Down for the count for a bit

As you know, I broke my leg and was out for a while cause of it. But I have just been extra swamped with makeup class work, extra work and just getting things in order. So I am going to shut things down here for a few weeks and see if I can get caught up.

Hope you don't quit on me as I hope to be back blogger soon enough.

Broken Leg

In case you missed it on Twitter, I have been in the hospital all week with a broken leg in 3 spots. I had a rod put in and haven't been able to do much. So thats why I haven't had any updated.

Week 6 Pick 6

And my dabbles in picking games with little success continued for another were here at Towers on the Heights. I have however, had my second consecutive winning record in picking ACC games, but it was still very ugly going 5-5 on the week. I will give myself some credit though, as I actually keep track of my picks and my mediocrity, unlike some of the folks at the Worldwide Leader. Here are my results from last week:

Anyway here are my results from last week:
ACC: 3-2
National: 2-3

Here are my overall records:
ACC: 9-16-0
National: 8-15-2

So once again, here are my picks for this upcoming week ATS, lets see if I can actually have some success, its highly unlikely, but atleast I'm trying.

All Odds taken from USA Today's NCAA Football Odds:
ACC Games (my picks in Bold)
Boston College vs Virginia Tech -13.5
Indiana vs. Virginia -6.5
Duke vs. NC State -14.5
Maryland vs. Wake Forest -10
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State -2.5

National Games (my picks in Bold)
Wisconsin at Ohio State -14.5
Alabama -6.5 at Mississippi
Connecticut at Pittsburgh -9.5
Michigan at Iowa -7.5
Florida -9.5 at LSU

Come back later for an explaination of my BC vs. VT prediction and check out RaycomSports.com Blog Nation for my BC vs. VT game preview.

Eagle Links - Week of 10/4

Here are some of the links from the papers, articles and blogosphere from the past few:

October 8th:
Herald - Luke Kuechly Defying Odds
Herald - Eagles Show Up Critics
Herald - FSU President: Bowden's Job Safe For Now
Globe - BC Making Experts Look Foolish
WEEI - VTech Preview
Roanoke Times - Tranquill Unretires to Coach Offense
TechSideline.com - Game Preview
GobblerCountry.com - What to Watch vs BC
MetroWest Daily News - Kuechly a Freshman Sensation

October 7th:
Globe - No. 5 Hokies Need to Focus with BC Ahead
Washington Post - Anyone's Guess in ACC Atlantic
Washington Post - Hokies Will Need Balance Against Eagles
Roanoke Times - VTech Defense Looks to Cut Down on Big Plays

October 6th:
ACC Sports Journal - ACC Power Rankings
ESPN - BC's Shinskie Just Getting Warmed Up
ESPNBoston - Herzlich Love Being Around Team
Herald - Virginia Breathes a Little Easier
Herald - Trustee:Bobby Bowden Must Go

October 5th:
Globe - BC Finding Ways to Win
Herald - BC Flying into True Test
BC Receiving Votes in both Polls

HUGE PROPS to CSOM_97 from the Rival.com site EagleAction's Message Boards, for compiling these links! Thanks.

Come back late for my predictions!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - FSU Game

Hey here we are, the Monday heading into the Virginia Tech game, sitting at 4-1 overall and 2-1 in conference. There aren't many fans out there who predicted BC would be this good thus far. I was really skeptical about this team but I have been proven wrong. The Eagles are going to continue to win as long as they continue to recruit the BC type of player that they have been recruiting for years. Now to look back at the FSU game:

The Good:

• David Shinskie has put his best foot forward and has claimed that Starting QB spot.
• Montel Harris looked as good as ever
• The Offensive line dominated the game, they way we expected from the start of the season
• Colin Larmond is a diamond in the ruff. Wow, we got ourselves a good one here.
• Luke Kuechly is showing us that he is a top linebacker who should be on the field at all times
• The end of the 1st half downpour, right when FSU was driving. Couldn't have happened at a better time.
  
• Gary Tranquill's 1st half play calling. Great job at switching it up and keeping the 'Noles on their heels. No just do it for the whole game.
• ESPN's Mark Herzlich Tribute. Not a dry eye on the gameday site!
  

The Bad:

• The second half. Blew another big lead. Can't do that against a team like Virginia Tech.
• Zone Blitz. We did this the whole second half and it didn't work. Need to work on it.
• Fumbles. Very troublesome. The last thing we can afford to do it give free posessions to the other team.
• The Defensive Backs. They get a partial pass because the defensive line is anemic at rushing the passer and they can't cover all day, but they got to pick it up a little.
  
• The crowd at kickoff. Mark Herzlich addressed the crowd prior to the game but the stadium was half empty. Very embarassing for such a big game.

The Ugly:

• The 3rd quarter. Only 2 pass players for Dave Shinskie after he had such a great 1st half? Enough "playing not to lose."
• The Pass rush. Any half decent QB will tear this defense apart with that much time in the pocket. Got to get a little pressure.
• Kickoffs. Kick the ball deep, I don't care if god is returning kicks. Giving them the ball at the 40+ yardline for free every drive is pointless. Atleast make them earn it.
• Kickoff returns. Jeff Smith had a good offensive touchdown but his time returning kicks should come to a close. He is afraid of any human contact and should just be used as a speed guy on offense.

All in all, there is plenty to improve on as a team, but you can't complain about the effort. The team leaves it all on the field every game and that is a great quality. The Eagles have a lot of positives to build on and they will have a MAJOR test next weekend at Lane Stadium vs. the Hokies. Go Eagles!!

BC vs. FSU - My Pick

This week, I have decided that I am going to give you guys a deeper look at my pick for the BC game. This weeks game, at home vs. FSU is a really confusing one to me, specifically because FSU has been so unpredictable this year. They played very well in a loss against a much improved Miami team, they then looked TERRIBLE while barely winning vs. a weak Jacksonville State team, then they proceeded to make one of the best BYU teams ever look like a FCS team and finally look brutal against South Florida. Who knows what is going to happen.

I personally, think it is going to be a very close game, especially now that the forecast calls for a 60%-80% chance of rain. The run games will be showcased and the team that can stop the run will probably win the game. That is one reason why I am kind of worried. BC's run defense has been alright, but it has been nothing special. However,I think the improvement we will see in Mike McLaughlin will really help out the Eagles.

All the hype around Gameday coming to Boston, and Mark Herzlich could help the Eagles come out flying and not let up all game or it could be a distraction, pump FSU and they Eagles could get blown out. There are too many variables for me in this game which is why I am not confident about this game at all.

Prediction: FSU 24, BC 21

Week 5 Pick 5

Once again yours truely, was truely bad with his picks last week. But to my credit, I did pick BC right and was their really anyone outside of the USF fans who thought that they would beat an FSU team that just blew out a good BYU team.

Anyway here are my results from last week:
ACC: 3-2
National: 1-4

Here are my overall records:
ACC: 6-14
National: 6-12-2

So here we go again, if you are actually betting on a game, all you need to do is pick the opposite of what I pick and you got a sure thing!

All Odds taken from USA Today's NCAA Football Odds:
ACC Games (my picks in Bold)
Clemson -13 at Maryland
Virginia Tech -15.5 at Duke
Florida State -5 at Boston College
NC State at Wake Forest Pick 'em
Oklahoma -7 at Miami (Fl.)

National Games (my picks in Bold)
Southern Cal -6 at California
Auburn at Tennessee -2
Air Force at Navy -3.5
Penn State -6 at Illinois
UCLA at Stanford -5

Come back tomorrow for my game preview and links!! Go Eagles!

Eagle Links: 9/30

Well it was a good weekend for the Eagles last weekend, getting their first ACC win under their belt, albeit in dramatic fashion, getting some very good QB play and having someone put their best foot forward in the competition, and last of all finding out that College Gameday was going to be coming to Chestnut Hill this weekend and doing a huge tribute for Mark Herzlich.

Speaking of Gameday, BC has announced the parking procedures for this weekend, and everyone with a parking pass will be allowed to park on capus and attend the live show (just no tailgating during that time).

ESPN has released a "guide" for what to do in Boston on this Gameday weekend. Its alright for the outside, but its meh for the people from around the area.

BC has released their Depth Chart for the Florida State game and there are two key changes on it this week. Luke Kuechly has moved from the inside to the outside (good news because he needs to be on the field as much as possible) and Shinkie has been named the stater (although Spaz says he will be playing both QBs).

HD gives us a nice little look into the game vs FSU this weekend.

Florida State (2-2) at Boston College (3-1) (ABC/ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET)

The series: FSU leads, 4-3-0.

Last time: Boston College won, 27-17, in 2008.

At stake: Florida State’s direction this season. Which way are the Noles going to go, down or up? How will they respond to the loss to South Florida? BC proved it can overcome some of its deficiencies by playing smart, disciplined football and isn’t going to back down with College GameDay in the house to honor Mark Herzlich. If FSU loses for the third time this season, things could come unraveled in Tallahassee. And considering the way both teams played last week, anything is possible.

Of note: FSU defensive back Greg Reid ranks 18th nationally in punt returns averaging 15.7 per return. He also has averaged 25.8 yards on 10 kickoff returns and has returned an interception for a score. BC quarterback Dave Shinskie became the first Eagles quarterback to throw three touchdown passes in a single game since Matt Ryan did it against Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28, 2007.

Today we just found out, Mark Herzlich is 99% cancer free! How great is that! Keep up the good fight Mark, we are all pulling for you!

Go Eagles!

Gameday to BC!

The Gameday Crew is actually "coming to your city," and I am pumped! Should be a great day of tailgating, fun and football at Chestnut Hill! Be there early, Bring your signs!!! Go Eagles!

