San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
San Francisco
Polk St at Broadway
**BC Alumni behind the bar and $3 Sam Adams specials
Unofficial Denver Game Watch
The home of two BC guys in Denver (Joe and Frank)
1108 York St
Denver, CO 80206
Phone: 617-417-1218
Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game.
“BC’s been through a lot this offseason…” Every year I whine about repetitive themes that the broadcasters rehash on a weekly basis. This year will be no different and will start in full force Saturday with a recount of the Jags firing, McClaughlin’s Achilles, Herzy’s cancer and Davis’ grades. I understand that not everyone is as familiar with our offseason travails as we hardcore fans tend to be. But those issues shouldn’t have a real impact on the Northeastern game.
Three Simple Keys
1. Dominate the line of scrimmage. Think back to our last FCS opponent URI. We controlled the line so well that Dominique Davis looked good and ran around with ease.
2. Get an early score. I fear this team will have a fragile psyche. Don’t let the Huskies hang around.
3. Come away healthy. I know you can’t really control this, but please let’s hope that we come away unscathed.
Gambling Notes
-- BC is 4-0 against Northeastern
-- Since Frank Leahy, BC coaches are 7-6 in their first games
-- BC has not had a betting line with the last five FCS (fka DIAA) we have played
There is no line on the game with the major sports books
Factoid
Since Harvard doesn’t use scholarships, Northeastern is the only Boston-based opponent that we can play and still count the win towards bowl eligibility.
Scoreboard Watching
The most important game of the weekend is Alabama-Virginia Tech. The Hokies can set the tone for their season and for the ACC.
I hope to see…
One good QB emerge. I don’t want to see any of the guys fall flat on their face. I just hope that one plays so well that we start to feel like we have a QB for this season.
BC is in trouble if…
We turn the ball over 4+ times. I don’t think the passing game is all that important this week. But a few turnovers could make this interesting.
Bottom Line
This should be a glorified scrimmage. It’s a confidence builder. Northeastern is not a good team and shouldn’t be much of a challenge. If we struggle it might be an ominous sign. I think we’ll be fine and cruise to the win.
Final Score: BC 37, Northeastern 10
In much more pleasant news, Herzy got a lot of coverage locally for his return. WEEI posted this link and NECN interviewed our newest "coach."
DiSanzo is our latest walking wounded. He will miss Saturday with a shoulder injury.
The ACC will honor Mike Mayock as part of their Legends series.
Here is a good article on Castonzo in the Herald.
Incoming Eagle Seth Betancourt is considered a Pennsylvania player to watch.
This article on Chip Kelley references Ryan Day. What I found interesting is Kelley's reliance on situational statistics. I wonder if his three former colleagues on our staff are as dependent on stats?
Women's soccer beat BU.
John Bunting recalls recruiting Hakeem Nicks and Russell Wilson. What's the BC connection you ask? Both were "discovered" by current BC staffer Dave Brock.
Northeastern. Win. Both QBs play well. The defense doesn't miss a beat. Everyone goes home happy.
Kent State. Win. More of a challenge than the Huskies, but still a solid uneventful win for BC.
At Clemson. Win. I really don't think much of Dabo Swinney. Clemson probably has more talent than we do, but also has many of the same issues (QB, coaching changes, etc). I think we go down there and surprise them.
Wake Forest. Loss. As we all know, these Wake games are always nail biters. I think we come out on the wrong end this year.
Florida State. Loss. I think we match up well against Florida State and will keep it close. I just fear that they will make a big play or two that determines the game.
At Virginia Tech. Loss. This is a tough game under the best conditions. I don't see us winning.
NC State. Win. While I think they will be improved, I don't think NC State will be as good as people are expecting. We take care of TOB again.
