Friday, October 30, 2009

10/30 Draft: BC American Gladiators

Sometimes I worry about Wesley. He gets some pretty crazy ideas (remember the "draft the Hasselbecks" one?), but I have to say, this one has seven delicious layers of awesomeness.

BC guys on the roster, up to 5 years back...as American Gladiators.


Challenger.....READY....?

Gladiator....READY....?

Fight!!!

---------------------------------------------------------


1M) Mark Herzlich

Who didn't see this one coming? Is there any
player on the roster that comes to mind faster when I say "American Gladiators" and "BC" in the same sentence? Sure, I mean, I guess those two don't cohabitate all that often...but seriously, especially with the eye paint, Herzy could have a career as an American Gladiator. Can you imagine him with the pugil stick just lifting some poor sould ten feet off of the ground? Or maybe in the final maze where they have to crash through a wall and into a Gladiator? The medics would have to be called half of the time.


2W) Jamie Silva

By his powerful hits on the field you know that will translate into some powerful play
in POWERBALL! Defending the turf is exactly what Silva is about.. and he isn't afraid
to get dirty either, just ask this former dumpster diver! I can also see Silva excelling at the Maze, as he has a way of sniffing out his opponents, and destroying them with reckless abandon.








3M) BJ Raji

I'm taking Raji here as he would be the end-all-be-all
of the human cannonball. Sure, a big pansy like Malibu gets blown into next week, but if that insurance salesman from Mattoon, IL tries to swing and knock Raji off of the platform, can you imagine the carnage?


Poor guy would leave with a broken leg half the time, and a broken spine the other half. Here you thought Raji was immovable on the D-Line, just try him on the human cannonball!





4W) JoLonn Dunbar


Dunbar would excel at Breakthrough
and conquer. Just think back in 2007 , when he dominated Maryland, he would be a force to be reckoned with at Breakthrough and conquer, as 99.999% of the competitors would NEVER breakthrough. And with that strength he should also do well at something like Hang Tough, as he would just wear down the competition, with ease!





5M) Marty "Boomcat" Bowman

Dunbar is a nice choice, Wesley...one of my all-time favorite Eagles!


I'm going with Boomcat here, again with a specific event in mind. This time, I'm saying PowerBall would be the event this Eagle would dominate. Could you imagine a couple of yahoos trying to out-juke one of the more pedestrian American Gladiators, making his move...closing in on the goal....and then out of no where, a blur fires from right to left across your screen and BOOM, Marty lays the thunder on a contestant and knocks him out cold.





6W) Matt Ryan


Do you really need to ask where Matt Ryan
excels in American Gladiators?
ASSAULT of course!! With the arm and vision like Matty Heisman has, he is unstoppable in this event, and will throw constant Bulls-eyes!! You saw him with a Football, now imagine him with the tennis ball gun!!








7M) Mike "Big Mac" McLaughlin

So you're feeling pretty good about your chances.
You just outdueled Laser.....or Blaze....or Blazer in the joust. Your opponent still has a big goose egg on the board. All you need is ten points next round and you have secured your spot in the semi-finals (where the BIG money of up to $5,000 awaits you!)...and then your eye wanders to the platform of the next event.

It's Breakthrough and Conquer.

Waiting for you? Big Mac, Mike McLaughlin. He looks unhappy. You need new shorts. Television time-out.


8W) Dillon Quinn

with Muscles like this, intimidation will strike
fear in all the competitors hearts
Quinn is a specialty role, he only plays one position at the end of the Gauntlet,
after the competitors bust through the faux brick wall, he is the one on the other side
to closeline em !!!





9M) Jeremy Trueblood

Unlike other contestants in this draft, Jeremy wouldn't have to change his name. I can hear it now...."And now for for the Atlasphere challenge Johnny, you're going to have to face Wolf...and TRUUUUUUUUUEBLOOOOOOOOOOOOD....

Not only does the name fit, but good luck getting around Jeremy Trueblood once he's in the giant gerbil ball there. He's likely to force you out of the ring, out of the studio, the parking lot, and keep your ball rolling on the highway. Don't forget to write!




10W) Montel Harris


This is where his Ninja skills would best shine,
especially balance and vision.
At Joust Montel would clean house , by using his strong core, to knock all competitors off the platform stick , stick dodge, Stick, stick, dodge
.. Then he will teach the young grasshoppers (aka Competitors) how to fall forward!! onto the matt below!













RECAP:

BCMike drafted: Herzy, Raji, Big Mac, Boomcat, Trueblood.
Wesley drafted: Silva, Dunbar, Ryan, Quinn, Ninja



10-30 Draft: BC American Gladiators
BCMike drafted: Herzy, Raji, Big Mac, Boomcat, Trueblood.
Wesley drafted: Silva, Dunbar, Ryan, Quinn, Ninja
pollcode.com free polls


Thursday, October 29, 2009

BCDraft Special: Keys to the Game w/ Chippewa Country's Tyler Parsons



Today we will learn more about our opponent for Saturday, the Central Michigan Chippewas. Today, to help us we have Tyler Parsons from Chippewacountry.com

First, Welcome to BCDraft Tyler, We appreciate you taking the time to discuss what we should both expect to see on Halloween at the Heights.



BCDraft)As CMU has had a great start of 7-1, what do you feel the reason for them not being in the top 25 is?



Chippewa Country) Strength of schedule. CMU has beat some good teams, but the MAC has beat itself up this season and only CMU has really separated themselves as legit contenders on the national stage. Because of that SOS, the Chippewas are the only team with 7 wins not in the Top 25. The week 1 loss @ Arizona would have helped a lot, but a victory over BC will put them in the Top 25.



BCD) CMU has been a offensive powerhouse so far this year, averaging about 35 points a game. Can you explain their offensive style? Tendencies?



CC) Spread offense that utilizes the short passing game and runs at a quick tempo. They have an outstanding QB, three legit NFL prospects at WR and an athletic offensive line that can block in space.



BCD) CMU seems to have a VERY Senior laden team this year, although giving great support this year, how do you feel they will be able to restock next year?



CC) CMU is in fact a VERY young team. There are only 13 seniors on the entire team, but a majority of them start so the appearance is made that CMU needs to replace a ton. CMU is actually one of the youngest teams in the nation.