BC-Wake Forest Game Recap

BC vs. Wake Forest - SB Nation Game Page

Game Recap

Box Score

Today, the Eagles were played the Demon Deacons in one of the key ACC games for BC. It was one of the best days of the fall thus far, in front of a packed house. Yes, I said it a packed house at Alumni stadium. You don't usually hear that about Alumni, but today was different. It was parents' weekend and all the parents are in town to visit there kids and most of the decided to head on over to the game. Boy was it awesome to see, they showed up, filled the stadium and most importantly they were loud and actually made a lot of noise. Once of the best crowds at BC in a long time!

For my whole game recap check out my Fan Post on BC Interruption.

Quick Thoughts: BC holds off Wake in OT

Just got back from the game and all I can say is WOW! The Eagles had a 24-10 lead with 5 minutes left and they let Wake come back an tie it with some great play by Riley Skinner. Then the Eagles got the ball to start the OT and were held to a FG. When Wake got the ball the got two big plays right away of 11 and 9 yards to get the ball down to BC 3 yard line. That is where things changed, BC packed the box, forced Skinner out of the pocket and stripped him. Wes Davis then recovered the fumble and the Eagles held on!!!

Quick Thoughts:
-Let me start my thoughts off by saying the crowd was awesome. It was parents weekend and Alumni was packed, there were a few seats in the upper corner of the upper deck in the Endzones but thats it. The place was full. Not only that but they made a lot of noise, especially in overtime when the defense needed it. It was the best crowd I have experienced in a while!
-Shikie played pretty well. He struggled with overthrowing receivers in the first half, but settled down and played very well after. He had a touchdown taken off the board because of a dumb holding penalty by Matt Tennant.
-Defensive Line was AWFUL. They played awful in EVERY ASPECT of the game. Couldn't stop the run for the life of them, couldn't get any pressure on the cornerback which allowed Wake to comeback in the 4th. The need to play 10 times better if we want to have a chance again FSU.
-Mike McLaughlin was back but you could tell he was very rusty. He made a few tackles, but he didn't have that "I'm Mike McLaughlin and I'm going to rip your head off with this tackle" attitude and was a little slow. I suspect this will get better with time.
-The Offensive line had a very good first 3 quarters, but was very bad when we needed them in the 4th quarter and OT. They were getting stood up by a much smaller Wake Forest defensive line and its disheartening to see them playing this bad.
-Luke Keuchly needs to be on the field more. I don't care if BC needs to switch to a 3-4 to get him on the field with Mike McLaughlin. The kid is too good to be sitting on the sidelines.
-The Kicking game was very good. Apo hit all of his kicks. Quigley did very good on Punts and he was also kicking the ball off to the endzone every time. Much improved and it is a very good thing.

All in all, a win is a win and this was an important ACC win. The Eagles get FSU next week and it will be another huge game. If they can keep improving they have a chance to win the game and thats all that you can ask. Lets just hope the fans are as good next week as they were this week because we are going to need them!

GO EAGLES!

BC - Wake Forest Preview

I have written up my preview for the game. If interested check it out on the Raycom Sports Blognation under the Eagle Bloggers section!!!

Wake Forest vs. BC - Game Preview

Go Eagles beat Wake!!!

Week 4 Pick 5

Sorry guys, have been extra busy with my classwork this week so I haven't been able to update until now but I wouldn't miss out on a chance to make my weekly picks! So lets take a look at how I did last week:
ACC: 1-4
National: 3-1-1

Once again I was brutal in the ACC, so pick the opposite of what I pick. But I finally made some progress in the national scene!Overall I am:
ACC: 3-12
National: 5-8-2

So lets take a look at my picks for this week, so you can figure out who NOT to pick.

All Odds taken from USA Today's NCAA Football Odds:
ACC Games (my picks in bold)
South Florida at Florida State -14
North Carolina at Georgia Tech -2.5
Wake Forest -2.5 at Boston College
TCU at Clemson -3
Miami -2 at Virginia Tech

National Games (my picks in bold)
California -7 at Oregon
Fresno State at Cincinnati -15
Iowa at Penn State -10
Washington at Stanford -7
Notre Dame -8.5 at Purdue

These you have it. Come back tomorrow for my Knowing your Enemy series and a preview! Go Eagles!

Know your Oppoents: Clemson Tiges Defense and Special Teams

In continuing what I strated in part one of this series, today I am going to take a look at the Clemson Defensive side of the ball and their Special Teams. Lets just right into things by looking at the Clemson defense.

Defensive Line: The Clemson defensive line is definitely one of the strengths of the Tiger team. Lead by heralded defensive end Ricky Sapp, the Tigers can get pressure on the QB and stuff the run. Last weekend vs. Georgia Tech, the Clemson comeback was led by defensive tackles Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson. So even though Sapp gets the most notoriety, these guys are no slouches by any means. Sapp will be complimented by Da'Quan Bowers at the other defensive end position.

Linebackers: If there is any weakness on the Clemson defense Linebacker would probably be that weakness. This corp is led by sophomore Middle Linebacker Brandon Maye, who a big, athletic, quick guy who is all over the field. He is flanked on the field by Will Linebacker Kavell Conner and Strong Side Linebacker Kevin Alexander. They are both good players, but they aren't guys who will blow you away with their skill.

Defensive Backs: The Clemson defensive backfield is led by strong safety DeAndre McDaniel. He is a big hitter and he is their leading tackler and also leads the team on defense in interceptions. He plays alongside free safety Marcus Gilchrist. Those two play in the inside while cornerbacks Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler play on the outside. Chancellor is a 5th year senior and is a great cover corner who will get the occasional interception. It will be in Boston College's best interest in throwing the ball to the other side of the field at Butler's side.

Now we are going to take a look at the dynamic special teams that Clemson puts out on the field.

Kicker: Junior kicker Richard Jackson is starting for the first time since coming to Clemson he have been good thus far this year hitting 5 of 7 kicks but he has yet to have to kick in a pressure situation. His inexperience as a starter and lack of experience in pressure situations must be alarming to Clemson fans.

Punter: Dawson Zimmerman has been decent for Clemson this year. Averaging 36.3 yards per punt in 8 punts this year. He will need to get a little more yardage however, once we get into ACC play.

Kickoff/Punt Returns: The dynamic duo of C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford are what make this part of the game very scary for opposing teams. Both of them having blazing speed who can break "the big one" on every kickoff/punt are a huge threat and make teams have to plan around kicking off to them.

There is your look at the Clemson Tigers! Hopefully you gained at least a little bit of knowledge for the game this weekend, but either way it was still fun researching this stuff. Go Eagles!

Week 3 Pick 5

Last week was an improvement on the first week (Had no where to go but up) but it was still very ugly. Happily, the ACC teams on the field didn't look as bad as they did in week one! Here is a look at my records from last week:
ACC: 2-3
National: 2-2-1

Overall I am:
ACC: 2-8
National: 2-7-1

So lets take a look at my picks for this week, so you can figure out who NOT to pick.

All Odds taken from USA Today's NCAA Football Odds:
ACC Games (my picks in bold)
East Carolina at North Carolina -7
Boston College at Clemson -7
Nebraska at Virginia Tech -3
Florida State at Brigham Young -6
Middle Tennessee State at Maryland -7

National Games (my picks in bold)
Michigan State at Notre Dame -11.5
Boise State -10 at Fresno State
Utah at Oregon -4
California -14 at Minnesota
Tennessee at Florida -27.5

Once again, lets hope atleast one right this week!! GO EAGLES!

Know Your Opponents: Clemson Tigers Offense

This Saturday our Eagles travel down to Clemson, SC and Death Valley to play Atlantic Division foe. The Eagles (2-0) are coming off two big victory's over weak opponents while the Clemson Tigers (1-1) are coming in off of an ACC loss vs. Georgia Tech. Although they are coming off a loss they are still a very good and will be a great test for the Eagles. However, this blog post is going to be the beginning of a new series where we take a look at our opponent in a very in-depth manner.

First we are going to take a look at the offensive side of the ball for the Clemson offense.
Quarterback: Out of the summer, the Clemson Tigers announced that Red-Shirt Freshman Kyle Parker had won the quarterback competition beating out Sophomore Willy Korn. Parker is a pro-style quarterback who has a very strong arm and can make the deep throw very well. He struggles with pressure as he is still adjusting to the speed of College Football and if you can get pressure on him you may be able to force him into a few mistakes. However, if you let him sit in the pocket and let him find his receivers he can make you pay.

Running Backs: C.J. Spiller is the main guy in the backfield and he isa huge threat for all defenses in the league. He is a dynamic back with insane speed who has gotten better at running the ball between the tackles and who can also catch the ball for the big play. Spiller is a game changer and is definitely someone the Eagles need to contain and not allow him to change the game. Jamie Harper is Spiller's backup but he won't see the field that much unless Spiller gets hurt or the offense is really ineffective.

Fullback: With a back like Spiller back there you won't see many, if any carries from the fullback Rendrick Taylor, but he play a big role in blocking and opening up holes for Spiller. As we know, all C.J. Spiller needs is the smallest of holes to make a huge play so he is a key player in the Tigers offense when he is on the field.

Wide Receivers: The Tigers suffered a huge blow this week when they found out Junior Wide Receiver Xavier Dye has left their football team. He was one of the few players who had much experience catching the ball outside of Jacoby Ford. While Ford is another one of those burners who can use his speed to kill you and make plays on the field, this allows the Eagles defensive backs to key in on him and slow him down. Clemson is going to need some of their younger receivers like Terrance Ashe, Brandon Clear and Marquan Jones to step up to help out Kyle Parker and fill in the void left by the loss of Dye.