At Notre Dame. Win. I feel the same way about Notre Dame (in fact let me cut and paste here)...While I think they will be improved, I don't think Notre Dame NC State will be as good as people are expecting. We take care of Weis TOB again. Actually the dynamic is slightly different in that Spaz cares a lot about the NC State game. I think our players care a lot about beating Notre Dame. Plus I love where we fall in their schedule. They will either feel like heroes for beating USC and overlook us or be down in the dumps and fearing another slide. Either way, we can hit them hard early and control the style of play.
Central Michigan. Win. I think it favors us that we play them after they've been in the heart of their conference schedule and we are coming off Notre Dame. We'll be mentally and physically toughened by this point.
At Virginia. Win. Virginia could be a lot like BC (good D, patchwork O). This will probably be tougher and closer than we like, but I think we win.
North Carolina. Loss. We get them at home and late in the season, but I still think they have more talent and will have more on the line when we play.
At Maryland. Loss. Although we are 3-1 against the Terps in ACC play, Fridge has always managed to move the ball on Spaz. Turnovers have been the key. I think they get the better of us this year.
This leads to a 7-5 regular season but only a (3-5) conference record. That sends us to Mobile. I predict we will face Temple in a matchup that never drew fans in Philadelphia nor Boston. We win easily to finish the season 8-5. That won't be enough to get us ranked but it will certainly be a positive season considering all the mess we've been through.
What did others think of Blaudschun's blog post praising Gene for his scheduling? I understand Gene's philosophy and think it has kept the program stable, but I also think the lack of "buzz" that Blaudschun leads with is in part due to the soft schedule.
Nice job by Conroy on this Herzy article.
HD has notes and factoids on each ACC team. Maryland's offensive line enters the season with a combined 27 career starts. Castanzo -- who still has two seasons of eligibility -- has 28 career starts.
Soccer lost their season opener to URI.
Consensus heading into the season
Until a rash of injuries in camp, most felt this group would be strong, especially with the depth on the edge.
Roster Reminders
Returning Starters
Jim Ramella
Austin Giles
Alex Albright
Backups and Hopefuls
Brad Newman
Bryan Murray
Damik Scafe
Max Holloway
Nick Rossi
Kaleb Ramsey
Kasim Edebali (likely to redshirt)
Dillon Quinn (likely to redshirt)
Chatter
The buzz coming out of practice has been good. Not only is Albright healthy and ready to go, but Holloway is another guy who can get to the QB. Scafe won't be Raji or Brace right away, but he can be an all conference player.
The Real Question
How good can Giles and Ramella be this year? This is not intended to slight them. Both have been solid contributors for three seasons. But both are entering their fifth seasons. If we are to surprise people both will need to take their play to the next level.
My Bold Prediction
Alex Albright will lead the ACC in sacks. He's healthy and will help fill the Herzy void.
What keeps me up at night?
That these guys don't stop the run. Making teams one dimensional was pivotal to our success. No one is expected to be Brace or Raji, but we still need Giles, Scafe, Rossi and Ramsey to stuff things up.
Outlook
The Defensive Line is going to be good. Other than Albright (and maybe Scafe), there's not a ton of all conference caliber talent, but they are deep, experienced and smart. For example, Ramella's never been a burner but he's done a good job of keeping contain and being where he needs to be. If these guys stay healthy they should make things easier for the linebackers and the defensive backs.
Kent State. Win. Another confidence booster. Our run defense might not be as strong as last years, but teams are having trouble in the passing game.
At Clemson. Win. The first game where the rest of the college football world takes notice. Signature win for Spaz early on as his formula of grind it out and tough D steals a game in Death Valley.
Wake Forest. Win. Wake is rebuilding in key areas too. This is a back and forth affair. BC comes out on top late. This win gets us in the Top 25. The media starts with the "Spaz was the real reason for TOB and Jags' success" talk.
Florida State. Loss. Like 2005 and 2007, Florida State kills the mood at a BC night game. Our young QB plays like a freshmen and the defense has trouble containing Ponder.
