracuse is not a good defensive team. We should score at will against them. The only way they stay in the game is if we give them the ball.

Overall
Mentally I have to get over Syracuse being the spoiler of many seasons. Hafley doesn't carry any of that baggage, so we shouldn't either. I think BC has more talent and a more explosive offense. They can't keep up with us and BC win's comfortably.
Final Score: BC 34, Syracuse 21

How is this not a coaching issue?

Basketball got walloped in the Carrier Dome by Syracuse Wednesday night. The Jim Christian apologists were a little more subdued, but how can anyone not put this on the coaching staff? Every argument leads that way...

1. The talent is young and raw...debatable, but it is the staff's job to shape them and cover up their deficiencies.

2. The talent is not doing what the staff is implementing...then this is a problem and the coaching staff is failing to get them to either buy in or understand what they need to do.

3. The talent is not good...who recruited them?

Now there are other defenses of Christian not specifically related to this game.

1. There are institutional issues with BC Basketball that no one could overcome...I think BC Basketball needs more institutional support, but the severity of the job's handicap is debatable. Could another coach overcome BC's issues? Who knows. But we do know one coach who can't.

2. A change is not worth destabilizing recruiting...In my opinion it is worth the risk. The right new coach has a shot at holding the recruits, plus Christian has shown the best he can do with elite talent is an early exit from the NIT.

Good Day: The good version of BC's offense destroys Syracuse

What a difference a week makes. Last week, Clemson embarrassed BC. This week it was BC's turn to make another team look hapless. BC put up 58 on Syracuse and it could have been more. It started with the Oline, but Bailey, Dillon and Grosel all made huge plays when given the chance. Syracuse looked lost and defeated. The BC D wasn't as dominant but had a good day by their standards.

The win moved BC that much closer to a bowl game. I think BC has more than enough talent on Offense to win all their remaining games. But can the D do just enough to make it happen?

BC-Syracuse preview

Do you think after seven years, Addazio is tired of these "must win" games? Since Year 4, he has been able to do just enough to stay alive, but there must be a grind to that sort of thinking. Or maybe it helps him and gives him focus and clarity. The only time since Year 3 that things seemed totally stable was when we hosted Clemson for GameDay. Yet he followed that moment with a series of ugly games filled with bad luck and bad coaching. Maybe the pressure this week helps BC get back on track.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
This fall I have found myself driving during nearly every BC game. 99% of the time, I am chauffeuring my kids around. This leads to me listening to the radio broadcast with a captive audience. At home when I put the BC game on, they never watch and are off doing a million other things. In the car, they are forced to listen and start to understand what's going on with BC. My son has lots of questions. My daughter don't care, but pay enough attention to ask something or other. It is refreshing experience especially when things are not going well. At home I stew on things. In the car -- with them -- I am forced to let go and not get as frustrated (although if I ever get in an accident, I am blaming Addazio). I also enjoy Meter, Cronin and Mute. They're emotionally invested like we are which is comforting during a roller coaster season.

Three Simple Keys
1. Basic production from Grosel. Syracuse is not Clemson, so that will help, but he needs to make good read snad good throws and run when he can. If he is off again, BC's season might fall apart.
2. Get pressure. Last week confirmed we can't stay with WRs on the deep stuff. I expect Syracuse to try to go deep early. BC needs to counter with lots of QB pressure so he doesn't even get the passes off.
3. Get the WRs involved in the game. This is somewhat related to the shrinking playbook, but there should be plenty of passes to hit with Syracuse crowded the box.

Gambling notes
-- The visiting team has won three straight in this series
-- Addazio is 2-4 vs Syracuse
-- Addazio is 1-2 vs Babers
The current line is BC+3.5

Factoid
BC has only won in the Carrier Dome four times.

Scoreboarad watching
I don't know how Virginia Tech rebounded from their terrible start, but they have. They now have a chance to knock off a reeling Notre Dame. This game should show how vulnerable the Irish are.

I hope to see...
Dillon in the passing game. It is a win-win. He develops and it opens up our offense.

BC is in trouble if...
We can't stop their run. Last year's gameplan against us was so simple, yet we were helpless. If we had five or six DBs on the field, they ran. And yet we couldn't adjust or recognize what was happening.