Offensively, only LeFevour and OG Allen Ollenburger as seniors and on defense they must replace 6 starters. With Butch Jones being there for a few years now, CMU has been able to recruit and establish depth, which in-turn allows them to redshirt players that would normally play. That said, you just don't replace players like LeFevour and Bryan Anderson, so there will be some rebuilding.



BCD) Dan LeFevour seems to be having a disgustingly great year, AGAIN. He currently has a 153 passing rating , and 16 TDs. What do you feel is his recipe for success?



CC) He has a great feel for the offense in his fourth year as a starter and has a lot of talent around him to work with. As a QB, he has such great poise in the pocket and is able to keep plays alive with his legs. And, teams have to factor in his ability to run. Overall, he's just a tremendous QB and will go down as one of the best players in MAC history.



BCD) What other past or present QB would you compare him to?



CC) I've always compared him to former Alcorn St. Tennessee Titan great Steve Mcnair. Big build, nice arm and the ability to pick yards up on the ground. Steve Young is another nice comparison, but I think LeFevour and Young have different running styles.



BCD) Boston College , seems to be a run first/ pass second type of offense. Which when they run, they seem to be very successful, I.E. NC State, and when they cant establish a run, they don’t. CMU has given up over 100 yards 4 times, and over 200 twice. How do you think they fare this week against the run?



CC) Somewhat of a misleading stat outside of the Buffalo game, where CMU had trouble plugging gaps. CMU has actually been very stout against the run and their last two MAC opponents (Western Michigan and Bowling Green) basically abandoned the run game. Michigan State was basically shut down and Arizona had trouble running despite the stats. Overall, CMU has the second best run defense in the MAC, allowing only an average of 113 yards per game, and have only allowed 6 rushing TD's on the ground.



BCD) Who is LeFevour’s go to man? Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson seem to have split the yards so far, but who would you think his choice receiver would be?



CC) Simply depends on the game. CMU has three very talented WR's in Anderson, Brown and Kito Poblah. As a defense, it's a pick your poison thing, key on one guy, and another will be open.


LeFevour probably doesn't have a go-to WR, he just goes game by game on who is getting open.




BCD)LaFevour is currently the leading rusher for CMU, with 522, with 9 rushing TDs, can you kind of explain how / when LaFevour is used , or how he racks up all these yards/ TDs?



CC) Well, he's 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, and he's the best short yardage back CMU has right now. CMU run's a lot of designed runs in much the same way Florida does with Tim Tebow, and LeFevour also has the ability to break the pocket when nothing is open down field. His running ability opens up lanes for the other RB's as well as Antonio Brown on his designed runs, so it's a type of rushing offense system that CMU uses to force defenses to defend multiple threats.



BCD) Who is Central Michigan’s biggest rival? The team that they really get up for?



CC) Without a doubt, Western Michigan. It's one of the most hated rivalries in the Midwest and has been featured on ESPN 2 of the last 3 years.



BCD) When BC played CMU a number of years back in ‘06, it was the Eagles defense that knocked then-starter Duane Brooks out of the game, clearing the path for true freshman Dan LeFevour to rally the troops and start his remarkable career at Central Michigan.



CC) It was actually Brian Brunner that was the starter who was knocked out, and a very talented QB himself who threw for over 500 yards replacing the injured LeFevour last year against Indiana. Duane Brooks was a speedy change of pace guy that was switched to WR before he transferred.



BCD) How much credit does BC deserve for his success, and is it too much to ask Dan to throw a couple interceptions our way as a sign of thanks for giving him the opportunity to play early?



CC) Surviving that game with a win should be thanks enough. For a backup QB to come in and almost beat a damn good Boston College team in his first game action, speaks volumes about the type of player that LeFevour started out as. CMU should ask for a few Dave Shinskie INT's for helping Matt Ryan start his impressive career as well haha.




BCD) On the road this season, BC has struggled going 0-3.


However, the Eagles have been markedly better at home going 5-0 and have the stats to prove it. The “experts” have BC as a three point favorite at Chestnut Hill. How much of a difference do you think it is going to make for your Chips playing at Alumni Stadium instead of Mount Pleasant?



CC) Nothing this team isn't used to, that's the experience factor you get with players like LeFevour, Anderson, Brown, Bellore etc. who have been starters for years. They have played at Clemson, Kansas, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, Purdue etc. Home fields are always an advantage, but CMU has played in those type of environments before and are battle tested.



BCD) BC tends to play a “bend but don’t break” defense between the 20’s, then gets much more aggressive once you enter the Red Zone. To have success against BC on offense you either need to A) Blow the D-line off the ball, B) Protect for a good long while to let the deep routes develop, or C) take the super-short passes (3-5 yards) and take what the defense gives ya. What do you think the Chips will do if they’re having success against BC, if you had to pick just one?



CC) CMU has the #2 ranked red zone offense in the MAC and has cashed in in the redzone 33-36 times, with 28 of those 33 being touchdowns. I think what CMU does in the redzone will be dictated by what BC does defensively. If they blitz, CMU won't have time to sit back in the pocket and will have to utilize the short passing game. If BC sits back, CMU can wait for longer routes.



BCD) What is the perception of BC as both a football team and a school by Central Michigan fans and alums? Most BC folks realized that CMU was an up and comer a few years back when we first saw DLF, so trust me—BC fans (and we hope players) are not taking this contest likely despite CMU not being an a BCS-Auto bid conference.



CC) CMU perspective of BC is a very talented football squad that has overcome some coaching issues and talent discrepancies to become quite possibly, the best ACC team over the last 5-10 years. Recruiting wise, BC doesn't recruit well based on the "star system", but they have developed players with great success and have put plenty of talent in the NFL. They win big games and have become the standard for success in the ACC with little fanfare. Great football program and easily one of the most underrated in the country.



BCD) What teams from the ACC do you believe CMU would beat on a neutral field if they played 9 times? Meaning, we all know any team can beat any other team any given Saturday, but who does CMU match up with the best and would consistently beat from the ACC at a rate of .501 or greater?



CC) Tough question and one that is really hard to judge. On a neutral field, I think CMU could hang with anyone in the ACC, but obviously Va. Tech, Georgia Tech and Clemson present some match-up problems, especially with their defensive line speed.