Tight End: This position may help the Tigers stabilize the loss of Dye a little bit because they get a lot of experience and leadership out of Senior Michael Palmer and they are going to need all of what he brings to help offset the inexperience at the Wide Receiver position.

Offensive Line: The Clemson Tigers offensive line is probably going to be one of the biggest keys of the game. Their performance could win or lose them the game. Last year the offensive line was definitely the weak point of the Clemson team and last week they were man-handled by the Georgia Tech defensive line in the 1st half before they improved two-fold in the second half. If they play well and give Kyle Parker time to throw and open holes for C.J. Spiller to run they will most likely win the game. But if they allow BC to get pressure on the QB and stuff the run they may be in trouble. Left Guard Thomas Austin is probabl their team leader on the line, as he is their lone 5th year Senior on the line. Left Tackle Chris Hairston is the only on upperclassmen on the line (Junior) as Center Mason Cloy, Right Guard Antoine McClain and Right Tackle Landon Walker are all Sophomore's and are all the reason why we don't know what we will get.

Clemson's offensive keys to the Game:
1. Get the Ball to C.J. Spiler: He is their best offensive player and he needs to have the ball as much as possible with as many opportunities to make that big play, as possible.
2. Offensive Line: As stated above the Tigers have been inconsistant, at best, on the offensive line and they are going to need to get rid of the inconsistantcy and open up holes and give Parker time to throw if they want to win.
3. Hold on to the ball: BC's secondary is know to have a bunch of ball hawkers back there and the defense has been in the top 5 in interceptions for the past 3 years, so Parker is going to need to be careful and avoid turnovers for Clemson to win the game.

Come back tomorrow for a look at the Clemson Tigers Defense and Special Teams! Go Eagles!

Eagle Links: 9/16

Lets take a quick look at whats going on in the BC world today:

The Globe is a little behind on the rest of the BC world reporting the Eagles landed Shakim Phillips. Hey, atleast they reported it!

The Heights headline "The real fun starts Saturday" is just PERFECT! I couldn't have said it any better. I cannot wait for the Eagles to show they can play a little bit.

Not BC related but the Yankees may just be hosting a bowl game. Hey who knows it may open up the path to more Cold Weather bowl games....not!

Usually Woman's Soccer is something that gets overlooked but not this time. This Friday the Eagles Woman's Soccer team will be holding a fundraiser for ALS. Always a good cause!

ATL has a nice little preview and questionnaire with a guest Clemson Blogger. You would never guess this, but once again the lack of BC speed comes up (rollseyes).

Here is a short little preview from the College Gameday guys:


I will be back tomorrow with my predictions and I will also be taking an in-depth look at the Clemson Tigers!

Eagle Links: 9/15

Its been a few days since the Eagles improved to 2-0 on the young season by beating the Kent State Gold Flashes and there have been some good articles on the team and some other news. Here goes it:

The Boston College Marketing did something right for the 1st time in a long while. They started a Game Experience video series and it is a great look at some of the behind the scenes stuff that happens on Gameday. Definitely something I will look out for after each game.

BC found out the kickoff time for the Wake game was at 2 PM EST, but they also found out some bad news for that. They game will only be on ESPN360.com meaning many BC fans will be unable to watch for the third time in four weeks. ATLEagle.com takes a look at the downside of ESPN360 on the blog.

Today the Eagles got a huge announcement from one of their 2010 Targets. Shakim Phillis big Wide Receiver out of New Jersey committed to the Eagles. Shakim is Rivals.com 37th overall ranked recruit and the 5th best Wide Receiver recruit. If he signs a LOI in the Fall this is huge for BC.

The Globe actually thinks BC should stick with 2 quarterbacks. I for one don't, but hey you can't argue with results thus far.

Clemson put out some really great notes on the BC-Clemson game. Might be the biggest game of the year for these two schools.

BC at Notre Dame this year is actually a very pricey ticket due to the fact that so many people care about the game. But wait I thought Notre Dame hated everything that goes along with BC?? Oh wait, they just hate getting beat by the Eagles.

BC released their Clemson Depth Chart and Nathan Richman has taken the Starting Left Guard spot from Emmett Cleary. Hopefully this helps the line pick up their mediocre play thus far.

The #10 Ranked and undefeated BC field hockey team improved to 6-0 with a 7-1 win over Monmouth. The Eagles get Maryland, the defending national champion on Sunday in Newton.

The #10 Woman's team also improved to 6-0 with a 4-0 win over Long Beach State.

The Men's soccer team looks to get back on the right track after beating Fairfield this afternoon.

Go Eagles!

BC vs. Clemson - The ACC's Least Known Rivalry

Check it out over on Raycom Sports Blog Nation!

http://bostoncollege.raycomsports.com/blog/2009/09/13/boston-college-vs-clemson-the-accs-least-known-rivalry/

Eagle Links to come later today! Go Eagles!

ACC had a decent day

After the brutal week the ACC had last weekend, the ACC had a better weekend this weekend, albeit you couldn't get much worse. The ACC for the most part took care of business this week.

UNC won an ugly game 12-10 vs. UConn with a last minute safety on a holding call in the end zone.
Wake Forest turned things around this week coming from behind to beat Stanford 24-17.
Duke found its offense at took out Army 35-19.
Virginia Tech absolutely smoked Marshall 52-10.
BC of course beat Kent State 34-7.
Florida State almost suffered one of the biggest upsets this century being down 9-7 to Jacksonville State with under a minute left but they ended up winning 19-9.
Maryland also alomst suffered a big upset against another FCS team but wound up beating James Madison 38-35 in OT.
NC State pounded FCS Murray State 65-7.

The only blemish on the ACC's record this week was Virginia losing again 30-14, although this team it was expects against TCU.

Many of the games may not have been pretty but you can't argue with the fact that the ACC going 8-1 this weekend wasn't an improvement after the debacle last weekend.

BC vs. Kent State Preview

You can find my preview for tomorrow game over on Raycom Sports blog nation!

Kent State at Boston College Game Preview

Check it out!

Week 2 Pick 5

Last week wasn't a good week for me or anyone in the ACC. I struggled mightly with my predictions but I did as bad as Duke or Virginia (yikes!). Here was my record last week:
ACC: 0-5
National: 0-5

Well if last week was a judge on how I would do this year then don't use my picks for anything but lets see if we can turn it around this week.

All Odds taken from USA Today's NCAA Football Odds:
ACC Games (my picks in bold)
Clemson at Georgia Tech -4.5
North Carolina -3.5 vs. Connecticut
Stanford vs. Wake Forest -1.5
Kent State vs. Boston College -19
TCU -12 vs. Virginia

National Games (my picks in bold)
Notre Dame -4.5 vs. Michigan
Vanderbilt vs. LSU -14
Miami (OH.) vs. Boise State -36
UCLA vs. Tennessee -9
Southern Cal -6 vs. Ohio State

There you have them. Lets hope I get atleast 1 right this week (BC vs. Kent State). GO EAGLES!

Eagle Links 9/8

Sorry for the minor impasse in posting, I was busy enjoying the rest of my labor day weekend after the huge win on Saturday. Back in the full swing of classes and such (and it sucks but you just gotta push through). But there were some good things being said about BC and its potential (because that's all we can comment on after playing an opponent like Northeastern.

Unlike some people, Scout.com actually has a going to a bowl (albeit the EagleBank bowl in DC) vs. Army in their Week 1 bowl projections. Hey, one step at a time.

Kent State's QB is very confident about beating BC next week. He is also very ignorant about the defense at the Heights, remember its not about who you lose, its about who you bring in to replace those losses. Good to see the Kent State coach showing some respect though.

Blaudshun thinks BC might actually be a contender again? Really, I could of swore this was the guy who thought BC wouldn't win a game and should move back to the ACC. Maybe he is being forced to change his tone?

HD also had some nice things to say about BC for a change. We all love to hate on her a lot but she is finally showing some respect to what happens here at BC.

Both QBs will be playing against Kent State and possibly after that. Spaz sticks with the old motto of "If it ain't broke." Hey, I can't decide who was the better QB after last week either.

Some BC fans on USCHO.com fan forums pieced together the BC hockey schedule in its entirety. It may not be perfect but its better than nothing. (Thanks to J.D. whoever you are).

