9/7/11 Draft:: Worst of the Worst vs. Northwestern

Worst of the Worst

It's been a long time since we started out 0-1. It's also been a long time since someone has run over 200 yards up on us on the ground....and It's been awhile since we had put up 375 in the air. While there truly were a good handful of positives, nothing really matters when you lose. Here, Wesley and I examine the worst of the worst from our 2011 season opener.

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1Wesley) The last toss of the game

Not only did we lose some valuable time on the clock, it ended up being our last throw, which I was expecting to have three end zone chances.

ground for minutes after making everyone concerned about the seriousness of the injury, fortunately it was reported that it was nothing serious after the game.

2Mike) O-line U takes a vacation

Rettig scrambled right, and got blindsided sacked, to top that off, he laid on the Worst run blocking I have seen at BC in years. Pass blocking was bad early and got a little better by the end of the game but as a whole this was a day to forget for the starting five.


3W) Missed kicks

Mike I agree, run blocking wasn't near where it should be, I

am still not understanding all of the position changes on the line

(outside of injury) just a week or so prior to game time.

We have gotten spoiled with field goals lately, there is no doubt about that. When Freese missed two in a row, it hurt, badly. I think he is entitled to a bad game, but missing these could have altered the outcome of the game, hopefully Freese is back to his normal self against UCF.


4M) Not punching it in opening drive

The first play was a great play for BC and accounted for more than half of DreW

ill's rushing yards on the day.It was a phenomenal start but Andre got pushed out just two yards short.
Our inability to punch it in on that run / on first down / on second down / on third down gave NU the first real victory of the game as the Wildcat defense forced a FG instead of a TD shoved down their throats on the road the first drive / play of the year.
It as a huge missed opportunity and set the tone for the rest of the game--which wasn't good for BC.

5W) Mobile QB

Mike I have to agree there as well, definitely a momentum breaker, when you start off that strong you have to be able to finish the job. Andre ran high, and tried to beat

the defense with his speed only, he is a very talented back, but needs to be a little

more patient. I am not sure what it is, if we just have a mental block, unable to make adjustments, or what, but a dual threat QB continues to give us fits.
This is a lot of the reason that I was hoping that Persa would play. Id rather have someone that tries to beat us constant in the air than have to worry about them
optioning or running it themselves.

6M) Lack of vertical passing game (until it was too late)

Agreed with the mobile QB hurting us. Colter rushed 23 times on us and ran the

read option going to the back another 15 easy. We just consistently gave up positive yards and that hurt for sure.

Six here I'm saying lack of deep passing. It seemed like when we did actually go downfield, we had a great deal of success even tough several of those were lucky "500!" balls that Momah got.
Regardless, we continue the short passing game / inside rushing game despite facing 10 in the box on press coverage. We needed to go deep early to prove we were capable (link to keys) and we simply didn't do it enough to have them respect the mid to deep passing game.

7W) Poor Tackling

This is one of those things that probably irritates me the most.
Goes hand in hand with O line U, how did what we were known for end up being a weak point? There were several plays where we just had a hard time wrapping up

. I am not sure if this is attributed to youth, people out of position, or just a very mobile team. I expect BC to be able to be a solid tackling team, and I expect to see that soon.

8M) Being unprepared for the hurry-up

It was blatantly clear that our D, specially our D-line was

unprepared for the hurry-up offense that Northwestern ran. We were gassed early and gave up numerous easy four to six yard runs after plays that gained yardage.

I don't know if that falls on the coaches or players for lack of conditioning, but it was embarrassing to see.

9W) Not able to stop the line

Mike I agree, with being unprepared for the hurry up, and it made it even worse that there were no adjustments made.
On number nine I am going with the run d not showing up, another BC staple is stopping the run, they were number 1 in the nation last year in that area.. that¹s correct, number 1!
Meanwhile on Saturday Northwestern was able to put up more than 200 yards on the ground, hence beating Boston College at their own game.


10M) Forcing ALJ to play 10+ yards off the ball

I don't typically complain about the BC D-back cushion, but our staff had to

A) Reevaluate when Colter was the QB and B) when Northwestern through a five yard out for the 15th time to ALJ's side.

