Gameday: BC @ NIU 9:30 pm CBSSN

[HJS]

Haven't read many quotes yet from the Ketchup King (I usually find them more entertaining than the games he mismanages). But, here's what I got so far...

Boston Herald
“I was not very pleased coming out of camp with our field goal kicking, that’s just the truth,” Boston College coach Steve Addazio said. “But when it counted, when it mattered … he got it done and I think he got a lot of confidence. I think this is going to pay a lot of dividends.’

“Anthony had the greater body of work,” said Addazio of the choice. “It was a tough decision between the two guys. They both did extremely well.”

“Freshman starting on the road in a real competitive environment,” Addazio said. “I thought he came through that and made a bunch of plays, really big throws.”

Boston Globe
Freshman wideout Kobay White was in the dark up until game day. “I actually didn’t even know until the game,” White said. [My comment: you do no favors to your starting RSF by only giving him and his WRs 50% of the snaps... same for the OL who has to adjust to righty vs lefty QB rotation. Globe had a bunch of other quotes from players on offense. Which again were thoughtful and courteous and deflected credit to teammates. But, since this post is meant for entertainment, I did not include them.]

“He graded out the highest in preseason camp on work,” Addazio said. “We took the body of work. We said we’d look at the body of work. We wanted to have a measurable stat. They both did very well. When I tell you they both did well, they both did extremely well. Anthony graded out higher. I had to have something tangible, and that’s how we made our decision. It was off the body of work."

“I thought he navigated it great,” Addazio said. “That was the best part of it. He weathered that, came through it. I mean, it’s a freshman starting on the road in a real competitive-environment game. I thought he came through that and made a bunch of plays. He made some really big throws, and that tells you a lot.”

“We’re going to throw the ball more,” Addazio said. “We’re going to throw it.”

BC Website has surprisingly good coverage, including presser videos...
https://youtu.be/_ngakt0UxiU

[twballgame9]

I'm excited to see Brown in a few years.

I'm also tired of not having a QB now. And having MAC teams stack the box. Last night was awful. More size and talent up and down the depth chart and eke out a win.

I assumed Brown would play some and he should. But if Wade got beat by what we saw last night then that's an abject failure at the most important position on the field and a complete disservice to the rest of the team which could be pretty good.
I have no doubt Brown can play well at some point but you can't walk away from that game last night optimistic about this season. And that sucks.

[angrychicken]

I'm excited to see Brown in a few years.

I'm also tired of not having a QB now. And having MAC teams stack the box. Last night was awful. More size and talent up and down the depth chart and eke out a win.

I assumed Brown would play some and he should. But if Wade got beat by what we saw last night then that's an abject failure at the most important position on the field and a complete disservice to the rest of the team which could be pretty good.
I have no doubt Brown can play well at some point but you can't walk away from that game last night optimistic about this season. And that sucks.

Absolutely..

I'm disturbed by this team. I have been for years, but this is bad. Time for a change at the top, because I think there is talent there.

[HJS]

I'm excited to see Brown in a few years.

I'm also tired of not having a QB now. And having MAC teams stack the box. Last night was awful. More size and talent up and down the depth chart and eke out a win.

I assumed Brown would play some and he should. But if Wade got beat by what we saw last night then that's an abject failure at the most important position on the field and a complete disservice to the rest of the team which could be pretty good.
I have no doubt Brown can play well at some point but you can't walk away from that game last night optimistic about this season. And that sucks.

I can agree with all you just wrote. But, this portion shouldn't really be much of a surprise. While he seems like a good kid, let's just recall that Wade was beaten out by (and then failed to unseat) Towles last year. I held no great hope for the offense entering this season with him at the helm. I figured we'd go with a "manage the game strategy" so long as he was in there. I am not much more optimistic for this season with AB under center. Though, there is at least the potential that he'll have accelerated improvement (through game experience) such that the offense isn't terrible by the end of the season (though the price could be losses in winnable games earlier in the season (like next week against Wake)).

[2001Eagle]

Hilliman should be 3rd on the RB depth chart. OL needs to put in some work this week.

Brown is not terrible. He has the best tools of any QB we have had in long long time. You can make a valid point that there should be an upperclassmen starting to allow him to develop more but saying that he is terrible is fucking dumb.

[twballgame9]

Hilliman should be 3rd on the RB depth chart. OL needs to put in some work this week.

Brown is not terrible. He has the best tools of any QB we have had in long long time. You can make a valid point that there should be an upperclassmen starting to allow him to develop more but saying that he is terrible is fucking dumb.

Would you prefer a polite version for that performance, like raw or unpolished? Because there were some awful decisions and throws last night.

I'll concede he's talented. He just shouldn't be the QB now. And if Wade is really worse despite spring games to the contrary then the recruiting sucks. Maybe wade doesn't have it. But it is tough to get excited about the QB play

[b0mberMan]

Gonna be a long year with an OL like that.

Tubasteak is on twitter telling people to calm down because 14 years ago NIU upset a ranked Maryland.

[b0mberMan]

Also wasn't this the year coach meatball said he was building toward?

[Dick Rosenthal]

The point is, that Wade, as limited as he is, has played better than what Brown exhibited last night. While Brown certainly has more upside, the smart move would not have been to play a RS Freshman on the road against a MAC team in the season opener. That is not setting your future up for success. Brown looked absolutely lost for large swaths of that game and the safety blanket they gave him--the slow developing, deliberately thrown, five yard out will get jumped all day long against a team with even a modicum of Power 5 talent in their defensive backfield.

It would have been better to play the veteran and give Brown a few series.

[Manny]

I got bored with the game and decided to go to bed. We were winning at the time. I think it says a lot about the state of the program that before I checked the score this morning I assumed we had lost.

