Exactly 10 years ago today, BC lost to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. Although a decade removed, it feels longer. That was probably the last time I thought BC could actually win the Tournament.
Even if they had made the stop in OT, hindsight also tells us that would have been the end of the road. Craig Smith was hurt and Florida proved to be a great team.
There were certainly good moments after with Skinner and even Donahue, but that team had the rare combination of talent, depth, great assistants and a coach at his peak. Plus they were likable. Maybe not to non-BC fans, but they were scrappy, funny and smart.
BC will get back to that level again. I just hope we don't have to wait ten more years.
Showing posts with label BC vs Villanova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BC vs Villanova. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Sunday, September 01, 2013
Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Villanova
Watching the game live was more tense than I would like to admit. After they scored on the fake punt, I started to worry. Perhaps that left my live assessment a little too critical. When I watched the game back, the team did not look as bad as my initial impression. Things were still a little sloppy but there were some encouraging signs for the season ahead.
Offense: B-
Rettig played very well. His decision making was pretty good. He moved well on the rollouts and bootlegs. He stepped up in the pocket. A few of the passes were forced but nothing was picked. The only thing we didn't see was a true run. If we keep using the option, he will have to tuck and run eventually. He also seemed to have a good feel for the offense.
Andre Williams ran hard and he ran through people. It wasn't the prettiest showing but he did result in one explosive play -- the TD. I still think he's got to get a better feel for the holes and when to cut. As the announcers pointed out, he would run laterally for to long...essentially allowing the defenders to cut him off. It is clear he is going to get a lot of carries and it is clear that he is tough. Now we just need him to make a few more explosive plays and avoid traffic. Wolford was the real surprise of the day. Lots of guys can catch open passes, but he also was able to run after the pass. Dudeck was fine. Rouse had limited carries, but seemed to have a good feel for the spacing.
Amidon did a great job getting open and with his run after the catches. He also did a good job catching anything thrown towards him. The only real blemish was the fumble. Spiffy had drop and a catch. Crimmins was fine. The Tight Ends were asked to do a lot of blocking but it was tough for me to judge how effective they were on the rewatch (via ESPN3 on my laptop).
As a unit the Offensive Line played well. They provided enough protection when Rettig needed it. They didn't dominate like you might expect, but that was in part because of how Villanova loaded the box. There was a lot of pulling and movement and the timing was much better than it was last year. There was also a good deal of downfield blocking. Williams had a great one on the Amidon TD that was called back. Patchan was solid -- although he allowed a sack. Vardaro had two stupid penalties. As I mentioned earlier, Williams was good. White was good. Gallik was fine.
As I said in my first recap, I didn't love the offensive play calling. It was so run heavy even when we weren't getting big plays on the ground. It felt like we were forcing something that wasn't there. Nova was also prepared for it. The good news was that we adjusted. Later in the game we used play action to set up effective passing -- both short and downfield.
Defense: B
Edebali was the best of the front four. He looked fast and was able to cover a lot of ground on stunts. I liked what I saw from Mihalik and Wujciak. I had hoped to see more activity from the other DLs but Appaih, Ramsey, Rudolph and Abdesmad were relatively quiet.
KPL looked really good. He was active and made big plays. Keyes also looked good (in limited snaps). Daniels and Divitto had more issues. Daniels got swallowed up too often on blocks, and had real problems in coverage. Divitto also had issues in coverage. I don't know how much was due to communication breakdowns or confusion, but we need to fix it soon.
Asprilla was great. He made good tackles -- like the old days. He also did well in coverage. Sylvia played well too. Rositano was good near the line but allowed big plays at other times. I don't know if we got caught gambling or if he was just slow to recover.
What I liked about the defense: good tackling (better than the final Spaz years). We also got to the QB for the first time in years. We attacked from various points. And the guys forced turnovers. All were great signs for the future. My concerns were about positioning, big plays and assignments. I don't know yet if these were player mistakes or Villanova exploiting issues. I did like the strategy of crashing the QB exchange in the second half. It really disrupted their offense.
Special Teams: C
Starting the season by allowing a TD off of a fake punt is not a good omen. Give Villanova credit. The design was beautiful and left us totally flustered. My hope is that we are ready -- and scout -- any other fakes this year.
Spiffy wasn't particularly aggressive on the punt returns. In fact, we allowed a few potential returns to roll too far and cost us field position. Dudeck joined Spiffy on kick returns and looked fine.
Freese's kickoffs were nice. The punting was ok. We didn't shank any but were unable to pin them in the redzone.