I get it that he's a true frosh. I get it that you don't want to get beat deep. However, you're facing a run-first QB that showed early he could not throw downfield early if any pressure was applied.

This non-adjustment allowed NW to drive down the field in the last two minutes of the first half in painfully easy fashion and tie the game up before halftime.


RECAP
Wesley drafted: Last toss, missed kicks, mobile QB, poor tackling, unable to stop the line
BCMike drafted: O-Line U vaca, not punching it in, no vert passing, unprepared 4 hurry up, ALJ cushion

9-7-11 Draft: Worst of the Worst vs. Northwestern
	W: Last toss, missed kicks, mobile QB, poor tackling, unable to stop the line
	M: O-Line U vaca, not punching it in, no vert passing, unprepared 4 hurry up, ALJ cushion
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Week 2 Poll

Let us know what you think....feedback will help us change it for the final submission...

BCDraft Ballot - Week 2

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma Sooners	--
2	LSU Tigers	6
3	Boise St. Broncos	2
4	Stanford Cardinal	-1
5	Alabama Crimson Tide	-1
6	Virginia Tech Hokies	--
7	Wisconsin Badgers	--
8	Florida St. Seminoles	1
9	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
10	South Carolina Gamecocks	3
11	Nebraska Cornhuskers	3
12	Baylor Bears	--
13	Oregon Ducks	-11
14	Central Florida Knights	6
15	Michigan St. Spartans	--
16	Northwestern Wildcats	6
17	Ohio St. Buckeyes	6
18	Iowa Hawkeyes	--
19	Penn St. Nittany Lions	--
20	BYU Cougars	--
21	Mississippi St. Bulldogs	--
22	Arkansas Razorbacks	-1
23	Florida Gators	--
24	West Virginia Mountaineers	-6
25	Maryland Terrapins	--
Dropouts: Auburn Tigers, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas A&M Aggies, Missouri Tigers, Mississippi Rebels, Arizona St. Sun Devils

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

8/2/11 -- Keys to the Game vs. Northwestern

Folks, it's finally here! Game one of the 2011 season vs. the Northwestern Wildcats starts tomorrow at noon. If you're going to be at Alumni Stadium, keep your eyes out for Wesley and I, make sure to stop by and grab a beer with us. We'll be the ones grabbing beers from everyone else.

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1M) Pressure Persa

Yes, we know that Persa is questionable, but if he¹s not and Colter starts; the same goes for him ten-fold.

Our defense is effective at preventing the score and generating turnovers. The Wilcats will likely move the ball with relative ease between the 20¹s, but they'll find it much tougher to do so once near the Red Zone. Our D will do a fine job regardless, but if we can actually PUT PRESSURE on him and force him to be aggressive, our chances at a turnover increase dramatically. If we give him enough time back there, I feel confident that he'll able to eventually find the open man and make us pay. The front four need to generate a pass rush and make the Northwestern QB throw it before he wants to. Back seven just do what you do man.



2W) Cohesive Offensive line for the Eagles

With the recent changes of Center Guard and tackle for the Eagles I am a bit concerned if they have had the opportunity to gel enough to function well as a collective unit, if not this could be an issue as they will be unable to create holes where a run needs to exist or provide the amount of protection that Rettig needs to do a few check-downs. If they do gel, they should be able to push the previously weak D-line by Northwestern around to their liking, and therefore having offensive successes.



3M) Prove to them that Goodnight Gary is gone

Teams were used to loading the box on us first and second downs. We need to come out aggressive and show we're willing to pass on any down and to any distance.

I'm calling for some aggressive pass calls early and often so the D is forced to relax a little and open it up some for Dre Will.



4W) Covering Northwestern's Wide outs

Persa is going to be the one getting all of the hype, but as with most story lines in the world there are definitely two sides.

Persa, or whomever ends up tossing the ball come game-time, has some options to throw to, but most notable is going to be Jeremy Ebert, a senior listed as one of the best in the Big Ten. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch last year, and would like to do it again this year. With our secondary in so much flux they will have their hands full covering Northwestern's talented Receivers.



