It's a start

It wasn't pretty and it was too close for most of the day, but it was still a win. We are halfway to last season's win total and one step into our rebuild. 

As for the impressions, I didn't like the play calling (and I will get into that more later this weekend). I was also surprised with the defensive issues. Linebacker was supposed to be the strength, but didn't look it.

Even with the questions the game raised, we still have plenty to look forward to and I am excited it is football season again.

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

In-game comments post: Villanova

New coach, same fans. I am glad we are finally here. Leave your thoughts on our first game of the year below.

You can also follow me on twitter.

Game Watches: Villanova

The last few seasons haven't been the most fun. Instead of celebrating, the Game Watches have been about commiserating. The vibe should be more fun this fall. Join up with your fellow BC fans at a local Game Watch. If your Watch isn't listed, be sure to post it in the comments or email me.


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

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

New York City Game Watch 
The Royal 127 4th Avenue (between 12th & 13th Streets, near Union Square)

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

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

San Diego Game Watch 
The Beer Co. 602 Broadway

San Francisco Game Watch 
Shanghai Kelly’s 2064 Polk St (between Pacific Ave and Broadway St)

Tweets of the Week

Gearing up for another amazing year at the Heights. Welcome, Eagles! http://t.co/sHi75ZI2Dj #wearebc

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) August 28, 2013

Had a great morning meeting freshmen! RT @BCSportsNews: Thank you to @BCHoopNews for helping students move in pic.twitter.com/oNuqQOZuv2

— Steve Donahue (@Coach_Donahue) August 29, 2013

Live eagle back after 47 years - how cool is that? Saw him up close Tuesday; awesome! pic.twitter.com/ueq41J3aWX

— Chris Cameron (@ChrisMCameron) August 28, 2013

As somebody who covered Steve Addazio in the Big East, his exuberance on these calls is always appreciated.

— Dinich/Adelson (@ESPN_ACC) August 28, 2013

@RVacchianoNYDN @BCHysteria Wait, what?

— Grant Salzano (@Salzano14) August 25, 2013

BC-Villanova preview

We are here. We've finally arrived at our new beginning. Whether you are counting coaching eras, coaching trees or just the time between seasons, Saturday's game marks a starting point to Addazio Football and a clear turning point for BC Football. Villanova is our worthy opponent, but it doesn't really matter who we are playing. This is the first step in our rebuilding, our return to what were were and our chance to be something better than we've every been. Let's go!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I hope the Seniors are ready for a big season. I've written many times that College Football can be a real grind even when you are winning. Losing makes it that much worse. The Senior leaders on this team committed to BC under a different coach and -- although it was only five years ago -- a different time. They have put up with a lot on the field and in the locker room. I don't know any of these guys on a personal level but I hope they still have pride in being part of BC Football. Because their effort and this season will really set the tone for the next few years.

Three Simple Keys
1. Keep Robertson in the pocket. Is it too late to bring Spaz back as DC (I'm kidding)? My point is that Spaz's contain philosophy and dropping lots of guys into coverage would probably work well against the Wildcats. Obviously we are going to pressure Robertson, but I hope we at least spy him a bit in case he gets out of the pocket.
2. Run it and then run it some more. Addazio wants to run regardless of the opponent. So get used to it. What I hope is that we use this game as a tune-up and establish what works and what doesn't in the ground attack. Temple ran all over Villanova while Addazio was there. I expect more of the same.
3. Get other pass catchers involved besides Amidon. This is Rettig's chance to build trust and timing with other Receivers, Tight Ends and RBs.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 2-0 against Villanova
-- BC has lost two straight home openers
-- Villanova is 3-12 against FBS teams since restarting football
The current line is BC-16

Factoid
Despite being in a conference with Temple for more than a decade, we've actually played fellow Philly football school Villanova more (37 games vs Temple and 45 games against Villanova). We haven't played any of the other "Big Five" schools (Penn, St. Joe's and LaSalle). As an Ivy and without scholarships, I don't see us ever playing Penn in the future. St. Joe's and LaSalle disbanded football.

Scoreboard Watching
Wake Forest is playing Thursday and also facing a FCS opponent, so there is not much value there. The most important game for the ACC is probably Clemson-Georgia. A win there will help the conference immeasurably and also give us an indicator of how good Clemson might be this year.

