Painful

That was one of the worst second halves I can remember. Everything fell apart. And on social media, the critics came out for Jeff Hafley. I give our coach a huge pass for what happened tonight. The Special Teams issues were not coaching...more just fluky. The D was out there a lot so somethings was going to give. I put a lot of blame on the Offense. I am doing everything I can from turning my twitter account into a "bash Grosel" feed, but he is the root of the problem on offense. We have a lot of talent but become so limited with him as QB that the talent is wasted. I think the staff is trying to coach around him but other teams adjust and then we are left with putting Grosel in positions that hurt us. If we don't run the ball down the other team's throat, we won't win with him. 

It will now be on Hafley to regroup and see how he can build a winning offense around a walk-on QB.

Wasted opportunities

That one will hurt for a while. BC should have won. This Clemson team is not good and BC's D -- which should be its liability -- did more than enough to win. But the Offense made too many mistakes and Dennis Grosel made more than his fair share of those mistakes for BC to beat anyone. 

I've whined about the Jurk injury already and on social media, but what makes this all more frustrating is that outside of QB, this might be the most talented offense we've had since Foley (if you include the depth and explosiveness of each position group).

Hafley did not sound defeated in the post game. I trust his steady hand to navigate the rest of the season. But I do think he needs to get snaps to other QBs. Just see what he has. Because he knows what he has in Grosel and the upside is very limited.

BC gets the win but also a wake up call

Lots of people (myself included) said the schedule and the roster might lead to a special season for BC. Saturday's win over UMass was a reminder that BC still has plenty of flaws and needs to improve before ACC play begins. But the biggest issue for this game and the season is Phil Jurkovec's health. The BC QB hurt his wrist early in the game and never returned. BC provided very little detail about the extent of the injury (although Hafley expressed optimism). Without Jurk, the offense still scored but mostly by just running the ball down UMass' throat. The passing game was much more limited.

The D was a bigger concern. They allowed UMass to move the ball with ease. While the turnovers and some goalline stands gave BC enough cushion, the pass coverage and QB pressures need to get better quickly.

A win is a win. I understand that and hope the staff is using these games to figure out what they have. Let's also hope that Jurk is back very soon.

Just what BC needed

This was a glorified scrimmage. But that is ok. Guys shook off some rust. Plenty of guys got to play. No one got hurt. But the best part is that fans were back in the stands. I will have more in the coming days, but this is how a season opener against Colgate is supposed to go.

Highlights from today's win! pic.twitter.com/bgNQqxQ9CM

— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 4, 2021

 

Ugly football but still optimistic

The fact that as BC's turnovers piled up, I still felt we could win is a huge sign of progress. But it was not to be as for the first time Hafley lost decisively as BC's coach. Turnovers are frustrating all the time, but especially on a night when BC moved the ball. The maligned OLine looked better but our RBs couldn't hold onto the ball and Jurk got careless a few times. But I still believe we are on the right track. It is up to Hafley to reset and get things fixed. I think he will.

Hafley: "Unfortunately in football, if you make mistakes like we did, you can't win. We'll look at the film and fix our mistakes."

— Tyler Calvaruso (@tyler_calvaruso) October 18, 2020

Enjoying the roller coaster ride

Close games are not good for your health or your W-L record. But after three weeks of tense, back and forth games, I am thrilled that BC beat Pitt to improve to 3-1. But like our other close games, the big picture is still very encouraging. We have plenty of areas to improve (penalties, OL execution, Jurkovec's decision making) but we are still winning. The winning is coming from areas that have been much harder for BC to fix in previous administrations (in-game adjustments, aggressive play calling, late game execution).

The other thing that is great about a coaching change, is that there is always some guy who was overlooked or misused by the previous regime, who blossoms. For BC that is Zay Flowers. He had a huge day and made numerous unbelievable catches. 

There is still a lot of football left to play this year, but this first month of games has provided lots of hope and promise and wins...and that's all we wanted.  

