Guest Blogger: Gobbler Country

Don't you feel like you know the Hokies by now? I do. With that said, I still wanted to get an outside opinion so I asked Gobbler Country to return as a guest blogger. I kept the question short and to the point. His answers are below.

1. What is the biggest difference in the team since the first meeting?

Gobbler Country: The biggest difference is we know we aren't a very good football team. Going into the BC game, we we had won five straight games and assumed we could beat a Matt Ryan-less BC team with ease. Well, that didn't happen. In fact, the BC game was probably (hopefully?) the beginning of the end for Bryan Stinespring and the offense has been just as bad in each successive game as it was against BC, with the exception being the Maryland game.

We know we aren't very good and our margin for error is zero. Therefore, the defense has been playing a lot better since the games against BC and FSU. And while the offense still isn't putting points on the board, we are running the ball better. There really isn't a big difference between the Hokies you saw in October and the Hokies you'll see on Saturday. But the main difference is we're more self aware of our flaws and what we need to do to hide them.

2. Do you think Sean Glennon will play Saturday?

GC: I hope not and here's why. After the UVa performance, the only way I see Glennon making his way on the field is if Tyrod gets hurt or if Tyrod turns into a human turnover like he did against Duke. If either of those happen, we're Nashville-bound.

3. What is your prediction for Saturday?

GC: We'll win because I won't be there. As far as how we'll win, I'm sure it will come down to a late field goal or turnover. This one is going to be boring, close, clean and quick. You have two teams that are going to try and run first against defenses that are really good at stopping the run.

Don't blink or you'll miss this game. It won't be like when Texas Tech is on TV and you're an hour in and the first quarter is almost over. In baseball terms, you've got two pitchers who work fast and induce a lot of ground balls going Saturday in Tampa. You also have the two fewest-penalized teams by yards in the league.

The team that wins will be the team that takes advantage of what mistakes the other team makes.

FOR MORE ON VT, CHECK OUT GOBBLER COUNTRY.

Basketball wins and other links

The basketball win had a weird feel. Rice got himself in foul trouble again (I'll get to that in a minute), but the team played well without him for most of the night. Paris ran the point and we got decent minutes from the three freshmen. But then things fell apart in the final minutes. The defense remains a huge issue. We are getting killed with drives to the basket. One of two things happens, the guys blows by our defender for any easy two or a guy drives by our defender, draws help then kicks it out to an open man for a wide open 3. We could somewhat get away with this when we had a shot blocker. Now we don't and it leads to many easy baskets. Perhaps this team needs to play more zone. As for Rice, I don't know what the problem is? He is committing really dumb fouls (reach ins, etc.). He is a smart guy which makes this all that more confusing. He really needs to get refocused over the next few weeks. He's not helping his draft stock and keeping this team from playing its best.

The Megwa story was much scarier than most of us realized. Let's hope he fully recovers.

Here is a look at the ACC Championship Game.

Matt Hasselbeck hung out with middle school kids Tuesday.

Words of wisdom for BC students and fans

Photo courtesy of Matt F.

As I was working out the logistics of this weekend, my wife raised a fair question, "didn't you say this was a once in a lifetime opportunity last year?"

I answered quickly, "It was and so is this year!" That's right BC students, you are getting a second chance at a once in a lifetime opportunity. The school is giving you tickets. All you have to do is get down to Tampa. Last year I threw out every solution I could think of short of hitching a ride on a freight train like hobo. Now there are much simpler solutions. Airtran, JetBlue, and Delta all have reasonable rates from Boston to Tampa. In some cases you don't even need a hotel room...you can fly early Saturday morning and and fly back Saturday night. It would be the best $250 you have ever spent.

These adventures are not about the costs. They are about the experiences. As silly as it sounds, it means something to say you were there. Listen to alumni and recent grads. Soon you'll be trying to figure out babysitters or vacation days. The carefree moments are few and far between once you become part of the rat race.

For you seniors, this time next year you'll be sitting in a cube reading about two ACC teams getting ready for the ACC Championship Game. As much as I trust this staff, the odds say that BC won't be one of those teams. If you throw the credit card down and buy a plane ticket, you could witness BC's most important win in 60 years.