5M) Kicking butt on kick returns

Good call with the wide-outs, Wesley--there are two sides for sure.

Next up, I'm going with our kick and punt return teams. Did you know that last season BC had one of the worst KR/PR stats in the NATION?

It's true, worst in ACC and 3rd worst in the nation. We need newly appointed returner Bobby Swigert & Co to give Rettig and the offense workable field position.



6W) Kaleb Ramsey ready

With a couple of true freshman on the d line, we really need the anchor at d-tackle, for both leadership and experience.

I believe we have that angry bull rusher rusher Ramsey, the only concern is if he has adequately healed to demonstrate his dominance.



7M) Hampton Hughes hangin'

Hampton Hughes hasn't played a whole lot of of college football yet. He has only been on the defensive ball for a couple weeks since being moved over from the WR group. If you were the o-coordinator for Northwestern...would you go after him? Know I would.

Hampton needs to be up to the task and alert early. If he gets beat early in the game it will be tough to keep playing confidently In his new job.



8W) Andre's ankle

Andre sprained his ankle about a week and a half ago, and a great depth at RB became a scary thin one. Oh what a difference a week makes, Andre says he is going to play like he is 100% but isn't necessarily commenting whether he really is or not . As much as I would love to see us have an arial attack against the Cats, they have repeatedly shown they are next to putrid against the run.

Dominating the ball control with the ground and pound isnt the most sexy gameplan, but it is something that I think we should start with, and Andre will be key to that.
Our other Rbs that are not recovering from injuries didn’t take a snap last year, so having Andre healthy is going to be VERY key.



9M) Keeks being Keeks

Luke received a lot of press this off-season; and deservedly so. However, it's human nature to want to show off when expectations are as high as they are with many calling him the nation's best LB.

Luke needs to relax and play his game that got him all of the accolades he's received thus far.



10W) Fan support

Mike I agree, Keeks has gotten some serious hype, I think he comes through on the delivering as he did his previous two years, but we will see.

On my final pick , I am going with fan support, its going to be a day game, and our first game of the season, with an opponent that our fans will recognize, but not feel is a direct rival, Make no bones about it , NW is a quality opponent, especially for an opener. The team will need the support of the fans to have a form of home field advantage.


RECAP:
BCMike drafted: Pressure Persa, NO Tranq, Kick returns, Hughes hangin, Keeks being Keeks
Wesley drafted: Cohesive OL, NU WR's, Ramsey ready, Andre's ankle, Fan support

8-2-11 Keys to the Game vs. Northwestern
	BCMike: Pressure Persa, NO Tranq, Kick returns, Hughes hangin, Keeks being Keeks
	Wesley: Cohesive OL, NU WR's, Ramsey ready, Andre's ankle, Fan support
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Draft 8/30: Top Surprises in the initial Depth Chart of 2011

Every year when the first depth chart comes out there are some surprises, this is a year with a bit more off season / camp injuries and turbulence than most, so we decided to draft the biggest surprises of the depth chart for the home opener against Northwestern.

You can see the overall depth chart here: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/bc/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/depth_chart_event/depth_chart.pdf

1W) Nate Richman

I really expected him to play the first game, maybe I was overly optimistic, but reports sounded good. But the last thing I thought I'd see was him backing up Wetzel at LT, but that is the way the depth chart reads, I am curious if that is just to get him spot work or to confuse us readers.

2M) Three Wide

I don't remember ever seeing a BC depth chart that listed three starting WR's. This gets megiddy thinking about what Rogers has in mind….

3W) Andre Williams

Coach Spaz is pretty coy when talking injuries, so younever really understand where you stand as far as injuries, but it seemed that both Montel and Andre could be out of the season opener nursing injuries.

It seems that Andre will be back in time, and starting, although I would expect Tajh Kimble to spell him pretty regularly as Kimble has been VERY highly regarded in practice, and Andre will not want to overextend.