Date Opponent Time Note
Sun 10/04/2009 St. Francis Xavier (ex)
Fri 10/09/2009 US Under-18 Team (ex) 7:00 ET
Sat 10/17/2009 @ Vermont 7:05 ET
Fri 10/23/2009 @ Notre Dame (nc) 7:35 ET
Fri 10/30/2009 Merrimack 7:00 ET
Sun 11/01/2009 @ Merrimack 4:00 ET
Fri 11/06/2009 @ New Hampshire 7:00 ET
Sat 11/07/2009 Northeastern 7:00 ET
Sat 11/14/2009 Vermont 7:00 ET
Sun 11/15/2009 Vermont 4:00 ET
Fri 11/20/2009 @ Maine 7:00 ET
Sat 11/21/2009 @ Maine 7:00 ET
Fri 11/27/2009 Clarkson (nc) 4:00 ET
Tue 12/01/2009 Merrimack 7:00 ET
Sat 12/05/2009 @ Boston University 7:00 ET
Wed 12/09/2009 @ Harvard (nc) 7:00 ET
Sat 12/12/2009 @ Providence 7:00 ET
Fri 01/01/2010 vs St. Lawrence (nc) 4:35 MT (1)
Sat 01/02/2010 @ Denver (nc) 7:05 MT (1)
Fri 01/08/2010 vs. Boston University 7:30 ET (2)
Sun 01/10/2010 Providence
Fri 01/15/2010 Maine 7:00 ET
Fri 01/22/2010 Boston University 7:30 ET
Sat 01/23/2010 @ Mass.-Lowell 7:00 ET
Fri 01/29/2010 Providence 7:00 ET
Mon 02/01/2010 vs Harvard (nc) 5:00 ET (3)
Fri 02/05/2010 @ Massachusetts 7:00 ET
Mon 02/08/2010 vs Northeastern/BU (nc) 5:00/8:00 ET (3)
Fri 02/12/2010 @ Mass.-Lowell 7:00 ET
Sat 02/13/2010 Mass.-Lowell 7:00 ET
Fri 02/19/2009 @ Northeastern 7:00 ET
Sat 02/20/2009 Northeastern 7:00 ET
Fri 02/26/2010 Massachusetts 7:00 ET
Sat 02/27/2010 @ Massachusetts 7:00 ET
Fri 03/05/2010 @ New Hampshire 7:00 ET
Sat 03/06/2010 New Hampshire 7:00 ET

(1) - Denver Cup (Denver, CO)
(2) - Fenway
(3) - Beanpot (Boston, MA)

One last thing. I have been invited to blog over at Raycom Sports.com as they are adding a blog nation there this year. You guys should all check it out as it will be me and a few other BC bloggers so it should be great. Here is the link: http://bostoncollege.raycomsports.com/blog/

Gameday!!

Its finally here. Boston College Gameday is upon us and we are going to get to see our Eagles on the field again. The Eagles open up the season with the Northeastern Huskies here at Alumni Stadium. They hope to start the season off well and make some decisions on players at different positions. The Eagles are clearly more talented than Northeastern but here are my keys to the game:

1. Offensive Line must dominate. It is our biggest strength. We have a bunch of monsters there and 2 great running backs and they have to protect an inexperienced quarterback so we need them take control of the game.
2. No turnovers. If BC can keep the ball, their talent level will show and they will take over the game even if they are young. The QBs need to take this part of the game to heart and we can be success.
3. Wide Recievers. They need to cover for the inexperience at QB and make some good catches. They cannont drop the ball and they must get yards after the catch to help our QBs out.

If BC can do those things they should win easily!

GO EAGLES!! GO HERZY!

One Day to Game Day

We are almost there, less than 24 hours away from the 2009 Boston College Football season opener vs. Northeastern. I am glad it is finally here and it couldn't have come fast enough after this brutal offseason the Eagles have had. Amid the firing of our coach, hiring of Coach Spaz, a rash of injuries, having our stud DTs drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, losing our best player to cancer, the transfer of our only QB with experience and the bringing in of a 25 year old former minor league pitcher to compete for that QB job, the season is FINALLY here. Here are some links to keep you in the loop before the season starts:

HD posted all of the injury reports released by ACC teams for this opening weekend. Not surprisingly none of them come anywhere near the severity of the Eagles one.
For those of you who don't like links:

BOSTON COLLEGE

LB Will Thompson (shoulder) - OUT

LB Mike McLaughlin (Achilles) - OUT

FB James McCluskey (Achilles) - OUT

WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee) - OUT

DT Kaleb Ramsey (ankle) - DOUBTFUL

OT Rich Lapham (neck) - DOUBTFUL

FB Alexander DiSanzo (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE

QB Dave Shinskie (rib) - PROBABLE

The students will be out in full force tomorrow, not only in their normal bring "gold" superfan shirts but also wearing eye black in honor of Mark Herzlich. I for one can't wait to give Herzy a standing ovation tomorrow but what the students are doing is going to awesome.

TOB and crew laid a HUGE egg on national TV in front of the whole world to open the season. I am disappointed that it makes the ACC look worse but I couldn't feel anymore "pride" in South Carolina for absolutely schooling TOB. Go Gamecocks (for one night anyway).

Great article this morning by Ron Borges about Spaz and him finally getting a real chance to coach the Eagles. I couldn't be happier that a true BC guy like Coach Spaz is actually getting a chance to be a head coach rather than some puppet looking for to boost his resume.

The Eagles got a big boost yesterday when Red-Shirt freshman Alexander DiSanzo was back at practice. He is still listed as questionable (as you can see above) but it is good to see its possible he could play especially due to the lack of depth we have there no with all the injuries.

The Globe actually has a great article on Steve Aponavicius and his legacy of being the fan who made the team to his earning the starting kicking role this year after not even being sure if he would be asked back for a 5th year.

Good article in Colin Larmond's home newspaper about his story and his rise to the top of the depth chart here at BC.

Now we are down to 22 hours and counting and I know Eagle Nation couldn't be more excited because of the tumultuous offseason. GO EAGLES!

Week 1 College Football Picks

Each week I am going to be predicting the results of 5 ACC games and 5 National Games each week. I will keep track of my record and if enough people get involved I would even keep track your your picks and maybe even give out a prize for the winner. But we need some people to play in the comment section below. YOU MUST PICK THE SAME GAMES I PICK OR NONE OF YOUR PICKS WILL COUNT!

All Odds are taken from USA Today's odds page.
ACC Games (My Picks in Bold):
Alabama -5.5 vs. Virginia Tech
Maryland vs. Califorina -21.5
Baylor vs. Wake Forest -2.5
Middle Tennessee State vs. Clemson -20.5
Miami vs. Florida State -3.5

National Games (My Picks in Bold):
Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma -21
Connecticut -3 vs. Ohio
Missouri vs. Illinois -6
Georgia vs. Oklahoma State -5.5
Minnesota -6 vs. Syracuse

There you have it. My week one picks for both 5 ACC games and 5 national games. I will be back next week with the results and some new picks!

Eagle Links: 9/3

Well there is a bunch of other news in the BC world outside of the Jagodzinski news so lets get to it:

Former BC linebacker Robert Francois, unfortunately didn't make the next round of cuts on the Detroit Lions squad. He was released as all NFL teams are trying to get down to the required number of players before the season starts. Its unfortunate but hopefull Ro-Fran uses it as a motivator and plays himself on to another team somewhere.

Former Boston College Defensive Back Mike Mayock has been selected to represent BC in the ACC Championship Game Legends Class. Mayock was an outstanding defensive back here at BC, earning 3rd Team All-American honors his senior year and intercepting 12 passes over his 4 year career at BC. Congrats Mike.

And the injury train continues here at BC. DiSanzo is the newest Eagle on the injury list. DiSanzo, a reshirt freshman, was scheduled to start at weak side linebacker vs. Northeastern is now out. Dan Williams looks to be the likely replacement. Boy BC is lucky to start the year vs. Northeastern.

The Globe has another good piece on all of the uncertainty at many positions going into this year. Writer Mark Blaudschun takes a look at the unaswered Quarterback, Linebacker, Defensive and Offensive line questions. Like I said above, boy is it good to start the year vs. Northeastern.

Anthony Coastonzo has become a rock on the BC Offensive line, starting 28 games in his first 2 seasons here at BC. The Herald takes a look at Castonzo and his growth as a player.

#16 Women's soccer did themselves right, shutting out the BU Terriers 2-0 for their second win of the season.

We will end it with CollegeHoops.net preview of the Basketball team this year. I think they are seriously under estimating the team this year but who knows. Not to mention who would ever accept to go to the CBI?

Join me later today for my Week 1 predictions!

Jeff Jagodzinski fired as OC in Tampa

Now this is probably the first decent news us BC fans have gotten all year. Sure it sucks basking in someones failures but this couldn't have happened to a better guy. I feel bad for this guys family because they don't deserve this but he really does. He did EVERYTHING in his power to get out of his job at BC, he back stabbed the guy who took a huge risk in him (Gene D) and he gave up on the BC program.

Here is the official press release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers announced today that they have dismissed Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski.

Quarterbacks Coach Greg Olson has been promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Jagodzinski was named the Buccaneers offensive coordinator on January 29, 2009. He came to Tampa Bay after two years (2007-2008) as the head coach at Boston College. Prior to his stint at Boston College, Jagodzinski served as the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and spent the two seasons (2004-2005) prior to that on the staff of the Atlanta Falcons.

Olson joined the Buccaneers as quarterbacks coach in 2008 and was retained when the team promoted Raheem Morris to head coach. Olson previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2005 and the St. Louis Rams from 2006-07. He has also previously served as the quarterbacks coach for the Lions, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers.

Head Coach Raheem Morris was set to address these moves at a press conference at One Buccaneer Place at 12:00 p.m. ET. That press conference will be carried live on Buccaneers.com.

Jagodzinski Dismissed

Who knows what Jagodzinski does next but we know one thing is for sure he won't be coming back to BC.

2009 ACC Football Predictions Part 3

(Let me preface this saying, these are preseason predictions, I'm having fun with it. Although VT fans probably hate me now)

Here for the 3rd and final part of my short series taking a look at the ACC and making predictions for this football season. In this editions I am going to take a look at the ACC title game and make a prediction on that. Then I am going to take a look at the bowl eligible teams this year in the ACC and figure out who is going to go to what bowl.

In my two previous parts of this series I predicted the results of the standings in both the Atlantic and Coastal divisions in the ACC. In those I also had two definitive winners in each of those divisions. In the Atlantic I had Florida State finishing 9-3 at a 6-2 clip in the ACC alone at the top and In the Coastal Division I had Virginia Tech at 11-1 with a undefeated season in the ACC and battling to make the National Championship game.