Ugly and beautiful and still undefeated

I will watch the game back and try to get a better feel for all the issues, but the big takeaways from the win over Texas State was that BC played poorly and still won, and BC managed the final few minutes (which included two scores and a stop) better than they've handled any close game in a decade. I know Hafley spent a lot of time on situational football, and clock and sideline management this summer. It paid off tonight.

There were plenty of issues. Texas State made our D look slow and sloppy. Jurk was inconsistent and made some rough throws. The Offensive Line is not where it should be. But who cares right now? Those things can be fixed and are much easier to fix after a win!

 

A 7-play, 49-yard Jurkovec-led drive with under a minute to go results in a game-winning 36-yard FG from Aaron Boumerhi.

The former Temple transfer (who missed Wk 1 with an injury) drilled it right down the middle.

A huge kick from Boumerhi. pic.twitter.com/ExNNLLtPcY

— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) September 27, 2020

All Addazio's issues on display in loss to FSU

In the postgame handshake, FSU's interim Head Coach Odell Haggins could be seen and heard repeatedly telling Addazio that he "is a hellavu coach!" I can see why an old school coach would appreciate Addazio. His teams play a style that nearly all current coaches grew up playing. He is a grinder. He wears his emotion on his sleeve. And if you only pay attention to BC as you prep for the game, you might appreciate all Addazio does vs all the problems his team consistently has. For those of us who have watched Addazio up close for seven years, this game was just a microcosm of our frustrations with BC's coach.

The D is bad and not getting better. The defensive issues are talent and scheme. BC missed two field goals too. While that is beyond frustrating, Addazio's approach and management of the game related to our kicking woes was moronic. Field goals are not as valuable as perceived in general in football. Addazio should know that. There have been millions of statistical studies to confirm that. Second, field goals are historically high risk for his teams. Finally he has one of the best olines in the country. Nearly any drive in field goal territory should be considered four-down territory. Third and long? Run the ball and get it to fourth and short. Fourth and short. Run again. Even without a 100% success rate, that model will pay off more than us kicking bad field goals. 

Addazio really blew it at the end of the half when he didn't use his timeouts and purposely settled for a field goal attempt...which BC missed. 

I already want a coaching change. This loss might move a few more fans towards my opinion. We've seen everything we need to know. He is an okay head coach but so limited in his approach that he will never get BC to somewhere special. His floor and his ceiling are the same. 

The season is not over. I still think we can beat Pitt and get to a bowl. Addazio is the Houdini of the Hot Seat, so maybe he pulls off a huge upset of Notre Dame in two weeks. But it doesn't matter. He clearly is what he is and we've all seen enough.

It may not be over, but it might as well be

Fire Steve Addazio. I know it won't be done tonight or this weekend, but like so many other mediocre or bad BC coaches of the past, we are now clearly in the "wasting time" portion of the tenure. He might rebound and grind his way to seven wins again, but he will never, ever be anything more than that. Every game is just more confirmation. He can't find a kicker. His team will come out completely flat at least once a year (if not more often). And seven years in, he still has not developed a QB. (He inherited Rettig and Murphy was a grad transfer.)

The Kansas game was an embarrassment. The execution was terrible. The game plan was terrible. The adjustments were terrible. Worst of all, this team gave up. Flat out gave up when punched in the mouth. They took the lead right before half, got caught sleeping on D to lose the lead before half and waived the white flag thereafter.

I know there is always the risk with a coaching change of taking a step back but what are we holding on to? A .500 coach? The ever shrinking fanbase needs to believe that once in a while BC will put together a great season. That won't ever happen with Addazio.

Good start

A great first half turned into a nerve wracking second half, but in the end, BC held on for an important win. Like a lot of season openers, there were good moments yet plenty of room for improvement.

As for prospects for the season...BC clearly has playmakers beyond Dillon. The question is can those play makers dominate for moments or can they play a full game.

I will have grades and viewing thoughts later this weekend.

