THE GRUDGE REPORT: BC staggering to halftime
byMark Blaudschun
Boston College is nearing the end of the first half of its season. The forecast for the 2nd half is not promising.
The chatter around Boston College these days is that the two scenarios that BC athletic director Martin Jarmond wants is that the Eagles either go 4-8 or 8-4, which will remove all the uncertainty about whether BC football coach Steve Addazio is replaced or returns for another season.
Anywhere in between those two outcomes clouds the picture.
The Eagles are 3-2 going into Saturday's game against Louisville, which despite a mediocre 2-2 record, is a field goal favorite over the Eagles, who cruised to a 38-20 victory over the Cardinals a year ago.
On paper, BC is better.
Running back AJ Dillon has been both a work horse and a star, who could break through with a 200 yard performance, which should be more than enough for a BC victory.
But BC has underachieved on defense against almost everyone this season, with the latest setback being a 27-24 defeat against Wake Forest in which the Eagles allowed an astonishing 71 percent (17 of 24) conversions on third down.
You can't win games with those kind of numbers.
After Louisville, the Eagles have a week off before hosting NC State. They are not favored to win any of their remaining games and finish with four of their final five games on the road with a schedule which includes visits to Clemson and Notre Dame.
Having said that, the ACC is as bad as its been in the past 10 years. BC could beat everyone but Notre Dame and Clemson, which would put the Eagles (and Addazio) in the 8-4 safe zone. They could lose all of the games and finish 3-9 which would seal the deal.
But Jarmond, who is reportedly not ignoring the buzz that he may be looking to move on from The Heights, must deal with
a bigger picture.
The bottom line is that the football program isn't much better than it was when Addazio arrived in 2013. It just isn't, as his Steve 7-6er tag will attest (The Eagles have won 7 games in five of Addazio's first six seasons, and never finished above .500 in the ACC.
Addazio has not had a blue chip QB come to the Heights since Matt Ryan, nor has it developed a kicking game which has consistency to inspire confidence by the coaching staff.
The shrinking BC fan base hears the same chatter about hope for the future each spring and summer and watches it fade from view by Halloween each fall.
What BC and Jarmond must decide in the next several weeks is whether winning six or seven games each season is enough.
With the right player and the right coaches, BC has proven it can compete for conference championships in men's basketball and football. It will not be easy, nor will it ever be routine.
But it can be done. Whether Steve Addazio is the right person is a question which has been asked before and will almost certainly be again decided for another season in the next several weeks, starting on Saturday.
byMark Blaudschun
Boston College is nearing the end of the first half of its season. The forecast for the 2nd half is not promising.
The chatter around Boston College these days is that the two scenarios that BC athletic director Martin Jarmond wants is that the Eagles either go 4-8 or 8-4, which will remove all the uncertainty about whether BC football coach Steve Addazio is replaced or returns for another season.
Anywhere in between those two outcomes clouds the picture.
The Eagles are 3-2 going into Saturday's game against Louisville, which despite a mediocre 2-2 record, is a field goal favorite over the Eagles, who cruised to a 38-20 victory over the Cardinals a year ago.
On paper, BC is better.
Running back AJ Dillon has been both a work horse and a star, who could break through with a 200 yard performance, which should be more than enough for a BC victory.
But BC has underachieved on defense against almost everyone this season, with the latest setback being a 27-24 defeat against Wake Forest in which the Eagles allowed an astonishing 71 percent (17 of 24) conversions on third down.
You can't win games with those kind of numbers.
After Louisville, the Eagles have a week off before hosting NC State. They are not favored to win any of their remaining games and finish with four of their final five games on the road with a schedule which includes visits to Clemson and Notre Dame.
Having said that, the ACC is as bad as its been in the past 10 years. BC could beat everyone but Notre Dame and Clemson, which would put the Eagles (and Addazio) in the 8-4 safe zone. They could lose all of the games and finish 3-9 which would seal the deal.
But Jarmond, who is reportedly not ignoring the buzz that he may be looking to move on from The Heights, must deal with
a bigger picture.
The bottom line is that the football program isn't much better than it was when Addazio arrived in 2013. It just isn't, as his Steve 7-6er tag will attest (The Eagles have won 7 games in five of Addazio's first six seasons, and never finished above .500 in the ACC.
Addazio has not had a blue chip QB come to the Heights since Matt Ryan, nor has it developed a kicking game which has consistency to inspire confidence by the coaching staff.
The shrinking BC fan base hears the same chatter about hope for the future each spring and summer and watches it fade from view by Halloween each fall.
What BC and Jarmond must decide in the next several weeks is whether winning six or seven games each season is enough.
With the right player and the right coaches, BC has proven it can compete for conference championships in men's basketball and football. It will not be easy, nor will it ever be routine.
But it can be done. Whether Steve Addazio is the right person is a question which has been asked before and will almost certainly be again decided for another season in the next several weeks, starting on Saturday.