At Virginia Tech. Loss. Even in our best scenarios, we don't win on the road in Blacksburg with a freshman QB.
NC State. Win. This game means a lot to Spaz for a variety of reasons. I think our D creates multiple turnovers and we keep TOB winless against BC.
At Notre Dame. Win. How could I have a best case situation and not include a win in South Bend? Notre Dame is improved but our defense creates all sorts of problems and we win.
Central Michigan. Win. Coming off big wins against NC State and Notre Dame, this would be a classic trap game. BC holds on, despite looking terrible at times.
At Virginia. Win. Virginia has thrown in the towel by the time we face them. We win by pounding away.
North Carolina. Loss. This is just a bad matchup for us and the Heels come up to Boston and pick off pass after pass again.
At Maryland. Win. We control throughout and end the regular season on a high note.
A 9-3 (5-3) regular season is considered a smashing success given the obstacles. We tie Florida State for the division but they go to Tampa via their head-to-head win.
ACC parity hurts us once again in the bowl selection process. We are sent to San Francisco to play Stanford. We beat the Cardinal and finish the season 10-3 and firmly in the Top 25.
Current verbal Chase Rettig may miss some of his senior season games with a stress fracture in his back.
The New York post included a story on Spaz today.
Here is another article on Dominique Davis' play in junior college.
Men's soccer starts their season tonight against Rhode Island.
Northeastern. Win. Regardless of all our problems and issues, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Northeastern is terrible. We will not lose this game.
Kent State. Win. Kent State is better than they were last year. We are probably worse. Yet this game is at Alumni and shouldn't be an issue.
At Clemson. Loss. Our first real test and we lose. Death Valley is a tough environment for an experienced talented team. Our green guys get a bit overwhelmed by the noise, the heat and Clemson's speed.
Wake Forest. Loss. Back at home, we keep it close but make too many mistakes against a solid Wake team.
Florida State. Loss. Another hard-fought game. We keep it close with a grind it out scheme but cannot hold off the 'Noles. With this loss, morale starts to drop a bit.
At Virginia Tech. Loss. This game is ugly. We make mistakes on Special Teams and on Offense. The D tries to do their part but it's a long day.
NC State. Win. This is the game that gives everyone a lift. NC State comes in ranked. The media is talking about the mistake BC made in letting TOB walk. Spaz and Tranq pull off a strong gameplan and a few things break our way.
At Notre Dame. Loss. We come in riding high off of the NC State game. Notre Dame is coming off a loss to USC and looking to rebound. We don't put enough pressure on Jimmy Clausen and he makes some big plays against us.
Central Michigan. Win. This is another nice little surprise as Central Michigan comes in with the better record. Like our 2006 game, we establish a physical dominance early and hang on with opportunistic defense late.
At Virginia. Win A battle of two struggling ACC teams. It is an ugly, low scoring defensive game. We are playing better and hold on for the win.
North Carolina. Loss. Like last season they score in bunches and burn our DBs. We also make plenty of mistakes.
At Maryland. Loss. As usual Maryland moves the ball on Spaz, only this year we don't force any turnovers. Our passing game doesn't click and they stuff our run. We miss out on bowl season.
As I said, I don't think this will happen. This was actually encouraging as it shows that even if the bottom falls out, we can remain competitive.
Shinskie wants to play. We will see how or if he performs Tuesday.
This season preview considers Shinskie one of the best stories of the season.
For those looking to get up to speed on the Huskies, check out Northeastern's game notes.
The WSJ performed a study and it found that Matt Ryan is the best looking QB in the NFL. Forbes took a different approach and ranked Matt based on his play.
Another great Xs and Os session from Smart Football via EDSBS.
This Q&A leaves the door open for an extension of the Notre Dame series.
Finally, and this isn't about sports, one of my former BC roommates started a clothing company. If you like classic looks and quality check out Henley & Sloane. They are running a special right now. Gotta support the BC guys.
