Trojans too much for BC Hoops

BC took a week off for exams. The rust and lack of intensity from the break was obvious as the team lost at home to USC. The game was close throughout and BC fouled in the final seconds in an attempt to close the gap, but USC didn't make enough mistakes to let BC steal it. The loss was disappointing as this was a chance to pick up a good non-conference win. And BC should have won. We've seen them play better, but the this game was sloppy and the defense was bad. Here are some other thoughts:

-- We couldn't buy a shot. Good looks weren't falling. Hanlan missed from everywhere. Batten was ineffective. If not for Heckmann's stats, things would have been much worse.

-- Bad interior defense. None of the defense was that good, but it was worse close to the basket. I don't expect our bigs to become good defenders overnight, but they need to be better than they were Sunday.

-- The refs were terrible. That ruined our flow and our rotations.

This felt like last year's team. I hope we are not that sluggish after Christmas. 

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: USC

Watching the game live was tense. It constantly felt like USC might light up the scoreboard with a big play. The second time around you realize how dominant this performance was. The final score doesn't even indicate how BC controlled the game from the 2nd quarter to the finish. There was a lot to like about the whole performance.

Offense: A-

As I tweeted, Tyler Murphy didn't complete a pass in the second half, yet BC extended our lead. He really didn't need to throw much. USC couldn't stop him and he made great decisions on the zone reads and options. His passes in general were more crisp although still not great. I also liked that he was quick to run when his first passing reads weren't there. He had some wide open players that he ignored but I think that will improve with film study. Overall though, this was the Murphy we needed: run first and keep the threat of the pass in his backpocket.

There had been some talk about Willis and Rouse's decline after the Pitt game. I think this game reinforced that both are still good and just needed better blocking. Hilliman made the most of his first extended time. The announcers talked up his potential as the big back, but he was more than just that. He showed great speed on the TDs and enough instinct to reach for the pylon. Wofford blocked well and it was noted by Blackledge.

The WRs were bad again as a group. While their opportunities continue to decrease, they are not helping themselves with the continued drops. Bordner, Crimmins, Alston and Callinan are dropped or missed catchable balls. But it wasn't all bad. Alston proved to be a real threat with the ball. He's listed as a WR, but I think he's going to be like our version of Percy Harvin and will probably get more handoffs than passes this year. Bordner blocked really well.

The Offensive Line played very well. Gallik led the way and other than a mix up on a late coming rusher, had a pretty steady night. He looked very good moving too. Kramer played well and had no big issues. The pass protection was much better. Silberman didn't look as lost and didn't have any noticeable issues.

I thought the play calling was very good. What I appreciated most is that many of the plays built off of previous ones. For example the option...and then they option with the end around to Alston...and then the fake end around to Alston. We also incorporated the dive into our zone reads, which is a wrinkle I haven't seen before (the Dive is more a staple of Navy and Georgia Tech). I would still like to see Murphy roll or bootleg more, but after last week's disaster in passing, this week was good. Day planned the game well and called it even better.

Defense: B

Kavalec had another solid game. He can shed blockers and is a solid tackler. Although he wasn't credited with a tackle, I thought Wujciak did a good job penetrating and disrupting their run game. I didn't think Mihalik played as well. He got pushed around a bit and lost contain a few times. On the other End Moore seemed to get blocked down too. Landry looked good and remains very active. Adebayo had a nice play. Gutapfel looked good.

Daniels made plenty of tackles, but I think he was responsible for a few different USC RBs coming out of the backfield uncovered. I cannot be sure but looking back he seems like the fall guy (I don't think Brown would ask the DEs to wait and cover). Keyes looked much better than last week. I don't know why the tackling was so different but he was like a new player. Of the young guys, Lezzer looked good and so did Strizak.

As a group I thought the DBs played well. They made most of their tackles, were very active and played well in coverage. Asprilla had one of his better games. He was good in one on one coverage and made plenty of tackles in support of the run. Bryce Jones also had a good game. Milano was a nice surprise and a sure tackler. Sylvia made a mistake in Special Teams (see below) but was solid otherwise.

We gave up 317 passing yards but it didn't feel like that and I assume that was by design. Brown left Kessler confused and exploited many of USC's blocking issues. Most of the passing yards came in short passes where we gave the Trojans space. It was a mix of bend but don't break and pressure. Brown did a good job of mixing things up and was able to generate a lot of the pressure with only four rushers. But the tackling improved and so did the run D and for that Brown deserves credit.