So in my ACC Championship game we would have 2 highly ranked teams playing in the title game. If Florida State wins they could help the ACC in a huge way allowing two ACC teams to get to the BCS but if Virginia Tech would win the game it could send them to the BCS National Championship game, although they would likely knock FSU out of a BCS game. Both would be a great for the ACC but I think having 2 teams in the BCS would be better, as long as they both won. However, My Prediction: Virginia Tech beats Florida State 24-14.


I think Virignia Tech's win in the ACC will be good enough to get them to the National Title, yes I am calling it now. Now onto the other bowl projections, in my other predictions, I have 9 teams bowl eligible (6-6 or better, unless you have played 2 games vs. D-1AA teams). Here is how I think the teams will go to bowl games after Virginia Tech:
GMAC Bowl - Boston College
EagleBank Bowl - NC State
Emerald Bowl - Wake Forest
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Miami (FL)
Music City Bowl - Clemson
Champs Sports Bowl - Georgia Tech
Gator Bowl - North Carolina
Chick-fil-A Bowl - Florida State

And thats how I think it goes this year in the ACC, an impressive 9 bowl eligible teams, hopefully a 7-2 or 6-3 record in those bowl games with Virginia Tech headlining it with a National Title for our conference!

Come back tomorrow for a breakdown of BC's schedule and my game by game predictions to go along with my Week 1 ACC predictions that I will be doing all year long.

2009 ACC Football Predictions Part 2

Back for part 2 of my three part series where I am taking a look at the ACC and making my predictions on how I think things will fall. In this edition we will be taking a look at the Coastal division and their OOC and Atlantic division opponents and predicting how they will finish this year.

The Coastal Division once again looks to be the better division of the 2, starting the season with 3 ranked teams to the Atlantic Division's 1. Many think that Virginia Tech also has a chance to compete for the National Title and think Georgia Tech and UNC are clear threats to make a BCS bowl. We will have to wait and see but this division looks very strong. Here is a look at the teams in the Coastal and a quick peek at their OOC schedule and the games against the Atlantic teams:
Duke:
OCC Schedule: vs. Richmond, at Army, at #25 Kansas, vs. North Carolina Central
vs. Atlantic: at North Carolina State, vs. Maryland, vs. Wake Forest

Georgia Tech:
OOC Schedule: vs. Jacksonville State, at Mississippi State, at Vanderbilt, vs. #13 Georgia
vs. Atlantic: vs. Clemson, at #18 Flroida State, vs. Wake Forest

Miami (FL):
OOC Schedule: vs. #3 Oklahoma, vs. Florida A&M, at Central Florida, at South Florida
vs. Atlantic: at #18 Florida State, vs. Clemson, at Wake Forest

North Carolina:
OOC Schedule: vs. Citadel, at Connecticut, vs. East Carolina, vs. Georgia Southern
vs. Atlantic: vs. #18 Florida State, at Boston College, at Wake Forest

Virginia:
OOC Schedule: vs. William and Mary, vs. #17 TCU, at Southern Mississippi, vs. Indiana
vs. Atlantic: at Maryland, vs. Boston College, at Clemson

Virginia Tech:
OOC Schedule: vs. #5 Alabama, vs. Marshall, vs. #24 Nebraska, at East Carolina
vs. Atlantic: vs. Boston College, at Maryland, vs. North Carolina State.

Virginia Tech definitely has the hardest OOC playing two ranked opponents and one of the top 5 preseason teams in the nations. While Miami (FL) and North Carolina both probably have the toughest schedules vs. the other half of the conference.

North Carolina has the easiest OOC schedule playing 3 very weak teams and playing a 4th medicore team in Connecticut on the road. Duke probably has the easiest schedule vs. the other half of the conference, while missing the top 2 projected teams on the other half (FSU and Clemson) and only have 1 of 3 games on the road.

Here is how I think each team fares this year and how the standings will look:
Team - Record (ACC Record)
Virginia Tech - 11-1 (8-0)
North Carolina - 9-3 (6-2)
Georgia Tech - 9-3 (5-3)
Miami - 8-4 (4-4)
Virginia - 4-8 (3-5)
Duke - 3-9 (1-7)

So that is how I think this have of the league will do. Come back tomorrow for my bowl projects, the ACC championship game prediction and more!

P.S. Check out the new design on the twitter site. Superfan Gold.

2009 ACC Football Predictions Part 1

Its that time of the year, summer is ending, school is starting up again but most importantly another year of ACC football is starting up again. Teams are finishing up practice and are now gameplanning for their first game. The ACC as a whole is looking to prove that it is once again one of the top conferences in the NCAA and that is can compete with the SEC, the Big XII, the Big Ten and the Pac-10 for the national title. The ACC looks to have some strong teams this year that can do just that, with Virginia Tech starting the year off at #7 overall in the polls, Georgia Tech at #15, Florida State at #18 and North Carolina at #21 overall. In this edition, we are going to take a look at the Atlantic division and how I think it will pan out.

The Atlantic Division continues to look as close as ever. The past two years the top teams have finished a game or less apart and it looks to be the same again this year. Here is a look at the teams in the Atlantic and a quick peak at their OOC schedule and the games against the Coastal teams:

Boston College:
OOC Schedule: vs. Northeastern, vs. Kent State, at #23 Notre Dame, vs. Central Michigan
vs. Coastal: at #7 Virginia Tech, at Virginia, vs. #21 North Carolina

Clemson:
OOC Schedule: vs. Middle Tennessee State, vs. #17 TCU, vs. Coastal Carolina, at South Carolina
vs. Coastal: at #15 Georgia Tech, at Miami (FL), vs. Virginia

Florida State:
OOC Schedule: vs. Jacksonville State, at #20 BYU, vs. South Florida, at #1 Florida
vs. Coastal: vs. Miami (FL), vs. #15 Georgia Tech, at #21 North Carolina

Maryland:
OOC Schedule: at #12 California, vs. James Madison, vs. Middle Tennessee State, vs. Rutgers
vs. Coastal: vs. Virginia, at Duke, vs. #7 Virginia Tech

North Carolina State:
OOC Schedule: vs. South Carolina, vs. Murray State, vs. Gardner-Webb, vs. Pittsburgh
vs. Coastal: vs. Duke, at #7 Virginia Tech, vs. #21 North Carolina

Wake Forest:
OOC Schedule: vs. Baylor, vs. Stanford, vs. Elon, at Navy
vs. Coastal: vs. Miami (FL), at #15 Georgia Tech, at Duke

Wake Forest has the easiest schedule by far facing only 2 ranked teams (only one on the road) and having the weakest Non-Conference schedule.

Florida State has by far the hardest schedule in this half of the conference. They play 2 ranked teams in Non-Conference play (one on the road) and they have to play 2 out of the 3 ranked teams in the other half of the conference.

Here is how I think each team fares this year and how the standings will look:
Team - Record (ACC Record)
Florida State - 9-3 (6-2)
Clemson - 8-4 (5-3)
Wake Forest - 8-4 (4-4)
NC State - 7-5 (4-4)
Boston College - 6-6 (3-5)
Maryland - 3-9 (2-6)

There you have it, the Atlantic division in my view. Florida State definitely looks to be the strongest team this year. Let me tell you this too, I will be the happiest man in the world if BC proves me wrong but this is just how I see it right now.

Weekend BC Stuff

Well I got my season tickets in the mail last week, and with those came an offer for two free tickets to either the Northeastern Game, the Kent State game or the Central Michigan Game. It was 2 free tickets so I was obviously going to take them up on that offer even though the games were nothing special. But the thing you guys will probably find weird is that I chose the Northeastern game. So let me explain why, well I won't be able to go to the Kent State game because I am playing in a charity golf tournament for a friends fallen brother so my sister will have to take those tickets. Since I was really getting these tickets so I could bring my cousin to a game I realized he would be going to boot camp at the time of the Central Michigan game, so even though it was the best game, it probably wasn't the best game for me.

Okay, back on track:
There is a good article on the BC secondary, where the players feel they are being overlooked and doubted while they believe they will be very good. I believe in the players too.

Eagle All Access found a great video on Joe Haden Jr. training his kids Joe (Florida) and Josh (BC) (and his other one Jordan (committed to Florida). Definitely worthy of a watch, very interesting video.

Mike Farrell of EagleAction gives us a list (on a paid message board so I have no link for you) of the 4 true freshmen who are definitely going to redshirt this year:

Dillon Quinn (which is a surprise, could he move to OT where BC appears very thin down the line?), Sterlin Phifer (started strong but was easily passed by Finch), Andre Lawrence and Jake Sinkovec. Apparently everyone else will play this year or at least start the year with a chance to play and will dress for home games.

BC field hockey (#14 in the naion) got off to a 2-0 start beating Vermont 3-0 and smoking William and Mary 7-2.

Decent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about Jesse Tuggle preparing his some for the spot light of him profile college football and the NFL.

I will be back later today with my ACC football previews.

I'm back!!

Finally, I am back on the Boston College campus and am ready to start my Sophomore year here at Boston College. I am ready to get this blog and lets not forget the twitter site back and running with the site.

I have been unbelievably swamped with work and classes all summer. Here is a little info on what I had to do all summer:
-Worked at State Street for 50 hours a week
-Worked on a Golf Course on Saturdays and Sundays from 5:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
-I took a summer Liturature Course for 2 times a week
-I took a summer Accounting Course for for 3 hours a week on Wednesdays
-I helped my parents move from Chicago down here to Boston. Including 3 drives from Boston to Chicago and back.