Arizona gave CMU a lot of trouble with just that, but I also think CMU's poison has been good opponenet QB play. Outside of Jacory Harris, the ACC lacks some talent at QB IMO.Going to cop-out of this answer and just say we will have a lot better of an idea after Saturday.


Tyler, thank you for the time, and the insight. Please visit Tyler for other Chippewa information at Chippewacountry.com

Please stay tuned for our responses to his questions regarding the Boston College Eagles!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

10/28 Draft: Zoltar predicts the future



There are only a handful of games left in the season, and only three remaining ACC tilts. With so few games remaining, it's hard to believe the range of possibilities out there that exist for our 2009-2010 BC Football Team. We'll see if we can give you our best glimpse into the future by drafting what we believe to be the most likely outcome to the season.

We did this exercise a couple weeks back on Eagle Action, but unfortunately I can't look up the original post but kudos to the orginator. You know who you are...unless you were binge drinking at the time and have since blacked out...in which case this is our idea and we don't know what you're talking about.

------------------------------------------------

1M) 9-3 regular season, 10-4 final record

While I have a LOT of respect for CMU and DLF, I really like our Eagles at home. I think they're angry and looking for something to prove. The Chips are coming in confident, but I think we hold up and win.


BC's remaining ACC slate of @ UVA, vs. UNC, and @ Maryland is arguably the weakest schedule of any other ACC team (yes, including GT's vs. Wake and @ Duke) and I believe we'll be favored in all of those remaining contests. I think BC goes 9-3, making it to the 'ship...but coming up short for the third consecutive year to a more talented Coastal division champ. We go to win a lower tier bowl as VT, GT, Miami, and Clemson all get selected to better bowl games.


2W) 8-4, loss to UVA, 9-4 final record


Something about Virginia, @ Virginia, I do not like. I really cannot put my finger on it . But maybe it's the save Al Groh's tail party? My first prediction is that we play well, Clemson has a loss, and we botch the Virginia game pushing us out of the ACC CG.
Putting us in the EagleBank Bowl against Southern Miss, and Winning.



3M) 9-3, no AC3G, 9-4 final record

BC does not control their own destiny....Clemson is the
team in our division that does, as they hold the ever so painful tie-breaker of head-to-head performance. I think that in a similar replay of the 2004 season, BC gets into a tie-breaker and loses the right to advance to the AC3G.

If this happens, BC will likely be bumped down to a sub-par bowl game after a remarkable season and great run to end '09. Tough to get up for that game. BC drops another bowl game to finish the year 9-4.


4W) 8-4, loss to CMU, 9-4 final record



Central Michigan is a good team, just ask Michigan State. Although Boston College in undefeated at home. BC has some off the field distractions, overlooks a solid CMU team. And gets it handed to them at home on Halloween. Clemson wins out, and BC gets selected for the GMAC bowl in Mobile Alabama against Temple (Temple is 5-2 overall, and 4-0 in Conference, YES THAT TEMPLE) Drawing the lowest crowd ever to a bowl game and causing Mobile to riot.


5M) 9-3, A3CG win, 10-4 final record

BC wins out over the underdog competition remaining
and manages to get in to the AC3G. In a tight battle with Georgia Tech, our LB's contain the Jackets' run and force turnovers. In a moderate upset, our boys take down the ACC Championship after being predicted to finish dead last in the ACC Atlantic. Players collectively yell "fuck you, Andre Ware" and dance off the field.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Orange Bowl plays host to Big East Champ Cincy who is looking to take out their anger on the world after being passed over by a 1-loss SEC team in the MNCG. Brian Kelly reminds the world that he wanted the BC job and BC gets snowed badly in a BCS bowl game.


6W) 7-4, losses to UNC and UMD, 7-5 final record


UNC destroys BC at home, and then BC travels to Maryland to lose a close game, which solidifies that Clemson gets to go to Tampa. The Eagles get invited to The Emerald Nuts Bowl in San Francisco, and get matched up with Oregon, where they lose badly.



7M) 8-4, loss to UNC, 9-4 final record

Of all of the teams remaining on BC's schedule, UNC easily scares me the most. Sure, sure, you look at their record in the ACC to date of 0-3 and you're thinking...hey, at Chestnut Hill, we got these guys...right?

Wrong. UNC is just one of those teams we match up very poorly with. While TJ Yates has struggled since entering ACC play, it's not as if he's incapable. Heck, I saw him pick apart our team in person (yet another example of the BCMike attendance curse), so it's not like he has not done it before. As I said before I like our chances in every remaining game, but the UNC will be the one I'm most worried about.

We drop one to UNC, which forces the tie-breaker to come into play with Clemson. CU goes to the AC3G and we're relegated to a mid-level bowl game where we blast our opponent and finish the season ranked.


8W) 5-7, BC loses out


Dang , I hate even thinking this, but its not out of the realm of possibilities yet, so I will choose it . BC loses the rest of thier games and becomes non bowl elgible for the first time in a long time and the Eagles are stuck at home for the holidays. Although the excuses are plentiful, and the pundits called it, the Eagles are still very unhappy with the results.


9M) 9-3, 11-3 final record

That's right. I'm saying it.


Listen, BC is going to be favored in every remaining contest. What's happened when BC's been favored this year? We're undefeated. I know we won't be underdogs vs. UVA of UMD, and if a team that is ranked 26th in the polls is a 5 point dog (it moved) vs. our boys, it's safe to say that the betting public expects us to win these games.

So do I.

The next step is winning the AC3G. Luckily enough for BC, VT isn't going to make it unless a whole heck of a lot of things happen in the Hokies favor, none of which are particularly likely. If GT DOES happen to drop another game (believe it or not, @ Duke isn't a push-over any longer), Miami could go if they win out as they hold the head to head over GT. Either way, I like our chances better against the Jackets and 'Canes (in that order) than I do vs. the Hokies.

I say BC finds a way to get it done and advances to the Orange Bowl.
When that happens, fortune favors the Eagles as through a series of Championship games, teams who are ranked higher lose and Cincinnati, not being forced to play in such a contest, moves up and squeaks into the MNCG. When this happens, it creates a void in the Orange Bowl and the committee is forced to select the near-top-ten Pitt Panthers. The other possibility is that the OB selects Notre Dame...but I'll pretend like that possibility isn't there for the time being as it gets me too giddy. I digress....