Special Teams: B

The missed PAT and missed FG didn't matter but should be a concern to coaches (and fans).

Howell's punts were nice and the punt coverage was good. The kick coverage wasn't as good. Sylvia got out of his lane on their big return. However, the squibs worked well and our coverage improved with it.

Willis was solid on his kick returns. Alston made good decisions on his punt returns.

The hands team didn't have to do much, but at least they were ready and didn't screw it up.

Overall: A+

This was not a perfect game, but I will ignore that because of the momentous win. Beating USC is nice, but the biggest reason for recognizing Addazio is the difference between last week and this one. BC corrected most of their major errors and regrouped after a frustrating loss. That is a sign of a good coach and a good staff. I know I am oversimplifying again but the core result is clear. This coach and staff have the attention and belief of their players and are making them better each week.

As for game management, I am glad Addazio pushed for scoring late in the first half. It made the difference. The kick on 3rd down was a little funky, but as he explained to Holly Rowe, they were trying to see if they could catch USC off guard and 19 seconds wasn't enough to do much. You'd like things to be a little more crisp in those situations, but the fact Addazio has an aggressive mindset is important. When we were nursing the lead, I also thought he used his second half timeouts well. Saving them is ideal, but making sure that we don't make killer mistakes is more important.

Addazio always seems to be riding a fine line with expectations. This win raised them. I am not worried about how we handle Maine next week, but the rest of the schedule will be tough. He passed the regrouping challenge. Now he needs to get this team to execute every week.

Trampling the Trojans

When I wrote about what BC needed to do in order to get back in a bowl, I said we had to steal a game from one of the big boys on our schedule. We didn't steal anything Saturday night. We beat USC by overpowering them and running the ball down their throat. Steve Addazio and his staff did a great job in their first year adjusting to the roster they inherited. This season's roster is a mix of young kids and some surprising transfers and they just beat a Top 10 team at Alumni. Calling the win huge would be an understatement. Right now it is clearly Addazio's signature win and hopefully the first of many.

There is still a long season ahead and this team still has clear limitations, but this win does two things. It gives the players confidence and it gives the staff a blueprint of how they can play with any team in the country. BC Football is fun again and playing to win makes all the difference.

I will have my grades and second viewing thoughts up late Sunday and maybe another post before celebrating the game and the win.

In-game comments post: USC

The oddsmakers don't like our chances and last year's game wasn't fun. But under the lights at Alumni could mean a whole different vibe. Let's make it a good one. Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Game Watches: USC

It is Saturday night. BC's on national TV. We're playing USC? You know you're watching. Might as well watch with some BC fans!

Chicago Game Watch
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage (Armitage Brown/Purple Line L)
Chicago

Dallas Game Watch
Corner Bar
4830 McKinney Ave
Dallas

Denver Game Watch
The Whittier Pub
2000 E 28th Ave
Denver

Houston Game Watch
The Beer Company
J. Black’s - 110 S Heights Blvd
Houston

Las Vegas Game Watch
Steiner’s Nevada Style Pub
8410 West Cheyenne Ave
Las Vegas, NV

Los Angeles Game Watch
Brü Haus
11831 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, Calif.

New York City Game Watches
Joshua Tree
513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.

American Whiskey
30th Street between 7th and 8th Ave

Brazen Fox
13th and 3rd

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

San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Company
602 Broadway St.
San Diego

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St.
San Francisco

Tampa Game Watch
Beef O’Brady’s in South Tampa (4516 S. Dale Mabry Hwy)

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.

BC-USC preview

Things don't get easier this week. Prior to the season, no one expected BC to pull off this upset. Any stragglers on the BC bandwagon probably got off after last week's loss. Because of the brand of our opponent and their ranking, the game remains important, but it is not the measuring stick that the Pitt game was. That is why I hope BC comes out trying everything. They have nothing to lose and that is often the best time to win.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game) I already covered the fund raising reminder in BC Magazine, but didn't mention the feature article on Addazio. Because it is coming from BC's official arm, I always find these sorts of articles intriguing for what they do and don't write. It surprised me a bit to read Addazio talk about getting fired at Notre Dame despite graduating 100% of their players. It was one of those typical college coach lines about priorities and the realities of the job. I didn't think it was whiny but it was the first time I recall Addazio complaining about the decision. Addazio has been very good about embracing BC for what it is and not complaining via backchannels about what it isn't. He's only human, but I hope he keeps the attitude and positivity and doesn't start whining about how college football isn't fair. At BC you have to graduate players and win. That's not too much to ask.

