Wade to transfer

BC QB Darius Wade announced his intention to transfer. As a graduate, Wade is free to go anywhere and play immediately. Based on the guys he has followed on Twitter, I assume he will go down to a lower level where he will most likely start.

Beyond getting his degree, Wade deserves credit for hanging around this season. He completed his bachelor's last year, so he could have left already. Instead he stayed with no guarantee of starting and was a contributor this year.

Wade was the guy Addazio wanted to build around and that never happened. Injuries and player development limited him from ever becoming an elite QB. Maybe one last chance will help him reach that potential. Hopefully he has fun in his last year.

There is a rumor going around that Hilliman is set to transfer as a graduate as well. [UPDATE: Hilliman has graduated.] I don't know if he graduated in December or still needs to take classes this spring. Until he is a grad, BC will probably be vague about his status. I will follow it and update as the gossip and news trickles out.

Preseason Periscope

Below is my Preseason Periscope. The first of 2017. Thanks for all those who joined in. It is all a work in progress, so I appreciate any feedback and support. Also, let me know what time works for people to join. I tried a noon ET once last year and had a small audience. 10 pm ET seems a bit late. Can and would people watch mid-afternoon like 2:30 ET?

 As for what I discussed, for those who don't have the time to watch:
-- Addazio not naming a starting QB publicly is silly at best and a sign of panic at worst. No one has any significant film of Wade or Brown. Naming one doesn't offer up an advantage to NIU. I know Harbaugh is doing it too, but all these guys are out thinking themselves.
-- The shuffled OL also gives me concern for the similar reasons. When has a rotation worked well?
-- I think our Running Backs will carry the team.
-- I think we go to a low-level bowl.
-- Using more zone coverage will prevent blowouts, but also might lead to fewer sacks.

Preseason Periscope https://t.co/jMqeXmdwOJ

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) August 30, 2017

Once again, I appreciate the support and hope BC has a fun season.

Addazio should name a starting QB this week

It is almost time. This is the last week of summer camp. Next week is game week. Now is the time to pick a QB. Yet Addazio seems in no hurry. 

Wade still remains the favorite for the job. The fact that he hasn't made the competition a slam dunk case is really a half-full/half-empty proposition. It is great that Brown has shown enough promise to make it a tough decision. it is disconcerting that Wade isn't a clear cut choice.

Addazio will decide soon, so you might ask: "what's the rush?" I think this is Addazio's chance to get the team ready and behind one guy. A few extra days will change the mentality around the team. 

Plus, there is very little downside to naming a guy now. Whoever gets the No. 2 slot will need to understand that he is only one snap away. The backup needs to buy in. If anything, waiting might just anger the No. 2. 

Whoever wins is going to be on a short leash. Addazio needs to win and can't let one guy fall apart when a similar option is on the bench. This season could be a bumpy ride. Let's start to get through those bumps now when there is still time to fix things. 

Revisiting the Spring Game

Did you watch the Spring Game? Well these guys on Youtube have done us all a favor of cutting it down to 34 minutes with just action. Seeing it again is a reminder that our QB situation will probably be better than expected. Wade looked decisive in his snaps and made some good passes. Brown was less poised in the pocket but did show a good arm and good escapability. This was all against a talented ACC D  (BC's own). 

But as of Monday, the Spring Game starts to matter less and less. It will be up to one of the QBs to stand out and earn the starting spot.

The first of many offseason QB competition posts

As you read BC previews this summer and listen and read about the team, the QB issue will be front and center. Even with Wade coming out of Spring as a No. 1 player, there will still be intrigue. Below is a video from the ACC highlighting both players' Spring Game performances.

Trying to read into the Spring Game

Those of us who watched the BC Spring Game know the drill. We watch because we love BC Football and the Spring Game is the only outlet for our addiction between the Bowl Game and the first game of the new season. The Spring Game is not a good predictor of anything related to real football. Because, like Saturday's 2017 Spring Game, this always feels more like a unique practice. 

The new twist this year that keeps the game from being a true look at BC was the lack of tackling. The play was dead as soon as a player had slight control on another. I am fine with limited contact. These guys shouldn't be bashing each other up now. But that I don't know how you can really evaluate BC's Defense off of today. 

The offense was a bit more telling. BC continued their tempo change from the Bowl game. Darius Wade looked decent and made numerous good throws. Antony Brown also got plenty of reps. While his athleticism and arm strength are noticeable, his throws were not as accurate. Hilliman looked sharp and healthy. Wilson also had a nice run. There were more than a few drops, but the WRs were fine.