4M) Hampton Hughes at Safety

I'll be honest, I don't know much about the kid but I have to admit I always cheer e

xtra hard for the unheralded, low-star and walk-on guys. Here's a player who walked on at BC and despite being a great high school player in Texas at the safety position, had BC move him to WR for his first two years. A couple of off-the-field issues later, and the depth chart for the safety position is a bit of a head-scratcher. Enter Mr. Hughes, who's clearly worked his tail off to the point where his HC is willing to give him the nod against arguably the best QB we've faced in sometime. I'll be cheering extra hard for Hampton to have a big day on Saturday and to make the most of this terrific opportunity.

5W) 2 Freshmen DE's on the 2 deep

You know we have been hearing a lot from Canada , better known as MehdiAbdesmad, we knew that he could sneak into the two deep after being an early enrolee, and have heard nothing but great things regarding his motor vision and pure size But we havent heard much from Connor Wujciak, but expect both Connor and Mehdi to get a good amount of playing time, and both should make an impact!

6M) Divitto over Clancy

This isn't groundbreaking or completely unexpected, but Clancy does have one more year in the system so I thought he might be the favorite over the younger Devitto.

7W) Shinskie our number 2 man @ QB

Mike I agree, I thought that Clancy may get it from Divitto, but Divitto must be pretty stout, and he also has some VERY large shoes to fill at this position!

Now on my pick for Shinskie being our number 2 man, I know that there is an OR for Marscovetra, but the reality is that someone has to take the majority of the snaps with the first team.,

And that has already been done , and done by Shinskie. I am actually good with this , Shiniskie is a capable quarterback, although I of course prefer Rettig , but ability was never the problem when Shinskie was the starter, it was decision making, technique, and staring down receivers. There was a lot of talk of Bordner being number 2, or Marsco , or even our incoming freshman, but our number 2 guy is Shinskie… at least for now, I enjoy the lack of true QB controversy at this point,and hopefully for the duration of the season

8M) Swigert returning punts and kicks

I know Bobby has done it, and done it well in the past—however I thought that we would give Amidon and / orMcCaffrey this job, possibly others. It's not that I don't think Bobby can't do it—it's that I think he's one of our most valuable WR's and I don't like the idea of him taking the beating that the position requires.

9W) Jim Noel SS

Mike I think you are wrong on your 8th round pick, that or just getting sloppy, I like Bobby returning kicks, I agree he is a good WR, but I'd rather have him out there in a position we are deep(er) at with WR

Than having Dominique Williams out there in a position we have not much more than a skeleton crew of.

I pick my last pick based on a whew of relief. Jim, Jimmy, whatever you want to call him, is a very talented athlete, and phenomenal in the secondary. I actually preferred him to Legrande last year. ( man its hard to believe he is a Junior)

There was talk , from Spaz of moving him around, and justifying him in a backup role, I much prefer in him in the SS position, and think that's where he needs to stay for the remainder of his career at the heights.

10M) Chase Rettig, QB

Not as sloppy as I intend on getting this weekend, Wesley!

For my final pick, I'm going with the "Surprise feeling" I had when looking at the QB spot and not having an anxiety attack. Since Matt Ryan I haven't had that feeling. I was trepidatious at best with Crane (who was arguably better than I gave him credit for at the time), always constantly worried about Dominique Davis, and I won't even talk about the other most recent candidates still on the team. Needless to say, it's been entirely too long for us as BC football fans for us to look down at the starting roster…smile, and feel confident about who we have under center.

Recap:

Wesley: Richman, Andre, DEs, Shinskie, Noel

BCMike: 3Wide, Hampton, Divitto, Swigert, Rettig

Draft 8-30: Top Surprises in the initial Depth Chart of 2011
	Wesley: Richman, Andre, DEs, Shinskie, Noel
	BCMike: 3Wide, Hampton, Divitto, Swigert, Rettig
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8/24 Draft: Best 2011 Tailgating beer

Sure, we've done this one before but another year, more beers, and a more refined palate (or not, if you're Wesley) = another blog post on the best tailgating beers.
Without further ado, I present to you the beers you need to tailgate with in 2011....

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1W) PBR
I like to put out what I want first, even if I am not sure if the other one is going to take it.I love PBR... It is cheap, no one is going to steal your beer if you have PBR. And it kinda lays the ground work for don’t eff with me, I do not care about anything.


