Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Central Florida

I don't want to make excuses for Spaz. He's clearly not putting this team in position to win. But after watching this back I still believe the team is not as bad as the score. I think there are two issues that made this much more lopsided than it should have been. Execution and mental errors on offense and a lack of talent at Defensive Tackle. I also think UCF played pretty well. Spaz has said as much. However, he's the coach, not the fan. He needs to manage around the deficiencies and get this team winning.

Offense: D-
I am Chairman of the Chase Rettig fan club, but this was not his best day. I don't know if he is feeling the pressure or feels like he has to force things, but many of our drives stalled based on the decisions he made. He made decent decisions when they blitzed. The problems came when they dropped seven and no one was open. Instead of looking for the big play or forcing a throw, he needs to occasionally tuck and run. If anything it will keep them honest. Chase also seemed off on the first drive regarding the plays. There were two runs where he turned to the backfield and was in the wrong place. I assume he was wrong because the OLine was pulling on the first and because no one moved on the second.

Andre Williams is playing hard and making some nice moves in open field. Between the tackles is still an issue, but I think that is more on the OL. Williams' biggest issue was not pulling in the screen pass we threw him deep in our own end. Kimble looked decent. Maybe we should get him more involved in the passing game. Dan Williams played a little FB but didn't make much of an impact (positive or negative).

Like Rettig, I've often been a defender of our WRs, but this was not their best day either. Coleman should have comeback a bit to help Rettig on the first INT. Larmond also needed to pull in that quick slant that the UCF DB got his hand on. The TEs were decent -- I still think Rettig should go to them more. As a group there were good examples of them blocking.

I don't know why the offensive line can't establish any consistency. I tend to blame coaching but there are other factors in play (like talent and play calling). But maybe it is talent. When our guys our pulling and getting blown up by UCF LBs, maybe they are not that great. But I also think there are some execution issues. These guys don't always seem in sync. White was our best yesterday. Clearly was ok. Wetzel was pretty good. Spinney, Gallick and Richman all had rough days.

I am tempted to give Rogers a pass for this game. He's still trying to figure out what he has and what works in live action. That said, UCF adjusted in this game and we did not. Early in the game they used blitzes and Rettig read them and delivered. Then they dropped guys into coverage and we had no answer. They were keying on the run and we didn't use much play action or misdirection. I think Rogers needs to keep things simple for the OL's sake and for Rettig's confidence. If we are having assignment issues on the opening drive you know there are some teaching and communication issues abound.

Defense: C

It may sound like I am picking on the Dline but they got outclassed. Both Halloway and Edebali got burned on the option. They both played hard but didn't do enough to disrupt their offense. And they were the good part. O'Neal got pushed around all night. Quinn looked okay early but didn't do much as the game progressed. Ricci was a non factor. Harris played a little and got pushed around. Rudolph -- didn't do anything in limited snaps. Murray was meh. We miss Ramsey more than anything right now. So much of what we do is about establishing the DL. If we cannot contain, cannot clog the run and cannot disrupt the pocket, a decent QB will find and connect with open WRs.

Kuechly made plenty of tackles, but they still gave him more trouble than usual. Godfrey faked him out and he got juked by their RBs a few times. KPL was solid. Devitto was better. Clancy got on the field more and played well.

The DBs were actaully better. You could see the difference Fletcher made the minute he got on the field. He closed quickly and read plays well. ALJ wasn't as active but his tackling was better. Noel played very well. Rositano got in. Williams was good. Sylvia showed good instincts and will make a big play soon. Hughes still looks a step slow. In many cases the UCF guys just made good catches.

When we brought pressure it was effective. We just didn't do it enough. I also appreciate that they tried new things. When the front four didn't do anything, we started using just three down lineman more. The defensive formula was working. We held them to under 9 for most of the game. It was only after we didn't score that the defense finally wore down. Plus our system is reliant on turnovers and we came up short in that department too.

Special Teams: C

There wasn't as much to judge this week. Freese fortunately made his kick. Quigley was solid as usual.

Kimble is pretty aggressive but had some nice returns.