Three Simple Keys
1. Someone other than Murphy needs to have a great game. Even if he had played better last week, Murphy cannot carry the team by himself. He needs another playmaker to have explosive plays and score touchdowns.
2. Better tackling. Last week was some of the worse tackling I've seen from a BC team in about ten years. That cannot happen again.
3. Disrupt Kessler. He was nearly perfect against us last year. We've got to give him different looks this year. Some pressure would be nice too.

Gambling Notes
-- Sarkisian is 3-6 vs non-conference BCS teams
-- USC is 4-0 all time against BC
-- Addazio is 0-4 vs ranked teams
The current line is BC+17

Factoid
USC and Stanford are the only Pac 12 schools to play at Alumni.

Scoreboard Watching
I will be paying attention to East Carolina vs Virginia Tech. The Hokies impressed me by winning at Ohio State. But Beamer's teams have a habit of losing focus against teams they should beat. If they come out and thrash ECU, it might be a sign that this Hokie team is different.

I hope to see...
Passes to the Running Backs. We hardly did it with Andre Williams, but it was a staple of the various offenses we are borrowing from (Oregon, Florida). In theory they are high percentage and it will be a good way to get Murphy's confidence up and will give some of our playmakers -- like Willis -- some space to make plays.

BC is in trouble if...
We continue to drop passes. Murphy took most of the heat for the Pitt loss, but those drops were as bad, if not worse. I know Addazio will have a quick hook on the older guys who make mistakes. I have no problem with that. Let the young guys play, especially if they can catch.

Bottom Line
This is preview is probably more heart than head, but I believe we can win. I think USC will take us lightly and will get more fight than they ever expected. I think even 3/4ths full, Alumni can be a tough place to play. I think we work out some of the kinks on offense and put up enough points to hold off a USC team that gets more field goals than touchdowns.
Final Score: BC 28, USC 20

Trojan trap and other links

The Big Lead called our game with USC a trap for the Trojans. It makes sense given their new coach, cross-country travel and coming right after Stanford. Even if USC struggles this year, it would still be a huge win for BC and Addazio in Year 2.

Andre Williams got the NYT feautre treament during Giants Training Camp.

Future Eagle Nolan Borgersen is ready for his final high school season.

Other sites covered this earlier in the week, but ESPN noted how strong BC's recruiting efforts have been in Massachusetts.

Seguin joins Athletic Department and other links

Brad Bates hired BC grad Jamie Seguin as Deputy Athletics Director. In her role, Seguin will focus on internal operations.

As expected, the USC game will be on national television and in prime time on one of the ESPN/ABC networks.

Pennsylvania WR Prospect Amechie Walker plans to camp at BC this summer.

ESPN confused KPL with the other KPL.

Johnny Gaudreau keeps making the highlight reels for Team USA.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: UCS

Due to Pac 12 Network restrictions, I did not get to DVR the game nor access it online. So the following is based purely on what I saw live. Watching the game might have calmed me down a bit (it usually does). Overall I thought the talent gap was alarming, but the team still didn't play to their potential. If you're going to pull an upset, you need to play your best and hope the other team collapses. We didn't get that.

Offense: D+

If we planned on winning it would have taken a great effort from Rettig. It was just ok. He was really conservative in his deep throws early and didn't challenge much in the middle of the field. It was almost as he was avoiding risk too. His protection was terrible but he needed to settle down a bit when he was still in the pocket. The best part of the day was his long run. We can use that play again.

Like Rettig, Williams didn't get much help from his OL. But he didn't do anything special either. Rouse looked good but he was also going up against the backups. I liked Willis' burst. I liked throwing it to Dudeck. He didn't break anything but he's got good hands.

We finally passed to the Tight Ends. Naples, Parsons and Miller all had catches. That will be key going forward. Amidon wasn't thrown to much. Because I didn't get a chance to watch it back, I don't know if he was having issues getting open. Crimmins had a brutal drop.