What we now know
-- We will start two freshmen linebackers and a third freshmen will be on the LB two-deep.
-- This is a very young team. There are 57 slots on the chart. 15 are freshmen and 15 are sophomores.
-- Montel Harris is going to get a lot of all purpose yards. He's our No. 1 TB, our No. 1 KR and our No. 2 Punt Returner.
-- Cleary did get the final open offensive line spot at LG. Let's hope this is the start of another great BC lineman's career.
-- Fullback-Tight End...what's the difference? Since we have no experienced or healthy full backs, Anderson and McMichael are listed there on the depth chart. I have no idea how Tranq will use them. I imagine they will still be pass catchers and also used at their previous position interchangeably.
-- Geiser's hurt. Walk on Sean Flaherty will be the long snapper.
-- Alex Albright is back (or at least healthy enough to reclaim his starting spot).
What we don't know
-- How the QB position is going to play out. Tuggle and Marscovetra are both listed as No. 1 on the depth chart. I assume that means both will play. Who gets the first series or how they will split snaps is still unknown. And what happens when Shinskie returns? I am encouraged by the fact that Marscovetra is a Co-No.1 as it probably means we won't be redshirting him.
More to come once Spaz explains this to the media.
Roster Reminders
Returning Starters
None
Backups and Hopefuls
Luke Kuechly
Alexander DiSanzo
Nick Clancy
Darius Bagan
Dominick LeGrande
Mike McLaughlin
Will Thompson
Dan Williams
Mike Morrissey
Jake Sinkovec
Jarick Walker
Andre Lawrence
Chatter
The best "chatter" of the summer has been the play of the young LBs. Everyone is raving about Kuechly and DiSanzo. Clancy was a very good scout player last year. Even Lawrence and Sinkovec (who are both expected to redshirt) have performed well according to second hand reports.
The Real Question
Will any of the more experienced guys finally make the leap? In an ideal world Thompson, Williams and Bagan would all be stepping up right now. Injuries, academics and general disappointment have limited their playing time. In the past McGovern was very good about getting young guys on the field. That didn't happen much last year. They didn't even make significant impacts on special teams. With McLaughlin's return date still unknown, we will need depth. Hopefully some of the more experienced step up their game and show the young guys a thing or two.
My Bold Prediction
At least two LBs will make All ACC Freshman teams. I don't know who but given the playing time ahead and the positive buzz, I think it is safe to say that two will crack the list.
What keeps me up at night?
That McLaughlin comes back late in the season and is never 100%. Expecting a sixth-year medical redshirt is risky. BC and McLaughlin could follow all the right steps and still get a "No" from the NCAA. Because of that fear, people around the program will probably play McLaughlin this year regardless of his health. If he misses more than five games, I would hope BC pushes for a medical redshirt. It would be a shame to see a two year captian go out with an abbreviated season.
Outlook
Like every other portion of these previews, I am very half full about this group. Sure they are green, but the talent, scheme and coaching should hold us through the season. If one or two freshman can step up like past freshmen linebackers (think Toal or Herzy) we'll be okay.
Consensus heading into the season
New regime, new schemes. Under the two previous regimes, the special teams provided endless frustration, plenty of excitement and very little consistency.
Roster Reminders
Returning Starters
Steve Aponavicius
Jack Geiser
Ryan Quigley
Backups and Hopefuls
Nate Freese
Billy Flutie
Chatter
Aponavicius is ahead of Freese on FGs in practice. Considering Freese was brought in to contribute it's somewhat surprising that he is being beaten out by the consistent but limited Aponavicius.
The Real Question
Can the special teams generate as many big plays as we saw last year? Multiple punt blocks, fake field goals and surprise onsides all contributed to big wins. We have no idea if the team will be as aggressive this year. The other question that I didn't even want to ask is whether Jeff Smith can ever reclaim his freshman year form. Smith's speed and upside is so so tantalizing...yet his desire and injuries has meant we've never approached the impact of his 2006 season. Harris or one of the younger guys will probably be our main kick returner, but I hope Smith uses his last season as a showcase for his raw talent.
