Second viewing thoughts and grades: NC State

Watching this loss back was frustrating but not for the reasons you might think. There were bad calls. There were also moments when Dillon might have made a difference. But ultimately it was frustating to see so many missed opportunities. BC could have and probably should have won that game even without Dillon. NC State is good but didn't play their best. They handed us the game and we didn't take it.

Offense: C+

Brown's passing wasn't great but it probably wasn't as bad as it felt live. He needs to hit the deep balls but there were also some drops. My bigger concern is he doesn't always anticipate the pressure or get rid of the ball before a terrible play. I do like the runs though. I don't know if he is getting more aggressive or getting healthy or both, but being just a slight running threat opens things up.

Glines played well. He ran hard and looked good catching passes. The fumble wasn't his fault. Levy didn't touch it much.

Smith's drops were rough. Catching even one of those might change the game. Sweeney had a nice catch but still needs to work on helping in pass protection. White played well. Walker also had some nice catches when he was open and in traffic.

The Oline was a big part of the challenge in the first half. They were making mistakes, getting run over and not opening up holes. Once NC State stopped loading up on the line things got a bit better. Petrula and Monteiro had some issues pass blocking. Schmal and Baker looked good.

I don't mind being pass first. However, I can't believe that BC sticks with the same plays over and over when they are not executing. Once they brought back the zone read, the run game did improve. But that took until the second half. I also don't know why we didn't use more play action or get Brown out of the pocket more. If he were a great and accurate pocket passer, I would understand. But right now it feels like we don't play to his strengths.

Defense: B-

Allen was awesome. Without him the D would be a total mess. I am surprised Ray is not having a bigger year. Smith was better. Karafa was ok. Glad to Berry get some playing time.

The LBs are really a problem right now. Lots of missed tackles and not much help on the run. McDuffie was pretty active but not with game changing plays. Bletzer was probably the highlight for the whole unit. I am guessing Lamot and Strachan are still not 100%. Richardson's targeting was dumb. He should have known better.

Jones got thrown in the fire and played well. At least better than the guy he was replacing. Torres was fine. Harris missed some tackles but was ok. Palmer had some good moments but his help was too late on one of NC State's big TDs. Denis was forced to play out of position and was pretty good.

I don't think the D was aggressive enough. Finley clearly showed that he could pick us apart. How were we not ready with something to disrupt him early? The lack of pressure and pass rush was too little too late.

Special Teams: A

After being such an issue for most of the year, Special Teams delivered. NC State helped a bit with some mistakes, but our coverage team and punt block team were aggressive and did their part.

Walker had some nice returns.

The kicking and punting was fine.

Overall: C

I'm right in the middle. As reassuring as the near comeback was, the huge hole was beyond frustrating. Did BC makes some adjustments in the second half? Yes. And that isn't always the case with Addazio's guys. I also think he managed the clock and onsides as well as possible. I even understood the early attempt at the 2-point conversion. And on the meltdown scale, I didn't find the fit after the fumble terrible. Is cutting the lead and making it close an improvement over our last road debacle? I guess. But it is still not good enough.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Temple

After the game, Addazio kept mentioning that this was a very physical game. Aside from the targeting issues and some unlucky injuries, I didn't see it. It looked just like the other games. We are almost at the midpoint of the season and watching Watching the game back shows clear patterns developing. I hope that the coaches start fixing the troublesome patterns because once again, the game was much closer than it should have been.

Offense: B+

Brown was very inconsistent in this game. He made a few nice throws and then some terrible ones. He also threw into double coverage multiple times (he was lucky one INT was bobbled). While he didn't get any balls batted this week, there were some weird arm angles. He did show some toughness in the pocket and improved speed.

Dillon was more disciplined this week with his reads and hitting the holes. Glines looked very good just executing the basic offense. Levy got a few touches.

Smith had some drops. Sweeney's TD was great. White also did well in running after the catch. Lewis' one drop was almost a highlight catch. He has great potential. Walker did well getting right where he needed to be for first downs.

The Oline's job was simplified and they played better. I think the jumbo and bunch formations are what we should stick with. Just wear everyone down. It actually pairs well with tempo. As you saw with Glines, we were set and ready to run and Temple was worn out. Baker struggled a bit with penalties. Lindstrom was good. Petrula played well.

Aside from the heavy usage for bunch, BC didn't add many new wrinkles this week. They did have Dillon on some quasi-zone reads but until Brown is a threat to run, those won't be game breakers. I also want to see us use even more play action. It worked against Wake and teams are still crowding the box. Punish them for doing so.

Defense: C

Allen carried the D and we are lucky he did since the rest of the DLine was not as good. Ray was quiet. Smith had plenty of tackles but they were coming right at him for much of the game. Karafa was fine. I don't know why they didn't rotate the other young guys in, but they should have. We need to see if any of them can step up.

Richardson did not have a great game. He's is not shedding blockers well. Strachan missed some tackles. Lamont had a few tackles.

Sebastian struggled again. It almost seemed like Temple was throwing at him. Torres had some better moments but still had a few issues. Harris was pretty good. Denis didn't get to do much before he was tossed.

BC is 72nd in total D and we haven't played great Offenses. Addazio is mentioning the inability to get off the field. I think it is more about lack of adjustments. Temple kept running inside zones on us and we couldn't stop it or any other designed run up the middle. It was the same against Wake and Purdue. This needs to be fixed. I also am frustrated that the corner play is not getting better. Where are the adjustments there?

Special Teams: C

I think they made a necessary change on the PAT. The kick and punt coverage was better. I don't know what happened on the fumbled punt attempt. The snap was fine, so it was just a straight untouched drop.

Walker and Glines were fine on returns. I know Walker fumbled again, but in my opinion that was more on Daz. He elected to receive a kick again instead of just tacking the yards onto the previous return. Naturally the return team would be tired and more likely to make mistakes.

Overall: B-

This was supposed to be a bounce back game. Yes, BC got the win. But the mistakes of the prior games remained and that's on Addazio. Beyond the frustration, the other questionable ingame decision was how he still had the team running tempo with the lead in the 4th quarter. I know it is hard to slow down after practicing tempo for so long, but eating up more clock was the better idea when trying to close out an opponent. Imagine if failure to kill clock costs us a game in the near future. Good teams are able to switch when the situation calls for it.

He should take solace in his recruiting, because talent remains the reason we keep winning these sloppy games.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Purdue

Addazio didn't think effort or overconfidence was an issue. I can't speak to the team mood, but I don't feel like the effort was great. Plenty of missed tackles. Plenty of drops. Some Oline breakdowns and even a potential TD where the announcers called out Sweeney for lack of effort. It was a frustrating game to watch back because I think BC should have dominated that game. We have more talent. We just didn't show it on Saturday.

Offense: D

I don't think Loefler did Brown any favors, but AB was not great Saturyday. Not adjusting on the batted ball. Missing some open men. A few bad throws. He also has running lanes that he is not taking. Perry was fine but what can you make of garbage time?

While those around him did not have their best game, neither did Dillon. Purdue often had nine guys in the box, so Dillon would approach the hole only to see three guys waiting a few yards back. Instead of running into them, he would try to bust it outside. That didn't work. He does have the speed or change of direction to make something of those broken plays. He needs to hit those holes hard, get his three yards and wear the defense down. Eventually one or more of those first reads will become something more. Levy was fine. Glines was fine.

The WRs and TEs didn't help Brown much. Smith had a drop. Sweeney did. White did. In a game when nothing can get going one or two drops is a huge momentum killer. Lewis had some nice moments. None of them blocked all that well, especially the Tight Ends.

The OLine still struggled when trying to pull off the stretches. Purdue shot right through. They were much better with the simple power stuff. The counters weren't as effective as they had been against Wake. They also all need to work on getting the DLine's arms down.

I don't feel like Loeffler called a very good game. Why not stick with what was working early in the year? There is too much variety in the run game without enough consistency or quality. Give Brown easier decisions and get him out of the pocket.

Defense: C-

We have two great DEs, but are really hurting inside. Once again there is no pressure up the middle and teams are running right at them. I don't know why Smith is not playing at his previous decent level. They are rotating guys in but no one is really stepping up. Karafa is ok, but he is not collapsing the pocket or disrupting the running game.

The LBs got killed in the passing game. They were confused on crossing routes and often looked a step slow. I don't know if Strachan has the speed needed to cover slot guys. When nothing was happening, they decided to give McDuffie more snaps and he looked good.

The DBs missed a lot of tackles. Neither Harris nor Denis had their best games. I feel for Sebastian. Purdue clearly targeted him and avoided Cheevers. Sebastian needs help or maybe some of the younger guys need more snaps.

The D had some nice moments but couldn't get off the field or adjust. When a player is getting burned over and over like Sebastian, where is Reid and staff making an adjustment?

Special Teams: B

It was a shame to waste Walker's big day. He did his part to set up the offense and was aggressive and sure handed.