Overall
I've been calling this a W for BC for weeks. Cuse is bad and there is no reason we can't just run on them like we did with NC State. I think BC controls early and plows over them en route to a comfortable win.
Final Score: BC 28, Syacuse 13

BC-Syracuse preview

Do you think after seven years, Addazio is tired of these "must win" games? Since Year 4, he has been able to do just enough to stay alive, but there must be a grind to that sort of thinking. Or maybe it helps him and gives him focus and clarity. The only time since Year 3 that things seemed totally stable was when we hosted Clemson for GameDay. Yet he followed that moment with a series of ugly games filled with bad luck and bad coaching. Maybe the pressure this week helps BC get back on track.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
This fall I have found myself driving during nearly every BC game. 99% of the time, I am chauffeuring my kids around. This leads to me listening to the radio broadcast with a captive audience. At home when I put the BC game on, they never watch and are off doing a million other things. In the car, they are forced to listen and start to understand what's going on with BC. My son has lots of questions. My daughter don't care, but pay enough attention to ask something or other. It is refreshing experience especially when things are not going well. At home I stew on things. In the car -- with them -- I am forced to let go and not get as frustrated (although if I ever get in an accident, I am blaming Addazio). I also enjoy Meter, Cronin and Mute. They're emotionally invested like we are which is comforting during a roller coaster season.

Three Simple Keys
1. Basic production from Grosel. Syracuse is not Clemson, so that will help, but he needs to make good read snad good throws and run when he can. If he is off again, BC's season might fall apart.
2. Get pressure. Last week confirmed we can't stay with WRs on the deep stuff. I expect Syracuse to try to go deep early. BC needs to counter with lots of QB pressure so he doesn't even get the passes off.
3. Get the WRs involved in the game. This is somewhat related to the shrinking playbook, but there should be plenty of passes to hit with Syracuse crowded the box.

Gambling notes
-- The visiting team has won three straight in this series
-- Addazio is 2-4 vs Syracuse
-- Addazio is 1-2 vs Babers
The current line is BC+3.5

Factoid
BC has only won in the Carrier Dome four times.

Scoreboarad watching
I don't know how Virginia Tech rebounded from their terrible start, but they have. They now have a chance to knock off a reeling Notre Dame. This game should show how vulnerable the Irish are.

I hope to see...
Dillon in the passing game. It is a win-win. He develops and it opens up our offense.

BC is in trouble if...
We can't stop their run. Last year's gameplan against us was so simple, yet we were helpless. If we had five or six DBs on the field, they ran. And yet we couldn't adjust or recognize what was happening.

Overall
I've been calling this a W for BC for weeks. Cuse is bad and there is no reason we can't just run on them like we did with NC State. I think BC controls early and plows over them en route to a comfortable win.
Final Score: BC 28, Syacuse 13

What matters: Loss to Cuse, Bowman benching or hot seat talk?

Basketball lost another ho-hum game to Syracuse. BC hung for a while, got in a big hole, cut the deficit but never really threatened. We've seen it before. We've seen it against Syracuse. The D was inconsistent and no one really exploded other than Bowman. Which is connected to...

Christian announced before the game that Bowman would not start due to undisclosed violation of team rules. I don't know what Bowman did. I don't know if the punishment worked. I do know that this sort of tactic has not been used much by Christian. So why now and why Bowman? This comes off as ineffective at best and desperate at worst. I hope it was worth it, but when the team keeps losing, we don't know.

When and how this ends is going to become the most consistent storyline of the next month. Pete Thamel grouped Christian in his coaches hot seat column. He didn't speculate on replacements or a number of wins that would save JC. It seems like the biggest issue is that BC needs to shake its basketball malaise. Thamel is pretty plugged in at BC, so I think this is probably not a great indicator of Christian's future. But the speculation is more interesting than anything happening on the court. 

BC comes up short vs Syracuse

What can you say? To win, we need everything to go our way and it didn't against Syracuse. Bowman and Chatman got their points, but weren't particularly efficient in doing so and no one else really filled the other voids. This is all tougher with Tabbs' lingering injury too. 

The frustration really comes in on two fronts. BC played bad D for long stretches, couldn't get good rebounds late and didn't capitalize when Syracuse cooled off a bit. 

The little streak is over. Now let's hope they regroup.

Slide continues as Syracuse crushes BC

If you want to talk positives, you could at least say the team lost that game together. Special Teams made mistakes, the Offense looked sloppy and the D put up their worst performance of the season. There will be plenty to talk about in the coming days and plenty of fingers to point, but the natural target is Addazio. BC will still go bowling, but it feels like the guy can't get BC to that next level and will be 7-6 for eternity.

Thanks to those who said "hello." It wasn't a great day to be at Alumni, but I appreciate the continued support.

In-game comments post: Syracuse

Senior Day and the final game of the regular season. Let's end on a high note.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

BC-Syracuse preview

I know this is not unique to BC Football, but in college football every game now feels like a referendum on the state of the program. This game shouldn't determine our whole view of Addazio, but winning is critical. Beyond the 7-win ceiling, it would also stop the bleeding and give the team a little momentum going into the bowl game. I don't even want to think about what losing means.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Babers' name is getting floated for job openings. If he leaves it will be interesting to see where Syracuse looks. Babers was an unconventional hire -- no regional or school ties -- and seems to have worked. Maybe it  would encourage BC to be unconventional during our next major search.