The only true take away from all of this is that the offense is still evolving. For all of the talk -- including from Addazio -- that Brown was "the guy," he does not look ready to lead the team. Fortunately the season does not start tomorrow and he can get better. Wade, who was forgotten last year, looks capable. Aside from the QBs, the offense also seems ready to embrace modern tempo. That could change a lot about BC's games. All of those unknowns will be answered eventually...just not in a Spring Game.

News and notes from practice

The big news of the Addazio's first practice media session was his declaration that Wade heads into Spring the starter. It was much more clarity than he even offered earlier in the week. You could be cynical and think that it is all a ploy to keep Wade happy, but according to reports out of practice -- Wade looked good. Brown also got plenty of reps in practice too. But let's remember it is only the first day. I just want someone to step up this fall.

Based on the roster update, Jack Cottrell, Joel Rich and Drew Barksdale are not getting fifth years and are off the roster. Good luck to all. Not surprised that they didn't get fifth years. All were Spaz recruits who have never been major contributors. I can see why Addazio would rather bring on new players with greater upside than three guys who are there purely for depth.

Reading into Addazio's Spring Ball press conference

Despite an incoming blizzard, as far as BC Football is concerned, it is spring. The reality of College Football is that the players are working with the Strength and Conditioning staff year round, but Spring Ball allows Addazio and his coaches to run organized official practices. With the official practices about to begin, Addazio addressed the media and discussed his team. Here are a few of the takeaways:

-- Addazio says both QBs have a shot. When Wade started following other coaches on Twitter, many assumed he was transferring. But based on what Addazio said, Wade is still very much in the picture at BC. He's going to get plenty of reps in Spring Ball and Addazio talked more about him publicly on Monday than he has in months. Addazio also pumped up Anthony Brown and spoke of Brown's physical maturation. The backups like Fadule and Perry also got a token mention. While I would love Brown to emerge this Spring as a viable ACC starter, I know this will take time. Addazio doesn't need a perfect QB in three weeks, but he does need an idea of what the guys can do and where the staff is going to place their time, energy and faith.

-- BC is being cautious about injured players. I was surprised by how many players Addazio is holding out of the practices either due to injury or recovery from recent surgery. Jon Baker, Kam Moore, Chris Garrison, Connor Strachan, and Jake Burt are being "held back." Addazio implied they will have some level of participation but not full contact. In theory this caution will allow other guys to step up and develop. My fear is that one of these injuries or recoveries will linger. Plus nearly ever Spring one or two key players gets injured during the spring. BC has more depth than any other time under Addazio, but I don't want it tested with key injuries.

-- Addazio claims the offense is changing.  Addazio referenced the bowl game and BC's surprise uptempo shift multiple times. He seemed to really focus in on the number of plays. He also referenced a permanent shift in that style of play. I am glad he is finally owning up to the offensive struggles. But can he really go against his instincts this fall? I am cynical. I think BC will play faster, but I still think that Addazio is going to remain conservative and continue to screw up clock and late game management. 

Regardless of Towles' health, Wade needs to start

On Monday, Addazio elaborated on Patrick Towles' status and said that they are preparing Darius Wade to start against NC State. In my opinion -- regardless of if Towles is healthy -- Wade should start against the Wolfpack.

In ACC games this season, Patrick Towles is completing just 43% of his passes and has thrown just one TD, while also throwing three INTs. As a reference point, John Fadule completed 53% of his passes against the three FBS teams he faced last year and threw one TD and four INTs.

Towles has great physical abilities, but it is not coming together in this offense, this year against the quality opponents. If we were using his running ability more, than I would be in favor of keeping him on the field. But the fact is we're not using it that often and his hamstring issues negate his effectiveness running.

Even in his short time on Saturday, Wade's passes seemed a little more on target. We need that element, if we are ever going to sustain any sort of drive. We don't know what sort of decisions Wade will make under pressure, but we know Towles' instincts are all out of wack. Maybe, if given the chance, Wade will also find the right guy or have a better understanding of when to run and when to throw it away.

While I predict Addazio will call Wade young, his age isn't an issue. He's been in the program three years. What he lacks is on field experience. Let him sink or swim. What is the downside? Another loss? Playing Wade now might be a spark that has been missing. If he is a disaster, than one less unknown issue is tabled. Addazio needs to think about saving the season and figuring out how to save his BC tenure. Playing Patrick Towles won't do that. Wade might not either, but at least it is something different.