Overall: D
Looking back, this might read like the game was much closer than 30-3. In a way it was. Even after were stopped on the 4th down, we still had some big stops on them. But we couldn't capitalize. Since the game wasn't as close, it was hard to nitpick the game management (although failing to challenge the out of bounds pass when it happened right in front of Spaz is head scratching). My biggest issue with Spaz is that we didn't look better from week 1 to week 2. We are not getting better and still making mental errors. When does he, as the head guy, figure out how to fix that?

In my quick review I said we have nine win talent and six win coaching. Many challenged my assessment of the talent. But my biggest issue with Spaz is that I don't feel he is maximizing the talent we have. I also question if he believes in the team. Why not challenge a play? If you are in four-down territory, why not go for a big play on 3rd?

Spaz needs to understand that when he is talking to the media, he is talking to BC fans. When he points out issues with detachment or sarcasm, it comes off like he is just playing the cards he was dealt. That is not cutting it. This is his team and we are still laying eggs. He needs to change something or to use his words "things could get ugly."

Ugly night for our Eagles

Last week was frustrating. This week was painful. I don't think any of us expect to win every game. But I think we want some fun and we expect some basic execution. We didn't get it tonight in this debacle. Watching this game felt like a chore.

As I tweeted, Spaz is clearly outpacing his predecessors in offensive ineptitude. Rettig wasn't good tonight but I still think most of our problems start with the offensive line. But that really hasn't been addressed across two different offensive coordinators. So much for "OLine U."

Because I've seen BC bounce back from 0-2 starts, I am not saying the season is over, but I think we have 9 win talent with 6 win coaching.

I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades late Sunday night.

In-game comments post: Central Florida

Bounce back time. As I've said, I don't understand why we are such big underdogs. I expect us to recover from last week and get our first win of the season. If we don't turn it around, then we start getting into "must win" territory in the coming weeks.

As always, leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me during the game on Twitter.

Game Watches: BC vs UCF UPDATE

Just a note: this game is on CBS Sports Network which is a sports cable channel. It used to be called CSTV and CBS College Sports Network. This is not on your local CBS affiliate. If you don't get it at home, most sports bars will have the channel. As always, if there is a club that is not listed, please email me and post an update in the comments.

ATTENTION BAY AREA EAGLE FANS: the NorCal Chapter will be sponsoring drinks for the first hour of the game, so get there early!

Boston Game Watch
The Baseball Tavern
1270 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215

Charlotte Game Watch
Beantown Tavern
130 Matthews Station St.
Matthews, NC, (704-849-2023)

Chicago Game Watch
Trinity
2721 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL

Denver Game Watch
Icehouse Tavern
1801 Wynkoop St, No 150
Denver, CO 80202-1098
(303) 292-3775
www.icehouselodo.com


Los Angeles Game Watches
SHARKEEZ
3600 Highland Ave.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 545-8811

CAMINITI'S
1220 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank
(818) 556-6550

Orange County, CA Game Watch
Spelly's Pub and Grille
40675 Murietta Hot Springs Rd.
Murrieta, CA

New York City Game Watch
Vertigo Bar & Restaurant
26th & 3rd
New York


Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street, Phoenix

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's in San Francisco
2064 Polk Street (corner of Polk & Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-771-3300

Guest Blogger: Knights Notepad

I first hosted Iliana Limón as a guest blogger prior to our 2008 game against UCF. Since then the Orlando writer has seen the Knights become one of the better mid-major programs in college football. Below is our latest exchange, as she explains who else we should worry about and if UCF even cares about BC.

1. Godfrey gets all the attention, but is he really the key to the offense? Who else should BC fans focus on?

Knights Notepad: Jeff Godfrey is the key to the UCF offense, but the offensive line and the Knights’ three primary running backs are the other major players to watch on offense. The line has improved dramatically since UCF last played Boston College in 2008. Running backs Ronnie Weaver, Latavius Murray and Brynn Harvey are all strong rushing threats.

2. I see this as a similar matchup to UCF's Liberty Bowl against Georgia. In that game UCF took on a young promising QB in a prostyle offense and decided to bring tons of pressure. Do you see the same sort of strategy in this game? Do you think they will blitz BC often?