BC's punting was good, with good placement on most occasions.

BC's punt and kick coverage was fine.

The missed PAT was not a factor in the final score, but that needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible.

Overall: C-

The play was lackluster, the adjustments questionable and the schemes were problematic. But do you want to know two signs that show Purdue is well coached and BC might not be? Not only did they plan and prepare their DLine to bat down Brown's balls, but they also got our guys to jump offsides repeatedly. Clearly Purdue saw something in scouting BC. Clearly they added a wrinkle to take advantage. And clearly their guys executed those game- and opponent-specific assignments.

Talent is always going to be primary. Addazio has more talent than Purdue and might be a better recruiter and developer than Brohm. But those little things. The little details. Those are the things that always make a difference in one or two games a year.

I think all of BC's offensive problems are fixable. I am hoping some areas of the D can mature quickly. But I also hope that Addazio figures out the right combination of coaching and managing so that he can avoid these sorts of games in the future.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Wake Forest

[First a little bit of an explanation. Through the entire history of the blog, watching BC Football live and then rewatching it was not an issue or a challenge. Even as I had children, their activities tended to be more morning-based. Now increasingly my Saturday afternoons are spent watching (and coaching) their games and following BC on my phone or in the car. My Sundays in the fall are very busy too with volunteer work, leaving even less time to rewatch. I think rewatching is very valuable as a fan and blogger, so I plan to keep it up. However, I don't know if I can plan to regularly pump it out by Sunday night. Thanks for your continued support.]

For as dominant as an offensive performance as that was, the game was far, far from clean and did leave me with concerns. Beyond the Special Teams miscues, the OLine and DLine were not as consistent as they will need to be against elite competition. The conditioning issue -- which was mentioned on the broadcast multiple times -- also should have us and Addazio worried. Given the talent advantage and explosive plays, it never should have been that close. Watching it a second time only confirmed that belief.

Offense: A-

Brown looked even better than he did against UMass and Holy Cross. His deep throws weren't perfect but they were still pretty close. He didn't force things. He also was a little more accurate on his short passes. I would still like to see him running more but depends on his knee.

Dillon ran well. He didn't do anything to top some of his previous highlights, but his runs were solid and explosive. I would like to see him more in the passing game. Levy only got a few snaps.

I know a lot of guys are winning awards this week, but Jeff Smith might be most deserving. His hands have gotten so much better. He runs really well and his speed is impressive. If he stays healthy and teams keep leaving him open, he will have a huge season. White had a nice TD, as did Glines. Sweeney made a great adjustment on his TD. We didn't get the TEs more involved, but probably should have. There were lots of plays available.

The OLine was the most troubling spot. I know it is tough when the opponent sells out to stop the run, but that wasn't the main problem. In straight up powers, the oline looked good. When they had to move -- stretches, traps, counters, -- things broke down a bit. The counter seems to be the best play. The power sweep would seem to be a good idea but it was never very clean during the game. Monteiro seemed to struggle the most when moving or pulling. Schmaal was good. Petrula did a good job with the edge. If teams are going to keep challenging the OLine, they need to be ready for speedy penetration.

My only critique of the Offensive gameplan was too much variety in the run game. We tried a bit of everything and it was hit or miss. I think keeping things simple, especially when you have someone like Dillon, is the best plan. All he needs is one missed tackle and he can score. Loefler needs to focus on what BC does best in the running game and stop messing around with stuff the Oline can't pull off yet.

Defense: B-

Ray had a great game. He still was aggressive late in the game. Allen wasn't as dominant. He was fine. The DTs really struggled. I am not sure how much they were told to hold position against Wake's run game, but they were getting pushed back over and over. Smith got pushed back. Karafa was a step slow. Valdez and Rayam got playing time but didn't disrupt much.

Strachan was pretty active, but also had a few misses. Richardson also got lots of playing time and was ok.

The DBs were the best part of the D. Cheevers took some gambles, but also made plenty of plays. Harris played well. Denis was fine. Sebastian got beat a few times. Torres was good.

I am surprised we still haven't figured Wake out on D. Their approach under Clawson hasn't really changed. But they got lots of push and lots of plays off. We couldn't get them off the field. That's a bad sign. Why not bring more pressure? Or do something to help out the DTs.

Special Teams: B-

Even without the fumble or blocked punt there were still some other Special Teams issues. We missed an extra point. We got lucky on a penalty on one of Wake's long returns.

Overall: B

As Addazio pointed out in the post-game press conference, this team did persevere for the win. Overcoming mistakes and the shifting game times could easily have been a distraction. He deserves credit for that and for building such a talent advantage. But I think having two easy games to start the season was somewhat unnecessary and may have led to the tiredness and sloppy play.

In a way, it was ideal for Addazio in that he got the win, the team showed flashes of greatness, yet he can still keep them humble.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: UMass

I was in my car and following the game on my phone, so by the time I watched the game Saturday night, I was calm and knew BC crushed UMass. Had I watched live, the first quarter might have been a little more tense and upsetting. Watching with the outcome known was very calming and reassuring for the season. Brown had been the big question mark (and he looked pretty good). There were a few spotty areas, but this was the start to the season BC needed.

Offense: A-

Statistically Brown was great. Considering his limited preseason, Brown was great. When you factor in the injury, Brown was great. But his passes were a bit off target. I know his completion percentage was good, but he still threw behind some guys or not exactly where the ball should be. Against a better team he will get burned with that stuff. I thought his decisions were good in the passing game. I think he will need to present himself as a running threat in our more challenging games. With the way UMass was biting on the end arounds/sweeps, there could be huge plays for AB if he fakes the handoff.

I know a lot of people wanted Dillon to pad his stats, but I was fine with his game. He didn't get his usual viral highlight, but the pass catching alone showed major improvement. Levy and Bailey were fine. Jones got the TDs, but we had such a size advantage against UMass, I don't know how much of that was him vs our OLine.

Two of White's catches were beautiful. I felt like Smith could have done more after the catch and handoff -- he had space and just didn't get the right hole. Marten had a career day for him. I was a bit surprised none of the other guys turned their catches into big plays.

The OLine was fine. It is hard to judge this game because of two factors that made the whole area muddled. UMass stiacked the box a lot but also was undersized on the DL. We were winning battles but not exploding because of how their back seven played.

Loeffler called a good game. I think it was good to move Brown around. He needs to get used to rollouts and bootlegs since so many teams are going to focus on our run game. I had no problem with the subs in the second half.

Defense: B+

The only surprising part to me was that our defensive line starters didn't dominate in a more pronounced fashion. Allen was fine, but not speeding by the UMass guys. Smith had a nice INT. Ray was fine.

Strachan is another guy who looked good coming back to action. Jones made some nice plays. DePalma got extended playing time.

Sebastian had the biggest coverage breakdown of the game (the first UMass TD) but was ok after. Denis' INT was nice, as was the runback. Harris was fine. Torres was fine.

This was a very vanilla scheme and that's fine. No need to do anything special unless the opponent and game situation calls for it.

Special Teams: B-

I know you can excuse some of the special team's issues to losing our long snapper (Martin), but there were some other issues too.

We allowed a long kick return. We were not aggressive with our own returns...including punt returns.

Overall: A-

I could get nitpicky about the start or letting UMass get some garbage time points, or hammer Addazio for Special Teams but it was a pretty darn good showing. He had the more talented team and they played that way. It was a relatively vanilla approach, but probably what we needed for the start. And to Addazio's credit, the depth and talent improvement is more obvious in a blowout. The second teamers come on and BC still looks better than their FBS opponent.

Next week should be an even easier game, but I think we can trust Addazio not to screw it up. He certainly didn't screw up this game.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Syracuse

There are times when the score reflects the game and times when it can be a little misleading. For example, the Florida State game really was a domination. The Clemson game was not as lopsided as the final result. This score feels a bit misleading. BC won handily, but for long stretches, it felt like Syracuse was going to get right back in it. Addazio does deserve credit for putting them away, However, there are still areas that weren't perfect. I am glad we have a month to practice.

Offense: A

Unlike past games, Wade played well from the start and throughout the game. He made some nice throws and was a bit more aggressive. I was also really impressed with his ability to avoid the sack when he got flushed out of the pocket.

Dillon is getting so much better at being a complete back. He is finding holes and not just running over people. Hilliman played better than he has been playing. His blocking was much better. Levy looked good when he finally got to see the field.

Like many of our recent opponents, Syracuse loaded the box to disrupt the ground game. The OLine handled the onslot well. Lindstrom played well. Lazard is not having as many problems as he did earlier in the year.

The Tight Ends really made the O click. They blocked well. They got open. They made their catches. Sweeney had some tough ones. Garrison played well. So did Callinan. Loved seeing Jeff Smith break free (what could have been with him...). White made some nice plays. Thadd Smith go multiple touches and did well.