Pitt is a team I believe BC matches up well with. While their 7-1 record looks impressive now, wins are against...get this: Youngstown State, Buffalo, Navy, UCan't, L'Ville, UNJ, and USF. USF is a good win. The rest are garbage. This team lost to NC State.
BC plays in it's first BCS game and ironically enough gets the W over a former BigEast foe.


10W) 8-4 Loses to Maryland, 9-4 Final Record
The team rebounds off a bad loss to Notre Dame and plays thier heart out up until the away game at Maryland, where they just appear to run out of steam. This isn't good because Clemson has suffered another loss, and BC truly controls its own destiny. Hearts a' Broken the Eagles head down to the Meineke Bowl and play a tough Pitt Team and come away with a good win!


RECAP:

BCMike drafted: 10-4, 9-4
w/AC3G L, 10-4 w/AC3G W, 9-4, 11-3 BCS win
Wesley drafted: 8-4 UVA, 8-4 CMU, 7-5 MD/UNC, Lose out, 8-4 MD



10-28 Draft: Zoltar predicts the future
BCMike: 10-4, 9-4 w-AC3G L, 10-4 w-AC3G W, 9-4, 11-3 BCS WIN
Wesley: 8-4 UVA, 8-4 CMU, 7-5 MD-UNC, Lose out, 8-4 MD
pollcode.com free polls


10/27 Draft: List of Excuses



It's hard to see someone fail...especially if that person is yourself. We failed you yesterday by not posting a new article during the weekday for the first time in a little over 10 weeks.

We at BCDraft enjoy figuring out the cause and and figuring out how to fix things when they go wrong...so without further ado....


1W) I have a normal job
Last time I checked, I don't get paid to blog, If ANYTHING , it costs me to contribute.
so when 8-5 are into full swing, or I have to work late, the real work wins. not the blog work. Sucks for you.



2M) This is the reader's fault

That's right, I'm looking at you. Sure, PJ helped us out with the sign article idea and Kyle was the brain child behind the Best Plays one, but the rest of you? Slackers! SLACKERS I tell you! You know what your father was, McFly? He was a SLACKER, too.


3W) I really just get tired of talking to Mike

Yeah , hes a nice guy, knows about BC, blah blah blah.

But I get tired of talking to him , EVERY SINGLE DAY.. Its basically like a dysfunctional marriage. where you run out of things to say, or you already know what the other one will say. so you both just don't even aknowledge each other, or throw a unfriendly 'sup thier way.


4M) We were busy securing a special guest

We landed an interview with a very special
former BC hoopster to help us preview the basketball season. Details to follow, but you can assume it's someone who has played for the Eagles very recently. See? We actually were still working on the blog...even though we didn't work on the blog. *sigh*

This former player has graciously agreed to join us to talk about the 2009-2010 season and reflect back on his BC career. We'll do our best to complete this interview and bring it to you shortly.



5W) I just wanted to see if we could do it.


We had been close before.. but somehow put something together to post and had it up in a somewhat reasonable time. But for some reason I just wanted to see if we could follow through on our epic fail of just not posting anything. We Succeeded, or we fail, the translation is up to you, our viewers.

6M) Notre Dame Hangover


In a weird way, this loss was different. It wasn't
nearly as soul-crushing as the VT and Clemson losses (also probably because I wasn't there, which aided in both A) my access to beer, and B) not being stuck next to fans of the opposing team when you're getting your ass handed to you....which both managed to temper my post-loss angst), but there's an angry fire that came after those losses.

Come Sunday after the VT and Clemson losses, I still wasn't able to write for the blog as I just needed a day away and one to vent. I can't speak for Wesley, but it's not easy for me (and nor do I generally want to) to talk about BC sports with any sort of straight head after a big loss. Yeah, I know I care too much. It's in the header as a disclaimer.

My point being that after the ND loss, you just kind of knew that the better team (that day) won. They deserved to win. Heck, we turned the ball over FIVE TIMES and were still in the running to win the game. We started a true freshman vs. a *cough* *cough* "Heisman" candidate. After all of the close battles we've had with ND where BC squeaked out the win, they absolutely deserved this win. Don't get me wrong, it would have been nice to win and I truthfully despise Notre Dame Football and ~85% of ND fans out there....but there really wasn't the same fire after this ND loss. They deserved to win and did. It was OOC loss for BC, so aside from bragging rights it really didn't mean THAT much in a negative way. The still attainable team goals are unchanged and we look ahead (and hopefully not past CMU). So the fire that was there for the Clemson post-game and VT post-game articles wasn't there...at least for me it wasn't.


7W) Rocky Time


I have a dog, Rocky. I know 99% of you don't care.. But I am telling you anyways.

It was pouring rain out, and Rocky was outside, and he doesn't always understand that he needs to be in the Dog house. (The real kind, not the Mike Ditka kind) So instead of writing some GREAT thoughts for the BCDraft article on Tuesday, I decided to go take care of my responsibilities. NOW DONT YOU ALL FEEL HORRIBLE!!!!

8M) Josh Haden and Justin Tuggle stole the Thunder


That, and frankly we were both just busy and
when we started to get going on the article (that was supposed to be published yesterday, but that we'll throw up as new matieral), we were--much as most of BC Nation was--side tracked for most of the day trying to figure out from Eagle in Atlanta, BCI, Rivals, Eagle Outsider...ANYONE...what in the world was going on. Unlike a lot of the other great BC sites out there, we're not a...as Brian would say...."news synthesizer". We don't really cover the live breaking stuff...we just got sucked into the vortex like the rest of you.

9W) So we could write this article today.


Mike is sooo good at Marketing, that he could make you think that this was part of the plan.. Well was it ? We really just wanted to let you know that our objective is to get out an article every day , well Mon-Fri. And what better way to explain that , than to skip a day, and explain how it should work.. Mike, he is a marketing genius I tell you!


10M) It's not that we run out of ideas, we run out of GOOD ideas

Listen, we have VERY high expectations of
ourselves and this blog.
BWAHAHAHAHHHHAAHA...okay, okay.....just kidding. *Wipes away tear*

But seriously, there ARE topics that we throw out. In fact, we have a "hopper" of sorts where we throw our ideas to be picked up (or die I suppose), and sometimes that well runs a little dry of subjects we would A) Enjoy writing about, and B) Think you might enjoy. So, if you think our posts are lame, just think of the ones that didn't make the cut. Some of them aren't pretty. Go ahead, tell me how much you would have enjoyed "draft your favorite Hasselbeck" piece. And no, Elizabeth doesn't count.