Knights Notepad: UCF’s defense has never been passive. The goal is always to put pressure on the quarterback and disrupt all action the backfield, including handoffs to the running back. UCF should be rolling in waves of defensive linemen to take advantage of their unique strengths and keep fresh legs on the field.

3. Most BC fans assume this will be a big game for UCF, given that it is a BCS team coming to play them. Yet O'Leary downplayed it. Is this a big, circle the calendar game for the Knights?

Knights Notepad: I think it’s hard for UCF coaches and players to describe what this game means to them one. On one hand, they understand any time you play a team from an automatic qualifying BCS conference, it’s a chance to make a statement. They want wins, they want nonconference wins that will be recognized nationally and they want to earn more respect. On the other hand, they believe they have proven they can win consistently and should not be viewed as some sort of underdog going into Boston College. UCF is favored by Las Vegas oddsmakers to win by about seven points. UCF players and coaches are confident they can win if they perform well.

4. What is your prediction for the game?

Knights Notepad: I think it’s going to be a close game, but I do favor UCF to win. I suspect it will come down to which team can hold the point in the trenches and avoids turnovers.

Read more about UCF at Knights Notepad.

BC-Central Florida preview

Will the entire season swing on this game? It sounds dramatic but it feels that way. If BC cannot get a win here, that means we have to go 6-4 for the remainder of the schedule just to be bowl eligible. We've padded our win totals through the years with out of conference games. Losing this weekend not only would create an uphill climb but I also think it would hurt the team's and fanbase's confidence.

Overlooked storyline for the game: throwing to the tight ends
Coming into the season it seemed that our depth and talent at Tight End would be a perfect fit with Rogers' philosophy. Yet on Saturday the Tight Ends were used for protection and were an after thought in the passing game. Now that UCF has film on us, I would like to see us pass more out of the two-Tight End formations. It would be a nice adjustment from last week.

Three Simple Keys
1. Continue throwing downfield. My fear is that without Momah and given the sacks from last week, BC will revert to more dink and dunking. That would be a mistake. UCF will bring pressure. We will have to take advantage of that go deep.
2. Keep Godfrey in the pocket. This is even more important after last week's lesson. If we don't contain Godfrey we will struggle. If we get him passing 20+ times, we will win.
3. Better tackling in the secondary. There were some coverage issues last week but my bigger concern was the tackling.

Gambling Notes
-- O'Leary is 2-19 against BCS teams while at UCF
-- O'Leary is 25-19 at home while at UCF
-- Spaz is 0-2 in his road openers
The current line is BC+7

Factoid
This is BC's first live football game to be featured on CBS Sports Network.

Scoreboard Watching
NC State vs Wake Forest. Aside from being a matchup of two teams on our schedule, I think it will be important to see if Wake bounces back from the Syracuse loss. They looked decent at times, but gave the game away. If they play well against TOB, then we know we will have a challenge when they come to BC.

I hope to see...
Consistency out of the running game. Having the offensive line move back to their natural positions should help. If we can't be consistent, then it will be up to Rettig again.

BC is in trouble if…
We keep kicking field goals instead of TDs. This will be a low scoring game. If we cannot get to 20 points, I wonder how we will win.

Bottom Line
As I said in prior posts, I don't think we are far off. If the lines play better, we win this game. I think Spaz will have the adjustments made to slow them down and our offense puts up another 300+ yards through the air. We get up early and then both sides bog down a bit. BC wins based on keeping them bottled up in the red zone.
Final Score: BC 24, UCF 16

Pictures from the Central Florida game

It looks like Saturday was another beautiful day. Let's hope it holds up and we avoid another wet October. Thanks to Chris, Rita, Sean and Meredith for the pictures below.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Central Florida

We won 34-7. With consistent QB play we would have won 56-0. I feel that strongly. UCF is a decent Conference USA team. But we were better in every area. Their highly-touted secondary -- pfft...ours is better. In fact I think we might be better at every position than we were last year with one exception. (Guess which one?). That said, watching this game back these are the few things I picked up.