This week's gameplan looked like it was made for Wade. Plenty of short passes. Plenty of boots and play fakes. We also added new wrinkles, ran the sweeps well and got the ball to many different guys. It was a good gameplan.

Defense: B

Allen had a solid game. I don't know if something was wrong, but Ray missed a few tackles. Ray Smtih was fine. So was Merritt.

Schwab played really well...even after he tweaked his leg. Jones seemed a little behind the action, but considering how new he is to LB, he played well.

The DBs were asked to do a lot and were pretty good. Cheevers played well in coverage and had a huge pass breakup that led to Harris' TD. Denis' return off the INT was nice. Torres looked okay in coverage. There were some missed tackles in this group but considering how good Cuse's WRs are, that was to be expected.

I didn't love the Defensive gameplan. I know it contained Syracuse to only 14 points, but they gained a ton of yards and hit lots of big passes. There were also plenty of 3rd down conversions. What saved BC were the 4th down stops and the turnovers. Once we realized that Culpepper was going to hit the passes, why not bring more pressure or give him more looks?

Special Teams: A

The success of the offense of late has hurt Knoll's chances at All ACC. His punts were good Saturday and both landed inside the 20.

Walker was fine.

The kickoffs haven't been as long or clean lately. Being indoors I expected the touch backs again. Maybe something is nagging GS.

No attempts at Field Goals. That was probably smart.

Overall: A-

There was plenty of message board talk after the game as to why Perry didn't get in to play. Maybe he could have been used during the final drive, but at this point it doesn't matter. The kid played and will practice for the bowl as the backup. BC needs a backup for the bowl, so this was not an entirely wasted season. I am not going to get on Addazio for that now. (Three years from now if Perry is great, I may reverse my current opinion.)

The other ingame coaching thing that Addazio did was to use timeouts to ice their kicker. It may seem childish, but in this case it worked.

Overall the team was much better prepared than his previous trips to the Carrier Dome and Wade looked much, much better.

Now it is time to get ready for the bowl and to develop the younger guys.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: UConn

As the game played out, I was frustrated that Addazio kept going with Wade. In hindsight it wasn't as bad, but still no less frustrating.

Offense: B-

As I've mentioned Wade started off horribly and then moved into just mediocre. I know the drops hurt his stats, but he was also off on some throws and looking to check down when there were bigger plays downfield. Perry played but didn't get to do anything.

Dillon carried the team again. He's getting better and better at waiting on his blocks and avoiding tackles in traffic. His power is amazing. Carrying three UConn guys into the endzone was fun to watch. Hilliman had his best game of the season. He was decisive and blocked well.

The drops were terrible for many of the WRs and TEs. Smith had a bad one that probably would have been a first down. White dropped more than one. Sweeney too. Garrison had a really nice grab for his TD. They did block well as a group. UConn was ready for Thadd Smith on the sweeps.

The OLine dominated. Aside from the rushing, Wade was rarely in danger. The times that UConn flushed him out of the pocket were often because he held it too long.

UConn has the worst pass D in the country and we couldn't exploit them through the air? That was on Loeffler (and Addazio). Even with the drops, there wasn't enough passing. Why not sharpen that area up? Fortunately the ground game was some dominant.

Defense: B

The DLine didn't seem that aggressive but I assume they were being conservative and doing their best to contain. Allen was active. Ray made some nice tackles. Merritt did a good job collapsing the interior. Smith was fine.

Lamont played well and once he got settled in seemed to adjust to UConn's offense. Schwab was fine. Bletzer was okay.

Cheevers played well. His first pick helped change momentum. Torres had a great run back on his as did Denis. Harris was fine. Yiadom was fine.

The gameplan was very conservative. I don't think BC's issues and the significant yards they gave up were schematic and on Reid. Instead it was more of an effort issue. In the beginning guys were quick to buy on the play action and not disciplined in their coverage. And there was bad tackling. UConn also added yards and points when we eased up and put the second teamers into the game.

Special Teams: D

I know the field was a mess and the weather was bad, but I don't know if you can keep going with Lichtenberg. Some of those misses were bad. Would you trust him if the game is on the line?

Walker's kick returns were good.

Das Boot's kickoffs were not as far again. Maybe it is the weather.

Knoll punted well, though he did have a shank.

The kick and punt coverage were good.

Overall: B

I hated how flat this team was to start the game. Addazio is supposed to be a motivator, yet this team had low energy, looked sloppy early on offense and allowed too many big plays. I know things improved, but this UConn team was terrible. A good team would have built a big lead against us and been much harder to put away. A game at Fenway shouldn't need hype. A killer instinct to put away a poor UConn team should be part of the program.

My other issue with Addazio is how he managed Lichtenberg. His confidence must be shot. Why keep sending him out there?

The good news for Addazio was that even with all the issues to start the game, he didn't lose his cool (like the last time at Fenway). We had an overwhelming depth and talent advantage and won. He got the team bowl eligible again and has a chance to keep improving. Now get rid of the Carrier Dome jinx.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: NC State

This is the type of game that reinforces my belief that Addazio will never be a great coach. The way he manages and prepares for a game limits his upside. There won't be a season where everything goes way because much like TOB, he will make in game decisions that limit BC's ability to win. This was one of those games. There was plenty of bad luck -- like losing Brown -- but ultimately Addazio's approach cost the team. Watching it back was very frustrating.

Offense: C

I know Wade has not had consistent playing time, but how can his feel for pressure still be so bad? The game should be slowing down for him at this point. Not the other way around. I don't think the staff put him in good position to win, but he looked lost and unsure in the pocket. It was not pretty. Brown was okay before he got hurt. He got greedy on the INT pass. He was running well prior to getting hurt.

Dillon was very good again. Beyond pushing the pile or shrugging off tacklers, he is getting better at finding holes and reading blocks. This will lead to more and more big runs. Hilliman was not as good. If he is going to be in on passing downs, he needs to do a better job blocking. Levy had a nice catch. Maybe he should get a shot on passing downs.

Considering they were going against a great DLine, the Oline played well. They got good push most of the day. The sacks were mostly because Wade didn't get rid of the ball quickly enough or Hilliman didn't help. Lindstrom struggled he most, but also had the toughest assignment.

The WRs and tight ends blocked well. Sweeney had some nice catches. Thadd Smith's run was great. Jeff Smith made a tough catch in traffic. White was okay.

Where was the play calling from the Florida State game? This time it was Dillon, Dillon and then pray the QBs don't screw it up. Most frustrating was that when Wade came in, they didn't adjust to his strengths. Why have him sit in the pocket so many times? Why not do more of what worked against Louisville? And how could he looked so ill prepared? I usually don't want more jet sweeps, but there were so many that could have worked. NC State was not respecting the play and Thadd and Jeff Smith should have gotten more touches. I also don't know what was going on with the final possession, but get into that more in the Addazio section below.

Defense: B

The DLine played well. Allen had a big game. Merritt was also really disruptive. I was surprised by how many times they were blowing over NC State guys or worse getting tackled by a desperate NC State lineman. There should have been about four or five holding calls that weren't called. Ray was good. Smith played well too.

Schwab was great again. He is playing his best football right at the end of his career. He made good tackles and the INT was a nice heads up play. Lamont was really good too. He is reading plays well. Bletzer had some trouble in coverage, but his fumble pick up was nice.

Moore played well before the injury. Denis and Harris both missed some tackles. Yiadom played very well and was acknowledged repeatedly by Huard. Cheevers, Torres and McClary were fine as replacements.

I know the score was okay, but I didn't love the strategy. We brought plenty of pressure -- some as a blitz and some as just the front four. But the blitzing seemed to almost enable Finley. He handled it and converted too many 3rd downs. The D was good, but given the offense it needed to be perfect.

Special Teams: B

Knoll punted very well and placed the ball within the 20.

Walker bobbled on kick return but looked good on another.

The kickoffs were not as good. I assume the cold was an issue. The kick and punt coverage was ok. Not great.

Overall: C-

Aside from not adjusting when Wade went in, here are some of the really questionable approaches.

1. The jump pass from Hilliman. This was Addazio trying to be Urban Meyer and falling flat on his face. The reason is worked with Tim Tebow twice was in part because Tebow was enough of a passer that he could adjust and flip it midair. It also worked because Tebow was enough of a threat that no DBs stayed home. Hilliman is not that same guy. The NC State safety read the play right away and Hilliman never looked like he was trying to run for the first down. It was a terrible play on many levels. I would have preferred a FG, but if the weather had you worried about the FG attempt, why not run it with Dillon? Instead you put in a liability and run a trick play. Ugly and dumb.

2. The clock management before the first half. In general, I am against wasting possessions. However, you could sort of rationalize killing clock when you have your back up in the game. But once Doeren starts using his timeouts, you have to adjust your plan. Addazio didn't. On third down you need to call a bootleg with Wade and tell him don't throw an interception and down throw the ball away. Wade needs to roll, use a few more seconds and hopefully hit an open TE or WR. Instead we ran it right into their DL and let Doeren stop the clock. NC State's ensuing points were the difference and Addazio bungled another two minute situation.