The Oline didn't look lost. That was an issue under old regimes. But they did look slow. Over and over we kept getting beat on stunts and twists. We also couldn't pull and trap fast enough. Much of that pressure came up the middle. (I would have more specifics comments, but couldn't get all the line play breakdowns live.)

We had a gameplan that wasn't working and didn't really have great adjustments or counters. USC was too fast and too strong upfront and kept blowing up our runs. But he didn't make them pay with a Rettig run or misdirection until we were down by 28. We need to run counters early to keep them honest. I also think he needed to try passing a bit more.

Defense: C-

Above I referenced the issues on the Oline. The defensive line wasn't much better. We got pushed around and didn't make many big plays. Where was Edebali? Or why didn't Abdesmad look as good? Is Ramsey ever going to be a game changer? Those were all noticeable on Saturday. Mihalik forced a fumble and looked okay at times. Wujciak played a lot and hustled but couldn't get much penetration or disruption. 

Early in the game KPL looked great. He covered a lot of ground and was covering up others' mistakes. Later in the game he wasn't as near the action. Since I didn't get to watch the game back, I don't know why he wasn't as active. The announce team praised Daniels. I thought he was uneven. He looked good a few times and recognized some plays early. But he also seemed slow and out of place at other times. Divitto looked slow too. Keyes played a bit and was okay. Later in the game, I thought the backups -- including Strizak -- showed some promise.

Asprilla got targeted repeatedly. Under normal circumstances I would welcome that. Saturday wasn't normal. Asprilla played too far off and missed a key tackle on Lee's 80 yard TD. Jones didn't get targeted as often and played less. ALJ was back and seemed capable of running with USC's talent. I thought Sylvia played well and tackled well. Rositano wasn't as active. 

It seemed like we were conservative on defense early. I don't want to say "bend but don't break" but we played way off and gave the Trojans plenty of cushion. It was only later that we started to get a little more aggressive and finally get some pressure on USC. I can sort of justify the safe approach when you prepare for a talented team, but think an aggressive approach from the first snap would've been better for us.

Special Teams: B+

Freese's punts were the best part of our day. He pinned them back and gave us a chance with each possession. Our return game could use some spark. Maybe we will get it because Willis had a nice run on the late Kick return. 

Overall: C

We have talent issues. We've known it a few years and Addazio all but admitted it during all his preseason interviews. We needed a miracle and some lucky breaks to win and didn't get them. I don't really blame Addazio for the loss. But I do have concerns about the Offensive Line play and our slowness to adjust the gameplan once we were down 21. 

Great coaches are not perfect every week but do make their team better than it should be. BC is not at the place yet. Addazio has a few more rough games coming up. I hope he uses this game as a learning opportunity so that the next time we face an elite team, we win. 

In-game comments post: USC

I know that fans are still scrambling to find a way to watch the game. If you have resigned yourself to listening online don't be shy about reading the comments or asking questions of those who can see the game. Of course everyone is welcome to leave their thoughts below.

You can also follow me on twitter.

Game Watches: USC UPDATE

This week is a little complicated for Game Watches because of the Pac 12 Network. In fact our Atlanta Game Watch is still in search of a bar that has the channel. (Follow the ATL club's Facebook page for updates.) As always if your club is not listed, please post it below. Also share any work arounds you might have for Pac 12 Network access.

FYI: CHICAGO MOVED THEIR LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE PAC 12 NETWORK


**Please note there is no San Diego Game Watch this week. In fact the BC crowd there chartered two buses for the game. All other Eagle fans in Southern California are encouraged to attend the game. There should be plenty of USC fans dumping tickets.


Austin Game Watch
3rd Base Sports Bar
6th street
Austin

Boston Game Watch
Joshua Tree 1316 Commonwealth Avenue
Allston, Mass.

Chicago Game Watch
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage (Armitage Brown/Purple Line L)
Chicago, Ill.
Gamekeepers Tavern & Grill
345 W. Armitage
Chicago

Dallas Game Watch
Christie's Sports Bar
2811 McKinney Ave Suite 22
Dallas, Texas

Hartford/Western Mass Game Watch
Buffalo Wild Wings
703 Poquonock Avenue
Windsor, Conn.