Alumni and other members of the BC family, I won't try to guilt trip or prod. I know the dilemmas. If not for calling in a favor or two the Mrs would not be joining me this weekend. That said though, you understand what's on the line and how truly rare these situations are. If you are leaning towards going and live on the East Coast, seriously look into same day flights. Don't miss this chance.

Depending on the schedule, I only get to a game or two a year. I never go to game watches. I am so off kilter and antisocial during some of these games, it's best that I watch them alone. That said, I wouldn't miss this because it is a chance to add my voice to the small chorus cheering on this group of BC Guys. It's also a chance to share an experience with the other faithful.

Last year hurt. As soon as time expired, I was racing for my car. I didn't want to spend another minute in Jacksonville thinking about what could have been. But I never regretted going. If you can get there this Saturday, join us. You will never regret it.

Attention Atlanta area BC fans!

There are still some ridiculously low fares on Airtran to Tampa. You can fly Saturday morning and return Saturday night for less than $150 round trip. Mrs. ATL and I are doing that, so is Senor Atlanta and BC Atlanta Guy Mod6A.

Big Ten Challenge and other links

Tonight, BC takes on Iowa as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game starts at 7 PM and will be on ESPN U. Locals and students, please come out and support the team as this will be one of the better home games until ACC play.

Bruce Feldman recognizes the job Jags has done.

Although he didn't win, Jerry York was considered for SI's Sportsman of the Year award. (Thanks to those who sent the link.)

BJ Raji sat down with the guys from Southern Pigskin.

Here are the ESPN U guys talking about the ACC Championship Game.

You may have noticed Kuong Ly from the BC commercials that run during the games. Here is his story.

Rob Holloman is a sleeper BC is keeping an eye on.

Recruit Jeff Skoog liked what he saw at BC.

Blogpoll ballot

I don't really care who wins the Big XII. None of them play defense and I think the SEC winner would beat Texas or Oklahoma. As for my ballot, I kept BC lower just to avoid a jinx.

Games I watched
BC-Mayrland 100% (twice)
Texas-Texas A&M 50%
LSU-Arkansas 50%
Georgia-Georgia Tech 50%
Virginia-Virginia Tech 50%
Notre Dame-USC 50%
Oklahoma-OSU 50%

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama	--
2	Florida	--
3	Southern Cal	--
4	Texas	--
5	Oklahoma	--
6	Utah	--
7	Penn State	--
8	Texas Tech	--
9	Boise State	--
10	Ball State	--
11	Ohio State	--
12	Cincinnati	1
13	Georgia Tech	4
14	Oregon	8
15	Pittsburgh	--
16	Boston College	2
17	Virginia Tech	2
18	TCU	2
19	Mississippi	5
20	Northwestern	3
21	Michigan State	5
22	Missouri	8
23	Brigham Young	3
24	Georgia	8
25	Oklahoma State	13

Dropped Out: Oregon State (#21), Florida State (#25).

Pics from the Maryland game

Thanks to Brian for providing the pics below. I'll have my own shots this week as I am "going to the 'ship."

All ACC BC Guys

The All ACC team was announced. The following BC guys made it:

First team
Clif Ramsey
BJ Raji
Mark Herzlich

Second Team
Ryan Purvis
Anthony Castonzo
Ron Brace

Honorable Mention
Thomas Claiborne
Matt Tennant
Paul Anderson

Congrats to all those honored. Special congrats to the no longer overlooked Clif Ramsey. His play was so consistent and excellent all year and compares very favorably to the recent seasons Chris Snee and Josh Beekman had as BC guards. I was a bit surprised that Purvis made second team. I thought the decline in productivity would hurt, but it shows that his blocking and overall contribution was still noticed. Now let's hope this fires up the guys to win the ACC award that means the most.

Bowl picture gets a bit clearer and other links

If things don't go our way this Saturday, don't expect to land one of the prime ACC slots. The Gator Bowl is ready to make their selection and it won't be BC or Virginia Tech. The experts have us beating the Hokies and heading to the Orange Bowl (SI, the Sporting News, ESPN).