2M) Sam Adams Boston Lager

PBR makes my short list of beers along with Heineken that I just can't force myself to drink. This is not to say I'm above a High Life or Miller LIte--far from it--PBR just stands for "Pretty Bad, Right?" in my book.

For my first selection, I'm going with Sam Boston Lager. It’s a solid, straightforward lager that’s got plenty of taste, but still goes down easy. Plus when you’re tailgating away, it’s a nice little “hey, here’s some Boston for ya” to show off to the locals.

3W) Natural Light

Mike great call with Sam Adams ; Boston Lager, its a great Boston Beer, and I

really don't know a better one to represent BC, and its mighty tasty.On my second one, let me put out a disclaimer.. I do not only enjoy cheap beers, but I do appreciate them haha. I chose Natural Light as the 3rd round pick of beers, Natural light is essentially the beer of broke college students.. But on top of that,where do you think Matt Ryan go the nickname Matty Ice? Hmmm....


4M) Sierra Nevada Tumbler

Tough to believe we hang out together, right folks?
Next up I have a beer that just tastes like football--in a good way. Tumbler Brown Ale is a delicious brew you should have once the season has turned and there's a little chill in the air...it's a perfect football beer.

This is only the second year Tumbler has been around, so if you haven't tried it yet, do yourself a favor and pick up a sixer. You won't be sorry, I promise.


5W) Shiner Bock

Haha, I hear ya over there Mike, But I am being selective on Football/Tailgating Beers here. This ain't taco mac baby!!
Reason I choose Shinerbock is for a couple reasons. Its a relatively cheap beer, it lets people know you are at least trying to offer something somewhat higher than the bottom of the barrel , but reminds them , its a football game after all.

6M) Full Sail Session Lager

Wesley, that was a solid pick. I love me some Shiner and you're right--for themoney it's impossible to get a better value.

Next up I'm going with Full Sail Session Lager. This tasty treat out of Oregon was made for tailgating...seriously! the "session" tag means that they know you're about to finish the 30 pack so they make it super easy drinking and great for tailgating fare

7W) Tailgate Light
http://www.tailgatebeer.com/

I mean how could we do a draft about the best tailgating beer, and not include onewhose exclusive purpose in life is for tailgating? Slight disclaimer here, I've actually never tasted this, just thought it would be a huge disservice to include them here for namesake alone.


8M) Sam Adams Octoberfest

Well, at least you had one good choice, Wesley.

A steal at the 8 spot, I'm grabbing Sam Octoberfest. A tasty Märzen brew, we still have the Boston thing going for us plus the rich delicious malty flavors of the full boddied but ever-drinkable Octoberfest.


9W) Bud Light
Haha, I still feel pretty strong that I am going to win this one BCMike.

Is Bud Light my favorite beer? Negative. It is by far not even close. But setup a tailgate and look around, what is the most evident beer ? Bud Light, by a very far margin.

So I am going to finish with the crowd-pleaser, Bud Light

10M) Harp Lager

Wesley, you might win this draft--and if you do; I'll have to shed a tear in my beer. I'm still confident my picks are solid here.

While there are many brews that are delicious, it can't be heavy or too boozy at a tailgate as this is a volume sport.

For my last entry, we're going a little light while still rocking the BC Irish pride with Harp Lager. It's solid, smooth, easy to drink and refreshing while the dog-days of summer are still with us. Shout-out to my next selection, which would have been Harpoon IPA. Still a terrific brew...maybe I should have taken it here instead of Harp...


RECAP:
Wesley drafted: PBR, Natural Light, Shiner Bock, Tailgate Light, Bud Light
BCMike drafted: Sierra Nevada Tumbler, Sam Boston Lager, Full Session Lager, Sam Octoberfest, Harp Lager

8/24 draft: Best 2011 Tailgating Beer
	Wesley: PBR, Natural Light, Shiner Bock, Tailgate Light, Bud Light
	BCMike: Sierra Nevada Tumbler, Sam Boston Lager, Full Session Lager, Sam Octoberfest, Harp Lager
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