We (okay, I) need to enjoy what we're writing about to churn out anything of decent quality. Fine, what passes for decent quality for government work. Point is, when we didn't really have something that, it's tough to squeeze the creative juices out of a fruit that just isn't there. The good news is that we've come back with a storm of good ones in the hopper now (today's post withstanding), so I think you'll like what's coming down the pike.


RECAP:

Wesley Drafted: Real Job, Tired of Mike, Just to see, Rocky , Article today.
BCMike drafted: It's all your fault, future guest secured, ND hangover, Haden-Tuggle transfer news, lack of GOOD ideas



10-27 Draft: List of Excuses
Wesley drafted: Job, Tired of Mike, Just to see, Rocky, Article Today
BCMike drafted: It's all your fault, future guest secured, ND hangover, Haden-Tuggle transfer news,
pollcode.com free polls


Monday, October 26, 2009

10/26 Draft: Wah-Wah vs. Rah-Rah ND Game

Sadly, the streak ended this past Saturday when Notre Dame beat Boston College for the first time in the last seven tries. It was a great streak, and one we all very much enjoyed, but all good things do come to an end eventually.

Unlike the losses to Clemson and VT, there were a good amount of "good" plays to go along with our typical kvetching after a loss.

With that in mind, this week we bring you a Wah-Wah (glass half empty, likes to complain a lot) vs. Rah-Rah (glass half full, views the world through Maroon and Gold glasses) recap of the Notre Dame game.

Now, Wesley and I are admittedly both "Rah-Rah" guys, if you must force us into one of these categories. For the sake of the piece, I'll be donning the Negative Nancy hat and be taking the Wah-Wah position today.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1M) Five turnovers and no take-aways makes Jack a dull boy

I don't have access to Jeff Sagarin's computer, but if I did I'm pretty sure the stats on this would be pretty damning. Not just having a negative five delta in the turnover department, but specifically not getting even ONE on your side. I'm willing to bet that the percentage of teams that win games after going 0-5 in the turnover battle is around 2-3%.

Now, Notre Dame doesn't have a phenomenal team this year, but certainly they're good enough to win if you give them the ball five teams and never force one turnover yourself.

Particularly painful was Montel Harris' fumbles, the last of which was on the ND goal line and arguably cost the Eagles the game.


2W) Rich Gunnell


179 yards and a TD. Showed why he is the captain of the team.. Really liked his performance, and like him up in Clausen’s face at the end.. seriously, I woulda done the same thing


3M) Harris Heisman? Hardly.

Coming off of the best single game performance in the Boston College history, Montel Harris and the BC running game took this game off.

Montel rushed for 51 total yards, but it wasn't like he didn't have chances. He carried the rock 22 times for a 1.7 yard average. That's really pretty awful. I understand that the O-Line has a lot to do with this, as does the ND scheme; but at the end of the day a team that ran for nearly 300 yards last week and a rusher who personally put up 264 yards and 5 TD's the game before needs to provide more than 51 yards on the ground.


4W)
Shinskie

Yes I am aware he threw some interceptions, but I really liked his poise as well, he had some great deep passes, even though he threw some picks, we were going to either win/ lose it on Shinskies arm, we couldn’t establish a run, so it was pass only, and ND knew that.
So Shinskie did well in my eyes, just wasn’t quite good enough.



5M) Shinskie's costly turnovers

While Shinskie made a couple of nice throws, a few of which were in the "what was he thinking throwing the ball into triple coverage???" variety, he also had some real bone-headed mistakes.

Despite how poorly the team had rushed the ball, the Eagles still had a chance to win this game late. BC had the ball on the 27 with just under two minutes to go. Plenty of time.

On second down, Shinskie rolls out and while under pressure, throws the ball five yards downfield directly into a linebacker's hands. He couldn't have hit him any better if he handed it to him. With that fifth and final turnover, BC lost the game and the streak.

Three picks on the day.


6W)
Ryan Quigley

I have to give him the Player of the Game award, although not overly flashy, he forced Notre Dame to work with a long field ahead of them. With a couple that even landed inside the 10, and having a deep 56 yard long kick out of his own end zone. Twigley really helped us stay in the game..


7M) The dreaded 7-10 yard cushion

Bend but don't break, I get it. However when you have a QB who can hit those short passes 90% of the time, he's going to hurt you. Golden Tate abused BC for over a hundred yards as he was given the ball repeatedly by Claussen, with the DB's not really having much of a chance to stop the play from happening.

This allowed ND to have several long drives and eat up the clock. BC would have had a much better chance at forcing a turnover if they were within five yards of the receivers, let alone ten.


8W)
O line U

O-line U showed great promise, especially on Pass Blocking, I don’t believe that they allowed a single sack on Shinskie, which is exactly what was needed.


9M) 0-3 on the road

While this game was obviously much closer than the beat downs BC was given at Death Valley and Lane Stadium, a loss is a loss, and this team is now winless on the road heading into November.

Sadly, even GDF can't schedule ALL of our games at home...and we're going to need to win a good couple more of them if we can to try to compete for the right to go to Tampa (which also isn't a home game, btw).

10W)
Gause wearing number 6

Also, we had a good, consistent KO return game, something that I feel we haven't had all season. After seeing Legrande on the depth Chart, I was questioning who would actually back there, and in the back of my mind I was expecting #6, that just happened to be the other one, and it worked out well.


RECAP:

BCMike drafted: 5 turnovers 0 takeaways, No run game, Shinskie's TO's, dreaded cushion, Road Woes
Wesley drafted: Richie Gunns, Shinskie, Quigley, O-Line U's pass-blocking, Gause wearing 6

10-26 Draft: Wah-Wah vs. Rah-Rah on ND game
BCMike - 5 turnovers 0 takeaways, No run game, Shinskie's TO's, dreaded cushion, Road Woes
Wesley - Richie Gunns, Shinskie, Quigley, O-Line U's pass-blocking, Gause wearing 6
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Friday, October 23, 2009

10/23 Draft: Favorite Domer Homer lines

It's tough to be arrogant when someone kicks your ass six times in a row, and seven of the last eight--but Domer Homers somehow manage it.