BC posts about the scrimmage without really posting about the scrimmage

BC released a write up of their second scrimmage and it sounded more like a write up from a newspaper. No statistics are listed for the QBs. No mention of leading tacklers or who lined up where. It is a change from how things used to be covered by BC.

I notice these things because I've been doing this for so long. But maybe those sorts of details don't really matter. If Wade looked sharp or Towles went 8 for 8, is that really going to change Addazio's decision? Probably not. What's is encouraging is seeing new names like Tavon Jones or Glines sprinkled into the news. The hope is one of those new names turns his scrimmage showing into an impact on the real season.

BC also mentioned the focus on Georgia Tech. While it might seem early, I understand why they are doing prep for GT now. Playing a option team always creates more work. Plus we are going to be totally off schedule with the trip to Ireland. It makes sense to deal with this now. 

QBs are the focus of the media and other links

The QBs said all the right things after the first practice. I still doubt the "wide open" ness of this process. What if Wade is demonstrably better? Will he really start? Based on the lack of quotes, it seems like Fadule is not really in the mix.

Here is Fox Sports' preview of the team. They deal with the typical questions regarding QB and coordinator changes.

After a preseason injury the Redskins decided to waive Stephen Daniels. Supposedly there is still a space waiting for him on their IR once he clears waivers.

Chris Pantale is converting to Fullback with the Philadelphia Eagles.

More signs staff expects Towles to start

Preseason awards "watch lists" are sort of a joke. Nearly every team works to get one of their players on every list. And now there is a specialty award for nearly every position, so hundreds of players end up on these lists. Yet it still takes a great season to actually win an award and plenty of players who weren't on the preseason lists emerge and win the prizes. But the awards do tell you what the coaches expect. BC put Patrick Towles on the preseason Unitas List. In my opinion that is another sign that the staff expect him to start.

But I don't think the preseason list guarantees Towles anything beyond the Georgia Tech game. Addazio admitted his mistakes from last year. He needs to win and if Towles doesn't step up, Wade will get a shot. Who knows, maybe Wade could even win the Unitas award.

Simmons signs with Broncos and other links

Justin Simmons signed with the Broncos. Under the current bargaining agreement, there is not much negotiating room. Your pick really determines your pay.

If Mehdi Abdesmad doesn't make the Titans, he will be in high demand in Canada. As a Canadian, he can fill a valuable roster slot.

This guy thinks BC has the 5th best QB situation in the division. I remain more optimistic. If one of the guys steps up, we could surprise plenty of teams.

Wade looks good in Spring Game

This season is suppped to be about Patrick Towles. He was going to lead the team back to the postseason and help establish our passing game. Yet during Saturday's Spring Game, the QB who stood out was Darius Wade.

Technically the Maroon squad beat the White. Because it is Addazio in charge, the score ended up 6-2. QB of the future Anthony Brown looked pretty god, but also threw a pick. John Fadule also played.

I'll have more thoughts on the game in the coming week. For now, just be glad that our QB controversy has changed. Now we have too many QBs...which is a nice problem to have.

Spring Game's new look

At some schools the Spring Game is a big event. At BC, it has been a bit of a cluster of late. Injuries, weather and the unfortunate events of the Marathon Bombing have all created issues with the annual Jay McGillis Memorial Game. This year, Addazio has the roster he wants and the format he wants. It is going to be a true split squad scrimmage.  

What I like about the split squad and not just first team vs second team or offense vs defense, is that we get a sense of depth and systems. The sly thing about split squad is that it also keeps Wade and Towles happy and engaged. Neither will be declared the "starter" of the first team. I also like the idea of both guys getting thrown in with random teammates. We need next year's QB to be a gamer who can adapt to any situation. 

Regardless of how these tweaks to the game translate to the field, I am glad we get to see the new offense, new QBs and new defense. 

Wade redshirt bigger deal than Hilliman

Despite playing in multiple games, Darius Wade and Jon Hilliman both received medical redshirts for last season. It is good news for everyone that they now have more playing time, however, with regards to program building, Wade is the bigger deal.

Hilliman is going to play and probably play a lot next season. Even coming off of injury, he will still be BC's best running back. The medical redshirt gives him one more season, but it doesn't impact his immediate future nor does it really change his status at BC. Maybe he will transfer as a fifth year, but more likely he will continue to play out his eligibility if he is happy.

Wade is a different story. With Towles coming in, his opportunity to start is challenged. He might have to sit for another year. If he had not received a redshirt, sitting might not make sense. It would only leave him with one more season of eligibility. No worries about immediate transfers. It would also be ideal for his health and learning the new offense. BC needs long-term stability on offense, so by having Wade develop slowly -- and happily -- BC and he can hopefully benefit in 2017 and 2018.