3. Not using Dillon in the final drive. You have three minutes. That is an eternity in college football. Why is your most dynamic player on the bench? There was still time to run Dillon. Also, if he is on the field, NC State is focused on him and maybe that opens up another player or area of the field.

Doeren made some equally head scratching decisions. He nearly gave the game away, only Addazio wouldn't take it from him.

I am frustrated. For a few weeks it looked like we might have enough pieces to overcome Addazio's limitations. Now it doesn't seem that way. He's going to need a lot more talent to overcome how he manages close games.

UConn should be an easy win. If he blows this one, then a coaching change comes back into discussion.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Florida State

The team looked even more dominant the second time around. If not for a few plays here and there, BC could have scored 50 on them. In fact, this is one of those games where I feel like the stats don't tell the whole story. BC outplayed, outhustled and yes, out coached Florida State. It was fun to watch.

Offense: A-

Brown's stats should have been better. He had teammates drop a few passes. He also missed out on a potential TD when he had to come out. But he is looking comfortable in the pocket and is getting more accurate. His ability and willingness to run will also open up other things. Wade was fine as a fill in when Brown got dinged.

The game was low on Dillon highlights but high on productivity. Simple power runs off tackle or even on the interior work because his timing on hitting the hole is very good and he's tough to bring down. Levy caught just one pass.

Sweeney had some nice catches. Fortunately his drops didn't come back to haunt us. White's TD catch was nice. Jeff Smith made a nice throw. Smith also had a decent run. Thadd's run was just okay. He should have cut upfield earlier. It was nice to see Garrison catch a ball.

I know I've been nitpicky with Monteiro this year, but he played well. Lindstrom was also good at the other tackle. The guards moved well and everyone gave Brown time in the pocket.

Loeffler called a very good game. The TD was one of those plays that was perfectly set up by the previous reverse. We didn't pass much or pass well, but that wasn't really because of bad calls. Just a few drops and a good mix of run.

Defense: A

No Landry, no problem. Smith and Ray both had big days. Allen was fine. Merritt played well. If I have any concern about the DL right now, it is that the backups did not make much of an impact when they did see the field.

This was the Linebackers' best game as a unit. Schwab was everywhere and made an incredible INT. Beyond the INT, he seemed to show good anticipation. That hasn't always been so obvious this year. Lamont was very disruptive. Bletzer was fine.

The DBs were solid. The one large pass they allowed was sort of an outlier. Denis and Harris were good helping to stop the run. Moore played well. So did Yiadom.

I don't want to say the transformation is complete, but the shift in approach looks more and more effective each week. We are not running something derivative of Don Brown. If anything it looks more like the Spaz days...just with a little more blitzing and a bit more man. But we are not doing lots and lots of different looks up front. Nor are we blitzing at the same rate as last year or the year before. But the adjustment has allowed us to stop the big run plays. Now we clog lanes and the LBs are more likely to make the tackle. Reid deserves credit. When it looked like the defense was dead, he put together two solid game plans in ACC play.

Special Teams: B+

This FG attempt wasn't even close.

The punt coverage team was great and really helped BC build the lead.

Four out of six of the kickoffs were touch backs.

Knoll's punting was good.

Overall: A

I have my theories on what happened to this team, but I would love to hear Addazio's explanation. He believed this blossoming was coming when no one else did. I was one of the many mocking him for his "beautiful" comments. In fairness, the past two games have been beautiful. Much of this can be attributed to maturation, but I still think it all starts up front with the Offensive Line. That was Addazio's background and that has been his calling card. So, he deserves much of the credit.

As for managing this particular game, it was good to stay aggressive on Florida State in the second half. He also deserves credit for keeping the team focused and not letting the win streak or the leads get to them.

Now he has a break. That's not always good for a hot team. Hopefully he can keep everyone focused and keep this rolling.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Virginia

I mocked Addazio when he predicted beauty. I guess I should be mocking myself now. I don't know if we can sustain this, but for two straight weeks, the Offense has dominated. Watching it back, I was struck by the talent on the field. We can question if it is being used well or coached up, but the size and speed is tough to deny.

Offense: A

Brown did nearly everything right. His deep passes were more accurate. He made quick decisions. He ran when he had to. It was also his most productive day. I thought his most impressive throw was the first TD to Sweeney. Brown sold the fake hard and then took an extra pause to throw a catchable ball.

It was going to be nearly impossible for Dillon to top last week. UVA wasn't going to let him either. But even with their determination to stop him, he still had some good runs. I love that he is very careful with the ball in traffic, yet can still use his arm to toss kids. Hilliman had a really nice catch. I also liked Levy in the mix.

Sweeney seems like a new man. Great runs after the catch. Slipping through coverage. I think opponents will start keying on him more. Thadd Smith made some nice moves on his TD. White looked very strong on his TD. Glad to see Garrison get back into things.

One OL guy who I haven't mentioned much this year, but who did play well this week was Schmal. He rotates, but seemed to get more snaps this week. He had some solid blocks and opened some holes. Monteiro had some balance or footwork issues because I saw him fall a few times. Petrula was good. Lindstrom was good.

The Offense had numerous issues the past two years and I pointed much of it at Loeffler (and Addazio). He deserves credit for this game. BC had some great calls against what UVA was doing. Even as they kept loading the box, BC had answers to get the play off and into space. As for other adjustments, I am glad the are letting Brown throw deep and giving him the green light to run more.

Defense: A

Ray played very well and got a big sack. Merritt and Smith had one of their better games stuffing the middle. Allen was good, although not an impactful as he had been the past few weeks. Landry was limited with his ankle.

Lamot had another solid game. He is getting more aggressive and attacking each game. UVA did not target Bletzer in pass coverage as some teams have done. He made some nice plays. Schwab was very productive.

Harris had his best game in a few weeks. Many tackles, good coverage and getting a foot in on that weird INT. Glad Cheevers got another moment after last week's big play. Torres had some tough moments on their one TD drive. He missed a tackle on 3rd down and got called for Pass Interference in the endzone. Moore and Yiadom were fine.

Reid kept it simple. In fact it was only after they built up the lead that you started to see some unique fronts and blitzes. My one gripe is that there were a lot of open spaces in the middle. I don't know how much was by design or Lamot being a little too aggressive. I think we better adjust or else teams will kill us intermediate passes down the middle. Also, there are still some tackling issues.

Special Teams: A-

The only nitpicky thing was that Walker let too many punts bounce and roll. The punts and kicks he returned were fine.

Knoll thankfully didn't have as much to do and was fine.

Lichtenberg was fine.

Schulze-Geisthovel continued to boot the kickoffs.

Overall: A

During the game, I wrote that the first half was the best half of football BC had played under Addazio. Nearly everything worked. The second half wasn't as clean, but BC did the right things. I was most encouraged that BC kept playing aggressively during the first few possessions of the second half.

I know BC fans and just casual college football followers are all trying to figure out what happened. I don't know if there is a simple answer. In my opinion it started with the offensive line a few weeks ago. Then Dillon exploded. In turn UVA sold out to stop the run and ended up exposed to big plays.

Now it is up to Addazio to keep building on this.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Louisville

Watching the game back was weird. Watching live I got caught up in the excitement of it all. Watching it with hindsight, you realize that Dillon did most of that damage in the second half! If he had been the focal point from the start her might have rushed for 400 yards. It was a very unique performance. We don't know if this game was a turning point or will just be a footnote. We do know that it was fun to watch.

Offense: A

I don't think this game will cause a QB controversy since neither were perfect. Brown started running more. His passes were off throughout. Wade hit his passes early, but anything that wasn't a quick easy throw was a problem. I am not on the Wade bandwagon yet, but he does deserve credit for coming in and helping the team.

Dillon was really good. The numbers and the highlights tell most of the story, but even on more basic plays, he was pushing for an extra yard or two and he made good cuts. Out running DBs is a great sign. Hilliman's carries weren't that effective. He was good catching the ball. Levy got a few more touches but didn't break anything big.

The Tight Ends -- Sweeney, Martin, Garrison, -- all looked good on those short passes and cutting up field after the catch. Unfortunately the other guys didn't get nearly as many clean passes thrown their way. Brown missed Walker, Smith and White. Wade missed White too. Thadd Smith looked good on the sweeps.

Dillon doesn't have that sort of day without the OLine. Phillips looked good and opened up some holes. Montiero was also good. As a group, all five really got a good push on the Louisville DL.

I thought BC was going to have to pass to win. It turns out I was wrong. Even before Dillon's big runs, it was clear BC was going to try to overpower the Cards. Loeffler also deserves credit for going with the hot hand and for giving Wade some easy throws to get acclimated.