Yeah so as you can see, I didn't have much free time and whatever free time I had, I just wanted to relax and sleep. Therefore, I didn't have time for you BC fans but I am back and ready to go for the upcoming football season. The Football team didn't have much good news all summer either so they were like me. The only good news came when Mark Herzlich said he would be back on Campus for the fall Semester, even if he won't playing but he will be a huge moral booster for the team. Here hopes to be back for the 2010 season and we are all still praying he will do just that. Stay strong Mark.

The QB battle hasn't really cleared up over the summer. Both have played somewhat well in practice however they lack experience and consistency. Also with Shinske's hurt rib, who knows how bad that is. This article in the Herald makes it seem like BC will start the year with a QB by committee plan but I HATE THOSE. I really hope one of them shines (even if it is against Northeastern) and earns the spot after week 1. We will get killed vs. Clemson with a QB by committee, in my opinion.

Here are some more links to news about BC:
An Awesome T-Shirt put out by BC. I really hope these are out in full force next year on campus.

Nice article in the Globe about the Improvement of out QBs.

The Metrowest Daily News takes a look at our new front 7 on defense. Its little bit disturbing after seeing the defense last year, however it is a good read and I have tons of confidence in Coach Spaz.

ACC released the Basketball schedule. Can't wait for that season to start too.

EagleinAtlanta points us to a great read about Athletic Director Gene DeFillippo in Boston Magazine (who'd a thunk it).

Wicked cool article in a South Carolina paper about the players in the ACC thoughts about each teams fans. Some actually think BC are the Most Hostile.

Last but not least, I CAN'T WAIT FOR BC vs. BU at Fenway. Talk about AWESOME.

Sorry guys, I haven't been able to update.

Sorry guys, Like I said earlier, I am going through a busy time right now. I just got a new job at an accounting agency and you know how thats like being the low man on the totem poll.

Then I had to help my parents move to Florida which took up a bunch of time. It sucks that I haven't been able to blog lately because of all of this crap and blogging is one of my favorite hobbies.

I will definitely be back blogging before the Football season starts and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Please be sure to keep me bookmarked because this blog is not dead.

-Nick

P.S. I know we hate to criticize these kids but what Joe Boisture did was embarassing to him and his family. Its too bad kids can't make up their mind this generation.

Looking at the Depth Chart: Quarterback

This is the first part of a new series that I am going to do which I call "Looking at the Depth Chart." Where I will take a look at each position on the depth chart one by one giving the position's strength's, weakness and my projected starters. Today, I am going to take a look at the quarterback position, the most unknown position on the team going into the summer.

BC lost 3 of their top 4 quarterbacks on the Depth chart last year (Chris Crane - Graduation, Dominique Davis - Transfer, Chris Johnson - Transfer). The only one who returns, Billy Flutie, is projected to be a wide receiver this year and he has only thrown 3 career passes in college, all of which were on trick plays. There are no other players on the roster who have had any experience at Quarterback in college. The Quarterbacks in the discussion are:
Codi Boek
Justin Tuggle
David Shinskie
Alexander Atiyeh
Mike Marscovetra
Billy Flutie

Strengths: While there are not many strengths for BC at this position, there are a few.

• The biggest strength for BC at the QB Position is the fact that there is an open competition. While Cody Boek and Justin Tuggle saw the most action in Spring Ball, all six of the QB's I listed will have a legitimate shot to win the starting job which will mean BC will have the best QB on the roster starting for them next fall (not the least bad, like after spring ball).


• The other strength of the Quarterback position is they have a mixture of young guys and old guys at the position. Shinskie and Boek are both Junior College transfers who have the maturity to play QB at this level while Tuggle, Atiyeh, Marscovetra and Flutie are still very young. Its a good chance for each of these guys to learn from each other and help them become better Quarterbacks.

Weaknesses: There are many more weaknesses at this position than there are strengths.

• The first weakness the Eagles have here is probably the most important one. The Eagles have no one of the roster who has lined up behind the quarterback and taken snaps and thrown passes in a game in college. Like I said before Flutie has thrown 3 passes on trick plays but that is not that same. The Eagles are going to need someone to step up big time in order to make up for this problem.


• Another weakness the Eagles have at this position is they have a bunch of young players competing for the job. Mike Marscovetra is a true freshman, Justin Tuggle is a redshirt freshman and Alexander Atiyeh is a sophomore. With all of these young guy you don't know if they have the maturity or the head to play quarterback at this level.


• The last weakness this team has at the QB position is the fact that a guy who played Fullback last year is currently the favorite to win the starting job and a guy who played baseball for the past six years is another top candidate to win the job. Its never good when you have guys who haven't been playing quarterback steadly vying for the job because you don't know what you are going to get with them. This doesn't mean they can't be good, it is just a big question mark.

Prediction: The Eagles are going to need a bunch of the guys to step up and make the coaches give them the starting job. I do feel that Justin Tuggle will be that guy. Tuggle struggled this spring but watching him at practice you could tell he had the tools of a quarterback but just wan't executing like he should have been. I think Shinskie will also come in and prove that he can still play quarterback and will be ready to pounce if Tuggle or anyone else fails.
Here is how I think the QBs will be ranked going into the Fall:
1. Justin Tuggle
2. David Shinskie
3. Codi Boek
4. Alexander Atiyeh
5. Mike Marscovetra (Will be Redshirted)
6. Billy Flutie

That is it for the Quarterbacks. Tomorrow I will taking a look at the Running Back and Wide Receiver positions in separate posts!

Been Super Busy

Sorry guys that I haven't been able to post a ton lately, I have been Super Busy this past week with getting a new job at Apple and all the training they need to give you for some odd reason. But I will be starting a new series tomorrow looking at each position on the Football Depth Chart and discussion our strengths and weaknesses at those positions and who is projected to be the starter(s).

See you tomorrow! Go Eagles!

Tony Sanchez to Pirates

Tony Sanchez has been selected at #4 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates and has officially become the highest ever drafted Boston College Eagle. Unfortunately this means his Baseball career at BC is likely over, but its awesome to see an Eagle go that high in the draft!

Congrats Tony! Good luck in the future!

Eagle Links: 6/7

First off let me say this: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (That is why I am so late at doing this)! The big two zero. One more year until the greatest age that was ever created! Alright on to BC sports.

First of all Bill over at Eagle in Atlanta has some very cool pictures from Matt Ryan's football camp down in Atlanta. Go check it out!

There is a nice article in the Metro West Daily News from last night about Billy Flutie and his attitude about him maybe playing QB or staying at Wide Receiver. He does have a good attitude about the position.

Some nice praise in little snippet on an ESPN blog about our future QB Joe Boisture. Who we have learned from Rivals.com is going to be graduating early and coming to BC to play in Spring Ball. Which is huge for us especially with all the unknowns at the QB position. Its too bad he wasn't a year older.

BC's marching band has been added to NCAA Football '10! I know all you band junkies will love this. Now can they do it on the ice?

According to Scout.com BC has received commitment from a kid who left high school in 2003 to play in the Minors for baseball but it never worked out. David Shinskie supposedly has a big arm and since he is 24 he must have a good head on his shoulders. Not much risk here especially with our QB problems.

Off to pre-order NCAA Football '10. The BC band did it for me!

Eagle Links: 6/5

BC's problems this year are way too similar to Virginia's problems last offseason. Its actually pretty scary how similar they are.

After winning the national title, finishing third finishing 5th Nationally. BC sailor Adam Roberts won the award equivalent to the heisman in college football.

Apparently, BC was in talks with the ever hated but talks about lots Greg Paulus about coming to BC. Little did they know how much they could use another QB now. However, it wouldn't have been possible anyways because of the inter conference transfer rules.

Some of the Texas' players gear is going to the Baseball Hall of Fame after that epic 25 inning game. Apparently only one team played in that game.

Tony Sanchez is definitely a top prospect who will go in the first round of this years MLB Draft has also been named a finalist for the Johnny Bench award.

The guys over at Testudo Times have an early preview on ACC basketball for next year. They believe Rice leaving is going to be huge but I feel otherwise.

Eagle Links: 6/4

ESPN is starting another one of those dumb visit the 50 states and vote on the best teams, players and other stuff from that state. But this time is CFB Live doing it so BC should get more than some air time when they come to Massachusetts on July 14th.

A few of the start times and TV coverage have been announced for ACC Football. BC will play both Northeastern and Kent State at Alumni at 2 PM EST and then will travel to play Clemson to play on Raycom at noon. Click Here for BC Schedule.

A little old but I thought it was worth while news and haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. Matt Tennant was named to the Remington Trophy Watch List. According to the website RimingtonTrophy.com, The Rimington Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding college offensive center in NCAA Division I-A football."

Coed Sailing may have a national championship system that is worse than the BCS. 2 days ago we were told they won another National Title, then yesterday they were 3rd and now we are being told they earned 5th place. Anyone have any idea what is going on?

8 former Eagles are being inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame this year. Here is the list of Eagles:
Danya Abrams '97 (basketball)
Gordie Farkouh '83 (soccer)
Antonio Garay '02 (wrestling/football)
Becky Gottstein '02 (basketball)
Gerry Hamel '61 (baseball)
Craig Janney '87 (hockey)
Tom McManus '92 (football)
Tom Nalen '93 (football)
Click here for the full press release from BC that includes a tidbit about each player.

Go Eagles!

Eagle Links: 6/2

Jeff from BC Interruption has a nice recap of the NCAA Baseball tournament and what the move to the ACC has done for the BC Baseball program.

