Do BC fans care about Notre Dame any more?

Notre Dame visited Alumni Stadium for the first time during the fall of my freshmen year (1994). This was less than a year after BC knocked off the then undefeated Irish in South Bend. I don't think there was a bigger game or more campus excitement in my whole time as a student. Notre Dame was still elite and we were still riding the excitement of the Coughlin years. Coughlin successfully leveraged Notre Dame as part of his rebuild. The Catholic aspect and the chance to take down Goliath were easy sells to a fanbase enjoying a post-Flutie football renaissance. Painting Notre Dame as the most important game on the schedule worked so well with fans, recruits and media that BC kept doing it long after Coughlin went to Jacksonville. Now all these years later, I get a sense that BC fans don't care about the game or the rivalry all that much any more.

I don't want to say that the lack of interest is based strictly on BC's current downturn. People cared when we were bad in other years. BC fans still took over the Notre Dame campus in 1997 when TOB's first team was terrible. They still cared when TOB's second team (also a losing one) got stopped on the goal line in the final seconds of the BC-ND game. Even when during Spaz's time, some of the Irish games were intense (remember Gunnell getting in Jimmy Clausen's face?). Yet now I think BC fans have moved on. The Clemson game has become the celebrated road trip to make. Even the causal fan realizes that ACC games are really a better measuring stick for BC's success.

Another reason the game might not mean is much is the lack of frequency. Notre Dame's deal with the ACC actually hurt BC's scheduling. Now instead of playing the Irish annually we will play them about six times every ten years. That keeps Addazio or any future BC coach from using the Irish as a rallying point.

The final reason why BC fans might not care is due to Notre Dame's diminishing brand. I am not trying to be one of those Notre Dame haters. My point is that for years the Irish had a cast of coaches and players that the casual BC fan could identify...and hate. Names like Holtz, Powlus, Jarious Jackson, Davie, Willingham, Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen and Manti Te'o. Kelly is pretty unlikable, but who else is well-known or stands out? Now with so many games accessible, the NBC deal doesn't bring the same level of notoriety. So until the Irish start either winning again at a high rate, losing in epic fashion or see their players do stupid things, they are just a bunch of gold helmets to most BC fans.

I always hated the BC-obsession with Notre Dame. I felt TOB and the Administration used it as a crutch to excuse other failures. Now I would love to see both teams "return to glory", just so there would be some excitement about the game.

Addazio not making Jarmond's first year any easier

Martin Jarmond went all in on BC's first home game. He greeted tailgaters. He worked the Mods. He supported the players on the Eagle Walk. This should have been a great day. But all his attempts at culture building are going to be overshadowed by what's happening on the field. And once again, BC lost a lopsided game at home. I am sure Jarmond knew he would have to make a decision on Addazio during his first year. I don't know if anyone could have predicted things would turn so sour, so quickly.

Addazio is full of excuses and lacking in solutions. But at this point he can't blame anyone but himself. And the more he loses, the more comparisons to his predecessor become more relevant. Spaziani's ACC record: 13-19. Addazio's ACC record: 10-23. Spaziani's overall winning percentage: .431. Addazio's overall winning percentage: .471. Addazio's next two games are against Notre Dame and Clemson. His winning percentage could slip below Spaziani's soon.

The Offensive ineptitude is Addazio's creation too. Since Ryan Day left and Addazio pridefully said BC would run "his offense," BC has gone through two offensive coordinators, three offensive philosophies, and six starting quarterbacks. In all the ACC games since Day left, Addazio's offense has only scored 21 points once. The execution is terrible and the team seems to have no answer to whatever the other team prepares.

Addazio dug out of a hole last year. This year there is less wiggle room and a new AD who is empowered and not tied to Addazio's history. I would love to see a turnaround, but I am not counting on one.

REMINDER: One week left on Smathers & Branson offer

As a reminder, ATLEagle readers have until September 19 to order Smathers & Branson BC merchandise at a 20% discount. All the products have a great needlepoint look. Beyond belts, there are hats, wallets, and other BC items. The company offers the needlepoint look on a variety of non-BC items too.

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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.

BC looks terrible in loss to Wake

Sometimes I try to come up with some newspaper/magazine type headline for the lead of these posts, but today I want to keep it simple. BC looked really, really bad in their loss to Wake. And the season is looking really, really scary. Once again Addazio has dug himself into a huge hole with regards to his offense and his win-loss record. I don't trust him to turn it around. Which means this could be the beginning of the end.

As for the game, after showing promise last week, Brown missed wide open WRs all day. When he wasn't missing them, they were dropping balls or letting them bounce into the hands of Wake DBs. The OLine was a mess too. The once proud D had its moments, but ultimately allowed too many big plays.

I am frustrated, but I actually have hope. Either Addazio turns things around and we pull off an upset or two (unlikely) or we peter out and he is replaced by someone who might help BC get back to being BC.

Below is my post-game Periscope. Thanks to all those who participated. I will have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday night.

Post game Periscope -- Wake Forest https://t.co/pKJvF6ugUv

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 9, 2017

In-game comments post: Wake Forest

Wake Forest games lend themselves to drama and weird endings. Maybe this game will join the list.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Friday picks

I went heavy on the ACC teams this week. I also think UMass will bounce back.