My Bold Prediction
Rich Gunnell will have more than 200 punt return yards. I don't know if he can pull off another TD, but I think he'll increase his productivity per return and in total.
What keeps me up at night?
An injury to Geiser. We've been spoiled with having a long snapping specialist the past four years. Does anyone remember some of the adventures in snapping we had just a few years ago. Let's hope we find a good backup LS and land a LS recruit.
Outlook
Mike Dawson has never been a special teams coach. That scares me a bit, but I don't expect Special Teams to be a major issue. We know what we've got in each unit and they should all be adequate. Even if they are not as aggressive as Jags/Yano, we have enough young talent that they should be fine.
This can be a good thing. Tuggle has improved, has a decent arm and should be able to make a play or two happen. Let's hope this is the start of a brilliant career.
Credit to All Access for picking up on Quinn redshirting.
Father Monan will serve as the main celebrant at the Kennedy funeral.
I joined the ACCSports.com guys on one of their podcasts.
If Pete Carroll can name true freshman Matt Barkely to start for USC, why can't BC do it with Mike Marscovetra who has best arm in camp
What keeps me up at night?
The big play. While these guys are good, I still fear them getting burnt deep (think NC State and UNC last year). While Bowman and some of the younger safeties have speed, we will still be vulnerable on the deep posts...especially if we are not pressuring the QB.
Outlook
This is the one area we don’t have to worry about. Talent is there. Depth is there. Coaching is there (regardless of how I feel about Siravo as a Recruiting Coordinator, the DBs have been well coached on his watch). These guys have benefitted from great fronts the past few years. Now it is there turn to step up and carry the load.
In better news, Herzy is back on campus and remains optimistic about 2010.
A few ACC players think BC is one of the tougher places to play. (Thanks to Brian for the link.)
McLaughlin sounds less optimistic about getting on the field soon. It is not my career but if he isn't ready by October, I would like to see him get a medical redshirt.
Dime checks up on Troy Bell.
Here is the latest on Dominique Davis.
There is also a tough stretch where we come home from the Island Jam and then play at Providence, at Michigan and then host Miami all within eight days.
This is the most difficult basketball schedule since the current JRs arrived on campus. They should be up for the challenge.
HD has a rundown of ACC recruiting.
Mr College Football will miss Herzy this year.
Sporting News put together a "best of" list for the ACC. Not a bad roundup. In their prediction though the say that BC will go 0-8. SI is almost as dour as they predict a 2-6 conference record with 4-8 overall mark.
Josh Beekman is fighting to hold onto his starting spot in Chicago. His former teammate Gos Cherilus hopes to put all his tools together this season in Detroit.
Two reasons for optimism on the defensive side: the talented DBs and the young LBs.
Indulge my biblical reference for a moment:
GENESIS 41:29-31 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
No update on Shinskie's health.
What I don't understand is the urge to lock in on one guy before the season. If no one stood out, why not split time amongst the equals? Although I never want to overlook anyone, Northeastern is not very good. We could split time among three QBs and see who steps up in live action. We could potentially do the same against Kent State. Michigan plans to play three QBs in their opener. Ideally you work out the kinks and are ready to go with one guy by the time we head down to Clemson.
We have one more scrimmage to decipher. But I have a feeling we won't know or understand what's best until after Northeastern.
BC received 9 votes in the AP preseason poll.
Tomahawk Nation posted another detailed breakdown of BC, only this time they looked at the defense. I realize we lost three NFL level talents, but I think TN underestimates the returning group and the new talent coming on board.
Here is a fair preview of the team from a Carolina newspaper.
This is unrelated to sports but a nice story of a BC guy breaking into the burrito biz. Check out their website at Red's All Natural.