New York Game Watch
Joshua Tree 513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.

Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox and Hound - Center City 1501 Spruce Street
Philadelphia

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.

BC-USC preview

Last week's game was critical. This week we are playing with house money. USC's chaos is the story. We are merely the latest antagonist in their story. If we win, great. If we lose...well they were favored and "finally got their house in order." I like that the pressure is off. Maybe it will lead to us playing loose and getting a big win on the road.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Gene DeFilippo left a lot of problems and messes behind, but he deserves credit for scheduling the Trojans. USC may not be the USC we planned on facing when we agreed to the game, but putting them on the schedule when we did was critical. At the time the Notre Dame series was in doubt and it looked like we might have trouble getting home and homes with elite programs. Signing these two games was and is a big deal. I have been critical of Gene often and think many of his later decisions hurt BC rather than helped, but to ignore all the good that he did wouldn't be fair.

Three Simple Keys
1. Get plenty of pressure on Kessler. Just because Kiffin picked a starter doesn't mean this guy is ready or impressive. Kessler supposedly has a better feel for the offense and is more accurate. But let's make him inaccurate. Let's give him lots of looks and have someone in his face every play.
2. Win all the battles on the offensive line. As I mentioned in my review, the Oline was good run blocking but not great pass blocking. That won't get it done this week. We need to be better than them every down.
3. Bounce back from the big play. USC will score and will make some big plays. Our response will be telling. Too often under old regimes, if we got down early to a favorite, we would roll over. We cannot do that this week.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 5-5 on the road as a head coach
-- Kiffin is 6-5 against BCS non-conference opponents
-- BC last won as a double-digit underdog in 2011 
The current line is BC+14

Factoid
BC hasn't played a regular season football game in California since 2001 and this is only our sixth game in California overall (second fact courtesy of BC's game notes). How have we not played here more? We've played in Hawaii three times and yet a state that has a huge Alumni population gets third tier bowls and the once a decade regular season game. I know we cannot play USC and Stanford every year, but there are other opponents in the Golden State that we can and should work into our rotation.

Scoreboard Watching
I will keep Maryland-UConn on my radar. Obviously the Terps are a future opponent, but I am also curious to see how the season plays out for UConn. A bad season could lead to a coaching change and I think you would see plenty of BC associated names as candidates.

I hope to see...
BC not look so one dimensional on offense. The first week we looked better passing and were inconsistent running the ball. Last week was the opposite. Addazio preaches balance. It would be nice to see it against one of the top defenses in the country.

BC is in trouble if...
USC gets non-offensive touchdowns. Lee is still a dangerous punt returner and their type of defense can certainly create pick 6s. If we give up a non-offensive touchdown, we are not winning this game.

Bottom Line
When I thought about this game in the summer, I pictured us being the plucky underdog that tries its best but sees the big power pull away in the second half. Now I don't see USC operating that way. Instead I think we'll see a slugfest for most of the day. I think we follow the Washington State blueprint and take the lead in the second half off of a USC mistake or turnover. A tie game comes down to a late field goal and we pull off a huge win.
Final Score: BC 20, USC 17

Guest Blogger: USCFootballNews returns

USCFootballNews is back to answer my questions about the troubled Trojans. In this exchange, he answers questions about the offense, their new look on D and why it seems like things are falling apart. My questions and his answers follow.

1. Everyone knew that USC would face a downturn during Kiffin's tenure because of the sanctions. Is that what we are seeing now or is there more to it? The team seemed to quit during last year's Sun Bowl. Was the Wazzou game more of the same?

USCFootballNews: Sanctions certainly have had an effect on this team. The roster is talented, but not deep. Between injuries and NCAA reductions, USC had less than 60 scholarship players available against Hawaii. In that game, both starting corners got hurt, and the defensive backs were stretched too thin. At one point during Fall camp, USC was down to two healthy scholarship receivers, so walk-ons were getting reps with the first team. Furthermore, to reduce injuries, the Trojans have reduced the amount of contact in practices, and that leaves the team less prepared for full speed Saturday action. But there's more to it. I don't think it's players quitting on the team. I think it's a combination of weak quarterback play and the lack of an offensive identity and game plan that is keeping the passing game anemic. Without any mid-to-long range passing game to worry about, defenses can load the box and protect against the run or the bubble screen and dare USC to throw deep. The Trojans have been unwilling or unable to meet that challenge offensively.