Louisville-9 at North Carolina

Iowa-3 at Iowa State

Buffalo+16 at Army

Northwestern-2.5 at Duke

Old Dominion-4 at UMass

Indiana-3 at Virginia

South Carolina+3 at Missouri

Georgia+5 at Notre Dame

Stanford+6 at USC

Utah-2.5 at BYU

Last week I went 6-4. I am 6-4 on the season.

Game Watches: Wake Forest

I didn't hear much about Game Watches this week. If your local BC Club is having one, please add it to the comments section below.

Chicago Game Watch
Tobacco Road Tap Room
2249 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

Phoenix Game Watch 
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85020

San Diego Game Watch 
Striders 100 J St
San Diego, CA 92101

BC-Wake Forest preview

After finishing last season's ACC slate with Wake, the two teams are back at it again. They kick off ACC play at Alumni on Saturday. That means both teams have some familiarity with one another, but are also expecting some new twists. BC will bring a faster pace to this game and Wake has a new Defensive staff. Although it is only Game 2 on the season, this remains critical for Addazio. He needs the momentum and the W heading into the heart of the season.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
This will be Martin Jarmond's first home game as AD. I don't think there will be noticeable changes or any problems since there are enough experienced operations people around to see that everything goes smoothly. I am interested to hear about fan reaction to him and how he mingles with the crowd. I don't think he should be checking IDs at the new beer stand or playing cornhole on among the tailgaters, but I do hope he is visible and engaging. It would mean a lot to the long-time fans.

Three Simple Keys
1. Explosive plays in the running game. Like NIU, Wake will probably crowd the line. If so, BC needs to break through that first level and get some big runs.
2. Bring more pressure. BC was fairly conservative on D last week. This week, I want to see that elite DLine get to the quarterback over and over.
3. Red zone scoring. It was great to convert field goals last week, but we need more drives to get into the end zone. That's on Brown, Loeffler and Addazio.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 10-22 in ACC games at BC
-- Addazio is 14-12 at Alumni
-- Addazio is 3-1 in home openers
Most sites have this game as a pick'em.

Factoid
Addazio's first ACC game as BC head coach was against Wake.

Scoreboard Watching
Auburn-Clemson might not have the same importance as last week's Alabama-FSU game, but it will still be a measuring stick. It is our chance to see how the ACC stacks up against another Power 5 team and our chance to see some of Clemson's new starters.

What I hope to see...
All the running backs get significant touches. There is depth at the position. Let's see what these guys can do. Be creative, Loeffler!

BC is in trouble if...
If we can't get positive plays from the power runs. Even with all the offensive changes, Addazio has staked much of his reputation and BC's personnel on power running between the tackles. It would be a bad sign if we still cannot do it efficiently.

Overall
I think we see real improvement in BC from Week 1 to Week 2. I think the OLine plays better, the D is more aggressive and the mistakes are minimized. I see BC going up early and controlling most of the rest of the way.
Final Score: BC 28, Wake Forest 13

Midweek Periscope -- Wake Week

Below is a short, midweek Periscope I did Wednesday night. I apologize for the technical problems at the start. The Periscope app kept crashing on me.

Topics covered:

-- Kobay White's debut and what to expect. (Question courtesy of Chris G.)

-- Jim Christian's new assistant

-- Rumored tailgating fees

-- Anthony Brown talk

As always, I appreciate the feedback. I am still trying to find the right day and time for these other than postgame. Would early afternoon on a weekday work?

third try at Midweek Periscope https://t.co/0GrvsvzHGt

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 7, 2017

Christian adds Chris Cheeks to staff

While no one was really sad to see Stan Heath leave, the timing wasn't ideal for Jim Christian to find a top flight replacement. Plus, when factoring in Christian's tenuous job security, finding an elite assistant was going to be hard. Multiple reports say that Christian has found someone and it is veteran basketball assistant Chris Cheeks.

Cheeks comes to BC from Western Kentucky. Prior to that he was at Delaware, but he has also put in time at places like Charlotte, West Virginia and the AAU Circuit. It is the AAU scene where Cheeks might be able to help BC. We need another hunter. Or at least a hunter more hungry than Stan Heath.  

Cheeks ties to the DC-area leads me to believe he has a connection to Spinelli. I hope they like working together and do enough to extend their BC time beyond this season. 

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.

Great deal for ATLeagle readers with Smathers & Branson

I am excited to announce that for the next two weeks, Smathers & Branson is offering atleagle readers a 20% discount on their BC products.

I've been wearing a Smathers & Branson BC belt for years. (It might be my favorite BC item.) Their needlepoint design and craftsmanship is unique among typical fan gear. Beyond belts, they also have keychain fobs, sunglass straps, bag tags, wallets, hats, coasters, etc. All needlepoint and with the BC logo. And it is not all just BC stuff. They have plenty of other college and pro teams, and styles and looks that are not sports related. They make great gifts (or just treat yourself). 

Between now and September 19, alteagle readers can receive a 20% discount on all BC items by using the promo code: BC2017. Apply the code at checkout.

