Thumbs Up
Mike Knoll – The freshman kicker nailed both of his PATs (hallelujah!) and a 40-yard field goal, though he did juuuuuust sneak it through the uprights.
Famous Jameis (Again) – Thank you, Jameis, for validating our hate. Whether it was yelling at coaches, teammates, and yourself after an interception that really wasn’t anybody’s fault, constantly yelling for flags, or shoving the referee out of the way (for which you should have been ejected, according to Mike Pereira), you make us glad Tyler Murphy is our QB.
BC’s Secondary – The rain helped, as did Rashad Greene going down for a bit, and BC’s clock-killing offense. Still, holding Winston’s crew to 20 points and under 300 passing yards, and never getting beat over the top, should be applauded, especially after we doubted this crew in this space about a week ago.
Coaching – Players make the plays, but the players on the football team are playing so above their heads that the whole coaching staff needs a salute. There are still a lot of Spaziani leftovers, and the best (Andre Williams, Alex Amidon, Kevin Pierre-Louis) of those leftovers graduated last year. Before the season, The Heights thought bowl eligibility would be a successful campaign. The Clemson and Florida State losses should sting, but it could be so, so much worse. More than any sport, football is a coach’s game, and BC’s gone from handicapped to thriving in that area in just a couple years.
Trick Plays – Although Alston or Murphy couldn’t come down with either Bordner pass, we liked those calls. That’s how 17-point underdogs lacking a passing game have to play. The jump from bridesmaid to wife is a big one, but at least BC took the leap.
Thumbs Down
Sticking To The Plan – Addazio said it was always the plan to use Alex Howell as the long-range specialist, but with Knoll finally getting his feet under him (pun intended), why not put him out there for the 43-yarder? Are those three yards really the difference between being confident in Knoll and not?
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda – This season will be filled with the thoughts of “what-ifs” … First there was Colorado State, then Clemson, and now Florida State. On the flip side of that, we can’t wait to see what Addazio can do with a few more years under his belt here.
Overreactions – We tried to tell you that the men’s hockey team would be fine, and it is. The goalie is still great, the defense is where it needs to be, and the forwards are coming around. Games at Kelley Rink might not be as exciting for casual fans as they’ve been in recent years, but the wins will come just the same. Minnesota and Providence should be good litmus tests, though. Too bad no one will be around to see them.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Editor