2. Lee was contained throughout the Saturday's game. I imagine BC will do something similar. How do you think the Trojans will respond?

USCFootballNews: I'm not so sure Lee was so much contained as he was under-utilized. People used to joke that the only person who could hold Michael Jordan under 20 points was Dean Smith. In 2013, it's been like that with Lee and Lane Kiffin. With Cody Kessler and Max Wittek at quarterback, Lane Kiffin has called very few downfield throws. It seems like every other time Marqise Lee touches the ball, he's starting behind the line of scrimmage, and defenses are ready for it. I'm not sure if the play-calling is just that bad, or if Kiffin simply knows that his quarterbacks cannot complete passes more than 10 yards downfield in the face of a pass rush. My fear is that USC will respond to last week's lackluster performance with even more draws and bubble screens, but my hope is that they will give newly-named starting quarterback Cody Kessler some chances to throw deep to USC's talented receiving corps of Lee, Nelson Agholor and Darreus Rogers. You might even see more designed bootlegs and rollouts with passes to the fullback or tight end.

3. What is your opinion on the transition from Monte Kiffin to Pendergast and his 5-2 schemes?

USCFootballNews: That has been the biggest positive development for the Trojans this year. The new defensive scheme seems to be working. It's faster. It has simpler reads and is easier to coach, allowing the staff to focus more on technique and execution, rather than inundating players with a complex system to learn. It takes advantage of the tremendous athleticism of USC's defenders, particularly players like Devon Kennard and Morgan Breslin, who are physically suited to play both linebacker and defensive end. Expect to see USC in the 5-2 about two-thirds of the time, and in the nickel most of the rest of the time.

4. What is your prediction for the game?

USCFootballNews: For the past 15 years, we've come to expect the Trojans to bounce back from upsets with big confidence-restoring wins. I do believe USC will win, but I am not expecting that kind of confidence-restoring performance against Boston College. I think USC's passing game is going to continue to struggle. Still, the offense is long overdue for some sustained scoring drives and with USC's defense, a couple should be enough. I would pick USC to win a relatively low scoring game, with a score of something like 20-14, with some of Boston College's points coming off turnovers.

Predicting the start time for the USC game time announced UPDATED

[Updated: Austin Tedesco pointed out this press release from the spring that says it is a noon PT start. I will try to get confirmation from BC over which Pac 12 schedule is accurate.]

[USC put out a press release. Noon PT start. Probably the best news for BC fans and team travel. The rest of this post is obviously wrong and a waste of time.]

One month from today, BC will play USC in the Coliseum. Although we played the Trojans a few years ago in the San Fran Bowl, this game is still a big deal. USC is one of college football's traditional powers and it will be a true early test for our team and new staff. We already know the game will be on the Pac 12 Network, but we won't know the official start time until two weeks before the game. But looking at the schedule, I think we can start to guess when the game will kickoff.

Based on the announced start times for the weekend before our game, the Pac 12 Network will slot games for 11 AM PT, 2 PM PT, 5 PM PT, 8 PM PT. In general, TV people will always put their best TV draw in their primetime slot. Is BC vs USC the best game on our weekend? You be the judge:

Pac 12 Network Games for September 14
BC vs USC
UT-San Antonio vs Arizona
Southern Utah vs Washington State
Fresno State vs Colorado (already scheduled for the 11 AM game)

If you were a TV programmer, which game would you put in prime time? The only other game that might justify the evening slot is Fresno State and Colorado, but that has already been assigned the 11 AM kickoff.

That leaves 2 PM, 5 PM and 8 PM for the other games. USC on its own would usually merit the late kickoff. Add in another BCS program and it is almost a sure thing.

Now USC and the Pac 12 could be considerate hosts and not force BC to play a game at the equivalent of 11 PM our time. An earlier game might also generate a better audience on the East Coast...if anyone actually had access to the Network. BC will probably make a plea to play early for travel reasons too. In the end, I don't think it will matter. I think we are destined for the late, late start and Eagles fans being forced to keep their local sports bars open late.