I hope to see...
The team look crisp. What upset me from early on in the Spaz era is how often we looked disorganized or confused (think of OL alignment or Shinskie lining up under the wrong guy). Addazio is preaching attention to detail. Let's see if the message got through.

BC is in trouble if...
We cannot stop the run. I don't see 'Nova beating us by airing it out. I don't think it will happen, but I also don't want to be in a close game with them.

Bottom Line
This game cannot be close or interesting. It is only one game and only the first game, but when you play a FCS team in Week 1 of a new coaching regime, there is no room for a dud. BC needs to make enough of a statement as you can without embarrassing Villanova or risking injury to key players. I think we get up early and cruise to a decisive victory.
Final Score: BC 34, Villanova 13

Live Eagle!!! and other links

Brad Bates keep scoring points with the BC faithful. For years we've been asking for a live eagle mascot. For years were told it wasn't feasible. Not anymore. BC announced that for the first time in 47 years the school will have a live eagle mascot. There is also a fan naming contest for the bird. I don't think that this will suddenly get people to their seats on time, but it is the type of tradition building that is long overdue.

Matt Tennant is hoping to make the Eagles final roster. Will Blackmon signed with Jacksonville.

Women's Soccer lost to UConn.

Here is a history of the BC-Villanova rivalry.

In his conference with the Philly media Addazio addressed his time at Temple.

ATLeagle Google+ Hangout with Austin Tedesco

New feature alert! As much as there is a routine to the blog, I do like to try new things. This is my first attempt at a Google+ Hangout. My guest is Heights Sports Editor Austin Tedesco. We talk mostly football but do get into basketball at the end. 

Forgive any technical issues as I learn and adjust. There will be new Hangouts throughout the school year. As always your feedback is appreciated. 

Season Prediction Part III: what will happen

We've had our fun. Now let's get to what is really going to happen.

In my opinion the team underachieved throughout the entire Spaz era. I will agree with the pundits that our talent level also declined, but we were not a 2-10 roster last year. Coaching was a huge factor. Now our talent is probably worse than last year, but our coaching should be better. Where does that leave us? If Addazio doesn't double our win total, I will be very frustrated. We should do better. And this is how I think it will play out. [This is my official prediction for the season.] 


What will happen

Villanova. Win. Addazio took care of business against the Wildcats while at Temple. This will be more of the same.

Wake Forest. Win. As I've been writing all summer, I am expecting a huge season from Rettig. Against Wake he helps us win a close game with a late drive.

at USC. Loss. I don't like moral victories, but this might be one. It will be tough to win on the road this early against a thin but talented USC team.

Florida State. Loss. I like our schedule, but this is one area where it hurts us. We face our toughest games in the middle of the season. We will come through it with a below .500 record. It will be on Addazio to regroup.

Army. Win. I trust Don Brown to have the defense ready. We will still score 30 on them.

at Clemson. Loss. I think we can hang with them for a little, but the Tigers pull away in the second half.

at North Carolina. Loss. Another tough game that we don't win. I don't know how Addazio is going to prepare the team but this is where he will have to earn his paycheck. Confidence will be shaken.

Virginia Tech. Win. I think Virginia Tech is a good matchup for us this year.

at New Mexico State. Win. The Spaz-Martin combo would worry me if we had kept our schemes. Whatever familiarity they had with us is somewhat negated by the newness of Day and Brown. We win.

North Carolina State. Loss. They are a bit further along in their rebuild.

at Maryland. Win. Maybe my sense of Maryland is off, but I think at this point in the season they will be checked out.

at Syracuse. Win. Entering the game we will already be bowl eligible. This game will be about pride and finishing above .500. I think we win a close, emotional game.

7-5 (4-4) never sounded so good. We would go bowling. Let's say Shreveport against UAB. We win and finish 8-5. I think it is very possible. It will obviously take a little luck and no major injuries.

I will admit a year over year improvement like this is statistically unlikely. My hope and belief is that it will happen and we will enjoy a football season for the first time in five years.

