Poll: What Will Be The Score Of Saturday's Boston College-Kent State Game?
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 9, 2010 10:30 AM EDT
in Boston College Football
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The Golden Flashes travel to the Heights for the second consecutive year. Kent State took care of a bad Murray State team 41-10 in week one. BC controlled throughout most of their game against Weber State, but there's plenty of room for improvement.
So who ya got? What's the final score?
Vote now.
Eagles Hockey Starts The Season Where They Left Off -- At Number One
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 9, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in Boston College Hockey
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The defending National Champion Boston College Eagles men's hockey team starts the season where they left off -- at number one, according to College Hockey News' Preseason Top 10 power rankings:
"Is there any reason the Eagles shouldn’t be tops in the country? Starting from the net out, they return one of the deepest teams in Division I. Last season, Parker Milner was a great foil to John Muse, and the two tag-teamed the crease en route to a National Championship. Their top three scorers all return, led by junior sniper Cam Atkinson, whose stock rose exponentially with big goals after the regular season, and he wound up the nation's leading goal scorer."
No complaints from me with this ranking, as the Eagles will likely enter the season as the hunted rather than the hunter.
It will be interesting to see how York handles the preseason expectations for this Eagles' team. In 2008, coming off their National Championship over Notre Dame, BC began the season as the #1 ranked team in the country, only to lose ground in the polls as the season went on, spending most of the season ranked in the teens (and eventually completely missing the 2009 NCAA Tournament). Last season, BC entered the year at number 12 in the polls, eventually climbing to 4 in the polls entering the NCAA tournament.
BC enters this season returning more talent than either the 2001-02 or 2008-09 squads that immediately followed an Eagles' National Championship.
The only other CHN preseason top 10 teams that the Eagles will face during the regular season are Maine (ranked 7th) and New Hampshire (ranked 10th). Both the Black Bears and Wildcats will likely pose the biggest obstacle to the Eagles repeating as Hockey East Champs in 2011.
The season begins one month from today -- October 9 at 7 PM -- as the Eagles visit the Northeastern Huskies (and ex-commit Cody Ferriero) at Matthews Arena.
The Boston College QB Debate: Shinskie, Marscovetra Or ... Dominique Davis?
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 8, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
in Boston College Football
5 comments
Jeff: Who would you rather have at QB right now? Dave Shinskie, Mike Marscovetra, or Dominique Davis?
Davis should have been our starter last season until he stopped putting time into the academic part of being a BC student-athlete and ultimately landed at East Carolina. Davis led the Pirates to victory Saturday throwing for 5 TDs on 27-of-46 passing for 383 yards. Sounds like numbers we'd love to have right now, correct?
Brian: Could a play like this have prompted a post like this? (Side note: is it really a Hail Mary when you start from the opponents' 33-yard line?)
Let me first tackle the question -- whether I'd like to see Shinskie or Davis as the starting QB. When I really think about this question, I actually see a lot of similarities between the two quarterbacks. Shinskie was maddeningly inconsistent last season and struggled when facing tough defenses and on the road.
Now when Davis took over for Crane in the 2008 Wake Forest game, after a few "deer-in-the-headlight" possessions where he fumbled twice and spotted Wake 14 points, Davis put together one solid drive (which happened to be the game-winner). That final drive would be the only bright spot for Davis on the road as the Eagles QB.
In his first true start at home against Maryland, Davis managed the game well enough, throwing for 134 yards and 2 TDs on 12-24 passing. After that, though, it was all downhill as Davis struggled in the ACC Championship Game and the Music City Bowl. Both Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt finished the year in the Top 30 in total defense (Maryland finished 63rd) and Davis struggled mightily in both those games. His final line in the ACC Championship was particularly dreadful -- completing just 17-of-43 passes, 1 TD, 2 INTs. He wasn't much better in the bowl game, completing far fewer than 50 percent of his passes and throwing 2 TDs to 2 INTs.
Now Davis' 383 yard, 5 touchdown performance was pretty impressive in week 1. But at the same time, the game was at home and against a Tulsa defense that finished 2009 in the bottom one-third of FBS programs in total defense. I'd imagine if Davis was still the QB of the Eagles, he'd have big games against BC's non-conference fodder and weaker ACC defenses, but still struggle just as much, if not more so, than Shinskie has against defenses like Virginia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina. Hindsight is clearly 20/20, but I think I'd rather have Shinskie as the Eagles QB over Davis.
Five Good Minutes: Kent State Preview With Hustle Belt
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 8, 2010 11:30 AM EDT
in Boston College Football
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Matt Sussman over at SB Nation's new MAC blog Hustle Belt was kind enough to answer some questions about Kent State in anticipation of this weekend's game between the Eagles and Golden Flashes.