Overall: B-
Addazio said we would play to our strengths, but it didn't feel that way in our first game. He wants to run the ball, so we ran the ball. Even after it was clear that Villanova was prepared for that. If we remain that stubborn, I think our offense will have some of the same scoring issues we had under Spaz.
Overall though it was a win. We didn't always seem prepared and we didn't look pretty, but we stayed composed and made adjustments. It wasn't a clinic, but was a nice building block.
Offense: B-
Rettig played very well. His decision making was pretty good. He moved well on the rollouts and bootlegs. He stepped up in the pocket. A few of the passes were forced but nothing was picked. The only thing we didn't see was a true run. If we keep using the option, he will have to tuck and run eventually. He also seemed to have a good feel for the offense.
Andre Williams ran hard and he ran through people. It wasn't the prettiest showing but he did result in one explosive play -- the TD. I still think he's got to get a better feel for the holes and when to cut. As the announcers pointed out, he would run laterally for to long...essentially allowing the defenders to cut him off. It is clear he is going to get a lot of carries and it is clear that he is tough. Now we just need him to make a few more explosive plays and avoid traffic. Wolford was the real surprise of the day. Lots of guys can catch open passes, but he also was able to run after the pass. Dudeck was fine. Rouse had limited carries, but seemed to have a good feel for the spacing.
Amidon did a great job getting open and with his run after the catches. He also did a good job catching anything thrown towards him. The only real blemish was the fumble. Spiffy had drop and a catch. Crimmins was fine. The Tight Ends were asked to do a lot of blocking but it was tough for me to judge how effective they were on the rewatch (via ESPN3 on my laptop).
As a unit the Offensive Line played well. They provided enough protection when Rettig needed it. They didn't dominate like you might expect, but that was in part because of how Villanova loaded the box. There was a lot of pulling and movement and the timing was much better than it was last year. There was also a good deal of downfield blocking. Williams had a great one on the Amidon TD that was called back. Patchan was solid -- although he allowed a sack. Vardaro had two stupid penalties. As I mentioned earlier, Williams was good. White was good. Gallik was fine.
As I said in my first recap, I didn't love the offensive play calling. It was so run heavy even when we weren't getting big plays on the ground. It felt like we were forcing something that wasn't there. Nova was also prepared for it. The good news was that we adjusted. Later in the game we used play action to set up effective passing -- both short and downfield.
Defense: B
Edebali was the best of the front four. He looked fast and was able to cover a lot of ground on stunts. I liked what I saw from Mihalik and Wujciak. I had hoped to see more activity from the other DLs but Appaih, Ramsey, Rudolph and Abdesmad were relatively quiet.
KPL looked really good. He was active and made big plays. Keyes also looked good (in limited snaps). Daniels and Divitto had more issues. Daniels got swallowed up too often on blocks, and had real problems in coverage. Divitto also had issues in coverage. I don't know how much was due to communication breakdowns or confusion, but we need to fix it soon.
Asprilla was great. He made good tackles -- like the old days. He also did well in coverage. Sylvia played well too. Rositano was good near the line but allowed big plays at other times. I don't know if we got caught gambling or if he was just slow to recover.
What I liked about the defense: good tackling (better than the final Spaz years). We also got to the QB for the first time in years. We attacked from various points. And the guys forced turnovers. All were great signs for the future. My concerns were about positioning, big plays and assignments. I don't know yet if these were player mistakes or Villanova exploiting issues. I did like the strategy of crashing the QB exchange in the second half. It really disrupted their offense.
Special Teams: C
Starting the season by allowing a TD off of a fake punt is not a good omen. Give Villanova credit. The design was beautiful and left us totally flustered. My hope is that we are ready -- and scout -- any other fakes this year.
Spiffy wasn't particularly aggressive on the punt returns. In fact, we allowed a few potential returns to roll too far and cost us field position. Dudeck joined Spiffy on kick returns and looked fine.
Freese's kickoffs were nice. The punting was ok. We didn't shank any but were unable to pin them in the redzone.
Overall: B-
Addazio said we would play to our strengths, but it didn't feel that way in our first game. He wants to run the ball, so we ran the ball. Even after it was clear that Villanova was prepared for that. If we remain that stubborn, I think our offense will have some of the same scoring issues we had under Spaz.
Overall though it was a win. We didn't always seem prepared and we didn't look pretty, but we stayed composed and made adjustments. It wasn't a clinic, but was a nice building block.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
It's a start
It wasn't pretty and it was too close for most of the day, but it was still a win. We are halfway to last season's win total and one step into our rebuild.
As for the impressions, I didn't like the play calling (and I will get into that more later this weekend). I was also surprised with the defensive issues. Linebacker was supposed to be the strength, but didn't look it.