Reading too much into Darius Wade's press

Before the Facilities announcement and another basketball loss, I meant to write about ESPN's article on Darius Wade. It was pretty standard "athlete recovering from injury" stuff. What surprised me is that BC even made Wade available. The school usually steers coverage towards high-profile players. With Patrick Towles coming in, I assumed he would dominate the coverage. Maybe this means Wade has a chance to actually win the job. Is that a good thing though?

Since the offense is changing all QBs should be equal. No one has the advantage of knowing the system or some sort of connection with Loeffler. Of the likely candidates, Towles has the most experience. Due to his injury Wade doesn't even have as much experience as Smith, Flutie or Fadule. Throw in Anthony Brown and that is a lot of guys for Wade to beat out. While he looked okay in limited play last year, nothing he did made anyone say that he's a future superstar. Yet here he is 100% healthy and getting PR support from the coaching staff.

I expect Towles to win the job this spring, but it makes sense that Addazio is still giving Wade a chance. It keeps Wade happy and provides some stability in case things fall apart again. I just hope someone steps up and ends the losing.

Addazio gets his 5th year QB

Former Kentucky Quarterback Patrick Towles announced that he'll use his last year of eligibility at BC. Although Towles is far from a super star or sure thing, this is great news for BC. Assuming BC can fix some of its other Offensive problems, Towles gives them an experienced, tested (SEC) QB. The comparisons to Tyler Murphy are obvious. Like Murphy, Towles has started and won in the SEC, but never held the job consistently. Both are big and athletic. The difference is that Towles can throw and Murphy was an elite runner. Towles also fits into Daz's stated desire to shift the Offense to more of a pro style. I like the move and think it sets a decent baseline of returning to a bowl.

Towles transfer does raise some other questions. What exactly will the Offense be and who will be calling the plays? Addazio must have sold him on something. Even if the guy loves the Jesuits, I don't think he would use his last year of college football without knowing what BC's offense would look like.

The other issues are related to our current QBs. It is easy to predict that some transfers and position changes are coming. This is now the second 5th year QB that has been recruited over Darius Wade. Will Wade put up with it? Should BC fans even care? If Wade can't beat out Towles, what does he have to complain about. And what of the other QBs. Do Fadule and Flutie stick around to see if the Towles offense fits their skills. Does Jeff Smith move positions or look for a new school? That will play out through Spring Practice.

There are a few BC fans criticizing Addazio for not developing a QB on his own and having to resort to transfers again. Personally I don't understand that gripe. Addazio is tasked with winning games and finding the best players he can. Sometimes a transfer might be a more efficient method than traditional recruiting. I think Addazio would love a four year starter as much as the next guy, but one year starters are better than the mess we had this season.

Welcome aboard Towles. I hope you are the missing piece to unlocking a great season at BC.

Everyone's got problems

As we head into the unknown with either Flutie or Smith (or both), there are plenty of BC fans re-calibrating expectations. But I don't know if we need to since numerous opponents are dealing with the same issue.

If you include ND, seven of 15 ACC teams have either an injured starting QB or a QB controversy over who should start right now.

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) September 19, 2015

Look around at the teams on our schedule:

Notre Dame -- Lost Zaire for the year with a broken ankle. (Addazio kept compairing Wade to Zaire in the preseason since they have similar skill sets and are both lefties. They proved to have similar seasons in an unexpected way.)

Syracuse -- Lost Hunt for the year and backup Eric Dungey suffered a head injury last week. His status is unknown.

Wake Forest -- John Wofford left the Army game with an unspecified injury and remains under wraps.

Virginia Tech -- Brewer broke his collarbone in the opener against Ohio State. Even if he recovers in time to start our game on Halloween (unlikely), he will still be less than 100%.

And this is only where things stand now. Other teams will see serious injuries between now and when we play them.

Losing Wade hurts, but I am not resetting my expectations until I see what we really have in Smith and Flutie.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: FSU

I feel surprisingly better after watching the game back. I am still frustrated that we didn't win and didn't press our opportunities, but I saw enough to believe that things are fixable. Losing Wade is a major step back, but there is still more offensive potential than what was shown Friday night. And the defense might be so good that they will win some games all by themselves.