Season Prediction Part II: best case scenario

"If this guy plays well...if the Oline comes together...if the defense blitzes everyone..." Every best case scenario includes a lot of "if"s. Who knows? The stars could align this year. There is some talent in key areas. The schedule is manageable and we have a new staff that might ignite a confidence and aggression that has been simmering for four years. What's keeping me from going all in on this year though is not really knowing how Addazio will coach and manage this team. With TOB we always knew what to expect. Jags was a bit of a wild card, but there were still enough known elements so that we entered each season with an idea of the upside. With Spaz, I always hoped for an upside but never really believed in one. This year I don't know. And that unknown makes the "best case" possible and for that I am excited. The following is not what I think will happen, but just the idea that it could happen is welcome.

Best Case Scenario

Villanova. Win. This game should not be close. We look sharp right away and pass and run at will.

Wake Forest. Win. Our first test. Rettig puts up big numbers and we look like a productive offense.

at USC. Win. This is the critical game of the season. A win here raises expectations around the program and turns heads nationally. I think our defense gives USC trouble and Chase looks great in his "home coming."

Florida State. Loss. After the high, comes the low (it wouldn't be BC football any other way.) I think Florida State's explosiveness gives us trouble and we make some critical mistakes.

Army. Win. We control an Army game as we should have last year.

at Clemson. Loss. Sort of like Florida State. I worry about any uptempo team this year. I don't think we are talented enough to win shootouts yet. With the loss, BC falls out of the polls again.

at North Carolina. Loss. I know it is different coaches and different eras, but Chapel Hill has been a tough place for us. I think the struggles continue this year.

Virginia Tech. Win. Snaps the losing streak and gets people thinking a winning season and bowl will happen.

at New Mexico State. Win. Not even as close as the Army game.

North Carolina State. Win. I think this will be a low-scoring, defensive struggle. We prevail late.

at Maryland. Win. At this point we are a hot team and they are sleep walking through their final ACC season. We win by 14.

at Syracuse. Win. We finish with a once unthinkable five-game win streak.

In this scenario BC would finish 9-3 (5-3). This sort of season would be huge. Not only would we be ranked, but Addazio would be one of the hottest coaches in football. It would also be one of the largest turnarounds in recent college football.

But BC is still BC and a 5-3 ACC mark wouldn't put us in a great bowl. Instead we would probably end in the Sun Bowl. I see us playing maybe Oregon State. BC wins and finishes at a remarkable 10-3 and ranked just outside the Top 10. It is a long shot...but it could happen.

Wednesday, what I think will really happen.

Season Prediction Part I: worst case scenario [FIXED]

As a reminder, this is the series of posts where I play out potential scenarios for the season. This is Part 1, the worst-case scenarios. This is not what I think will happen, but what could happen. As you can see, 2012 was even worse than my worst-case scenario. I have a lot of optimism about this season, but there are still enough issues and still enough questions marks that I could see the team falling apart. If things do go bad, this is how it might play out.

Worst Case Scenario

Villanova. Win. This should be a dress rehearsal but during a rough season, I could see this game being very close and BC pulling out a tight win. In that scenario, I think there would be a lot of anxiety heading into ACC play.

Wake Forest. Loss. Wake is not more talented than BC, but I could see them coming into the game more prepared and able to handle our blitzing. If we lose this game, I think it will also be a sign that our offense has issues.

at USC. Loss. We fly across country hoping to turn things around. Both sides of the ball show a little promise early but cannot score enough to win.

Florida State. Loss. Against the class of the ACC, we struggle to move the ball. Our defense starts improving but we are still undermanned when trying to contain Florida State's talent. 

Army. Win. This season we look prepared for Army's option and are able to run on them again. It doesn't really make up for last year's nadir, but at least we will have matched 2012's two wins.

At Clemson. Loss. I don't see any scenario where we beat Clemson on the road this year. And although I am overjoyed in the change in our defensive mindset, this is one of those games where it will probably hurt us. Bend but don't break kept many Clemson games close over the years.

At North Carolina. Loss. At this point in the season I could see the team losing hope. Yet even in our worst case season, I think Addazio will have them fighting. It will make the team endearing but won't be enough to get a win here.

Virginia Tech. Loss. This is one of the matchups that I think will be close regardless of our record. I don't think we win, but I think at this point our defense will keep us in most games.

at New Mexico State. Win. This is a terrible team. I respect Doug Martin and curse Spaz for helping him prepare for us, but I still think we will win. If we don't we hired the wrong coach.