Throughout the current streak, BC fans have enjoyed sticking it to the Fake Irish in a good 'ol ribbing. Below are our favorite things to bring up in conversation with ND fans.

Have a good one we forgot? Leave it in the comments section below!

Wesley, lead us off....

1W) Notre Lame


I mean what else can you say.. yes I know.. you were good once upon a time..
but now you are just lame.




2M) “I hope you win this year, so we can make this a rivalry game again"

This move is best done with a handshake and a smile,
making sure to play up the fact that you really want them to win this year so we can keep it competitive. Elaborate on how much you have enjoyed playing them and talk about how sad you are the the series has been so one-sided in recent years.







3W) Notre Dame, the bermuda triangle of NCAAF, where all the good recruits go to be forgotten.


I have never in my life seen a place get soo many great recruits, and not do
anything with them. I'll give the French credit for thier recruiting ability, they
get some great guys outta HS, it just seems that nothing happens from there





4M) “Oh, man…I always feels so OLD when we play Notre Dame…because I’m so old that I actually remember back when Notre Dame was relevant"

I'm not sure why, but this is one of those lines that just gets under people's skin. I use it on my Yankees friends and it has a similar effect....just about any team that used to be a very good club and had glory days of the past but hasn't done jack lately is prime candidate for this remark.

Feel free to follow up with "No, seriously, back in the day, these guys were really good. It's hard to believe now, I know...but they used to really mean something.”




5W) Join a conference!
Seriously, this is getting old.. JOIN A CONFERENCE.. that would be awesome..
I really want someone to break out the reason, other than to do whatever the heck
they want to do, for not joining a conference. Big 10, Big EAST, I dont care.
If you want to phathom yourself relevant somehow, then phathom yourself in a conference!



6M) Charlie Weis ate my family

I actually took this picture last time I was in South Bend
for the ND/BC game. Simple, straightforward, and funny. Even the Domers will get a rise out of this one. Well done, sir.








7W) Overrated.
Well they are! Every year. Every pre season poll, every time they are on the TV
EVERY FREAKING SATURDAY.. Thier Bowl Tie in, ALL OF IT!!! OVER - RATED!!!



8M) The Real Irish are in Boston. I’m pretty sure my ancestor’s boat didn’t dock in Indiana.

This is one of the reasons I started calling them the "Fake Irish" a couple years ago. Now, I understand that not everyone at BC is Irish, nor should they be--it would get awfully boring.

But my point is this...they're named "The Fighting Irish". They're in South Bend, Indiana. For those who have been, you know it's in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilization, and damn sure hundreds of miles from the closest coast. New York, Boston, Philly...all have tons of Irish folks because--get this--THAT'S WHERE THE COAST IS.

Boats don't land in Indiana. BC is the REAL Irish team.






9W) Sign

Good luck to Coach Weis on his fifth year of his internship
And some things you just cant beat ... way to put it bluntly Linebacker Alumni, We salute you!







10M) It’s a shame you guys are too chicken shit to continue the series. I’m sure UCan’t will provide you with a W instead of the L you’re accustomed to.

Okay, this is just me venting more than anything else. A couple years ago, most ND folks would have downplayed the BC/ND rivalry. It's one of many they might say.

But then BC had the great hoops run back in 2005 when they had won 20 some in a row and of all teams, ND beats us. Our hockey team has a much more storied past and the national championships to show for it...but their hockey teams have given us fits (they've only been back to D1 for 15 years or so, much to their credit).

The point is this: It's a good rivalry. Both schools enjoy it and as the only two D1A Catholic football programs, we SHOULD be playing every year...and it makes me sad that it will all end next season because the Fake Irish backed out.




Recap:

Wesley - Notre Lame, Bermuda Triangle, Conference, Over-rated, Sign
BCMike - Rivalry?, You were good-I'm old, Weis ate, Irish, Chicken



10-23 Draft: Favorite Domer Homer lines
Wesley - Notre Lame, Bermuda Triangle, Conference, Over-rated, Sign
BCMike - Rivalry?, You were good-I'm old, Weis ate, Irish, Chicken
pollcode.com free polls


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

10/22 Draft: Keys to the Game vs. ND w/BCI's Brian

As we head in to South Bend this week, we thought we would enlist the help of some of BC's best and brightest. Since that's clearly not us, we put up a white flag and waited for help...who came?

None other than the Big-Time Blogger Brian, from BCI.

I also get ten points for alliteration.



For more on BCI, make sure to click their NEW logo above. I liked their old logo better...(I designed that one!).

The shortened keys to the game are below, but for the FULL podcast, including tossing pot shots at Claussen, LNH, and more...you'll have to suffer through the podcast below.








Keys to the Game vs. Notre Dame

BC Interruption1) Pressure Jimmy Clausen - Keeping Clausen uncomfortable, and not able to make the easy passes, and having constant pressure on him.


BC Draft2) Swarm Golden Tate - Known as Clausen's favorite target, BC will need to force Jimmy to look elsewhere for help downfield


BCI3) Montel Maintainin' - After Montel's great game against NCST, if he can keep up the momentum against a Notre Dame Defense , that isn't really known for its Run stop.


BCD4) Give Shinskie Time - Giving Shinskie time in the pocket. Shinskie makes a lot better decisions when he has time , and can find the open reciever


BCI5) Not having injuries - come out of the game unscathed, because there are still a lot of important games on the line, to get BC to Tampa.


BCD6) Shaking the Road Jitters - BC hasn't been on fire on the road, now is the time to shake that , and prove that they are not just a home team


BCI7) Sid Deep Kicks - Challenge Sid to get some deep FGs


BCD8) Get up early, take the ND crowd out of it - ND fans will be up and ready for this game, take them out of the game with a quick score


BCI9) Win Turnover Battle - BC has had success when winning the turnover battle this year. If they can win this battle vs. The Fraudulent French, it will be key.

BCD10) Light up Rudolf the red-nosed TE - Kyle Rudolph is playing well at TE, and has proven to be Clausen's check down man.




10-22 Draft: Keys to the Game vs. ND w-BCI's Brian
BCI- Pressure Clausen, Montel, no injuries, Deep kicks, Turnover battle
BCD- Swarm Tate, Shinskie time, Road Jitters, ND crowd, TE coverage
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Mid-Season Report II: Stickers and Brownies

Well we've broken out the ruler and smacked a couple knuckles. Now that we've gone over the areas of improvement, it's time to look at what has gone right this season thus far, and were some kudos deserve to be dispensed.