Here is an article on what Tampa is doing to give the ACC Championship Game a shot in the arm. Also note the chart on the side. Although BC didn't travel particularly well, the TV ratings improved over the 2006 ACCCG which was played in the same timeslot.

Flutie and Francois earned ACC awards this week.

HD moved us up to No. 2 in her power rankings.

BC hosted 2010 recruit Brandon Sacco this weekend. Sam Bergen is another 2010 prospect on BC's radar. The staff is also visiting Florida running back Jarvis Giles.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Maryland

As much as I tried, I had a hard time watching this back with an unbiased eye. I am still very proud of this team for their accomplishments and proud to be part of BC. All that said, this performance wasn’t as perfect as it felt Saturday night. There were some issues and they will need to be addressed next week.

Offense: B

His stats weren’t great and he didn’t provide highlight reel material, but Davis played well. He was more decisive and his passes were much tighter and more on target than last week. His still missed two critical passes that could have been for big plays but overall only had five really bad passes. I also felt he was too quick to give the ball to Harris on the zone option read. The play becomes much less effective if he refuses to keep it. He was at his best when moving the pocket. He also showed the ability to take a snap from under center and take a clean drop (something that has been missing with Crane). At the end of the day, he did what was asked, took advantage of a few big plays and avoided mistakes. That was arguably the second best QB performance of the season (after Crane’s NC State game).

Haden was effective early and is looking much more comfortable in the offense. His acceleration and ability to read a hole is much improved. Harris is tough to bring down and repeatedly made something out of nothing or turned a two yard carry into a six yard carry. The best part is we have a back who can ice the game for us. My one complaint with Harris was his blitz pick up. He left Davis exposed a few times.

The WRs were limited in their involvement. Solid game from Jarvis with a very nice grab on the TD. Gunnell played well. Robinson could have had two more catches but played well. Good blocking from this group too. Purvis was only thrown to once but was very good in his blocking. McMichael saw a pass come his way for the first time and certainly made the most of it.

When people look back on this season they will say that BC overachieved because of the defense. That will only tell part of the story. The reason we’ve had success with raw QBs and true freshmen running backs has been the offensive line. They once again dominated Saturday night. Can you think of one time when Davis didn’t have at least a few seconds? Turner got planted on the turf a few different times. Did it ever happen to our QB? Have there even been any major breakdowns since UNC? The offensive line was nearly perfect Saturday night. The left side of Castonzo and Ramsey were flawless (although Ramsey did get flagged once). Tennant was very good and had clean snaps. The rightside played well too.

Logan designed and called a great game. He established Davis as a credible passing threat early. He struck for big plays when they were there. He grounded the ball when the situation and the line play merited it. But the real credit he deserves is as QB tutor. Davis didn’t dominate but he was ready and looked comfortable. That is because his QB coach and offensive coordinator had him ready.


Defense: B

One of the reasons I started doing this feature was to give some recognition to unsung folks who had strong games. With Raji and Brace earning most of the spotlight (and snaps) this year, there hasn’t been much notice of Scafe. He had another strong night Saturday. Willette played well too in his first extended time in weeks. Newman (who also played on offense) got first line snaps with Ramella, Brace and Raji. He played well. Ramella had a decent game and did well in pass coverage, however, he did have a stupid penalty. Giles was limted. Raji had a monster game in both run stuffing and pass rushing. Brace looked good prior to going down with his injury. Ramsey was good in limited action.

Not much needs to be said about the linebackers. All three were very good. If I am going to get nitpicky, there were a few contain breakdowns and a few missed tackles, but all three had game-changing moments.

The secondary got picked on but they didn’t play as bad as it appeared. Honestly, in many cases they are just doing what they were told. The design of the D allows for a cushion. This is effective when we are getting pressure or facing an errant QB. But I’ll get to the scheme in a minute. As for actual performance, Fletcher had the roughest night of his young career. His man burned us at various times. However, one of the big completions that set up their first score was actually Bowman’s responsibility. Bowman was out of place a few times, but had some nice tackles. Davis was very good. Anderson was less active for the second week in a row. Akins had a few tackling issues. Gause also played way off his assignments but recovered well. Rollins wasn’t as active as last week.