Dominique Davis has been ruled out academically this year and is now transferring from BC. This is a positive for BC, in my opinion. Davis was given every chance to take the starting QB job for next year and even though he wasn't the best QB in the Spring, he was still being touted as the starter by coach Spaz. While all of this is happening, he doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to go to class and give a little effort? People like that who fold under minimal pressure are not people who I want being the starting QB on my football team. This is what many people call addition by subtractiong. Now its time to see if Justin Tuggle, Codi Boek or Billy Flutie can step up and prove they deserve to be starting this year.

BC also grabbed another commitment for the 2010 class in 5'10" Wide Reliever James McCaffrey from BB&N High School here in Massachusetts. McCaffrey may not be the biggest wide out but he sure can fly and everything I have heard about him is he works his butt off too. Good to see a local kid commit to BC and with such a good group of recruits from Massachussetts in the 2010 class, lets hope Spaz can keep most of them here!

The Globe is actually doing some good writing on BC of late. Their latest is a recap of BC's NCAA tournament play.

They also have a good breakdown of the Davis transfer and the remaining pieces left at quarterback for the Eagles. Looks like they are doing everything possible to keep their paper alive by sucking up to the locals.

Bill over at Eagle in Atlanta has a nice piece on the media coverage of the BC Baseball team becuase of their good tournament showing.

BC vs. Army Preview

Hey, they played 3+ games yesterday and if they want to stay alive they are going to need to win 2 games today. BC had the unfortunate draw of having to play Army after losing less than 11 hours ago in the 25th in but here is my preview of the game.

The Eagles, who are running out of pitchers will toss:
John Leonard (1-4, 7.24)

Leonard has an inflated ERA and a bad record because he struggled heavily for the first half of the year but he has been much better in the second have pitching pretty well and earning Coach Aoki's trust. Leonard is going to need a HUGE outing today to save the BC bullpen after last night and to give them a chance to play Texas again.

BC will probably run out the same lineup but they may have Tony Sanchez DH and have Harry Darling catch this game. Sanchez had the misfortune of squatting for 25 innings behind the plate last night. Here is my lineup projection:
CF Robbie Anston .358 1 HR 29 RBIs
2B Matt Hamlet .311 0 HR 11 RBIs
DH Tony Sanchez .355 14 HR 48 RBIs
3B Mickey Wiswall .318 14 HR 62 RBIs
1B Mike Belfiore .286 11 HR 60 RBIs
SS Barry Butera .333 4 HR 34 RBIs
C Harry Darling .292 0 HR 13 RBIs
RF Andrew Lawrence .320 3 HR 19 RBIs
LF Mike Sudol .275 6 HR 28 RBIs

The Eagles keys to victory for this afternoon's game are:
1. Pitching: The Eagles have taxed Mike Belfiore and Chris Kowalski out of the pen so they are going to need to have guys such as Leonard to step up today and have HUGE performances.
2. Hitting: The Eagles looked ugly at the plate last night and need to get the bats going against the Black Knights.
3. Execution: The Eagles we unable to steal, hit and run and most important sacrifice bunt yesterday against the Longhorns and if they want to win they need to execute them to perfection.

The Eagles are going to have a tough time coming out to play today after such a draining physical and mental defeat and are going to need to score early and often to get over the loss quickly, if they want any chance of winning. The Eagles most definitely want a rematch against the Longhorns and hopefully the can win today and get one.

The Army Black Knights look to take advantage of the long, tiring game the Eagles played last night and win to move on. The Black Nights are a pesky club that don't go away which is something the Eagles would love for them to do but it just won't happen.

The Black Knights will throw:
Kirk Porter (6-3, 4.19)

Porter is their 3rd starter who missed some of the beginning of the year after have torn labrum surgery. He is a ground ball pitcher who has a NASTY breaking ball. The Eagles need to work the count against him and try to get him out of the game early.

The Black Knights will probably roll the same lineup today against the Eagles:
2B Zach Price .347, 0 HR, 24 RBIs
CF Andy Ernesto .307, 3 HR, 38 RBIs
SS Clint Moore .391, 10 HR, 60 RBIs
DH Joey Henshaw .388, 12 HR, 70 RBIs
1B Kevin McKague .387, 6 HR, 42 RBIs
3B J.P. Polchinski .277, 7 HR, 32 RBIs
RF Kyle Fleming .288, 6 HR, 34 RBIs
LF David Darnell .250, 1 HR, 11 RBIs
C J.T. Watkins .256, 2 HR, 28 RBIs

The Black Knights keys to victory are:
1. Getting to the Bullpen: The Eagles bullpen is taxed and the sooner they can get to the Eagles pen the better for them. The need to take advantage of the 25 inning game BC just played.
2. Hitting: They are a big hitting club and need to continue that today against BC in order to have a chance at a rematch with Texas.
3. Pitching: They have gotten good pitching thus far in the tournament, giving up on 7 runs so far and they need to continue that against the struggling BC lineup.

This game should be very interesting. Army has the distinct advantage of not having had played a 25 inning game, 11 hours ago and needs to use that to its advantage. While BC has the confidence of know that they can play with anyone by almost being the #1 overall seed in the nation last year. GO EAGLES!

BC vs. Texas Recap

Well I am pretty sure I can do this in a few words, such as TWENTY-FIVE INNINGS, but it is much more deserving of a bigger and better look. The Eagles lost a heart breaker, 3-2, against the #1 overall seeded Texas Longhorns at the Longhorns home stadium in 25 innings. Sure it is disappointed to lose, but there is this feeling of extreme pride and accomplishment after this game. I mean the huge underdog Eagles come into Texas' home stadium push them to the brink of elimination, shut them down for 23 innings and end up losing it on a wild pitch that was inevitable with a catcher who had been squatting behind the plate for 25 innings. I mean sure BC could have won and it would have been much more satisfactory but losing kind of puts a game like this into perspective. Each closer when a complete game (9+ innings), Outfielders player all 3 positions, Pitchers hit and run, infielders played the outfield, umpires throw out players when it wasn't necessary, there was 3+ games played in 1 game, a ton of records were broken. Just a ridiculous game and one that the players on both sides of the ball will never forget and neither will I nor the rest of college baseball.

Some epic pitching performances tonight by both teams and that is really the story of the game so I will tell you about them. Chance Ruffin, the Texas starter threw 6.1 innings of 5 hit, 2 run baseball while Pat Dean, the BC starter, tried to one up him and threw 7 innings of 9 hit, 2 run baseball. But that wasn't it, the Texas closer, Austin Wood, came in threw 13.0 innings of scoreless, 2 hit baseball while throwing 12.1 hitless innings aswell. BC closer almost matched Wood step for step throwing 9.2 innings of 3 hit, scoreless baseball in relief. The Eagles ended up using 7 pitchers while the Longhorns tried to make their kids arms fall off by using only 3 pitchers. The Eagles had 16 chances to end it at plate but Texas pitching was too good and the BC hitting looked off. However, It was a remarkable game that I hope I get a chance to watch again in my life because it was that good.

I will have my BC-Army Preview up momentarily! Go Eagles!

Boston College vs. Texas Preview

After such a great win in a game where they played bad for 8 innings on day 1 of the NCAA Tournament the Eagles will have a lot of confidence going into tonight's game vs. #1 overall seed Texas. The Eagles must be super excited to have gotten by game 1 while still having their best pitcher available in Pat Dean. The Eagles are going to need Dean to pitch well tonight if they want to have any chance to beat the Longhorns. If BC is somehow able to pull out a win vs. the Longhorns tonight they will be in a great position to move on to the Super Regional so we are going to have to hope and pray they are able to pull it off!

The Eagles Projected Starter tonight is:
Pat Dean (6-4, 3.36)

The Eagles will probably go into the game with the same lineup they used against Texas State but they will probably hope the offense comes alive earlier tonight. Here is BC's projected starting lineup:
CF Robbie Anston .358 1 HR 29 RBIs
2B Matt Hamlet .311 0 HR 11 RBIs
C Tony Sanchez .355 14 HR 48 RBIs
3B Mickey Wiswall .318 14 HR 62 RBIs
1B Mike Belfiore .286 11 HR 60 RBIs
SS Barry Butera .333 4 HR 34 RBIs
DH Harry Darling .292 0 HR 13 RBIs
RF Andrew Lawrence .320 3 HR 19 RBIs
LF Mike Sudol .275 6 HR 28 RBIs

The Eagles are going to have to play one of their best games of the year to beat the Longhorns as they are the #1 overall seed in the tournament for a reason. Dean is going to need to shut down the Longhorns offense while the Eagles offense is going to need to be patient get on base and manufacture runs with a home run or extra base hit or two to drive in the key runs.

My Keys to the game for the Eagles:
1. Offense: The offense was shut down for most of the game by Bobcats Ace Kane Holbrooks and are going to need to fair better against the Longhorns #1 ERA pitching staff. The Longhorns have the best and most deep pitching staff in the Nation so the Eagles are going to need some key offense.
2. Defense: BC was terrible in the field yesterday against the Bobcats. They had 2 errors and looked uncomfortable in every aspect of the game on the Field Turf and need to play better against the #1 Longhorns.
3. Coaching: The Longhorns are an even better small ball team than the Eagles but it will be a good matchup of strategy. The Longhorns are 1st in the nation in Sacrifice Hits while the Eagles are 3rd in the nation in Sac Hits so we are going to need some good strategy to beat the 'Horns.

The Longhorns are not an offensive oriented club as they are the 200th Ranked offense in the nation but they have the best staff in the nation. The Longhorns win games by manufacturing a few runs then shutting down the other teams offense.

