Weekly Kickoff: Clemson

The last time Clemson and their legions of fans swarmed in to Alumni Stadium, BC nearly pulled off the upset. The Eagles trailed 17-13 and drove down the field in the final minutes, but a potential game-winning pass from Tyler Murphy went through Josh Bordner’s hands, ending BC’s hopes.

That was then. BC was 4-2 and not far removed from a win over USC, and they were en route to their second straight bowl game. Clemson was #24.

This is now: BC is still mired in a long ACC losing streak, and Clemson will enter as #3 in the country.

Few expect this game to even be competitive. Can the Eagles shock them all?

Storylines of the week:

1. “Explosives” and trick plays: Steve Addazio’s favorite new word this year seems to be “explosives.” He talks about them all the time, and BC has made a point of shooting for them through the air from time to time - particularly with the new WR weapon of Jeff Smith available to use his speed and athleticism to make big plays. The passing game has been inconsistent for BC this year, but at least it’s existed, which is a step up. Can BC pull off some big plays against Clemson? Will the Eagles look for some trickery to improve their chances?
2. Defense gets a real test: BC is touting the fact that their run defense and overall defense is back to being tops in the nation, but it’s hard to overlook that shellacking they took down in Blacksburg. This week, BC’s defense takes on an elite opponent. Last year they were outstanding even against the best of the best; can they be their dominant selves against one of the best teams in the nation?
3. Start strong: The empty seats and laid back atmosphere of Alumni Stadium and Gillette Stadium have been bandied about as possible reasons for BC’s slow starts against overmatched opponents. That shouldn’t be an excuse on Friday night - it might not be a full house, but the joint will be jumping, it will be a night game, and everyone should be fired up from the word go. Hopefully BC has a game plan to come out and move the ball on their opening drive.
4. How full?: Friday night games are a tough sell, but this is BC’s highest ranked home opponent since 2003. While a sellout would be a stretch, the folks in the Yawkey Center will certainly be hoping for a big number after two attendance stinkers to open the home slate.

Songs of the Week - Needing a Miracle Edition

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

This is apparently the most popular song to play at funerals in the UK. Make of that what you will.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Y’know how every few weeks ago, we feel the need to remind ourselves and everyone to really, really savor the Jerry York era of BC hockey, because it’s not going to last forever? It’s true, it won’t. But bad times don’t last forever, either. Some day, these last few years will be an anecdote, and having sat through them will be something to brag about when times are better. Some day!

The Kinks - Do It Again

For anyone in the house when BC beat USC, it was one of the most memorable nights ever - certainly one of the nights when Alumni Stadium shook like few times in its history. There was a little element of that sparkle in the crowd last year for the night game against FSU, but it faded as BC’s offense piled up 3-and-out after 3-and-out.

Let’s recapture that magic. Let’s at least give them a scare, get the crowd rocking, and feel good about this one. C’mon.