Offense: B-

The offensive line played very well. They had push on nearly every play. The pass protection was very good. Tennant and Ramsey continued their solid play. They controlled their men and really didn’t make any obvious mistakes. Lapham played well. Getting nick picky, but Claiborne and Castonzo both had a few lapses. Castonzo got sucked in on helping Ramsey pass block and didn’t release on a delayed blitz to his side. Rossi spelled Claiborne a bit and looked good too. Although it wasn’t text book, the line play showed how the zone should work. We dominate up front, get space and push off the line and a back like Harris finds the soft spots.

Last year the Wide Receivers had the best QB in the country and proceeded to drops tons of catchable balls. This year things are a little more scatter shot and now the guys have hands of glue. Momah’s two drops were the only real mental errors. Everything else they held on to or couldn’t get to. Momah may have had a dropped those two, but he also made some nice plays, including coming back and catching Crane’s deep ball. Gunnell made some nice plays. Purvis remains a steady hand (I wish we could get him more touches). Anderson’s catch was in garbage time. Jarvis is also maturing. The big day belonged to Robinson. He made a bunch of tough catches in traffic and took some big hits. His TD was a beauty. He out fought two guys and then turned on jets I didn’t know he had. He's always been dependable, but never shown that sort of breakaway speed. Let's hope he can do that in ACC play.

Too often we assume that a good running game is all about a star back or just great offensive line. Reality is not that simple. For example, Jeff Smith was running behind the same line and getting a similar push as Montel Harris. But Harris showed that balance, burst, patience and vision are all part of the package. In addition to his more fluid and natural running, Harris also showed good hands and instincts in the passing game. McCluskey continues to be a nice change of pace and pounder, although he didn’t find any big holes this week.

For his first snaps, Dominique Davis played well. His throws over the middle were better and delivered with more authority than Crane’s. On the out routes and deep balls, his delivery wasn’t as sharp. He threw the passes effortlessly, but they lack velocity. Both his deep throws were slow and forced his targets to cut back and come back to the ball. He ran well. His two big mistakes -- which didn’t really cost us -- were his inability to anticipate and escape a delayed blitz and his passes that could a have been picked up. He is not a miracle player who will save the season, but his poise and aggressiveness certainly changed the feel of the offense. Perhaps his success allowed Crane and Logan to open it up. I certainly am glad he played and hope he gets even more time against URI. No savior, but he is an alternative.

Chris Crane told his teammates that the first half Chris Crane is gone. Was I the only one who didn’t love the second half Chris Crane all the much either? He turned the ball over three times, but there were six other passes that could’ve and should’ve been picked off. Many of Crane's decisions were poor and many of his passes were off target. He still had a breakdown with Momah during one of the redzone drives. This game could have been a total disaster. That said, there was some improvement and signs of life. We haven’t turned a corner, but saw a glimpse that there may be a corner way way down the road. The good things: he ran well and may start to realize that running is better than forcing something downfield that isn’t there. In between his terrible throws and his horrible offbalance throws, there were some good ones. Don’t let the postgame spin fool you. This was another bad performance. Things are not hopeless, but Crane is not good. He will cost us games in the future.

As a Steve Logan apologist let me start with the two areas that had me screaming in anger. The first was our first foray into the redzone. He knows what Crane can and cannot do at this point, so why is he giving him plays dependent upon sharp passes. Give Crane some rollout options that he can run on. The second time where I thought our resident genius outsmarted himself was when we were pinned on the one yard line. Two weeks ago in a similar position Crane took a horrible safety. I know Logan is not conservative, but in that area we should have run it three straight times and punted. Instead we throw?!? Of course it ended up in a INT. Those gripes aside I was happy with the play calling. We showed fewer looks but got the ball into a variety of receivers. I thought Davis’ package was well balanced. The best part was Logan and Jags concluding at halftime that Chris Crane is not a “game manager.” They know what they have and decided to open things up and take the good with the bad. This will certainly scare us going forward, but hopefully we’ll get enough big plays to offset that.