Let me first state that Spaz has done a great job this year and Saturday night the game turned on his defensive stars. That said for the second straight year Maryland accumulated a lot of yardage on us. The most frustrating part of the game was that our blitzes were working. We were flustering Turner or actually sacking him. When we gave him even a little time, he was very accurate and moved the ball. Yet we backed off?! I know in part because we were protecting the lead but it is also in Spaz’s nature as a play caller. Play calling is a bit like rock paper scissors. Sometimes I wish Spaz would just keep throwing rock if it is working instead of backing off because he is trying to keep the other guy off balance. I think this especially holds true if the QB on the other side has proven to be accurate when given time.

Special teams: B-

This is why I find our special teams play so confounding. Punt block has been excellent this year. Our fake punts worked to perfection. Saturday night we ran a beautiful fake field goal. All of those types of plays call for special practice, good coaching and good execution. Yet our kickoff coverage remains poor (and that is being generous). It gave Maryland good field position again on Saturday.

The punting was decent.

Gunnell made good decisions on the punt return.

Kick returns were okay. Harris had decent vision.

The hands team made the right decision on the onsides. But I think Maryland helped by kicking it towards our bench where our coaches could shout instructions, read the bounce and scream “let it go!”

Overall: A

This is where the objectivity of this grading system goes out the window. Despite none of the units having their best performance, this team and staff deserve an A. The did the little things and the big things to win this game. This was a heck of a three game run. Now let’s finish the job next week in Tampa.

If I had told you...

-- That we would lose Alex Albright, Clarence Megwa, Brian Toal, James McCluskey, and Chris Crane to season ending injuries
-- That Chris Crane would lead the ACC in turnovers
-- That Montel Harris would be our leading rusher
-- That we would face elimination games in our final three regular season games
-- That Dominique Davis would lead a comeback at Wake Forest
-- That Dominique Davis would start a must win with the ACCCG on the line
-- That we'd allow non-offensive touchdowns against NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech
-- That we would play eight true freshmen
-- That Steve Aponavicius would only make 13 of 20 FG attempts

Would you believe that we would win the Atlantic and now be one game away from winning the ACC?

Hell of a job by Jags.

Tampa here we come!

Wow. Great team effort. Davis and the offense stepped up. The special teams converted a fake FG and the D made another huge, huge play. Hats off to Jags and the staff for pulling off the most unlikely back-to-back division titles in the division play era.

Now it's Hokie time. I'll be harping on this all week, but please BC fans, show up in force next week. You won't regret it.

Second viewing thoughts and grades will be up late Sunday.

In-game comments post: Maryland

Consider this the semi-final round of the unofficial ACC tournament. Win and it is on to Tampa. Davis makes his true debut today and hopefully the BC D caps off a dominant season with one more great performance.


I will not be online during the game. Leave your comments below.

UAB thoughts

We stopped the bleeding and put together a quality win. The best news of the day was Rice broke out of his funk

Likes
-- Second-half rebounding. This team is not talented enough to win games without controlling the boards. The first half was awful as UAB grabbed 8 more rebounds than BC did. Fortunately things improved in the second half mostly due to Southern and Trapani.
-- Rice getting hot. His outburst doesn't mean his slump is over. Team's are going to focus on him but he took over in the second half.
-- Reggie Jackson during crunch time. He fought for rebounds and buried a critical 3.
-- Sanders' scoring. He is still reckless at times, but he gave us some points when we were desperate and his pass to Raji in the zone was perfect.

Dislikes
-- Defensive rotation. The defensive stats don't tell the whole story. UAB missed plenty of open shots. Good shooting teams will kill us if we are so lackadaisical defensively.
-- Our lack of adjustments to Rice coming off the double screens at the top of the key. Clearly teams are going to shoot the big man out and double him. We need something effective out of that set to burn teams who leave one of the screeners open.

This wasn't a banner week for BC basketball. If anything they offset the questionable loss to St. Louis with a nice resume win over UAB. (If Purdue stays in the top 20, that loss won't look as bad.) Now we need to build on the second halfs from MSG, get Rice hot and tear through the non-conference schedule.