Three Simple Keys
1.  Get points off of turnovers. I trust our DBs to force some INTs, but BC can't come away from those possessions without points.
2. Punish any nine-man boxes. This has been one of the most frustrating things of the losses. We've gotten a few big plays when teams load the box, but too often we either fail to get the pass off or run right into the crowd. Brown and Loeffler need to be smart and the O needs to execute
3. If Devitto plays, blitz like crazy. Let him show that he can handle the pressure in his face.

Gambling Notes
-- Syracuse leads the series 31-20
-- Addazio is 2-3 vs the Orange
-- Addazio is 4-1 on Senior Day
The current line is BC-7

Factoid
This is the seventh time BC has ended its regular season with a game against Syracuse.

Scoreboard Watching
Pay attention to all the middle of the pack ACC teams and borderline bowl teams like Wake, FSU, Duke, Miami, and VT. How all do will help determine our bowl slots.

I hope to see...
Bailey, Glines and Levy get touches in the run game. Regardless of health, Dillon shouldn't be running it 30+ times in a game.

BC is in trouble if...
If Brown struggles early. We missed lots of scoring opportunities. Syracuse is coming off a tough loss too. We need to put them away early.

Overall
In general, I don't love the Syracuse matchup. I don't like their explosiveness vs our inconsistency. But I think our D is good enough and they are beaten down enough that BC should be okay keeping it on the ground and winning by more than a touchdown.
Final Score: BC 31, Syracuse 21

BC avoids late game problems and downs Syracuse

After the collapse against Miami, I was a little nervous during the final minutes of the BC-Syracuse game. But BC made some foul shots, made some good decisions when breaking the press and didn't have huge defensive lapses in their win over the Orange.

Aside from the late game deja vu, the other point that got me nervous was when Syracuse started out four-for-six from 3. Fortunately they cooled off while BC was hot from outside (14-27). Bowman led BC with 23. Robinson 22 and was limited in minutes and aggressiveness due to foul trouble. Reyes started and struggled. Pop came off the bench and looked decent. There were times when BC really handled the 2-3 and other times when they couldn't hit open shots.

I am hoping for a win this weekend and a strong showing at the ACC tourney. We need some NIT momentum.

BC looks bad against Syracuse

Before the game, BC fans were talking about this being an important road win for the resume. After the loss, BC fans (or maybe just me) were wondering if we've really progressed at all. The D was terrible. The roster looked real limited when injuries and foul trouble hit. Heck even blast from the past Ervins Meznieks got some minutes. Once he missed a wide open layup, you quickly remembered why he has been buried on the bench.

We can't play 40 minutes of basketball. It is often that simple. As dynamic as some of our players are and as clever as Christian might be drawing up a play or two, we have way too many defensive issues. We have a point guard who turns the ball over a ton. It's frustrating.

Now it is about regrouping. The team is off for a week. They can rest and get better. Because if this ACC schedule falls apart, then you have to question if the early success was just a fluke.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Syracuse

There are times when the score reflects the game and times when it can be a little misleading. For example, the Florida State game really was a domination. The Clemson game was not as lopsided as the final result. This score feels a bit misleading. BC won handily, but for long stretches, it felt like Syracuse was going to get right back in it. Addazio does deserve credit for putting them away, However, there are still areas that weren't perfect. I am glad we have a month to practice.

Offense: A

Unlike past games, Wade played well from the start and throughout the game. He made some nice throws and was a bit more aggressive. I was also really impressed with his ability to avoid the sack when he got flushed out of the pocket.

Dillon is getting so much better at being a complete back. He is finding holes and not just running over people. Hilliman played better than he has been playing. His blocking was much better. Levy looked good when he finally got to see the field.

Like many of our recent opponents, Syracuse loaded the box to disrupt the ground game. The OLine handled the onslot well. Lindstrom played well. Lazard is not having as many problems as he did earlier in the year.

The Tight Ends really made the O click. They blocked well. They got open. They made their catches. Sweeney had some tough ones. Garrison played well. So did Callinan. Loved seeing Jeff Smith break free (what could have been with him...). White made some nice plays. Thadd Smith go multiple touches and did well.

This week's gameplan looked like it was made for Wade. Plenty of short passes. Plenty of boots and play fakes. We also added new wrinkles, ran the sweeps well and got the ball to many different guys. It was a good gameplan.

Defense: B

Allen had a solid game. I don't know if something was wrong, but Ray missed a few tackles. Ray Smtih was fine. So was Merritt.