Defense: A

Raji played well again. He is really setting the tone for the rest of the D. Brace was limited in snaps, but picked up his play in the second half. Scafe had his best game of the year. He was partnered with Raji often and was up for the challenge. On the goal line stand, Scafe got really low and busted up their interior. Ramella had a solid game. Giles was active. Newman looked good. If he just improves his quickness and/or ability to disengage his blocker, he’ll be closing in on some sacks soon. True Freshman Kaleb Ramsey got on the field for the first extended time and played well. Willette made a few plays.

While the DLine rotated frequently, the Linebackers continue to have a shorter rotation. Toal looks fully healthy and was very active. He definitely anticipated where to be and made play after play. McLaughlin didn’t get attention, but he also had a great great game. Solid tackling throughout. Herzy played well. Francois played well. Akins had a few miscues, but overall played well and in two positions. Thompson made a play in special teams.

The defensive backs all played well. The maligned Anderson looked very good in run support. He also added an INT. Fletcher continues to play beyond his years. He also showed a willingness to mix it up in stopping the run. Davis is also very aggressive. Rollins had many positive plays including his pick. It was a great example of reading the QB and then closing quickly. Johnson got on the field, but didn’t make a big play.

No complaints about Spaz so far. In fact, I liked his second half adjustments. In the first half we went primarily base. In the second half we showed a variety of looks and got more aggressive. I also think Spaz and Siravo deserve some kudos for how well the defensive backs have played so far. Our anticipated weakness has looked very good early in the season.

Special Teams: B-

The one kick off return was a thing of beauty. Smith used his blockers and then exploded. Hopefully there is more to come from him.

The first two punts were good with decent punt coverage. The last two were pure shanks. I am hoping it was just freshmen jitters.

The kickoffs were a mixed bag. Bennett got most deep. He skulled a few others (the announcers attributed it to the wind?). What concerned me more was the kick off coverage. We did not get nearly enough pressure on the return men. I don’t know if Bennett’s kicks need more air or if we don’t have the right guys on the kick team, but it wasn’t good.

Steve Aponavicius bounced one off the uprights. On the others he was fine. I think we just have to take it for what it is.

Overall: B+

In my quick recap, I said the score was misleading. This grade is misleading too. A few more Crane mistakes and this could have been a loss. I think this is a very good team with an Achilles Heel. So the grade shows that the team is good but not great.

A win with plenty of questions

This might be the most misleading score in recent BC history. We have the best D in the division...and the shakiest QB. At this point I'll take the "W."

Aside from the D, I loved what I saw from out WRs and the offensive line. Montel Harris has great, great potential.

As for Crane and Davis. There's plenty to talk about over the next week.

I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades Sunday nightish.

In-game comments post: Central Florida

Is this the game where we get back on track or fall of the rails? We'll find out shortly.

I will not be online during the game but feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below.

BC-Central Florida preview

You can tell from the tone of the articles that this team is questioning itself. With so much parity, the ego, effort and mood of a college team can be very fragile. I worry about that. If they get into a fight this weekend, will they be able to pull it out. Hopefully the team sends a message early and puts the game away.

Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game.
“Central Florida is looking to fill the void left by Kevin Smith.” Smith was an impressive runner and helped spark UCF's recent run. But as the Knights struggle offensively this year it is also about their offensive line. They have three new starters and will face a tough test with our front four.

Three Simple Keys
1. Contain Joe Burnett on special teams. The UCF corner is a game changer on returns. He brought a punt return back against South Florida and is also effective on kickoffs. BC’s special teams coverage has been a mixed bag so far. They need to shore it up Saturday.
2. Get big plays out of the running game. When he was hired, Jags made an emphasis on “explosion plays.” Last year we had plenty with the passing game. That doesn’t seem like it is going to happen this year. To score points we need the running backs to break something, like Jeff Smith’s run against Kent State. In addition to the big running plays, we need Crane to run too. There should be a minimum of 8 Crane runs against UCF. His threat to run will open other things on offense.
3. Redzone scoring. This is sort of a “duh” key. But our redzone play calling and execution against Georgia Tech was terrible. We need a set of plays that can move the ball and get points on the board. Regardless of who the QB is, the Oline, Purvis, Momah, McCluskey, Toal, and the variety of gimmicks we could run with guys like Flutie or Boek should be more than enough to score. Get creative. Pound away. Whatever. Just get in the endzone.