Defense: D

Of the different BC position groups, the DLine was the best. Wyatt Ray had a big INT as he dropped into coverage. Ray Smith helped clog the middle. Merritt was solid. Allen got beat a few times by Jackson and still struggles when he is the read point of the zone option. Landry was tentative and didn't look completely healthy.

The LBs missed a good bit of tackles and were really slow when trying to chase down Louisville's skill guys. Schwab was productive but didn't have his best game. Lamot was just ok.

The DBs got lost, fell or burned too many times. They also saved the game with the strip, fumble and fumble recovery. Moore was the best on Saturday, despite some issues. Denis was fine. Harris didn't look 100%. Yiadom was oky. Cheevers deserves credit for the fumble.

I like Jim Reid. I think he is a good guy and can be a good coordinator. But I am worried that we don't have a solution for the zone read. Jackson is a special player, but every team beats us with it. Allen might be too slow for it. I also am getting frustrated with the big plays. If you are going to blitz less, you better be sound behind it.

Special Teams: B

Walker was very aggressive again and it helped set the tone.

The kickoffs were fine. Knoll punted well.

The coverage was good.

Lichtenberg made the game winner. Congrats. He also missed a FG that could have given BC cushion late. I really hope the misses are temporary or Addazio might need to make a change.

Overall: B+

When you score 45 but only win by three, there are some problems. Our special teams issues and defensive issues mentioned above have been consistent and Addazio has not fixed them. We are more than halfway through the season and not finding real solutions. That is why I am far from confident that this will turn into a win streak.

But for one week, a special day from a special player carried BC to victory. Addazio deserves credit for finding a guy like Dillon and getting him to campus. Now he needs to turn Dillon into a reliable weapon who can perform like that every week.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Virginia Tech

Addazio will spin this until his last breath, but there is no excuse for the continued issues this team has. So much of it is execution. And when you have continued problems with execution, it is because the coaching staff is not teaching and not adapting. This game was more of the same.

Offense: D

I know there were plenty of drops, but Brown is not accurate. He's behind on slants. His downfield stuff is a mixed bag. He is too quick to throw things away. I believe in his future but we are not using him well now. The only bright spot was he did run more. Those plays with his feet will open up other things.

Levy looked good catching the ball. Why not give him more touches? We need someone with a spark. It wasn't Hilliman's best game. He didn't have the holes, but he also didn't make people miss. Dillon was fine and didn't look slowed from last week.

It was a rough game for Sweeney. Drops and false starts. White had a good catch but also needs to pull in anything close. Thadd Smith ran the sweep well. I am so frustrated with Jeff Smith. How is he not better by now or at least have better hands? The other TEs are not even getting targeted.

Petrula got a bad holding call, but was okay. There was a time early when the ESPN crew blamed him for a broken play, but I think it was really Phillips' man who got through. Overall the line was not the problem.

The play calling and game plan was a mess. Start aggressive, go conservative and fall way behind, and then open things up again late. Even if you want to blame Addazio for stuff like that, Loeffler still hasn't managed around Addazio or developed Brown into anything like a starting ACC QB. As a reminder, VT's QB was also young. And you know things are bad when the ESPN crew questions how we use Brown and the touches Hilliman gets over the young guys.

Defense: B

Allen had another great game. I know I was critical of him early in the year, but he has really come on of late. And it is helping Landry too. Merritt was fine. Our DL did a good job of stuffing those dives and powers up the middle.

Schwab played well. Bletzer was put in some tough spots with coverage, but still played pretty well. Lamont struggled a bit and missed some tackles.

The DBs played well at times but also allowed too many big plays. There was some bad tackling and confusion at times. Yiadom's pick was a heads up play. Denis had plenty of tackles, but some misses too. Moore was fine. Harris had some stops and a few misses.

I think Reid put together a decent game plan. They gashed us for some big plays -- which is not new -- but we also contained them for many, many plays. Plus keeping it together when the Offense can't score and keeping them out of the endzone is admirable.

Special Teams: C

Is it time to worry about Lichtenberg? One of the misses could be blamed on awkward snap. Not the other. I hope there is a plan in place if he starts missing again.

Knoll punted well.

The punt and kick coverage was good. In fact, the punt coverage is one of the best units on the team.

Walker's returns were fine. VT wasn't as careless as Central Michigan.

Overall: C-

Do you want to capture Addazio's poor game management in a single play? When we go for it on 4th and 2, there is confusion with alignments. Brown and Sweeney seem to disagree on where Sweeney should be lined up. Now this drive is critical. We need points. It is 4th down. BC still has timeouts. As soon as Addazio sees the confusion, he should be calling timeout! He can't let this play fail and if the primary target is not in the right spot before the snap, it will probably fail. But the coach let's it roll. Brown rolls left and Sweeney is the target. It is sort of a rub route. The pass is a little off and Sweeney's footwork is a bit twisted. Incomplete. What is going on? Does he get lost in the moment? I don't know.

The other infuriating thing was BC's ultra conservative play calling on 3rd and long. Running plays. Dump offs. Short routes. I understand low risk, but you have to take some risk. How does he expect to win if he doesn't ever convert? 3 and out followed by 3 and out. He thinks this is beautiful? He thinks this is a player issue!

The guy will never be more than a 7-6 coach and much worse on down years. I don't expect a change midseason, but I hope Jarmond has seen enough. I know this team has enough talent to get to six wins. I also know that with the way Addazio is coaching them, it won't happen.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Central Michigan

[UPDATE: Sorry for the chopped copy and typos. I wrote it late Sunday and pushed out a draft instead of the final.]

Addazio thinks his issues are injuries. The reality is that it is offense. This game reinforced that. Addazio waste scoring opportunities and that is a primary reason why these games can be frustrating live and rewatching. This week the place to point was the FG attempts. But there was more than that. Fumbles on potential scoring drives. Bad execution on a few critical plays. If anything, Addazio's recruiting (i.e. superior talent) is what won this game. Not some sort of brilliant game plan or great adjustment.

Offense: B-

They kept it simple for Brown and he was fine. Mostly short passes. He is still not as accurate as we need. There were times when he threw behind guys and they had to stop or adjust. I did appreciate that he was more willing to tuck and run as needed.

Dillon was over 100 yards for the first time. Much of that was behind good holes from the line but he did make a few reads and cuts that were good. Hilliman was productive too. The TDs are a big deal, although it felt like it was less about him making a big play. More like it was his turn on the drive. 

The OLine was good. The only big mistake -- the safety -- seemed more like an unaccounted for corner rushing in. I don't think that was a missed assignment on Montiero. Petrula had a snap issue, but in general played well. There were lots of big holes on the right side.

I don't know why our WRs can't break bigger plays. I guess, I am glad they are showing solid hands and pulling things in, but where are the big runs after the catch? The three main targets -- Sweeney, White and Smith -- were fine but we didn't open things up nor break anything open. Thadd Smith got swallowed up on his one sweep. Sometimes he might need to read and cut up field. 

It seemed like BC wanted to run the ball and given the field position, it made sense. BC never really put Brown at risk and did what it needed to do. But that doesn't mean the Loeffler didn't have some issues. There were some slow developing plays -- the first 4th down, the safety -- that are so frustrating given the time and place of the game. In those moments, execution is primary and we continue to look sloppy. 

Defense: A-

Landry is basically our defensive decoy. I understand moving him around. I don't love the idea of him getting snaps at LB. Anyway, while he is getting all the attention, it enabled the rest of the DL to have their best games. Ray looked good. Allen had some big plays. Ray Smith was solid.

Bletzer keeps playing better than I thought he would. He's blown up that quick pass to the flat multiple times. He's making tackles. Lamont is very active too. New LBs sometimes seem a step behind the play, but Lamont is pursuing with authority. Schwab was good. 

Denis is having a great year. I know many of his INTs are just bad throws that he is waiting on as sort of a center fielder. But he is still tackling well. Still doing well in coverage. Harris was fine. He's active but I still feel like he is also missing some guys too. Yiadom and Moore were both good. 

One thing that bothered me -- and I feel like it is becoming an issue -- was the continued missed tackling. How many times did Central Michigan extend a play when the initial tackler didn't make a stip and no one helped? Reid and Addazio need to fix that issue. Reid didn't need to do much creatively. Central Michigan played that poorly.

Special Teams: B+

The only reason for the lower Special Teams grade was due to the missed field goals. I hope they don't become an issue.

Walker really shined. I know CMU screwed up the punts and coverage, but Walker still made good decisions on fielding them and was very aggressive on the returns. Those returns calmed the O and changed the game.

Knoll was good. The kickoffs were fine. It didn't make a difference but I thought it was interesting that BC elected to kick after the safety instead of punt.

Overall: B-

I hope he learned his lesson on 4th down, but my fear is Addazio did not learn anything. I think he still views game plans as those reserved for powers and those used against weaklings. What he should see on 4th is that good things happened on one of the drives, leading to a score. And on failed attempt, it did not lead to CMU points directly. 