Although the bookstore is selling cords, you still need to go to Pennington & Bailes for the original BC pants.
For those new to this blog, the blogpoll was established a few years ago to give the bloggers their own version of college football's ranking system. The major difference with our poll is that we announce what games we actually watched, wear our bias on our sleeve and don't have to adhere to any system but our own. In general I tend to reward record and strength of schedule.
On the BC front, this year Eagle All Access joins me and the BCI guys in the poll. I left BC out of my preseason Top 25 and will try my best not to jinx the team if we start strong.
 | ||
| Rank | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Southern Cal | |
| 3 | Texas | |
| 4 | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | Ohio State | |
| 6 | Mississippi | |
| 7 | Penn State | |
| 8 | Oklahoma State | |
| 9 | LSU | |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | |
| 11 | Alabama | |
| 12 | Oregon | |
| 13 | TCU | |
| 14 | Georgia Tech | |
| 15 | California | |
| 16 | Michigan State | |
| 17 | Brigham Young | |
| 18 | Georgia | |
| 19 | Utah | |
| 20 | North Carolina | |
| 21 | Texas Tech | |
| 22 | Oregon State | |
| 23 | Cincinnati | |
| 24 | Wake Forest | |
| 25 | Central Michigan | |
Wes Davis is the latest guy to sing the praises of Bowman.
Give credit where it is due: Blaudschun is finally treating his blog like a blog and not just a place to put drafts of his Globe stories.
HD admits she might have overlooked a few BC players in her rankings.
Another ACC forecast that has BC at 10 in the conference. I know Rice was a good player, but did these guys not see the other players step up at different moments? What other team has as much returning talent?
If Vitale is saying BC belongs back in the Big East then you know some conference higher ups are actively pushing this agenda. I don't get the media push though. What are they hoping to accomplish? Gene is not looking back. Are they setting the stage for Gene's successor to open talks? Are they hoping BC fans and alumni put pressure on BC to go back? It seems like a lot of wasted effort. (Thanks to Mike for the link.)
As we transition away from a strict zone blocking scheme to more of a hybrid it is interesting to read this recap of the Chow-Carroll issues at USC earlier this decade. Carroll was the one who forced Chow to zone.
3. Evan Ravenel, So., Boston College: One of the reasons the Eagles didn't add a single player to their roster was because of the faith they had in Ravenel. He didn't play much last season, but the staff is confident he can develop into a solid contributor if he commits himself to Al Skinner's system. It'll need him to be, since the weakness was frontcourt depth a year ago.
CBS Sports considers Albright one of the impact players returning this year.
Tomahawk Nation put together a great breakdown of our offense. I don't think people realize that our offense was middle of the pack within the ACC last year. There is a foundation to improve this year, but it will come down to Tranq and the QB.
The Herald is picking up on the freshmen's potential. Also, don't forget about the redshirt guys that will be playing for the first time too. The Milford Daily also wrote a piece about the OLine. Why don't these smaller town papers cover BC more during the season?
BC, BU and FSG held a press conference regarding the outdoor game set for January 8. Fans who go to Mobile for the GMAC bowl should be back to Boston in time!
Although we will probably be a Top 25 team, the basketball version of College Gameday won't be coming to the Heights this season.
Jerry York picked up another verbal.
The smart guys don't get caught up in all the offseason noise with BC. Football Outsiders predicts a 9-3 record and a second place finish in the division. This is easily the most optimistic outlook and has a lot to do with our D remaining strong and the Oline.
The Globe featured Dillon Quinn this morning. It will be interesting to see how he matures this year. He's obviously raw, but Spaz has done a good job rotating in the younger Dlineman. Will McGovern do the same?
Add another "unique" destination to the ACC bowl lineup. The fifth place team will head to El Paso for the Sun Bowl. The Sun Bowl has a nice tradition and offers a Pac 10 opponent. I don't think many BC fans will make the trip to west Texas though.