Gambling Notes
-- As the home team BC is 5-12 against teams from Florida
-- BC hasn’t lost a non-conference home game since 2003
-- Since 2000, BC is 26-9 in the month of September
The current line is BC-10.5

Factoid
BC has not played a current Conference USA team since a 1993 game against Tulane.

Scoreboard Watching
With the way the parity in the ACC, every game is important. The focus for BC fans should be on the Wake Forest-Florida State game. Their matchup will help determine the strength of the division.

I hope to see…
BC attempt and make a field goal longer than 45 yards. I can understand Jags rolling the dice on 4th down when you had Matt Ryan. But Crane is not in the same league. I would rather send Bennett out there for a long one instead of going for it on 4th and 3 from say the 32.

BC is in trouble if…
If Crane turns the ball over early. Watching the Georgia Tech game back, it was clear that once Crane started struggling, things had a snowball effect. He never recovered and started compounding mistakes with worse mistakes. If he throws more than one first half INT, Davis needs to get on the field.

Bottom Line
Call me Pollyanna, but I still have hope about this season and this game. Our defense should contain UCF. All the pieces are there on offense (except for QB). There is no reason we cannot score more than 20 points this week.
Final Score: BC 23, UCF 13.

Guest Blogger: Knights Notepad

Iliana Limón covers Central Florida for the Orlando Sentinel. She also blogs about the team on Knights Notepad. Unlike her peers on the BC beat, she actually cares about her blog and regularly updates it and interacts with her readers. With the UCF game approaching, she graciously agreed to answer a few questions about the Knights below.

Last year, UCF depended on the run. This year they opened with a strong ground performance against SC State (DIAA) but struggled for only 76 rushing yards against South Florida. What is the better indicator of how the offense will perform against BC?

Knights Notepad: I don't think either game really shows the potential of UCF's rushing attack, and its true strength is somewhere in the middle between the the two extreme performances. UCF Coach George O'Leary believes strongly in a ball-control offense and will try to run the ball at least 60 percent of the time. The Knights' rushing attack thrived in their season opener against South Carolina State, but the young running back corps could afford to make a few mistakes and still make big gains. The team obviously didn't fare as well against South Florida. The Bulls had a strong front line, but O'Leary said his offensive line wasn't the problem. He said the biggest issue was his young running backs trying to make too many lateral cuts and looking for big gains instead of settling for respectable three-yard runs. The team worked on its rushing attack during the bye week, and O'Leary said he saw improvement.

The Knights D picked off Matt Grothe twice yet also gave up chunks of yardage. Are they attacking or do they sit back and wait for the QB to make a mistake?

KN: I think Matt Grothe is a special quarterback who has a remarkable ability to slip out of the pocket under heavy pressure and make big plays, so the Knights' stats ended up looking like a mixed bag against him. While UCF's offense is relatively conservative, the Knights' defense gambles and flies to the ball. UCF has a veteran secondary and can afford to leave its cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage, giving the Knights a lot of blitzing options. With a young and still evolving offense, I think the defense is well aware of its job to not only stop the opposing offense but also try to force turnovers and score some points.

O'Leary seems to bring good football and plenty of off field distractions with him wherever he goes. How are the players dealing with the latest issue (the offseason death of a teammate)? Is it truly behind them? Is it motivation or distraction?

KN: I'm sure it still hurts sometimes, but it appears players really have put the death of teammate Ereck Plancher behind them. They had to overcome a lot of obstacles during the offseason, including the death of Plancher, another teammate getting shot several times outside his home in Louisiana and yet another teammate getting diagnosed with cancer. I think the obstacles have unified the team. A lot of the players, especially on defense, seem to genuinely like each other and spend a lot of time together off the field.

What is your prediction for the game?

KN: Boston College hasn't lost a nonconference home game since 2003 and has an impressive defense, so I have to give the edge to the Eagles. I'll go with 17-7 Boston College.

READ MORE ABOUT UCF FOOTBALL AT KNIGHTS NOTEPAD.