The Longhorns projected starter tonight:
Chance Ruffin (9-2, 2.96)

The Longhorns will throw out this lineup against the Eagles tonight:
2B Travis Tucker .286, 2 HR, 23 RBIs
1B Brandon Belt .340, 8 HR, 37 RBIs
3B Michael Torres .317, 2 HR, 28 RBIs
C Cameron Rupp .273, 8 HR, 39 RBIs
SS Brandon Loy .312, 0 HR, 23 RBIs
DH Preston Clark .254, 1 HR, 18 RBIs
RF Kevin Keyes .295, 4 HR, 33 RBIs
LF Tant Shepherd .260, 2 HR, 21 RBIs
CF Connor Rowe .272, 6 HR, 33 RBIs

The Longhorns are great team and even though they don't have a high powered offense, they don't need that to beat you. Like I said before Texas will put up 3 or 4 runs then just shut down your offense. The Longhorns are definitely going to be super tough for the Eagles tonight.

My Keys to a Texas victory tonight:
1. Pitching: This is no different from every game for Texas. They have the best staff in the Nation and will look to hold the Eagles to under 3 runs.
2. Small Ball: The Longhorns need to manufacture runs whenever guys get on base because they aren't a team that will score 10 runs a game.
3. Coaching: Just like for the Eagles, this is a matchup game where both teams will try to do the same thing and which ever team gets the better coaching will have the better chance at winning.

This is going to be a very tough one but I can't wait to watch! GO EAGLES!

Surprise on the Golf Course

I was only able to check the scores a couple times on the golf course and that last time I was able to was when they were down 5-2 after 7. Boy was I surprise when I heard on the radio driving home that they Eagles were up 8-5 after 8 and a half and I was even more surprised when the final score was 8-7. Boy I probably would have passed out and died if I was watching so golfing just may have saved my life. What a HUGE win for the Eagles and their program. Playing a bad game in the field and at the plate all game then still coming up with a huge comeback.

The biggest key for the Eagles is that they were able to saved their #1 starter Pat Dean for the winner of the Texas/Army (most likely #1 overall seed Texas) game that is in progress now in Austin, which gives the Eagles a real chance to win that game and give them a chance to move on to the super regional.

Please go to BC Interruption to get a small recap and their thoughts on the game and the normal struggles of a BC fan as I am not able to give my thoughts because I was unable to watch.

Anyway LETS GO EAGLES! Keep it up!

Eagle Links: 5/28

Articles are popping up here and there about the Boston College baseball and its players. This one is about shortstop/outfielder Barry Butera.

HokieHaven.com put out their top 5 running backs in the ACC, unfortunately their ridiculous bias comes out. Ryan Williams a redshirt freshman is listed as the 4th best (along with Darren Evans at 2nd, which is justified), all while leaving out Montel Harris. All I can do it laugh at that, a guy who hasn't played a game in college is better than I guy who had an awesome freshman season while only getting about 60% of the carries.

Lots of Austin Regional Previews coming out. Two of the better ones come Rivals.com who put theirs out earlier today, with some very good words about BC and The College Baseball Blog who put theirs up last night with snapshots of each team. Not to forget the BC vs. Texas State Preview that I put out earlier today.

CBS College Sports All-Access is streaming the game for free tomorrow at 2:00 PM EST! Click here to find the stream! That is awesome!

I'll be golfing all day tomorrow so I won't be on here but I will be following from my iPhone so GO EAGLES!!

Austin Regional: #3 Boston College vs. #2 Texas State Preview

Boston College comes into the NCAA tournament for the first time in 42 years and it has a very tough matchup ahead of them. In fact, the last time the Eagles made the NCAA tournament in 1967, current head coach Mik Aoki wasn't even born yet. The Eagles will face the Bobcats of Texas State (41-15), an at-large bid out of the Southland conference, at the University of Texas' UFCU Disch-Falk Stadium in Austin, Texas. But Coach Aoki is taking the difficult task at playing in the #1 overall national seed's homefield in stride saying to the Globe this morning, "We're excited about playing games at the University of Texas with its great tradition," said Aoki yesterday before the Eagles went through their final practice session before flying to Austin this morning. "It's truly college baseball royalty." The Eagles are going up against the high powered Bobcats offense and are going to need some stellar pitching this weekend to have any chance at all. I have done some scouting on the Bobcats and feel I have enough info on the team to give you guys a good preview of the game on Friday at 2 PM EST.

The Eagles are coming off a great showing at the ACC tournament going 2-1 while beating Georgia Tech handily and blowing out Miami. They Eagles have 2 very solid pitchers at the top of their rotation and could go with either one of them against Texas State, My guess is they go with Senior Captain J.B. MacDonald, because they are going to need Pat Dean in a tough game vs. Texas is they win OR in a must win game if they lose.

Here are the possible BC Pitchers for the weekend:
Pat Dean 6-4, 3.36
JB MacDonald 5-7, 4.70
Mike Dennhardt 5-1, 4.97
John Leonard 1-4, 7.24

The Eagles key pitchers out of the Bullpen are:
Mike Belfiore 5-1 2.15 8 saves in 25 apperanaces
Kevin Moran 5-2 2.84 0 saves in 23 apperanaces
Nate Bayuk 0-0 3.38 1 save in 29 apperanaces

The Eagles will expect to go into the game with the same lineup they used in their last two ACC tournament games:
1. CF Robbie Anston .358 1 HR 29 RBIs
2. 2B Matt Hamlet .311 0 HR 11 RBIs
3. C Tony Sanchez .355 14 HR 48 RBIs
4. 3B Mickey Wiswall .318 14 HR 62 RBIs
5. 1B Mike Belfiore .286 11 HR 60 RBIs
6. SS Barry Butera .333 4 HR 34 RBIs
7. DH Harry Darling .292 0 HR 13 RBIs
8. RF Andrew Lawrence .320 3 HR 19 RBIs
9. LF Mike Sudol .275 5 HR 25 RBIs

With John Spatola .304 3 HR 23 RBIs, being the only somewhat reliable player off the bench to help the Eagles if need be.

The Eagles are know to be a small ball team and according to one Texas fan, "The Disch (UFCU Disch-Falk Field) might be the most pitcher friendly park in America. The infield is very slow, designed that way for the way the Longhorns like to play small ball with a lot of sacrifice bunts and sigles and doubles rather than trying to hit the long ball.

As stated above, the prevailing winds also tend to keep balls in the ball park. Your only real hope to conisistently hit the ball out of the park is to drive the ball low and hard down either line. If it gets up in the air, particularly betrween left and right center, its going to die."

Which may benefit Texas BUT it also benefits the Eagles because they aren't a team who will out slug you. It has been well documented that coach Mitch Aoki's philosophy is score one run an inning usually through sacrifices and small ball seeing as the Eagles are 3rd in the nation in sacrifice hits.

The Three Keys to the Eagles success this weekend are:
1. Starting Pitching: The Eagles are able to hit and score with the best of them so the key is going to be whether or not th Eagles can keep the other teams from scoring.
2. Tony Sanchez and Mickey Wiswall: These two are the best offensive players for the Eagles and are both going to need to step up even more for the Eagles to avoid losing 2 games.
3. Winning Game 1: Teams who lose game 1 don't usually move on because you then usually have to win 4 games in a row in order to advance to the Super Regionals.

The Texas State Bobcats, as I said before have a high powered offense that has lead them all year through their conference and earned them an at-large bid in this tournament. The Bobcats were the regular season champions in the Southland conference, but were upset in the Conference Tournament by Sam Houston State in the title game. The Bobcats may not play in the ACC like the Eagles, but they have a very good game and are a great matchup for the Eagles.

The Bobcats have a very good ace in Kane Holbrooks, but they may choose to risk it and try to win game 1 with their second starter, Zach Tritz, who isn't nearly as good as Holbrooks.

The possible starters for the Bobcats are:
Kane Holbrooks 10-1 3.34
Brian Borski 7-3 3.89
Zach Tritz 8-2 4.75

With these guys out of the Bullpen:
Tyler Brundrige 3-1 3.42 3 saves in 32 appearances
Michael Russo 4-2 3.86 6 saves in 23 appearances
Lance Loftin 3-0 3.09 1 save in 20 appearances

The Bobcats have a very high powered offense and look to keep that going into their first NCAA tournament since 2000:
1. RF Tyler Sibley .369 10 HR's 38 RBI's
2. CF Bret Atwood .373 1 HR 30 RBI's
3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt .353 17 HR's 85 RBI's
4. DH Keith Prestidge .370 7 HR's 49 RBI's
5. LF Spenser Dennis .408 6 HR's 49 RBI's
6. C Ben Theriot .346 6 HR's 36 RBI's
7. 2B Kyle Livinstone .322 5 HR's 32 RBI's
8. 3B Jordan Kopycinski.298 1 HR 8 RBI's
9. Jason Martinson .302 7 HR's 39 RBI's

They also have two reliable players and hitters off the bench that they can use at any time to replace anyone in the lineup in Lance Lofton .304 6 HR's 30 RBI's and Kyle Bubitza .299 6 HR's 21 RBI's.

The Bobcats three keys to this tournament will be:
1. Paul Goldschmidt: He is probably the best hitter in this regional and the Bobcats offensive production is usually based around him.
2. Pitching: The Bobcats can hit with the best of them but they aren't very deep in pitching. They did well in the Southland but things are much different facing teams from the ACC and Big XII.
3. Confidence: Some Southland conference teams may come in against ACC and Big XII teams, but if they Bobcats want to win they need to come in believing they can win.

This team is pretty solid and the coach from Lamar stated this might be the best team in Southland Conference history. These guys play the game right and enjoy playing together. The Eagles and the Bobcats look to matchup very well and should be a GREAT game tomorrow.

Go Eagles!