Desperate times: Different ways to watch BC's game on the Pac 12 Network

I and most of you won't be able to watch BC's game against USC in our homes. If this were 1978 I'd understand, but inexplicably this is an issue in 2013. We have a million channels and a million ways to watch a game, yet this likely prime time game against a traditional power will be very hard to see. And it is all because of the stupid Pac 12 Network is carrying the game. These conference networks might be cash cows and security for the conferences, but the pissing matches they go through to get carriage is painful to fans like me. I am willing to pay to watch this game, but likely won't have that option. So what is real BC fan to do?

Fly to the game
Although I wanted to see BC in the L.A. Coliseum, I hadn't planned on going. As those of you with young kids understand, time and money is always an issue for indulgent trips. But when the TV schedule came out, I felt differently. Maybe I should go! I don't care if both teams suck, this is a chance to see USC in the Coliseum live. If your schedule and commitments are a little more flexible, I would recommend going. This is a rare opponent and a cool road trip. Use the Pac 12 Network as an excuse and enjoy yourself. As for myself...maybe I can sell some blood or pawn my Spaz memorabilia collection. How much do you think a game used Spaz yellow towel is going for on eBay?

Go to a GameWatch
I am the ultimate hypocrite when it comes to GameWatches. I post the Watch list every week but never go to the Atlanta ones. The kids are my current excuse, but I wasn't all that fun to watch a game with before I had children. I am really bad in sports bars, because I don't want to small talk and I hate not hearing what is going on in the game. I am tense during any BC game (less so during the Spaz years) and often pace. That's harder to pull off in a crowded bar. Walking around in front of fellow BC fans muttering to myself would just confirm to most of you that I am a lunatic. If I have to resort to a bar this fall, I will try to be on my best behavior.

Use someone else's cable/internet login
This game will not be accessible online to just anyone. Instead it will only be available through providers that have a deal with the Pac 12 network. Most of you know someone on the West Coast. Now you just need to lay the groundwork over the next two months so when you pop the "can I use your login" question it doesn't seem weird or out of the blue. My grandmother lives in California and has cable. She doesn't understand the blog or how half of this stuff works. I may be crazy but I think I can conference her in on a call to her cable company and figure out how to get the game online in her name.

Listen to Meter's radio call online
That would be real desperation.*

Kidnapping TV execs or even just your local DirecTV installer
Find someone tied to your TV provider and hold them hostage. Don't demand money. Don't demand leniency. Just ask for the ability to watch the game. Don't hurt anyone and turn yourself in after the game. If you behave in jail, you can probably get out by the time Addazio has the team bowl eligible.

*Meter does call a good game. 

Will probation impact USC in 2013, 2014?

I've been focusing on the conference realignments, so I haven't mentioned the NCAA's sanctions against Southern Cal. The Trojans were hit with a two-year bowl ban and a 30 scholarship reduction (spread over three years). Although USC leadership was whining about the bowl bans, the scholarship issues will be more impactful. But how impactful is the question. Will it even matter by the time we play USC in 2013 and 2014? Let's look at the two most similar cases and how long it took the powers to recover.

Alabama
Hit with scholarship reduction beginning in 2002
2002 record: 10-3
2003 record: 4-9
2004 record: 6-6
2005 record: 10-2

Miami
Hit with scholarship reduction beginning in 1996

1996 record: 9-3
1997 record: 5-6
1998 record: 9-3
1999 record: 9-4

As you can see, the second year has been when the programs bottom out. By that time most of your experienced talent has graduated and your less talented and smaller recruiting classes are more important to the program.

Using the same patter for USC, you would have to expect the 2010 season to be solid with the worst of it coming in 2011. By the time we play them in 2013 they should be back on the upswing. But I do have one caveat in all of this -- I don't think much of Lane Kiffin as a coach. I don't see him as the type that will 1) see this out and stay at USC, 2) have the plan in place to return them to the Carroll glory days.

Regardless of how good they are or who the coach is, I still plan on making the trip out to see BC in the Coliseum. Let's hope the Trojans troubles make for easy wins for BC.

He said it

“Nobody wants to play in the Emerald Bowl”
-- USC WR Brice Butler regarding Pete Carroll's desire to move on to greater challenges. Aside from the outcome, I sort of liked the Emerald Bowl. I guess Brice hasn't seen some of the other ACC options.