Since Wesley started us off yesterday, I'll take first jab today.


1M) The emerging star that is Killer Kuechly

If you're read this blog before, this probably shouldn't be a big surprise. At the end of last season, we collectively thought that LB was the strong part of the team. Then Herzy was diagnosed, Mac ripped a tendon, and all hell broke loose.

Starting along side other equally green LB's such as Clancy, Williams, LeGrande, Morrissey, and DiSanzo; Kuechly clearly stood out from day one. At this point in the season Luke has nearly double the number of tackles as anyone else on BC defense and has raised the expectations and hope for the future.

In what was a very bleak off-season, we've been rewarded for our patience and loyalty with Herzy beating cancer, Mac coming back, Luke emerging, and oh....a 5-2 record thus far. Not too shabby.



2W)
Shinskie @ QB

I do feel like Shinskie gives us the best opp to survive , as he is the best game manager of the QBs.. MM seems to be coming along.. but right now Shinskie is our man




3M) Giles, Rossi, Scafe plugging the middle


Much was made of the enormous space that was being vacated by BJ Raji and Ron Brace as they entered the NFL this spring, but BC has really been fortunate to have had so much luck with plugging the middle as we have this year.

Much was expected from Scafe, and when healthy, he's very much delivered and been the stalwart at DT we expected him to be. So kudos there, but even more so to Giles and Rossi who have done a phenomenal job in one season stepping in for the big hogs. They're not getting the pass rush I'd like to see just yet, but for the time they've been there, no one can really complain.

My nightmares of people running up the gut on us all day every day have been vanquished....and we have these three fellas to thank for that.


4W)
Wildcat..

not just from what was seen against NCST.. I like the idea of throwing the wildcat wrinkle out there.. but there has to be the threat of a pass as well, or else its not going to last long. But it gets your RB into your opponents secondary, quickly!



5M) Colin Larmond's emergence


If I'm going to be honest, I underestimated the kid. There were rumors in the off-season that "someone" was going to transfer to Pitt, and it was heavily believed that Larmond was the target of the Pitt staff. I had thought at the time "whatever, no big loss, we have a ton of young depth at WR".

Well, I was wrong.

Larmond is special.

He's only a sophomore now, but he's shown flashes of brilliance. He has better physical tools than anyone of recent play, but is still learning how to use his body to make the catch. He doesn't yet have Richie Gunns' route-running or leadership, nor B-Rob's big-play knack, but I think those will come with time. It's going to be enjoyable watching him the rest of this season, let alone 2010 and 2011.


6W)
Openness to Media

This is small, And I am partial. But in the past BC hasn't been near as open with the media.. Spaz seems to be an open book with the media.

Yes this can bite you at times.. but overall your fans love it, they are dying for any information about the team, its progression, and getting to know the team/coaches / players more intimately. I thoroughly hope this continues



7M) Clearly having two stud soph, and one stud frosh RB


Montel earned the starting nod this past year, and clearly he's done his job to cement his position. However, I have enjoyed how the staff has also given Haden and Deuce touches, as they both show the ability to do great things as well. Not having to worry about RB's for the next three years at a minimum is a luxury not many teams have. I feel very fortunate.


8W) Big Mac Comeback

I am not sure what it is , but he brings some fire back to the BC defense .
Definitely saw a bit of it against NC State.. And I think it is exactly what BC needs. The younger guys need the leadership, out there at the Mike position, and Mac brings it...


9M) Pantale

As I've stated before, I'm a Lars Anderson fan and really was discouraged when I saw that he had been moved the "h-back" spot by Tranq and they had inserted Pantale as the starting TE as a RSF.

They've still manged to use Lars some (not as much as I would like, as noted yesterday), but Pantale looks exceptionally good as a pass-catching TE as a red shirt frosh. Great hands, good route running, and nice size. If we can get him to block a little better and put on a little more weight we could have a pretty special two TE set with Pantale and Anderson.


10W) Sid Vicious

Yes, I am aware, I am a broken record on Sid, Although I have no man crush whatsoever on the guy, I have to say he has done a stand up job so far. I don’t care if you are playing Pop Warner football, or for the NFL, flawless XP, and FGs is a great feat , I definitely understand that none have been past 40 yards.. But he has been perfect so far.. Cheers to that!


RECAP:

BCMike drafted: Kuechly, Giles-Rossi-Scafe, Larmond, RB's, Pantale
Wesley drafted: Shinskie, Wildcat, Media, Big Mac comeback, Sid Vicious

10-21 Draft: Mid Season Report, Kudos
BCMike - Kuechly, Giles-Rossi-Scafe, Larmond, RB's, Pantale
Wesley - Shinskie, Wildcat, Media, Big Mac comeback, Sid Vicious
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Mid-Season Report: Areas of Improvement


This will be a two part series. Just like any good educator, we're going to go over the uglies first, then give some kudos afterward. So today is about where we have failed to achieve our goals, lacking, needing Improvement, etc.

Wesley will start us off today.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1W) Return Game

I have seen 75 people return the ball, and have yet to see a GREAT return, I am not sure what exactly is going on here.

But it is VERY important to have a great return, every time. As I have stated before it is very helpful especially for a your Frosh QB to start at the 30 vs 20, or 40 vs 30, as it opens up the playbook considerably.. I guess I was spoiled by the Jeff Smith returns of past.. But I would like to have a good reliable decent return…



2M) The road woes need to stop

I hear you on the kickoff returns, Wesley. BC currently ranks 84th in D1A. Not good.

For my first pick, I'm going with the road woes. Listen, I don't know if Uncle Dave is buying the kids beer and they're up until 5am playing quarters or what--but the road trips this year have resulted in disastrous, painful, soul-crushing losses...especially for those of us who made the trip(s).

To be fair, VT really is a very, VERY good team and I think we might have had our hands full if we had played it inside Conte Forum let alone Alumni Stadium...but the fact remains that BOTH times our offense has appeared anemic at best and inept at worst; with the blame falling everywhere from the QB to the OC and everyone in between.