North Carolina State. Loss. Without TOB this game isn't as important as it once was. I don't think he left them in the same place he left BC, but I think their defense will be decent. I see another close loss.

at Maryland. Win. I think Maryland will have a rough final year in the ACC. Getting them late helps us as a close game finally breaks our way. Even in the worse circumstances, we exceed last year's win total. 

at Syracuse. Win. Loss. Even if we have a rough season, I see us ending on a high note in a close win over Syracuse. [FIXED] I don't think Syracuse is all that great but winning back-to-back games on the road is never easy, especially at the end of the year.

4-8 (2-6) leaves BC home again during bowl season. But even in the worst case we double our win total from last year. 

Women's Soccer starts and other links

The Women's Soccer team started their season this weekend. They lost to Stanford on Friday and beat BU Sunday.

The Falcons waived Nick Clancy. Let's hope he catches on somewhere.

BC will stream Addazio's Monday press conferences live throughout the season. I don't expect them to be especially entertaining but it will be nice to have immediate access.

Dennis Clifford had his first planned surgery and the team feels it went well. There will be a planned follow up surgery before the season.

Captains announced

BC announced that Ian White and Kasim Edebali will be team Captains this season. No explanation was given for how they were selected or why Addazio limited it to two. What I appreciate about these two though is that they are not expected to be our best players. Perhaps the team and the coaches expect them to perform above expectations. Congrats to both.

New commitment and other links

BC added another playmaker to our current recruiting class. New Jersey athlete herman Alston committed Thursday. Alston is small but productive and could contribute in a few different positions.

The Mara family donated a Super Bowl Ticket package as part of the Dick Kelley auction.

The Heights broke down our basketball schedule.

Here is ESPN's preview of the team. The wake-up call for me was the "key losses" section. We really didn't lose much talent from our 2-10 team. You'd hope that correlates into this season's squad having plenty of talent and experience.

Tweets of the Week

Flynn Fund donors...check out the scolling list of names on http://t.co/1A8Nflejnv recognizing your generosity. #ThankYouFlynnFund

— Steve Novak (@novakiii) August 19, 2013

RT @TweetinWeaton:#tbt 4 BC Flynn Fundweek @JaredDudley619 @Csmeezy1 @ByrdDaFLi1 rockin throwbacks #thankyouflynnfund pic.twitter.com/Ls9d6QP9OC

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) August 22, 2013

With 76 bowl slots, it now becomes entirely fair to put a coach on the hot seat if his team can't make a bowl.

— Chas Rich (@ChasRich27) August 20, 2013

Addazio: "If you want to look and feel like a big-time program, everything's got to line up. Along the way, we'll dry run everything."

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) August 17, 2013

Throwing it back it back to a special Thursday night at Va tech #ThankYouFlynnFund pic.twitter.com/VOVkaaIuXw

— Matt Ryan (@M_Ryan02) August 22, 2013

Couldn't have asked for a better college experience at BC. For 2 national championships and countless lifelong friends, #ThankYouFlynnFund

— Parker Milner (@milzy35) August 22, 2013

Thoughts on the basketball schedule

BC released its basketball schedule Thursday. Most of us knew the opponents already but it is nice to see all the dates lined up, especially those in the ACC. Here are some thoughts:

Perfect out of conference schedule
Given the creep of conference play, special tournaments and some historical match-ups, there is less freedom in filling out the non-conference schedule than there used to be. This year is a very nice balance. We've got plenty of respectable teams (Purdue, VCU), some trips to Alumni friendly spots (USC, MSG) and a few softies to help pad the win total. The traditionalist in me would like to see a Holy Cross game, but this a solid list of games.

The other benefit of playing a respectable out of conference schedule is that it will help our tournament resume. BC should get a minimum of seven out of conference wins.

Exciting home games
Attendance has been in a long, embarrassing decline since our first season in the ACC. Everyone has a pet theory as to why. I attribute it to a variety of factors. One way to change things is to build some excitement and anticipation around the good games we have at home. This year Maryland, Duke, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pitt and Florida State come to us. Steve Donahue and the team can help by playing well, but filling the seats at this game is really on Bates. He's now had time to prepare for this season. The team will be better. If we cannot draw our own fans, we will need to readdress our whole approach to basketball marketing.