Schwab played really well...even after he tweaked his leg. Jones seemed a little behind the action, but considering how new he is to LB, he played well.

The DBs were asked to do a lot and were pretty good. Cheevers played well in coverage and had a huge pass breakup that led to Harris' TD. Denis' return off the INT was nice. Torres looked okay in coverage. There were some missed tackles in this group but considering how good Cuse's WRs are, that was to be expected.

I didn't love the Defensive gameplan. I know it contained Syracuse to only 14 points, but they gained a ton of yards and hit lots of big passes. There were also plenty of 3rd down conversions. What saved BC were the 4th down stops and the turnovers. Once we realized that Culpepper was going to hit the passes, why not bring more pressure or give him more looks?

Special Teams: A

The success of the offense of late has hurt Knoll's chances at All ACC. His punts were good Saturday and both landed inside the 20.

Walker was fine.

The kickoffs haven't been as long or clean lately. Being indoors I expected the touch backs again. Maybe something is nagging GS.

No attempts at Field Goals. That was probably smart.

Overall: A-

There was plenty of message board talk after the game as to why Perry didn't get in to play. Maybe he could have been used during the final drive, but at this point it doesn't matter. The kid played and will practice for the bowl as the backup. BC needs a backup for the bowl, so this was not an entirely wasted season. I am not going to get on Addazio for that now. (Three years from now if Perry is great, I may reverse my current opinion.)

The other ingame coaching thing that Addazio did was to use timeouts to ice their kicker. It may seem childish, but in this case it worked.

Overall the team was much better prepared than his previous trips to the Carrier Dome and Wade looked much, much better.

Now it is time to get ready for the bowl and to develop the younger guys.

BC crushes the 'Cuse

That's how you end a season on a high note. BC played well in all aspects of the game to defeat Syracuse 42-14. With the win, Addazio guarantees a winning record regardless of the bowl game. (The bowl game is a chance to break the 7-6 ceiling.)

Wade had his best game yet and look very good passing out of bootlegs. He also spread the ball around. Dillon was dominant again.

The D allowed a lot of yardage against a quick strike Syracuse team. However, they got the turnovers and stops they needed during the game.

I did a quick Periscope to capture an uneventful game. I might do another Periscope Sunday night when the bowl picture becomes more clear.

BC beats Syracuse. Post game Periscope https://t.co/sLyA7eN2qj

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) November 25, 2017

In-game comments post: Syracuse

Will the Carrier Dome be our House of Horrors again or does BC end the regular season on a high note?

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

BC-Syracuse preview

Because his terrible Year 3 derailed any concept of a steady, program-building progression, so many Addazio games seem to serve as tests. This season we wondered "could he beat one of the big ACC teams?" or "could he finally get the offense to click?" or "could his home grown QB excel?" This Syracuse game is key step to an even more basic question: "can he ever be more than a 7-6 coach?" We know we are bowling, but the difference between 7-6 and 8-5 is enormous at this point. To get to 8-5, he needs to win this weekend.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I don't speak to every Syracuse fan, but I do know a few pretty well. What's interesting is how closely they associate Addazio with Pasqualoni. They view him as Paul P 2.0 and are quick to point out the many similarities. Addazio is quick to mention Urban Meyer (he did it this week when talking about his Thanksgiving schedule) but I don't think any BC fan thinks he's the next coming of Meyer. I think it is fair to say he's Coach P with a little more personality.

Three Simple Keys
1. Force turnovers. Like last week, I think giving Syracuse many looks will lead to INTs.
2. No Field Goal attempts. I know it is indoors and presumably easier to convert, but why risk it? Treat everything as four-down territory.
3. Complete at least 15 passes. We were lucky to win with so many drops and bad passes. That can't happen this week. Give Wade some easy throws and keep the ball moving.

Gambling Notes
-- Syracuse leads the all time series 30-19
-- Addazio is 0-2 in the Carrier Dome
-- Addazio is 1-3 vs Syracuse
The current line is BC-3.5

Factoid
Spaz is the only BC coach with a winning record (1-0) in the Carrier Dome.

Scoreboard Watching
Florida State-Florida is important to BC. If FSU gets to six wins, they will be a more desirable team than BC. A 'Noles loss would help BC's bowl options.

What I hope to see..
Perry get to make a real contribution. His redshirt is burned and we can't go back. Let's give him something to do.

BC is in trouble if...
This becomes a shoot out. Even without Dungey, Syracuse is built to score and score a lot. BC is not. That's why the ground game is so important this week.

Overall
After 2004, I will never take a Syracuse backup for granted. Regardless of who starts at QB for the Orange, I think they will move the ball. I think BC will control the tempo with the ground attack and hold off a Syracuse drive in the 4th to win the game.
Final Score: BC 28, Syracuse 21