If Dillon is really banged up than keeping him on the field late will be viewed as another mistake. I actually have no quibble with Dillon getting caries late. He's young and the idea is to help him grow and develop. More snaps does that.

Beyond strategy and player usage, the one thing that I do give Addazio credit for is not doing a full panic when Central Michigan got the safety early. When things are going poorly, a moment like that can seem like "here we go again." But it wasn't. Instead the team stuck with the game plan and overpowered Central Michigan.

BC should have scored more. BC should have tackled better. But in the end, they did enough to win. I don't feel better about Addazio, but I hope this serves as a boost to the team.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Clemson

This team is better than their record and better than the current point differential. Watching the game again, you can see noticeable improvement in certain units. It shows that the coaches are still coaching and the players are still buying in. And it is not just watching that makes me think that. Monday morning, I talked to a person who sat among the players and coaches' families at Clemson (as a guest of BC). This person is no fan of Addazio. But the relayed message was clear: these families were into it. They were buying in during the game and in good spirits after. Addazio still has his staff and his locker room. That belief as well as the signs of improvement are what Addazio needs to save the season. Yet, I still don't trust him. The guy might be doing the right things behind the scenes, but he is giving these games away. He is terrible as a game manager. I don't know if we deserve to be 3-1 or 2-2 right now, but I do know the scores don't measure this team's potential. All they measure is that their head coach is inept in planning and execution of game strategy.

Offense: D

Brown did not play all that well. He had time and still made some bad throws and questionable decisions. He misses guys and is not being aggressive enough with some of his downfield looks. I know part of it could be coaching. Maybe they fear him forcing too much. But when he has the time he did against an elite D, he needs to make better throws.

I thought Dillon looked okay. He hits the hole hard and pushes the defense for another yard or two. In a game like this we needed him to either run over someone or make a few more guys miss. Hilliman was more decisive and looked okay in the passing game.

The Tight Ends blocked better and it made a difference. We even used them as H-backs at times.

If you want to bank on one reason for optimism, it is the OLine. They are getting better every week. Petrula is playing beyond his years. Lindstrom had his best game of the season. The left side did a good job opening holes and giving Brown time. Even Lazard looked better.

Smith had a nice long catch but most were short gainers. We need him to start shaking tacklers or something. White played well and hustled with good run after the catch. Sweeney was good.

I thought the game plan was bad. You are basically controlling the best front seven in the conference and you can't get first downs? Why not take more chances? Why not get the ball to guys who might actually break something open like Smith or White? When you dedicate so much time to running, there is going to be play action opportunities. We just didn't do enough of that. You can't beat elite teams when you only score seven points. I blame Addazio for most of that, but Loeffler shares some of the burden since we are still having trouble scoring on his watch.

Defense: C-

Landry played better. He let Bryant escapes a few times but overall was very disruptive and drew a lot of attention. Something remains off with Allen. He seems slowers. Merritt looked fine. Rayam looked okay as he got more time. Ray had some nice tackles. Ray Smith did a good job up the middle.

Bletzer had his best game and blew up multiple plays. Schwab was fine. Richardson was fine. Lamont looked good getting extensive playing time.

The DBs as a group were very good. Denis made multiple plays and had an INT. Harris still looks just okay and missed a few tackles. I don't know why he is not having the impact expected. Moore played well. Yiadom played well. Torres made a tackle.

Addazio said that the goal was to get Clemson to work it down the field. But what I appreciate is that we still brought pressure on occasion and got to the QB. The tackling wasn't great. The scheme was fine. My biggest problem is that we can't seem to stop the opposing QB from running on us. We've got to get that fixed.

Special Teams: B 

Mike Knoll might make first team all ACC. The only thing that frustrates me is that his good punts are helping rationalize Addazio's poor decisions.

The punt coverage has been good. Considering Clemson's play makers and the number of times we punted, only allowing one big return was good (and of course Knoll made the tackle).

Walker is being aggressive in his returns. I do think he will break something soon.

Colton Lichtenberg hit his only chance off the post. It was frustrating but not a terrible shank.

Overall: D

Things were going according to Addazio's plan right up until they didn't. I've belabored how antiquated his approach is and how he is a bad game manager. No need to rehash. One day it will work, but not against great teams with competent coaches. I am beyond frustrated. The only reason that another blowout didn't earn an F is because there is some noticeable improvement in certain units and some of the guys are playing their hearts out.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Notre Dame

In his postgame press conference and comments on Monday, Addazio kept emphasizing how close BC is and how close these games are. After watching it back, I actually agree with him. But where Addazio sees the relative talent as even and a team playing well the majority of the game, I see it as an indictment of everything he's doing. If your team is close and in it, you shouldn't lose 29 points.

Offense: B-

Brown looked much better than last week. Some of his passes were a little behind or a little short (like that early one to Walker) but he made good decisions and overall, made good passes. He stayed poised in the pocket. I think we should let him run a bit. Not because he has speed, but because the plays are there.

Hilliman looked much much better. I know part of it was that he finally had some holes, but he also ran with purpose and got things to the second level. Dillon didn't get as many touches but looked decent.

Callinan played really well. He made some tough catches and also fought for yards. Jeff Smith did not look great and dropped two catchable balls. Thadd Smith got snuffed out on the jet sweeps. White was good. The Tight Ends blocked better, but the false starts were killers.

The OLine looked how they were supposed to look. Petrula got well deserved praise. The right side looked good. They all gave Brown enough time.

What I liked about the Loeffler's adjustment was that we rolled Brown more and used more play action. That helped settle him and gave the WRs space. I know it is ultimately Addazio's call, but I still think we get too conservative in the redzone. The 4th down call was not well executed.

Defense: F

The DLine needs to get better quickly. Landry is being misused and had some plays. I think at this point we need to give him the greenlight and just chase QBs. Dropping into coverage is a waste. Even reading and waiting is not what he does best. He did miss Wimbush on Wimbush's biggest run. Allen had a few tackles but is not making the impact promised in the summer. Ray needs to step up. Merritt had some good plays.

Richardson made some plays earlier but didn't make the stops as the game wore on. Schwab was fine. Bletzer is not playing poorly but he is not closing on enough plays and his speed looks suspect.

The DBs looked good in past coverage. They had problems helping the run. Look at ND's first big play. It came off a Moore missed tackle. Other than that, Moore played well. Yiadom was good. Dennis continues to play well. Harris was active and productive, but we need some game changing plays from him.

I am a Jim Reid fan and defender, but this was bad. It doesn't matter if you stop them on the majority of plays if it falls apart later. I wish we were more aggressive. I wish we would stop messing around with Landry and I wish we knew how do defend a simple zone read. It hurt us in all three games. We will be seeing it until we show we can stop it.

Special Teams: B

Special teams continues to be the lone bright spot. Other than Walker's fumble -- which BC recovered -- everything was good.

Kick offs were strong. Punt coverage good. Knoll is placing the ball well.

Lichtenberg did well.

Overall: F

I obviously spent a lot of time on the sequence before the half, but there is plenty of blame to throw at Addazio. Why does he keep punting from the opponent's territory? Knoll is making the decision seem smart by punting well, but most Pop Warner coaches know that the better move is to go for it. Landry's usage is also looking dumb. Whether he is hurt, you're trying to develop him in other areas or you truly believe you are resting him, the benefits are not showing. Addazio even said that DEs were not the problem on the first three scores. He's implying that even with Landry, Notre Dame still scores. But that is not a given. Landry draws extra attention and forced ND to switch plays. We can't assume anything about what happens if he had been on the field. Even how he used Wade late during the blowout is weird. Why not go for it there? Or give him more throws? What do you have to lose?

BC has many tough games ahead. Most should be competitive. However, if Addazio keeps coaching like he did this week, nothing will be close.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Wake Forest

Watching this game back was sort of like watching it for the first time. As I tweeted and wrote on Saturday, my experience with this internet game was bad. At this point I don't mind the lower production values. That's not the problem it once was. In fact, the picture quality is pretty good. The problem was the delays, buffering and audio inconsistency. Based on feedback, it doesn't seems like I was the only one with a problem and it also doesn't seem like it was just an AT&T problem. The real ACC Network can't get here soon enough.

Offense: F

I am not ready to give up on Anthony Brown, but that was a rough performance. He made bad decisions and bad throws. Ironically, some of the INTs were just bad luck (tipped) but he missed so many wide open guys. He also threw the ball away too many times. He got worse and wasn't really setting himself as the game wore on. All of it is fixable. Let's hope he can shake it off. Wade missed wide open men too. I hoped for a spark, but he did nothing to make any of us think he is the answer.

The OLine looked a little better on the rewatch. They actually opened more holes than they did against NIU. They were also dealing with a crowded box. Petrula had a few snapping issues and got overwhelmed at times, but he had some moments too. Compared to Baker's struggles in the first game, it wasn't a dramatic drop off. Lazard looked rough again. The left side of the line looked better in general than the right. That was where a few of the big runs came.