Slide continues as Syracuse crushes BC

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

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

BC can't put FSU away and loses heartbreaker

I know Steve Addazio knows more about football than I do. There are nuances that I am probably oblivious to and I know the time commitment of his job is unfathomable. He is able to lead a staff and roster of more than 100 people. He is also able to find and recruit teenagers. But I think he, like many coaches, can get so caught up in the flow of the game or his cognitive biases (whether it is play calling, clock, player usage, etc.) that he limits what his talented roster can do. If you play too conservatively and play to keep it close, you are going to invite the other team to steal a game. We saw it with TOB and Spaz. And it has happened to Addazio often. Tonight's loss to FSU might be the most frustrating. 

Brown didn't play well and I put much of that on the staff. If he wasn't 100%, then maybe you go with Perry. Or you put a gameplan around Brown that would help his return. Even the D, which had some really good moments, also didn't adjust enough. 

7-6 is looming. I pray that Addazio can avoid it. I want to be more than that. I think he can still do something more, but I know he will never put together that truly special season. 

Great day turns to frustrating night

It is already starting. If you read social media or message boards, some BC fans are vocally frustrated with BC coming up short in a big game again and think Addazio didn't do enough or play for the win. The Offense was frustrating to watch, but I don't know if things would have been drastically different with Anthony Brown. Clemson's DLine was that disruptive. Regardless of where you are on the QB debate, everyone has to acknowledge a great performance by the BC defense. They contained the hottest offense in college football and made plenty of big plays. The Special Teams also deserves credit for an early spark. 

We are not ready to challenge Clemson yet. That is clear. But if Addazio is a very good coach, he will still finish strong and figure out how to score potentially without Brown and with Dillon at less than 100%. 

There is a lot of good takeaways from Gameday and certain players and as always, lots of questions. 

Levy sparks comeback at Lane

I always felt recruiting and talent accumulation was going to be Addazio's biggest strength. It paid off today as one of his backups -- Travis Levy -- made some huge runs to seal a critical win against Virginia Tech. With the win, BC now hosts Clemson for control of the division.

There were plenty of rocky moments in the first half, but the coaching staff and team deserve credit for rallying.

Now bring on Gameday!

New uniforms, same issues as BC defeats Louisville

In this case, the final score doesn't tell the whole story. For most of the game, BC was either in a hole or letting Louisville hang around based on BC's own miscues and mistakes. But in the end, talent and focus prevailed. I keep hoping for a point when things get cleaned up, but maybe this team is just talented but sloppy. The win -- and the uniforms -- were nice. BC is positioned well for the second half of the season. 

I will have more Sunday and grades later in the week. 

Comeback falls short at State

I love the fight. I love the gutsy D. I hate the hole BC fell in during the first half. Lots to digest. I will have more tonight and tomorrow. I guess BC is still alive for a decent season but there is so much inconsistency.

Another sloppy win for BC

Fumbles, Special Teams miscues and questionable pass D. Does that sound familiar? Fortunately BC's Offense remains prolific and the D made some stops late to beat Temple.

It should not be this hard. Daz took the blame last week. Will he this week? There is a lot to clean up if this team is going to reach its potential.

I will have grades and second viewing thoughts up this week.

Boilermakers burst BC's bubble

Exposed is a strong word, but that is sort of how it feels. Purdue made BC one dimensional on offense or one dimensional on D. At least the Special Teams played better.

It will take a lot for BC to get ranked again. Addazio will have to spend a lot of time regrouping.

Second viewing thoughts and grades as soon as I can get to them.

BC survives uneven performance for win at Wake

This was a very prescient tweet during the game.

This team has the talent to win the ACC and the coaching to finish last.

— Chris (@cschroeck) September 13, 2018

This game never should have been as close as it was. But special teams mistakes and predictable play calling negated the huge talent advantage. Fortunately talent won out. Lots to like about the game. I just hope Addazio is able to clean up the stuff that hurt BC before we play teams who are our equal.

The good news is that there were enough highlight and Dillon moments that BC will probably be ranked soon.

I will try to have the grades up Saturday (and I will also try to get to the Holy Cross thoughts).

Holy Cross game goes as expected

It turned into a glorified scrimmage. But I will hold my point that if we are going to do that, it might as well be against Holy Cross. No major problems. No major injuries and lots of experience for the backups.

I will have grades up late Sunday.