Even with the questions the game raised, we still have plenty to look forward to and I am excited it is football season again.
I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday night.
In-game comments post: Villanova
New coach, same fans. I am glad we are finally here. Leave your thoughts on our first game of the year below.
You can also follow me on twitter.
You can also follow me on twitter.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Game Watches: Villanova
The last few seasons haven't been the most fun. Instead of celebrating, the Game Watches have been about commiserating. The vibe should be more fun this fall. Join up with your fellow BC fans at a local Game Watch. If your Watch isn't listed, be sure to post it in the comments or email me.
Chicago Game Watch
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage (Armitage Brown/Purple Line L)
Dallas Game Watch
Christie's Sports Bar
2811 McKinney Ave Suite 22
New York City Game Watch
The Royal 127 4th Avenue (between 12th & 13th Streets, near Union Square)
Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox and Hound - Center City 1501 Spruce Street
Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Co. 602 Broadway
San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly’s 2064 Polk St (between Pacific Ave and Broadway St)
Chicago Game Watch
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage (Armitage Brown/Purple Line L)
Dallas Game Watch
Christie's Sports Bar
2811 McKinney Ave Suite 22
New York City Game Watch
The Royal 127 4th Avenue (between 12th & 13th Streets, near Union Square)
Philadelphia Game Watch
Fox and Hound - Center City 1501 Spruce Street
Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Co. 602 Broadway
San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly’s 2064 Polk St (between Pacific Ave and Broadway St)
Thursday, August 29, 2013
BC-Villanova preview
We are here. We've finally arrived at our new beginning. Whether you are counting coaching eras, coaching trees or just the time between seasons, Saturday's game marks a starting point to Addazio Football and a clear turning point for BC Football. Villanova is our worthy opponent, but it doesn't really matter who we are playing. This is the first step in our rebuilding, our return to what were were and our chance to be something better than we've every been. Let's go!
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I hope the Seniors are ready for a big season. I've written many times that College Football can be a real grind even when you are winning. Losing makes it that much worse. The Senior leaders on this team committed to BC under a different coach and -- although it was only five years ago -- a different time. They have put up with a lot on the field and in the locker room. I don't know any of these guys on a personal level but I hope they still have pride in being part of BC Football. Because their effort and this season will really set the tone for the next few years.
Three Simple Keys
1. Keep Robertson in the pocket. Is it too late to bring Spaz back as DC (I'm kidding)? My point is that Spaz's contain philosophy and dropping lots of guys into coverage would probably work well against the Wildcats. Obviously we are going to pressure Robertson, but I hope we at least spy him a bit in case he gets out of the pocket.
2. Run it and then run it some more. Addazio wants to run regardless of the opponent. So get used to it. What I hope is that we use this game as a tune-up and establish what works and what doesn't in the ground attack. Temple ran all over Villanova while Addazio was there. I expect more of the same.
3. Get other pass catchers involved besides Amidon. This is Rettig's chance to build trust and timing with other Receivers, Tight Ends and RBs.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 2-0 against Villanova
-- BC has lost two straight home openers
-- Villanova is 3-12 against FBS teams since restarting football
The current line is BC-16
Factoid
Despite being in a conference with Temple for more than a decade, we've actually played fellow Philly football school Villanova more (37 games vs Temple and 45 games against Villanova). We haven't played any of the other "Big Five" schools (Penn, St. Joe's and LaSalle). As an Ivy and without scholarships, I don't see us ever playing Penn in the future. St. Joe's and LaSalle disbanded football.
Scoreboard Watching
Wake Forest is playing Thursday and also facing a FCS opponent, so there is not much value there. The most important game for the ACC is probably Clemson-Georgia. A win there will help the conference immeasurably and also give us an indicator of how good Clemson might be this year.
I hope to see...
The team look crisp. What upset me from early on in the Spaz era is how often we looked disorganized or confused (think of OL alignment or Shinskie lining up under the wrong guy). Addazio is preaching attention to detail. Let's see if the message got through.
BC is in trouble if...
We cannot stop the run. I don't see 'Nova beating us by airing it out. I don't think it will happen, but I also don't want to be in a close game with them.
Bottom Line
This game cannot be close or interesting. It is only one game and only the first game, but when you play a FCS team in Week 1 of a new coaching regime, there is no room for a dud. BC needs to make enough of a statement as you can without embarrassing Villanova or risking injury to key players. I think we get up early and cruise to a decisive victory.