I will also show the belt in the next few Periscopes. Get yours soon. 

Checking in on the true freshmen

In the past few years, Addazio has talked about the challenge of using players too early. In his opinion, BC is at its best when it can redshirt most of their players. I don't know if I totally agree with coach. The 5th year transfer rule has changed the dynamic and roster management. But that is topic for a different post. This is about who is playing this year. BC's official stats for the game only listed AJ Dillon and Travis Levy as the freshmen who played. But Alec Lindstrom also saw action as a substitute.

I have no problem with any of those guys playing. If they can help now, get them on the field. This won't be the end either. Addazio said he Petrula was supposed to play too. I am sure he will get in soon.

There will also be guys who redshirt too. And a few of those guys will become long-term impact players. But I believe Addazio needs to play everyone who can make a difference this year. Plan for the future once we get elite dept and don't need any of our true freshmen.

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In other news, here are the the general highlights of the game.

Herzy to IR and other links

On Saturday, the New York Giants placed Mark Herzlich on IR. That means he is ineligible to play for the Giants this season. Once he recovers, he could come off IR, clear waivers and play for another team. But this might be the end of Mark's NFL career. It sounds like the Giants are already planning a post-playing career for him as they want him working with players and still being around. I hope Mark gets one more shot on the field, but if this is it, it was truly a remarkable playing career. When his cancer was first announced, there was real question as to whether his leg would be amputated. Instead he survived, played again in college and then played in the NFL for six seasons. That is amazing. Good luck to Mark on all his future endeavors.

In other NFL news, the Lions picked up Brian Mihalik and the Colts picked up Ian Silberman.

Another remarkable BC athlete's story continues as Boston has declared September 5 as "Pete Frates Day."

The Field Hockey team swept Maryland.

Women's Soccer beat Northeastern.

Perspective on plays per game

During the offseason, I questioned how much Addazio would truly embrace the uptempo philosophy. For the first game he clearly did. BC had 92 total plays in the game. That's a lot in general and it is a ton for BC game. For some perspective, here are some other relevant total plays to show how active and fast BC was:

• 2016 Leader in Total Plays Average: Baylor -- 88.6 per game
• 2016 (Addazio Year 4) Boston College Total Plays Average:  67.8
• BC's Total Plays in QuickLane Bowl: 69
• 2015 (Addazio Year 3)  Boston College Total Plays Average: 64.8
• 2014 (Addazio Year 2) Boston College Total Plays Average: 67.8
• 2013 (Addazio Year 1) Boston College Total Plays Average: 62.0

And a few other BC related Total Plays Average:

• 2012 (Spaz's Last Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.5 
• 2009 (Spaz's First Year) Boston College Total Plays Average: 65.1
• 2008 (Jags with Crane/Davis) Boston College Total Plays Average: 71.8
• 2007 (Jags with Matt Ryan) Boston College Total Plays Average: 77.9
• 2006 (TOB's final year at BC) Boston College Total Plays Average: 70.7

It is only one game, but it is a clear departure for BC and Addazio. However, changing for change sake is not what BC needed. We need to make sure the uptempo also includes more scoring. Running 90+ plays and only scoring 23 points will lead to plenty of losses. 

Nothing comes easy in BC's win over NIU

That was a long frustrating way to begin the season. The silver lining is the win and that Anthony Brown showed real potential in his first game. Everything that you feel good about the game also leaves you wondering if Addazio will ever fully deliver. For example, he really committed to the uptempo offense, yet we only scored 23 points and started resting our best defensive players in the 2nd Quarter. Another example: Addazio seemingly adjusted to his game management criticisms and used the clock well at the first half and went for it on 4th down. Yet there was some very stubborn and head scratching play calling. Finally, he has seemed to recruit elite skill players, but our traditional foundation -- the offensive line -- looked sloppy. He has a week to figure it all out.

For now, I am going to use this win to dream about a bright future for Brown and BC Football.

I also did a post-game Periscope. Thanks to all those who interacted. Because of the holiday weekend, I don't know when I will rewatch the game, so grades might not roll out until Tuesday.

NIU win post game Periscope. https://t.co/Ha61fpLU0K

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 2, 2017

In-game comments post: Northern Illinois

Another season and maybe a new era of BC Football starts tonight.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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Friday picks

Here are the ten games I like this weekend:

Navy-9.5 at FAU

Colorado State+3.5 at Colorado

NC State-5 at South Carolina

Michigan-5 at Florida

Temple+18.5 at Notre Dame

UMass-2.5 at Coastal Carolina

Florida State+7.5 at Alabama

Vanderbilt-3 at Middle Tennessee

Texas A&M+3.5 at UCLA

West Virginia+4 at Virginia Tech

Herald thinks Brown will start

From Friday's BC summary. No byline attributed, so there is plenty of hedging:

2. No matter what gametime decision Addazio makes at quarterback, BC will have an inexperienced signal caller under center. A consensus of neutral observers during training camp agreed that redshirt freshman Anthony Brown will get the nod over graduate student Darius Wade.

We will all know shortly. Good luck to both.