I wish I knew what was wrong, because I'd love to give specific direction on how to change it. Spaz and Co. will have a chance to cure the away blues this weekend at South Bend. Let's hope they find a way to cure what's been ailing us.


3W) Throw Haden the dang ball

Haden runs a great wheel route, I would actually say he could probably be more dangerous on short dump passes than he is as a RB, and I think he is a pretty good RB.. Heck he would even be great as a Wes Welker type slot.. But I have been really disappointed to see him not catch but a handful of passes so far this season.



4M) QB: Pick your guy and let's go

I'm a big believer in the adage "if you have two quarterbacks you have none". Well, we had four at one point, so that left us...what, in a black hole? It certainly felt like it.

One of the toughest parts about being a head coach (I would imagine, seeing how GDF never offered me the contract I was *SURE* was coming my way) is that you get the blame when things go wrong, and they're often, if not always, based on the decisions you had to make. That's what you're paid to do...make tough decisions...and recruit...and develop players...and do the rubber chicken circuit...but most of all, seriously--often, many times a day; you have draw a line in the sand. You have to take a stand. You have to pick one QB and move on with it.

At this point, it looks like Uncle Dave is our quarterback. But is anyone really sure? Marsco came in and looked decent against the 2nd stringers in Blacksburg. Tuggle loyalists are still waiting for Justin to get back on the field. Others just think we're biding our time until Rettig or Bordner comes in next year.

I believe the offense needs consistency at QB, I really do. The O-Line needs to get comfy with what he does. You need to build rapport with your receivers, and the QB, certainly the case with our club, needs the time behind center out on the field to mature and learn the game at the D1A level.

So we failed this early on, but now that we look to have picked Shinskie as our man, let's stick with him and see how much better we can get.



5W) TE's do more than block

When your opponent throws 8-9 in the box, you know what works GREAT? Throwing it just past the box.. haha..

Wow.. I know you didn’t see that one coming.. but really , we have some great TE, I am extra partial to Pantale/ Anderson.. But all of our TEs are great atheletes, and I feel underused in our throwing game… they should be a young QBs BFF.



6M) The strength of the defense was supposed to be our secondary

Wesley, I'm not looking up the stats but it seemed like we were using the TE's a lot more earlier in the year. I haven't seen as much out of Anderson, McMichael, and Pantale as I would like to. I hope the staff starts finding ways to use them more, too.

I still believe we have more talent back there in our secondary than we have in years past, possibly recent memory....but the numbers just don't show that. Here are the passing yards that BC has given up the past four games: 354, 341, 206, 315. The 206 was vs. VT where they were content just to run the ball down our throats most of the game. Even with the respectable 206 vs. VT, that's an average of over 300 yards/game through the air. That's just not good.

What about INT's? Hasn't BC has been in the top five the past three years? Currently we rank t43rd....and teams have been passing MORE on us than they have in years prior. The guys in the secondary need to step it up and start picking more balls off and making more plays.

Don't get me wrong, I understand our pass rush isn't exactly the same in years past and one affects the other, etc., but I still expect more out of such a talented group.



7W) Blitz more

When QBs are throwing for over 300 yards on you.. and you have essentially the same secondary , you know what you are missing, and that is the guys in the middle putting pressure on the QB.. I really feel like we have to find a way to pressure a QB, especially coming up with Notre Dame and Central Michigan, both of which have GREAT QBs… and that’s not just by my standards.. both without a doubt have a future in the NFL.. If they have 10 seconds to throw the ball on every down, we are going to help them put together a draft tape.



8M) Lack of pressure on the QB (front four)


I agree with you on the blitzing, Wesley. We have to force the QB's to make some quick decisions. Most of the guys we have played so far (and will play, if we include The Emu and Disco Dan LeFevour) are smart enough to pick us apart if we give them time, hoping waiting for them to make a mistake. However, I understand we can't Tenuta our opponents and blitz on every down...

Therefore I think a big area of improvement is getting pressure on the QB with our front four. Ramella had a good game last week vs. NC State, but really hasn't stepped up the way we had hoped in the pass rush game. Albright, as our readers surely know, is a fan favorite and we really like what he does when he's in there and healthy...but that's not often enough at this point. Giles has filled in admirably stopping up the middle, but never seems to generate a push. Scafe seems to be immovable backwards...but we also haven't seen a Raji-like or even Brace-like push to collapse the pocket in memory. We've also sparingly seen Holloway and Ramsey, who have both gotten a couple of sacks but overall we need to see them more.

I think as a unit they've done an admirable job filling Ron, BJ's, and Nick's shoes on the RUN, but they really need to step up the pass rush.



9W) Kickoffs

I am not a fan of letting the opponent start at the 40 every time they get the ball.

I at least want to make them fight to get there.. pooch kickoffs and punts aren’t my favorite thing to see.. I understand their purpose, but they make me cringe everytime they happen.. so instead of masking the obvious problem being KO coverage.. I am hoping that we correct it.

I was not a math major but I think that 60 yards to a TD < 80 yards…

So BOOT it!!


10M) No more dropsies

I hear you loud and clear on the kickoffs. I have to say I was very happy with last week's efforts despite a dangerous return man. I think maybe the staff was just spooked by Spiller's punt return and figured the neutered safe approach was the way to go. Seems like they're moving away from that now, or so we hope.

This may be a case of the most recent memory being the strongest, but does it seem like our WR's are dropping more passes than they have in years past? Richie Gunns seemed ready to step up in his senior season, but hasn't been as consistent as I remember him being last year.

Larmond is showing us great promise for the future and looks like he could be a star...but he's dropped numerous balls that are almost all big gainers. He had three last week alone, and the quit on the fly pattern at VT still haunts me. He's still a young guy and learning, but the drops have to stop. In fairness to Larmond specifically, it seems that he's usually making a very athletic play on the ball so his degree of difficulty has been a little tougher than others...but still, just catch the ball, this goes to all of the WR's.


RECAP:

Wesley drafted: Return game, under-utilizing Haden, TE's catching, more blitzing, kickoffs
BCMike drafted: Road woes, QB indecision, secondary, front four pass rush, WR drops


10-20 Draft: Areas of Improvement
Wesley -Return game, under-utilizing Haden, TE's catching, more blitzing, kickoffs
BCMike - Road woes, QB indecision, secondary, front four pass rush, WR drops
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