Final Score: BC 34, Villanova 13
What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I hope the Seniors are ready for a big season. I've written many times that College Football can be a real grind even when you are winning. Losing makes it that much worse. The Senior leaders on this team committed to BC under a different coach and -- although it was only five years ago -- a different time. They have put up with a lot on the field and in the locker room. I don't know any of these guys on a personal level but I hope they still have pride in being part of BC Football. Because their effort and this season will really set the tone for the next few years.
Three Simple Keys
1. Keep Robertson in the pocket. Is it too late to bring Spaz back as DC (I'm kidding)? My point is that Spaz's contain philosophy and dropping lots of guys into coverage would probably work well against the Wildcats. Obviously we are going to pressure Robertson, but I hope we at least spy him a bit in case he gets out of the pocket.
2. Run it and then run it some more. Addazio wants to run regardless of the opponent. So get used to it. What I hope is that we use this game as a tune-up and establish what works and what doesn't in the ground attack. Temple ran all over Villanova while Addazio was there. I expect more of the same.
3. Get other pass catchers involved besides Amidon. This is Rettig's chance to build trust and timing with other Receivers, Tight Ends and RBs.
Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 2-0 against Villanova
-- BC has lost two straight home openers
-- Villanova is 3-12 against FBS teams since restarting football
The current line is BC-16
Factoid
Despite being in a conference with Temple for more than a decade, we've actually played fellow Philly football school Villanova more (37 games vs Temple and 45 games against Villanova). We haven't played any of the other "Big Five" schools (Penn, St. Joe's and LaSalle). As an Ivy and without scholarships, I don't see us ever playing Penn in the future. St. Joe's and LaSalle disbanded football.
Scoreboard Watching
Wake Forest is playing Thursday and also facing a FCS opponent, so there is not much value there. The most important game for the ACC is probably Clemson-Georgia. A win there will help the conference immeasurably and also give us an indicator of how good Clemson might be this year.
I hope to see...
The team look crisp. What upset me from early on in the Spaz era is how often we looked disorganized or confused (think of OL alignment or Shinskie lining up under the wrong guy). Addazio is preaching attention to detail. Let's see if the message got through.
BC is in trouble if...
We cannot stop the run. I don't see 'Nova beating us by airing it out. I don't think it will happen, but I also don't want to be in a close game with them.
Bottom Line
This game cannot be close or interesting. It is only one game and only the first game, but when you play a FCS team in Week 1 of a new coaching regime, there is no room for a dud. BC needs to make enough of a statement as you can without embarrassing Villanova or risking injury to key players. I think we get up early and cruise to a decisive victory.
Final Score: BC 34, Villanova 13
Monday, March 04, 2013
Which FCS teams should BC play?
Playing an FCS team is a necessary evil of big time college football. The financial incentives are too strong not to play one. It is also nothing new for BC fans as we played Holy Cross long after they stopped giving scholarships and we instituted the "good for New England" game early in TOB's tenure. The problem of late is the type of FCS team we are playing. You can mask some games under the guise of geography or history, but the Weber States of the world are not going to fool or excite the most passionate BC fan. There are only a handful of FCS schools BC should play and I've grouped them for this purpose into two categories.
Regional games
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Playing regional opponents was the intent of the good for New England game. Because Northeastern dropped football and UMass and UConn jumped to FBS, there are fewer options in this category. But that doesn't mean we should stop playing these teams. 75% of the time, these three teams should be available. BC doesn't offer the big pay day they might get elsewhere, but that is somewhat offset by the travel costs. I don't think New England is ever going to become a hotbed of football, but it is important that these schools maintain healthy, scholarship-supported FCS-level programs. Coaches from those programs will coach at our clinics and keep football relevant in the region and among high school. Regional games are good for both sides.
Catholic games
Villanova
Fordham
We a quick to remind the media that we are the only other Catholic school playing FBS football. It is part of our identity. Therefore playing other Catholic schools should be important to us. BC has long used football as a tool to associate with like-minded Universities (think Northwestern, Stanford, etc.). Playing other Catholic schools reinforces that idea. Plus we have a football history with these programs.
Candidates who move up to the full allotment of scholarships
Bryant
Holy Cross
Georgetown
Central Connecticut State
Sacred Heart
San Diego
St. Francis
BC cannot count an FCS win towards bowl eligibility if the school does not offer a full allotment of FCS-level scholarships. That leaves out the Ivy League and puts the future games with Rhode Island in jeopardy. But all the schools listed above have explored using 63 football scholarships. If any do make the commitment we should support them under the same reasoning I stated before. I don't think Bryant or St. Francis will excite many people, but that is the right thing to do. Playing Holy Cross and Georgetown on a regular basis would be ideal.
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