Must finish strong
The most critical part of the schedule is the final six games, four of which are on the road. How you finish is important for your tournament resume. That stretch will also include our first return to Syracuse since leaving the Big East. We must win at least four of those games.

I am excited about the schedule and the season. I hope the team lives up to expectations.

Last scrimmage update and other links

Addazio sort of curtailed his scrimmage a bit and turned it more into a partial scrimmage and partial practice. The Heights and Globe both had write ups. The big concern is Bordner's continued absence, leaving Walsh and Marscovetra to battle for the back-up role. There is also no clear No. 2 at running back. Addazio was vague when explaining Moore's injuries, but he will miss the year.

Big things are expected of Reggie Jackson this season in OKC.

The ACC soccer coaches picked BC to finish 8th overall in the conference.

Mack Lowrie is adjusting to FBS football.

I mentioned this on the blog, but it is worth noting that Bruce Pearl's NCAA suspension is up a year from now. If Donahue struggles, Bates will have to at least explore Pearl as an option.

Everyone is writing about Rettig and other links

The Heights wrote a nice feature on Chase Rettig. What stood out was this summation of his stats despite teh issues around him.

Of the 35 teams that allowed 30 or more sacks last season, only eight also had a 3,000-yard passer*. Rettig was one of them. These eight teams averaged 126 rushing yards per game. BC only averaged 90. The other schools in this grouping also didn’t have to rely on one receiver so heavily, like the Eagles did with Amidon. All of them, except for BC, had at least two wideouts bring in more than 600 yards.

Heights and Lows compared Rettig to Riley Skinner.

The Raiders cut John Wetzel.

BC is one of many teams interested in New Hampshire prospect Chris Garrison.

Small world

The picture on the left is the BC Bookstore catalog. The one on the right is from the University of Georgia's bookstore. They arrived in the mail yesterday. Notice anything familiar between the two?

When they arrived I knew what to look for (fellow Eagle in Atlanta Patrick S. gave me the heads up), but that still doesn't make it any less funny. I am not surprised that the companies use models for multiple schools. I guess the publisher doesn't expect the catalogs to arrive at the same house, on the same day with the same covers models. Or maybe they just don't expect any weirdo bloggers to pick up on it and care enough to post about it.

How much goodwill does Addazio have for Year 1?

I will post my predictions for the season next week. Not to spoil things, but I do think we will be decent this year. However, as we get closer to kickoff, I am starting to wonder how much leeway most fans will give Addazio? Does the team have to show improvement to make people feel better or is just being someone other than Spaz enough?

After talking, email and reading varied opinions, I don't think Addazio is totally Teflon. I think most fans would accept as few as four wins as long as the team plays hard, puts together a more exciting brand of football and looks like they are building toward something. Now here are the "what if"s that no one wants to talk about: What if we lose to Villanova? What if we lose to New Mexico State? What if we are 2-10 again?

That is where Addazio's track record hurts him. As Bill Connelly captured in his Temple write up, Addazio got this job despite a bad season last year:

"And despite the problems, Addazio -- clearly the most enchanting job interviewee on the planet this side of Charlie Weis -- fell up, taking the Boston College head coaching job.

That history will fuel any doubters if things turn bad in the first season.

Even though he hasn't coached a game yet, I've grown to like Addazio. I am very excited about the season and think he can build a winner here. I know he will get multiple seasons to prove himself, but I think early games are important. Goodwill is critical to any coach. You don't want to waste it all in the first year.

More scrimmage coverage and other links

Here is the Herald's write up of the scrimmage. It looks like Rich Thompson is still on the BC beat. Boston.com/the Globe had coverage, but it is behind their paywall. Vega did note that Bordner is out with an injury.

Former BC Hockey Captain Bernie Burke passed away last week. He was an All American in 1949.

Men's Soccer tied Northeastern in an exhibition. Their season starts August 30 against BU.

Brian Miller is hoping to stay healthy and build off of last year's solid start.

Alex Albright is out for the season and will require surgery on his back. Best of luck in his recovery.