Jeff Smith dropped a TD pass. A few other passes were okay. We need him to breakoff after the catch. White was good. Sweeney had a drop too. Thadd Smith on the sweeps might be our best chance for a big play and it keeps the opponent honest.

Hilliman still struggled in the run game. There were still too many steps at times. I am also concerned about his pass blocking. His TD catch was nice. Dillon looked good early but then was slowed late as Wake just crowded things. Levy and Jones were used too late.

Scot Loeffler has a reputation as a QB guru. Yet neither QB looked ready to function in this offense. He's had two years to work with both guys, yet it feels like he doesn't know what plays to give them. Or what type of passes would be productive. Wake was daring us to throw and yet we couldn't move the ball with any sort of consistency. When your opponent is going all out in one aspect of the game, it is on the OC to develop a counter.


Defense: C

Landry is getting a lot of attention and it is impacting his game. He really doesn't have as much space to get to the QB. Even as BC moves him around, he is not getting time. Also, I don't love how they are having him read and wait more this year. Allen was better than last week but still needs to do more with his one on ones. Merritt played well. So did Ray.

A few of those long Wolford runs were really on the LBs bad tackling or bad positioning. Richardson had some nice tackles. Schwab was fine. Strachan was more active than last week.

Last week I liked the DB play. This week was a step back. Some bad coverage and poor tackling. As I mentioned in the post-game Periscope, there was one play where Wolford chucked a rainbow, yet our guys were playing so far off it was still a Wake completion.

This was another blowout under Jim Reid's watch. I know some of that was the Offense putting the D in a bad spot, but some of it was due to big plays. I also don't like how we are shifting more and more away from our aggressiveness. Is some of that necessary because of the changing pace of the O? Sure. But this D needs to be aggressive. We are still not scoring big, so we can't afford to let teams march down the field.

Special Teams: B

The punting and punt coverage was good.

Walker tried to make something happen on the returns and looked good.

Lichtenberg converted his chances.

The only real problem was the one kickoff that went out of bounds.

Overall: D

As I have stated, this team is not well managed prior to or during games. That's on the Head Coach. But beyond that, Addazio's postgame press conference pushed buttons among the fanbase. He is either oblivious to his own mistakes or is just rationalizing all the problems away. It is frustrating and doesn't give me hope for a turnaround.

For him to trot out the growing pains cliche in Year 5 is pathetic. This roster is now entirely his. The depth chart is his. The coordinators are his. Injuries happen. Teams have to play young QBs. Those sorts of challenges are not unique to BC. It is Addazio's job to manage those issues. And if you have concerns about your QB's readiness, then perhaps you don't have him throw 40 times a game. If you don't want a true freshman playing Center, then perhaps don't make him the backup. Get someone else ready earlier.

Doubling down on frustration, was his spin on statistics. Is he dumb or does he think we are? "The game was even....blah blah blah." Sure, we might have had similar yardage, but that is because they played off of short fields, returned a TD and were ahead. If you didn't look at the stats, you would not say the game was even. They made fewer mistakes and executed better. That's why they won by 24 points.

Bad games happen. Team's can turn things around. BC did just that last year. I hope he does it again this year. I also hope he stops digging his own holes in the first place.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: NIU

Because I had the holiday weekend to read reactions to the game before I had the chance to watch it back, I was a bit surprised by the split among the fanbase. Many thought Brown looked good for a RSF. Others saw him as a mess. I am in the former crew. Watching it back, BC's mistakes and missed opportunities were even more noticeable, but I still think there are enough pieces to compete this season.

Offense: B-

Brown made a few bad throws and a few bad decisions, but he also kept his head up and played with maturity. I like his arm strength. What he needs to do now is work his progressions and make better decisions on when to run. There were a few plays when he could have run to daylight but he threw it out of bounds. His whole upside is still unknown, but I think the first game was good.

During the game, I made many comments about Hilliman. In review they probably weren't all fair. But it was fair to say he did not play well. I know it is hard to look great when defenders are at your feet, but the guy hesitates too much, tries to many cuts and is not great in a crowd. He's not elusive or at the Andre Williams level where he can break tackles. He was decent catching the ball but also inconsistent in pass blocking. Dillon looked good in limited action. He ran hard and found holes.

The OL was bad. Aside from the rotations, some of the issues were just poor play. Baker got pushed around and had a bad snap. Lazard struggled. Maybe going from WVU's near stand up style to our power will be a harder adjustment than previously thought. Monteiro was inconsistent. Christ Lindstrom was okay. Schmal was just ok.

Walker's drop set the tone for the game -- near big plays with execution issues. He did have some nice catches later. White looked great and really went up for the ball. I liked the Smith and Smith end arounds. They both ran them well.

Many of our blocking issues can also be pointed at the Tight Ends. When the other team is crowding the box, we need everyone near the line blocking someone. Garrison wiffed a few times. Marten and Sweeney did too.

Some of Loeffler's play calling was good but a lot of it was head scratching. Why did we keep trying the tosses and power runs with Hilliman? NIU was waiting for it and they stopped it most of the time. When you run 92 plays, can't you figure out an alternative to their run stopping earlier? All things considered, the change in offense is refreshing but the inefficiency is too familiar. If you run 90+ plays and are only scoring 23 points, you are not a great offense.

Defense: B-

Much was made of Landry's ho hum stats. I thought he played pretty well when he was on the field. He drew a lot of attention and forced them to run away from him. I thought Allen did not play as well. He really struggled when NIU isolated him on the zone reads. The interior guys were fine.

The LBs were quiet. Each had a big hit or two but their productivity was down. Schwab was the best of the bunch and was ok in pass coverage. Strachan made a big stop but did not have consistent impact throughout the game. Richardson made a big hit early and then disappeared.

Denis had his best game yet. Good coverage and an INT. Harris made some bad plays. Both led to scores. The late hit was dumb but I can live with it. The running with a slow QB instead of stopping him was really dumb. I don't know why they targeted Moore. He missed an INT but played okay. Yiadom was good.

Considering their lack of talent and experience at QB and OLine, I thought we would bring more pressure. I don't know if the new pace of play will force us to be more conservative, but it raised questions on Friday night. Why not put more pressure on? For the most part, when we did, it led to bad throws. I also think there was some general first game sloppiness and confusion. If that doesn't get corrected, then you know it was a coaching issue.

Special Teams: B+

I know making a big deal out of three converted field goals is setting expectations low, but holy cow! BC made three relatively pressure filled FGs! I don't know if Lichtenberg is going to be dead solid perfect all season, but it was a good start.

Schulze-Geisthovel also looked very good. If he is consistently getting touchbacks it will be a huge asset.

Knoll's punts weren't all pretty but they were effective.

I liked what I saw from Glines on the kick returns. He's pretty aggressive and confident. I think he has the potential to break one.


Overall: B-

Addazio made some clear improvements in his game management. He used timeouts well before the half and was also aggressive on 4th downs. But it still came down to a missed FG to win the game a game that never should have been that close. As I mentioned in the previous sections, I understand how the new tempo will require more substitution. But a key point will be not falling apart when your best players are not on the field.

While I found the silence on the QB starter unnecessary, it did not mess things up and he was willing to put the game in Brown's hands. That speaks to his confidence. Now he just needs to fix the mistakes and help this team reach its potential.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Maryland

This game felt weird to watch live and even weirder on the second viewing. BC dominated yet the score was close. In a way it was a fitting end to the year. I don't know of many scores, including the blowouts and the close wins, that really captured this team's potential. I don't think BC was great this year, but I do think BC should have been better than the final record. This game had moments that showed what could have been. At least they held it together and closed it out for the win.

Offense: B

It was a typical Towles game. He made some nice throws and used his athleticism (nice catch!) but also was inconsistent with his footwork and rushed things a bit. I often wondered if they should use him differently during the season, but maybe we saw the whole package. He can do great things but just not consistently.

Hilliman started strong. He made good cuts and ran hard. I thought he got a little overused though as the game wore on. There was less explosiveness and of course the fumble. I wish the staff split the carries a bit more. Willis' two touches were great. Jones didn't get to do much.

Smith didn't get enough touches, but the pass worked well. Callinan dropped two early, but recovered to contribute later. Sweeney's catches were good. Walker's TD was great. Idrizi was a nice surprise early.

The OLine played pretty well. There was good work in the interior with Baker, Johnson and Lindstrom. Lowery had the false start issues again. But overall this group got a big push and opened holes. This was also the least amount of pressure that Towles faced all year against a Power 5 team.

The tempo caught Maryland by surprise and that set the tone. The early running was great. But as the Terps adjusted, we didn't answer. Where were the play actions passes in the second half? Why no bootlegs? Why not so of the edge stuff that worked against Wake? Instead we sat on the lead and put a ton of pressure on the D.