BC Interruption: Coming off a 5-7 (4-4 MAC East) season, does Kent State enter this year as a contender or a pretender in the MAC East title race?
Hustle Belt: They're legitimate contenders to win the MAC East. Returning are 16 starters from that 5-7 team and they have defensive playmakers on the line and in the secondary. (Linebacker too.) Meanwhile, many teams in the MAC East are taking steps back this year. For the division, it's probably between Kent State and Temple.
BCI: Head coach Doug Martin enters his seventh season with the Flashes but he's only gotten to 6-6 once in his previous six seasons at Kent State (and has posted just one winning record in MAC play). How hot, if at all, is Martin's coaching seat?
HB: I'm pretty sure it's winning season or bust. Last year they began 4-1 in the conference and should've finished their last three games 2-1 but instead l ost all three. They've been rightfully patient with him, since KSU's expectations have always been realistic, but their experience and schedule sets them up perfectly for a run in 2010, and if they somehow bomb out with a four-win season, it's gotta be curtains.
Breaking Down Boston College's Non-Conference Basketball Schedule
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 8, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in Boston College Basketball
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Brian: Last week, BC released their 2010-11 men's basketball schedule. Here is the non-conference portion of the schedule, with last year's record and final kenpom rankings:
| Opponent | Record | kenpom |
|---|---|---|
| Bryant Bulldogs | 1-29 | 346 |
| St. Francis NY Terriers | 11-18 | 310 |
| Yale Bulldogs | 12-19 | 255 |
| Bucknell Bison | 14-17 | 235 |
| Holy Cross Crusaders | 9-22 | 226 |
| vs. Manhattan Jaspers* | 11-20 | 198 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 10-21 | 183 |
| vs. UMass Minutemen | 12-20 | 163 |
| Harvard Crimson | 21-8 | 120 |
| Providence Friars | 12-19 | 88 |
| at South Carolina Gamecocks | 15-16 | 84 |
| vs. Georgia Bulldogs** | 14-17 | 80 |
| at Rhode Island Rams | 26-10 | 66 |
| vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish** | 23-12 | 38 |
| vs. Temple Owls** | 29-6 | 22 |
| vs. Texas A&M Aggies | 24-10 | 17 |
| vs. California Golden Bears** | 24-11 | 15 |
| vs. Wisconsin Badgers* | 24-9 | 9 |
BC only has games against three 20-game winners from a year ago -- Texas A&M in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic, Rhode Island on the road and Harvard at home. Last season, BC went a decade-worst 10-5 in non-conference play, dropping games to Saint Joseph's, Northern Iowa, Harvard, Rhode Island and Maine.
After having looked over the non-conference schedule, do you think BC's senior laden team can improve on last year's poor showing in non-conference play? General thoughts on this year's non-conference schedule?
Blogpoll: Preliminary Week 2 Ballot
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 7, 2010 2:21 PM EDT
in BlogPoll
2 comments
Here's our preliminary blogpoll ballot for week 2. Pittsburgh and Oregon State are bounced for their week 1 losses, replaced by USC and Michigan. By conference: 6 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 4 ACC, 3 Big 12, 3 Pac-10, 2 Mountain West, 1 Big East, 1 WAC.
Additions? Subtractions? Let us hear it in the comments section.
No Love For College Football In Boston?
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 7, 2010 6:54 AM EDT
in Boston College Football
19 comments
In his latest Sports Illustrated feature, Dan Shaughnessy takes a giant, highly publicized dump on college football interest in Boston:
"The college football season is underway and nobody cares in New England.
OK, I'm exaggerating. There are plenty of parents and girlfriends of local college gridders to care about the football fortunes of Boston College, UMass, UConn, Harvard and Holy Cross.
But outside of New York City it would be hard to find a place more apathetic toward college football."
There are certainly bits of truth to Shaughnessy's argument. Boston is a pro sports town where BC football -- and college football in general -- tends to get overlooked. But you also have to consider the source -- a Holy Cross grad who has made his living as the often-times pessimistic Globe beat writer for the Sox and the Celtics (though he did send his son to BC).
The Boston beat writers who cover BC certainly don't help the school and the area break the perception that New England doesn't care about college football. Features and articles from the mainstream media on BC football are few and far between during the season and virtually non-existent in the offseason. The amount of coverage that BC football gets by the mainstream media might be the least in the ACC, although Wake Forest and Duke -- two other small, private schools -- may give BC a run for its money in that department.