Offense: C-

Wade's stats weren't great but I thought he played well. He hesitated on a few passes early and missed open men, and his INT was a bad decision, but considering how tied his hands were and how inconsistent the blocking was, he looked serviceable. His running wasn't smooth either, but it was effective. Losing him for the season is a major blow. He showed real potential against a good opponent. Nothing can really be read into Smith or Flutie's snaps. Can we really believe that "Smith doesn't know the playbook" from his time on the field? Or that Flutie makes bad decisions on the pitches?

Hilliman did not play well. Even prior to the fumble, he was getting stuck in pileups. Some of the problems can be blamed on the OL, but not all of them. He needs to make someone miss on occasion. Willis was pretty good and certainly the most productive Friday night. Wofford played well. His blocks were good and he was effective in the passing game. But when he is the leading receiver, it speaks to bigger issues.

We only threw the ball 15 times, but there was still plenty to judge with regards to the WRs and Tight Ends. Alston is great with the ball, but he's not good trying to get the ball in traffic and he's not a good blocker. We need to get him touches (sweeps, screens, etc), but traditional ways are not playing to his strengths. Smith looked good on his sweep, but needs to improve his blocking. Nosovitch wasn't ready for his pass. Sweeney looked okay at some points but then struggled blocking at other points. Swigert was fine and made the right call on his pass option. Callinan's one catch was nice. But as a group, this unit is not as effective blocking as they were last year. I don't know if it was Florida State, going smaller or just lack of emphasis, but this has to get better. It is critical to our success on the edges.

The Offensive Line got beat as a group. Florida State is talented, but there were still too many one on one battles lost upfront and too many mistakes. Williams is not playing as well as he played two years ago. Is it rust? Let's hope it changes soon. Taylor struggled at times before he got hurt. Baker was probably the best of the group. Lindstrom got overmatched a bit.

It is always easy to second-guess play calling, but how can you justify Friday night? I will get into the overall strategy later, but I felt Fitch/Addazio didn't do the team favors with their approach. The best offensive coaches find something they do well and build from that. Day and Addazio did that well in the first two seasons. Where was that Friday? Nothing looked crisp. Everything seemed a step off. There really wasn't one play or one type of play they could perform with authority. It gave the play calling a grab bag feel. When you get shutout it is a full failure. It shows lack of execution, poor preparation and poor personnel management. There's no other way around it.

Defense: A-

This was the Landry we all hoped for. He showed speed. He showed power. He closed often. The only real tough play was the missed safety. Wujciak helped collapse the line and made many nice plays. Gutapfel didn't fill up the stat sheet, but was also good inside. Abdesmad played well.

Steven Daniels dominated too. He was a little out of place on their touchdown pass, but otherwise looked great everywhere. Milano looked good too.

Kam Moore was outstanding. He ran with everyone and made great plays on the ball. He had one of the best games I've seen a DB have without getting an INT or making tons of tackles. Simmons slipped early on a key pass play, but settled in and made some nice tackles throughout. Yiadom looked good. Johnson played very well.

Don Brown's Defense has matured. He's to the point now where he doesn't even have to blitz over and over. Just showing it or releasing guys late does the trick. Even their lone scoring drive was called well. It really came down to a few mistakes and our guys slipping or getting beat. But overall, we did nearly everything right on D.

Special Teams: B

Howell's punts were good and the punt coverage was very good.

Willis' returns were aggressive.

Alston's punt returns were a mixed bag. He was a little conservative in his fair catches and didn't break anything big.


Overall: B-

There was a beauty to Addazio's stubbornness in his first two years. Because of Andre Williams and Tyler Murphy and good offensive lines, we could pound, pound and pound some more and eventually something would break. It is old school and also unconventional, which only added to the beauty. Teams weren't ready for it and it played to our strengths. Playing that way against Florida State with Darius Wade (who is not an explosive runner), our fledgling OLine, and no RBs who matches Williams speed/power combo, and no game breaking WRs, left BC with a very narrow path to victory. My concern and complaint is that when BC struggled moving the ball, Addazio didn't adjust. In the post game, you'll hear him reference statistics to justify his actions, but most of the advance metrics show that conservative approaches and wasting possessions (like the ones before half) will not lead to victory. Addazio had one vision to win the game and even as it became statistically more unlikely, he wasn't willing to adjust. Conceding possessions regardless of time or location is one of the worst ideas in football. I thought Addazio had the team motivated and it fought hard, but that's not enough. You also need to press your advantages however small they are.

This week will be about a different style of coaching. Addazio now has to get at least one QB ready and probably two ready. He also has to fix the offense. I think he can do it. Adjusting midseason is the type of things good coaches do.