The Boston College Eagles will be heading into spring practice with some serious questions. Who will be the quarterback this fall, how will they put together a decimated offensive line, and what will Todd Fitch add to the offense? In a report today on ESPN, Steve Addazio answered many of those questions.
First, he talked about Todd Fitch and how he will fit in to the Boston College system. Addazio said that he was chosen for a couple of reasons. First, Addazio didn't want to completely overhaul his offense, and Fitch has been part of the system for two years now so he logically made sense. Secondly, he had experience, having held a similar role at UConn, USF and East Carolina. Finally, Fitch had recommendations from Charlie Strong, Urban Meyer and Dan McCarney, which held a lot of weight for Meyer disciple Steve Addazio.
One of the biggest raps against BC's offense has been their inability to pass, whether it was due to scheme or personnel. Addazio believes that this may be the year that the pass returns to the Heights:
"We think all our quarterbacks have really good throwing capability," Addazio said. "We're going to spend a lot of time to develop third down and to enhance our first- and second-down throws. That's a focal point for sure. ...
"We'll always be heavy run, but Darius can flat out throw the ball and we've got some receivers now, so we really feel like this is the time to try and develop that piece of the game. As I told the offense, when we go winner/loser, I'm going to say, ‘OK, we're going to move the ball today by just throwing it. Here we go, get it done."
What's most shocking about that statement is that Addazio is willing to move away from the 1st down run, which he relied on in 2014. At one point last year he talked about how important it was for BC to gain chunks of yards on the ground on first down. But apparently he is starting to see the talent in the passing game that will allow Darius Wade to throw it more. That should certainly be something to watch this spring.
Finally, and not really a shock, but Addazio says the QB job will be an open competition this spring. While many believe that Darius Wade is the favorite, he seems non-committal to name a starter, also naming Troy Flutie and true freshmen Elijiah Robinson as possibilities. What happens if Elijiah Robinson goes in and shows that he can run a Tyler Murphy-style offense? Will he go away from the pass again?
As Boston College continues to rebuild their program, the shape and direction of the team continues to evolve. Addazio will have a lot on his hand this spring as he tries to figure out how his depth chart and implementing not only his adjusted offensive philosophy but a whole new coordinator. Stay tuned, should be interesting.