Buster Sports considers Montel Harris one of the most underrated players in the ACC.
HD thinks Spaz can be coach of the year.
Folks in other media markets continue to focus on Spaz's steady hand.
This is the time of year when hometown papers love to cover their kids. This time it is Castonzo who gets the press.
Despite the media attention, I don't think you'll see BC play UConn as long as Gene is still making the schedules.
Future Eagle Philip Samuelsson has been staying busy this summer.
It looks like our running game will be more traditional, less stretch zone stuff.
Have you seen a red Cadillac on campus? It probably belongs to Dave Shinskie.
Despite his holdout, Raji came into Packers camp prepared and should play in their next preseason game.
I thought BC fans would appreciate EDSBS's description of the BC-Notre Dame relationship.
Maybe this is all about rising to the occasion. While Mascovetra played in New Jersey, his team wasn't very good and neither was the talent around him. It shows in his stats. As a JR he completed 56% of his passes for 1,762 yards with 15TDs and 12 INTs. As a SR in high school he regressed a bit completing 47.6% of his passes for 1,422 yards, 8 TDs and 13 Ints. The reason he got a scholarship from BC was his impressive camp performance in summer 2008. In fact he's played the best football of his life in Boston. That is probably what matters. In a team sport, when the talent around him was finally even, he stood out.
Just because he's playing well doesn't guarantee anything. He's not beating out a Matt Ryan or Doug Flutie. The QB talent around him -- although more heralded -- is still flawed. And Shinskie may still take a big leap in play once he shakes off the rust.
Marscovetra may never play at BC. There is one name ahead of him now and could be two more names above him on the depth chart as early as January. And even if he gets the job, it doesn't mean we have a star. Look around at some of the other true freshman we've faced over the years. But Marscovetra's surprising start offers hope. As much as we think we know how things will play out, we don't know. No one does. That's what makes this all so interesting. For our sake, let's hope Marscovetra continues to exceed the low expectations. We need some good news.
The BCI guys joined in on a ACC roundup.
Justin Jarvis is helping the freshman on the team.
We know what happened in our scrimmage. HD has the scoop on what happened around the conference.
Herzy was there for Ron Brace's first NFL preseason game.
NESN finally noticed that we send a lot of QBs to the NFL.
Charlie Davies' impressive play continued this weekend with his new club Sochaux.
BC is talking to Florida TE Neil Basford.
One of BC's top baseball recruits Kevin James is bypassing the Heights and signing with Tampa.
Former Eagle Brian Boyle is back east and now a member of the Rangers.
Chris Crane played about half a quarter in the Colts' most recent scrimmage. He went three for four for 18 yards.
-- The defense is going to be good this year. I know I've just started my previews, but I believe the D will be very good this year and tonight was the another sign of hope. If you remember the D dominated in the scrimmages last year and continued that dominance once the season started.
-- Some of the young talent is ready to step up. In past scrimmages you would see random names pop up and then disappear and never to be heard from again. Yet some of Saturday's names -- like Johnson and Holloway -- have been whispered about enough that you can start predicting big things.
Spaz touched on many topics but this article noted his comments on Montel Harris. Tranq plans on getting Harris and Haden on the field together. Outside of QB, Tranq feels pretty good about his offense.
BCeagles.com coverage included a ton of player photos.
Towards the end of this article Gunnell mentions that the offense looks better than it did last year at this point. Although it is only practice, I think this is a good sign of things to come.
Megwa hurt his hand but shouldn't be out of action long.
In this Q&A Wes Davis talks about his comeback from his spinal injury and how guys on the team all play video games.
Outlook
As the season approaches my optimism grows. A major part of that optimism is due to Montel Harris. I didn’t spend much time in this preview writing about Harris but believe he is just what this team needs. Our new No. 2 is a grinder who can make something out of nothing and move the pile. As he matures things should only get better. We may have an issue with the altered running scheme, but I expect Harris to adapt. If Haden stays healthy or Jeff Smith finally “gets it” then we can really surprise people. Anything we get from the freshmen is gravy.