Defense: B-

I hope Landry comes back because this game is a blue print for how things might work next year. Maryland doubled him a lot and that opened up things for everyone else. And despite being doubled, he had a great game. The DTs played well and forced Maryland to abandon running between the tackles. Merritt and Ray Smith stepped up. Gutaphel did what he needed. Kavalec had a big stop. Allen also looked good (but I thought his facemask penalty was going to kill BC).

The LBs were not as successful as the DLine. There were a few too many missed tackles and they allowed some big plays by being a little out of position and a little over aggressive. Strachan made the most tackles. Schwab was fine.

The DBs made some great plays but were also burned repeatedly. Harris gave up a big play where he just got beat (and looked hurt). The corners had some big moments but few missed tackles. Yiadom's late tackle was critical. Johnson had a strong overall game.

BC brought a lot of pressure this game and it showed how things are high risk-high reward. We have the talent upfront to get to the QB, but it allowed for huge plays when we didn't. That has been a problem all year. Unlike the offense, the D kept up its aggressiveness in the second half and ultimately that is what saved BC. They gave up a lot of big plays, but that was in part because the offense wasn't sustaining drives in the second half.

Special Teams: C-

Throughout the season our Special Teams were probably our most consistent unit. They had their one of their worst games during the Bowl.

Knoll's punts were decent. His kickoffs were okay and included two touchbacks. The place kicking was bad. The first miss was due to a blocking breakdown, but maybe it got in his head. He missed another PAT. The field goal miss was pretty makeable. He just went wide.

The punt coverage was fine. The kick coverage was not great and we got lucky on some Maryland penalties.

Rouse wasn't able to do much. Willis' returns were fine.

Overall: B

The first half was great. Addazio added new wrinkles -- like tempo -- that worked. Our trick plays worked. Yet in the second half as Maryland adjusted, we just reverted to old form. We went way too conservative, especially considering that Maryland showed they could score quickly. I thought the play calling in our last two possessions nearly cost BC the game. It was like he learned nothing from Ireland. Getting the first down is what is important, not just killing clock. It worked out, but that doesn't mean it was the right call.

I don't know where the team goes from here. There are plenty of pieces in place, but also many of the same old questions. We have the whole offseason to think about what's to come. For now, I am very happy for the team and happy the season ended on a high note.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Wake Forest

It was nice to see many of you in person at the game. Thank you to those who took the time to say hello. As for seeing the game in person, two things stood out to me. First, I am going to sound like Addazio, but there were so many plays that were close to being big. There were holes that closed at just the last minute or guys who were in good position but ignored by Towles. Some of that is dumb luck, some is coaching. The second thing that really stood out is how much Addazio relies on Pasqualoni. When Wake ran into the kicker on the final drive, the refs came over to Addazio to find out if he wanted to kick again or decline the penalty. Daz called Pasqualoni over from 30 yards away to go through it with him. It actually makes me feel better. I didn't like their decision to decline it, but at least Addazio is using  trusted sounding board to try to improve game management.

Offense: C

Towles was not sharp. His old habits came back -- waiting too long to get rid of it, off target. He did have a few nice runs. His passing improved in the second half.

Willis' TD was a great run. I wish we had used him more on the edges all year. Rouse had a nice run. Jones and Hilliman had more trouble finding space.

Smith was sloppy with the ball and didn't get much going in the Wildcat stuff. Sweeney made some nice grabs. Callinan had a nice catch that kept things alive. Walker wasn't targeted much.

The OLine wasn't great. They broke down on pass protection and also had some issues creating holes in the running game. The interior guys were better than the tackles.

The Offensive play calling was the usual mixed bag. The now predictable Wildcat. Way too much running between the tackles and problems with execution. Yet there were a few moments that had promise. We spread them out well with running to the edges. We were able to get some intermediate passing going on the final scoring drive. The Bowl game will hopefully improve all the execution issues and tighten the playbook to things BC does well.

Defense: A-

The DEs were really game changers. Both Landry and Kavalec looked good and created all sorts of problems. Allen played well. Merritt and Gutapfel played well. Ray was okay in his limited snaps.

Before the game I said the LBs would have to play well. They were just okay. Their coverage was iffy. They were the ones who let Wolford break off his big runs. They didn't make tons of big plays. They still had their moments, but as a group, they weren't great.

I was happy for Denis. He was picked on earlier in the season yet made the INT to close out the win. I thought Moore played well. Yiadom got away with a few calls, but also played well. Johnson got a pick also.

BC didn't try to do too much unique stuff. We were in man for most of the game and didn't blitz much. If that is all it takes, then so be it. I hope Reid brings out some new stuff for the bowl game.

Special Teams: B

Rouse's first return was great until the fumble. Willis made a key play on punt coverage forcing the fumble.

Knoll's kickoffs were great. His punts were good.

Overall: B-

There were the typical Addazio problems in this game, but they didn't cost us the game. That doesn't excuse them. We had confusion on 4th downs. We had ultra-conservative play calling that gave away possessions. We wasted timeouts. We had Offensive gimmicks that didn't work. If Wake's kicked doesn't miss those kicks, this is a different game.

But Addazio does deserve credit for the team not stopping and having an actual comeback. I got some heat on Twitter for sharing that some player parents were vocal in their frustration. I would be too. But it was also clear from the team reaction on the field and in the lockerroom, that Addazio still has the players behind him. That is a tribute to him. We've seen more successful teams check out on their coach. Despite all the struggles, Addazio's team has not.

Now BC gets one more game and Addazio gets a chance to end an up and down season on a high note.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: UConn

While Addazio keeps bemoaning the fact that he had to play Clemson, Florida State, and Louisville, getting UConn at this point in the season was a godsend. Aside from keeping the bowl hopes alive, the game served as sort of a palate cleanser. Things looked better. Some confidence is restored. I don't know if it is fair to say a team like this is "peaking," but UConn was their best game.

One note related to the broadcast, but not BC's performance: TOB was very good as a color guy. He got a little technical at times with coaching jargon (which I don't mind), but other than that was really good. He showed more inflection in his voice than he ever did in prior interviews. He was well prepared with regards to both rosters. I felt he talked more about Diaco than Addazio, but provided good insight on the game and on the big picture for both programs. Maybe he will have a job with the ACC Network. That is not something I ever would have expected.

Offense: B

This was easily Towles best game. He made better decisions. He had a few nice runs. His deep ball to Smith was his best pass since the UMass game. He also completed passes to seven different players -- which shows he worked progressions more than he had all year. I have no idea why we didn't see extended time for Wade. The game conditions called for it. Maybe there are bigger issues at play.

Hilliman is not the guy who should be getting the most touches. Once again he lacked power and the ability to find an opening. Jones looked good and showed good power and burst in the redzone. I was glad they used Willis, especially in the passing game. Better late than never.

Using Smith in the Wildcat frustrates me, but I am glad he is getting multiple touches. He did a better job of pulling in all the passes thrown his way. He also looked good running the ball. Sweeney had some nice catches, especially with guys drapped on him. I am glad they threw to Idrizi. For all of Addazio's talk of not using redshirts, playing him seemed questionable. But if he can catch some balls, it makes it easier to rationalize.

The Line remained the weakest part of the offense, but they weren't terrible. The pass protection was better. But there were still a few breakdowns on the run blocking. Baker was solid. Johnson looked good. Montiero was okay. Better in run blocking than pass blocking. Lowery had some rough spots.

Loeffler deserves credit. When everyone has time and everyone catches a ball, the offense looked functional and the play calling made sense. My gripes are that we still stalled in the redzone. And even with some gimmicks like the Wildcat, the playcalling is still too predictable.

Defense: A

Kavalec had really good, active day. Landry got extra attention and still managed to make some plays. The young guys like Merritt, Allen and Ray all played well.

Milano played much better. Aside from the INT, he was good in coverage. Strachan was very active. Schwab played well.

The DBs finally looked like the guys we saw last year. Moore was really active. Yiadom made some great plays. Even the backups like El Attrach and Torres made plays.

BC was relatively conservative. That makes sense. UConn had a mobile and inexperienced QB. They contained him for the most part and didn't beat themselves. What's unfortunate, is that the success of keeping it simple might encourage them to move further away from the approach Brown used to take.

Special Teams: B

Rouse's best run was called back. Because UConn didn't score, we didn't see much in the kick return game.

The punting and place kicking was fine. We only really allowed one long kick return.

Overall: B+

Other than the misuse of the timeouts, Addazio handled the game management well. Even as BC struggled to score early in the game, the team stayed composed. My biggest complaint was not playing Wade when BC was up significantly late in the game. I assume that is Addazio's decision.

Last week during his radio corrected Meter when he referred to what was remaining as a "two week season." Addazio said it is a "one week season." He won the game. No he has one more "one week season." He needs to put this game behind him, and regroup.