Game Watches: Maryland

Tired of turkey? Get out and get some good bar food at your local game watch. If I've missed your local game watch, be sure to post it in the comments section.

Atlanta Game Watch
Famous Pub
2947 N. Druid Hills Rd (Toco Hills Shopping Center)
Atlanta, GA 30329


Chicago Game Watch
Finley Dunnes Tavern
3458 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago



New York City Game Watch
Still
3rd Ave & 17th Street


Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
Phoenix

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St. (cross Broadway)
San Francisco, CA

Tampa Game Watch
Champps Restaurant & Bar
International Plaza and Bay Street
2223 N. West Shore Boulevard
Tampa, FL

Washington, DC Game Watch
Porter's Dining Saloon
The corner of 19th and M, Sts. NW and is walking distance from the Dupont Circle, Farragut North, and Farragut West Metro stations

Purdue pics and other links

Thanks to Joe I for these pictures from the Garden.

The Globe takes a look at Dominique Davis.

The current seniors remember the Syracuse game well.

Matt Ryan is winning over the African American fans in Atlanta. (Thanks to all those who sent along the link.)

BC-Maryland preview

I’ve already rehashed the Syracuse game. Not much needs to be said: it is a different time, different place, different stakes, different team and a different coach. What happens this Saturday will not be because of any jinx or curse. We don’t have Chris Crane, but I think we are all forgetting how much this team accomplished when Crane was giving games away. If Davis can be a “game manager” BC can win.

Narrative talking point that you’ll tire of by the end of the game.
"Maryland is playing spoiler to BC. They can keep the Eagles from heading to Tampa." I think Maryland is past the point of being spoiler. Spoiler means something when you are a losing team or are facing a No.1 type program. While we’ve accomplished more of late, we are still Maryland’s peer. They want to win so they can get to a better bowl and end the season on a high note. I don’t think they are trying to “ruin” our season or help out the Florida State team that crushed them last week.

Three Simple Keys
1. Get to Turner. Florida State had Turner on his back the whole night and the Terps sputtered. Last year as Maryland gashed us, Turner had all the time in the world. We need pressure him early and often.
2. Establish the run. The whole stadium is going to expect us to run. Maryland might as well put 11 in the box. Regardless, we need to move the ball on the ground and take the pressure off of Davis.
3. No special teams’ breakdowns. The blocked punt almost cost us the Wake game. This will probably be a low scoring contest. Any points we hand them could be the difference.

Gambling notes
-- BC hasn’t lost three home games in one season since 2003.
-- Since the ACC expanded Maryland is 7-12 in ACC road games.
-- Maryland has never beaten six ranked teams in one season.
The current line is BC-6.5

Factoid
429 miles separates Chestnut Hill and College Park, Maryland. It is 488 miles from Coral Gables to Tallahassee. Yet no one ever says Miami is out of place in their new conference. Why do we still have to listen to the BC travel costs argument from outsiders?

Scoreboard Watching
We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but pay attention to the Virginia-Virginia Tech game. If the Hokies win, they advance to Tampa. If Virginia wins, Georgia Tech wins the Coastal division.

I hope to see…
Davis succeed. Given how this team has held together all year, I would hate to see the kid meltdown and cost the guys the shot at the conference game.

BC is in trouble if…
Maryland runs the ball well. If the Terps can run, that will eat clock, limit possessions, and keep the score low. It will also reduce the chance for turnovers. Whoever controls the ball and tempo Saturday wins.

Bottom Line
I should be fretting about this game. Worried that we might blow it. Worried that Davis will be terrible. Yet I am optimistic. I think Davis will be okay and the defense will carry the day again.
Final Score: BC 24, Maryland 13

Heyward-Bey status update and other links

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland's best playmaker, is questionable for Saturday.

The defense is ready to pick up the slack Saturday.

Billy Flutie is excited to be on the QB depth chart again.

Everyone's got a piece of advice for Dominique Davis.

BC harped on the defense, but I think our lack of consistent scoring was the issues against Purdue.

Friday the basketball team will play UAB in the third place game of the NIT.

The Michigan media thinks highly of Josh Southern.

BC has offered a scholarship to Florida running back Eddie Rocker.