Last year at this time we didn’t know what to expect from our running backs and they proved to be very good. This year –- now that they are known commodities -– let’s hope they exceed expectations again.
Here is an article on the top football prospects in Massachusetts including two who have already committed to BC.
Not much meat in this update from bceagles.com, but it does include more photos.
This is a nice story about Marlotte van den Bergh's t-shirt drive to help children in India.
Mark your calendar as the long rumored BC-BU hockey game at Fenway will take place January 8. There will be a press conference Thursday to talk about the event.
BCeagles.com didn't post any pictures today, but they did have another practice update. Toal and Raji were also back on campus.
Scafe is ready for a big year.
BC landed another top recruit in Delaware DB C.J. Jones.
Et tu, Carlton? (Thanks to Matt for the link.)
BC soccer put together a good recruiting class. (Thanks to Chris for the link.)
SI doesn't think we will make a bowl. It figures since they ranked us No. 71.
Consensus heading into the season
Everyone agrees that the offensive line should be the strength of the team.
Roster Reminders
It is a fairly balanced depth chart.
Returning Starters
-- Thomas Claiborne
-- Anthony Castonzo
-- Rich Lapham
-- Matt Tennant
Backups and Hopefuls
-- Ian White
-- Mark Spinney
-- Nick Halloran
-- Mike Goodman
-- John Wetzel
-- Nathan Richman
-- Emmett Cleary
-- Keith Bourne
Chatter
Everyone wants to know who will fill the LG position and what the latest scheme change will mean for the line. I am not worried about either. Clif Ramsey was all conference last year, but whoever fills his shoes will be bookended by two of the best linemen to come through BC in Tennant and Castonzo. As for the new coach Sean Devine, he's considered a good teacher and has worked the zone scheme before. I think he will keep the OLine U tradition going strong.
Real Question
When will Nathan Richman be healthy? Richman -- one of the favorites to fill the open starter position -- still has a gimpy ankle. It looks like his absence will open the door for...
My bold prediction
Emmett Cleary will start at LG and make the ACC's All Freshman team. Cleary looked a little spotty in the spring game, but there was good buzz about him during his redshirt year. He probably could've played as a true freshman if we had needed him. Say what you will about Jags, but the guy had a good eye for line talent. He thought Cleary could be as good as Castonzo. I am on the bandwagon and think our leftside will dominate this year.
What keeps me up at night
Rich Lapham's consistency and Matt Tennant's shotgun snaps. Lapham improved throughout the year but he was still the unit's weak link. Hopefully his footwork has improved and he's little more focused. Tennat's shotgun snaps were a bit of an issue last year, but I don't think it will be a problem this year since we'll have QBs under center more often this year.
Outlook
This should be the best line in the conference and could be the best in the country. Injuries and newbies could upset the applecart, but I am predicting great success. I think Devine is a promising coach and but how this unit gels will be the first real indicator if my hunch is true.
We'll have plenty of time to worry about other parts of this team, but the offensive line is going to be very, very good.
The local papers got into the swing of things. The Herald had an article on Albright and Spaz's adjustment to his new gig. The Globe even got around to posting a story on Castonzo.
BC finalized a two-year basketball series with South Carolina. Adding an SEC team is a great idea for strength of schedule. My only quibble is that South Carolina provides another road game in the Carolinas. That's great for me and other BC fans in the southeast, but if we had played a Pac 10 or Big XII team, BC fans in other parts of the country would have been able to see the guys in person.
Raji remains a holdout in Green Bay. (Thanks to Mike for the link.)
Forbes is getting attention for its new college rankings. This is a potential challenge to US News' more established rankings. BC is in the Top 20 with Forbes.
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