Once again BC tops TV ratings

Per ESPN's tweet, the Emerald Bowl was the highest rated game of the weekend. USC certainly helped, but one thing that is consistent in all of our bowls, is that BC brings in the eyeballs. Now if we can ever convert that into tickets...

Second viewing thougths and grade report: USC

This was a frustrating game to watch back and not just because of the inexplicably bad officiating. [In addition to the poor replay decisions, there were several bad spots and as noted on the broadcast, they were slow on the whistles -- which is very dangerous.] The frustration came from how close this could have gone the other way. Some of the mistakes were on Shinskie, but then some of our best like Harris, Kuechly and Claiborne also made errors.


Offense: C+

One season into his career and I don't think we know what we have in Dave Shinskie. This game didn't clear up anything. There are moments when he makes some really nice throws. His pass to Jarvis between the zones stands out. Yet other passes were late or one-hopers or forced. He also lost focus on a shotgun snap and still is not using his outlets and checkdowns. The good news is that he looked good with a moving pocket and on a few runs. He also is willing to stand in the pocket and make a throw (I just wish the throws were better). His scatter shot throws in the second half limited the offense. Let's hope he takes his game to the next level next year.

Harris' fumble was a killer. I know the ball was slick and field was sloppy, but in the red zone you have to hold on. I also wish he would hand off on occasion out of the bazooka/shotgun. On the positive side, he made some nice cuts and ran through a bunch of USC tacklers. McCluskey was good in limited action. I wish he had been healthy all year.

Rich Gunnell might have moved up a few draft boards with his performance. Good runs, good hands and surprising speed. Larmond didn't get many chances but fought hard for some tough catches. Jarvis started strong but had a few passes he should have pulled in.

The offensive line played well. The inside guys like Tennant, Claiborne and Richman all looked good. When USC had success it was on stunts on the outside. Lapham struggled a few times. Castonzo was solid.

The Tight Ends blocked well but weren't involved in the passing game all that much.

Shinskie wasn't good but Tranq didn't help him much in the second half. We waited too long to get the focus back on the running game and we called too many pass that were too dependent on Shinskie making good throws and good reads. Why not simplify with quick slants or quick outs? Why not more throws to the backs or TEs? Putting all these long, slow developing plays on Shinskie are high risk, high reward. Would they use that sort of scheme with a 18 year old against USC?


Defense: B

The defensive line didn't make a ton of plays but they also didn't get pushed around. Solid effort overall. Scafe was good. Albright showed more burst and speed than he has all season. Newman played really well. Giles made a few plays. Ramella was quiet. The others DLinemen didn't see as much action.

The LBs made great plays yet all had major mistakes. Morrissey and Kuechly both missed tackles on the first TD. Morrissey failed to wrap up a few other times. All the LBs blew their coverage assignment on the second TD. McLaughlin missed some tackles. LeGrande was ok.

Although we allowed 350 passing yards, I thought the DBs played well. Davis had a pick and some nice tackles. Bowman made some solid tackles and made a great read on his INT. Despite the cushion, Gause was solid in coverage. Rollins wasn't thrown at much, but did well supporting the run and making good tackles. Fletcher and Johnson got on the field but weren't as involved in the action.

Special Teams: C

Stevie missed a PAT. We were ultra conservative on our kick offs and punt returns.

Smith had some nice runbacks on the kick returns.

Overall: C+

The defensive scheme was conservative and worked (for the most part). The special teams decisions were conservative and didn't cost BC (for the most part). Yet surprisingly the offensive scheme had many aggressive throws in the second half and probably cost us. In general, it seemed like Spaz had the guys mentally and physically ready. Things just didn't go our way. All our other losses this year could be blamed on coaching. This one was partially just some back luck. Now let's hope Spaz can start a new bowl streak next year.

And the rollercoaster comes to an end...

When people tab BC as an overachieving, "little engine that could" type program, they kind of undersell the kids we have and their talent. Tonight showed that. I am not for moral victories, but we weren't outclassed by USC. We lost because of poor QB play, a couple of blown assignments and a few bad calls. It was exciting and when Bowman picked off Barkley, I thought we were winning this game. It wasn't to be...

Not ideal, but 8-5 (5-3 in the ACC) given all that happened has to viewed as a successful season. Congrats to the players and coaches for fighting through a variety of unexpected obstacles. Now let's build on this for next year. Ever to excel.

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