Where Shaughnessy is incorrect is in how he gauges the level of interest in Boston College football. Just because the local media doesn't pay attention to BC football doesn't mean fans and alumni across the country don't care about college football. BC is in a unique spot when it comes to its alumni base. While a majority of alumni may stay in the greater New England area after graduation, a good percentage of alumni land all across the country. Probably moreso than a majority of large state schools where a bulk of alumni stay in the area after graduation. BC football actually gets decent ratings nationally, with large alumni bases in other cities like New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. People may not be watching in huge numbers in the Boston market, but fans do watch the Eagles nationally.
Boston College 38, Weber State 20: Reasons for Optimism or Cause for Concern?
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 6, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in Boston College Football
7 comments
Brian: A win is a win, right? The Eagles move to 1-0 on the year after taking care of the Big Sky's Weber State Wildcats 38-20.
Even though it was a rather ho-hum win, there are plenty of reasons for optimism for BC. Saturday was a great day for Mark Herzlich, as he got to lead the team back onto the field for the first time since beating Ewing's Sarcoma. Montel Harris had a strong performance, rushing for over 100 yards for the fifth straight game (and 14th in his career).
But behind the 38-20 win, there are lots of concerns, at least for me. The biggest concern I have was the play of Shinskie. Uncle Dave sure knows how to put a damper on the Alumni Stadium crowd's mood. In his first series, he took a delay of game penalty on BC's first play from scrimmage. On the second play, he lined up under Thomas Claiborne (not the center) and recovered only to throw a bad interception to Taylor Sedillo. Shinskie was able to bounce back, leading BC on three consecutive touchdown drives, but throughout the day, his passes weren't crisp and he forced a lot of passes, including throwing a second interception in the endzone looking for Momah. Shinskie finished a pedestrian 10-20, 285 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT.
The problem is that we didn't see enough of Marscovetra to know whether he's any better than Shinskie. Marscovetra only threw three passes on the day (2-3, 38 yards, 1 TD).
Are you encouraged by the Eagles performance on Saturday? Or were there too many mistakes, particularly at the QB position, that make you a bit nervous that BC won't be able to work out the kinks before the September 25 game against Virginia Tech? Your thoughts?
Mark Herzlich's Return In The News
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 5, 2010 12:24 PM EDT
in Boston College Football
0 comments
There was probably no better storyline heading into this year's college football season than the return of Mark Herzlich to the football field. Not only did Herzlich lead the Eagles onto the field for the first time since the 2008 Music City Bowl, but he also finished the game with 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 assisted) in BC's victory over Weber State.
Fittingly, there was no shortage of words written about Mark's story this weekend. Here's a rundown of some of those articles that help tell Mark's story and his return to the field.
No drama, just desire in Herzlich's post-cancer return - Dr. Saturday
"Under the actual circumstances, though, Herzlich could sit out the rest of the season and still win Comeback Player of the Year for leading the Eagles onto the field today, his first game action since being diagnosed with a life-threatening tumor in his leg last May. Not there's any chance of that, of course: You don't fight through chemo therapy and months of rehab for a token appearance against Weber State. He may not be back in peak form, but all that mattered today is that he's back."
A healthy step for Herzlich - Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
"You know he’s had enough of being Mark Herzlich, cancer victim. All he wants now is to be Mark Herzlich, linebacker supreme."
BC's Impact Freshmen and the Big Finish
by Brian @ BCI on Sep 4, 2010 12:42 AM EDT
in Big Finish
3 comments
Brian: One thing you'll notice right away when looking at the BC depth chart for the Weber State game is the number of freshmen and redshirt freshmen that dot the two-deep. In all, there are 13 (of 47 total) freshmen or redshirt freshman on the two-deep -- 6 on offense, 6 on defense and 1 on special teams. Only one of those freshmen, WLB Kevin Pierre-Louis, gets the start.
Who are you most excited to see take the first for the first time for the Eagles? Which freshmen or redshirt freshmen do you think will have the best years for the Eagles? Your thoughts?
Jeff: This will probably be very debatable come the end of the season but I highly doubt my stance will change. I am most excited to see Nate Freese kick. If he is as good as I am hoping then he will absolutely help us win games and we'll be talking about all the what-ifs of the past few seasons when we were forced to go for it on fourth downs when other teams would have been attempting field goals. If Nate at least turns out to be a slightly above average kicker in terms of accuracy and has average range then that is still a step up from what we have had. Aponavicious had above average accuracy but well below average range.
Brian: Can BC catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row with a true freshman starting at LB? Is Kevin Pierre-Louis this year's Luke Kuechly?
Jeff: There is a very good chance that Pierre-Louis will make a ton of tackles this season. If Herzlich is playing well, teams are going to gameplan away from him and run the ball to the weak side allowing Pierre-Louis to make a lot of tackles.
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