[claver2010]

tedwardo so your problem is w daz's managing and developing the roster?

how successful do you expect a fr qb (or anyone) to be when in the 4th Q you're running on 1st down 90% of the time for a total of 1 yard?

on brown, looked good in play action but also far more comfortable in the gun which makes the 4 TE offense even more infuriating

[2001Eagle]

The point is, that Wade, as limited as he is, has played better than what Brown exhibited last night. While Brown certainly has more upside, the smart move would not have been to play a RS Freshman on the road against a MAC team in the season opener. That is not setting your future up for success. Brown looked absolutely lost for large swaths of that game and the safety blanket they gave him--the slow developing, deliberately thrown, five yard out will get jumped all day long against a team with even a modicum of Power 5 talent in their defensive backfield.

It would have been better to play the veteran and give Brown a few series.

Do we really know that wade is better? Wade hasn't really played a real game as a starter in two years. I agree that he should have started over Towles last year but that's on the Ketchup King.

Brown can run and he can throw at a high level. He obviously had some issues in his first college game. But saying he sucks or is terrible is lazy and stupid. We've seen plenty of terrible at the QB spot and Brown isn't it.

[twballgame9]

The point is, that Wade, as limited as he is, has played better than what Brown exhibited last night. While Brown certainly has more upside, the smart move would not have been to play a RS Freshman on the road against a MAC team in the season opener. That is not setting your future up for success. Brown looked absolutely lost for large swaths of that game and the safety blanket they gave him--the slow developing, deliberately thrown, five yard out will get jumped all day long against a team with even a modicum of Power 5 talent in their defensive backfield.

It would have been better to play the veteran and give Brown a few series.

Do we really know that wade is better? Wade hasn't really played a real game as a starter in two years. I agree that he should have started over Towles last year but that's on the Ketchup King.

Brown can run and he can throw at a high level. He obviously had some issues in his first college game. But saying he sucks or is terrible is lazy and stupid. We've seen plenty of terrible at the QB spot and Brown isn't it.

There's a difference between talent and playing well. Whatever the reason it wasn't cause for optimism in the near future.

[twballgame9]

Glad to see daz find a way to keep the youth excuse alive in year 5 however.

I agree with hjs on Brown. Next coach will have a good one.

[Cadillac90]

Im going to try and rewatch this game but at first glance, im of the opinion that the OL wasn't as bad as many here are saying. They gave Brown time plenty of time to throw. I think I'm coming to the realization that, aside from predictable play calling (especially on 1st down) which doesn't help, Hilliman just isn't very good as a feature back. He has no vision and cant find available holes. Dillon showed much more ability last night, would have loved to see Davon Jones get some more PT because he showed a much greater ability to find holes last year.

Please let me know what you conclude because I saw a poor performance by an OL that has enough experience to play a lot better. I thought they were coming around early in the second half and then they weren't opening holes on run plays and were getting pushed back on pass plays. I think NIU deflected 3 balls at the line of scrimmage.

[basselope]

Hilliman should be 3rd on the RB depth chart. OL needs to put in some work this week.

Brown is not terrible. He has the best tools of any QB we have had in long long time. You can make a valid point that there should be an upperclassmen starting to allow him to develop more but saying that he is terrible is fucking dumb.

Would you prefer a polite version for that performance, like raw or unpolished? Because there were some awful decisions and throws last night.

I'll concede he's talented. He just shouldn't be the QB now. And if Wade is really worse despite spring games to the contrary then the recruiting sucks. Maybe wade doesn't have it. But it is tough to get excited about the QB play

Stats backup Teddy's point...

Last night we averaged 4.5 yards per pass attempt.
4.5 yards per pass attempt would rank us dead last (128) in the NCAA every year from 2010 thru 2016.
You have to go back to 2009 to find a team that averaged less than 4.5 yards per attempt.

[eepstein0]

Im going to try and rewatch this game but at first glance, im of the opinion that the OL wasn't as bad as many here are saying. They gave Brown time plenty of time to throw. I think I'm coming to the realization that, aside from predictable play calling (especially on 1st down) which doesn't help, Hilliman just isn't very good as a feature back. He has no vision and cant find available holes. Dillon showed much more ability last night, would have loved to see Davon Jones get some more PT because he showed a much greater ability to find holes last year.

The OL was fine in pass blocking. When you re-watch the game, you'll see as soon as Hilliman gets the ball there's guys around his ankles

[2001Eagle]

The point is, that Wade, as limited as he is, has played better than what Brown exhibited last night. While Brown certainly has more upside, the smart move would not have been to play a RS Freshman on the road against a MAC team in the season opener. That is not setting your future up for success. Brown looked absolutely lost for large swaths of that game and the safety blanket they gave him--the slow developing, deliberately thrown, five yard out will get jumped all day long against a team with even a modicum of Power 5 talent in their defensive backfield.

It would have been better to play the veteran and give Brown a few series.

Do we really know that wade is better? Wade hasn't really played a real game as a starter in two years. I agree that he should have started over Towles last year but that's on the Ketchup King.

Brown can run and he can throw at a high level. He obviously had some issues in his first college game. But saying he sucks or is terrible is lazy and stupid. We've seen plenty of terrible at the QB spot and Brown isn't it.

There's a difference between talent and playing well. Whatever the reason it wasn't cause for optimism in the near future.

Never change tewdardo. We should have more night games so that stupid drunk teddy isn't only on thursdays during basketball season.

Brown is more cause for optimism at QB than I've seen since Chris Crane destroyed buffalo.

[dtwalrus]

With Brown starting I want to be able to update my preseason prediction.

Another season with a talented, but untested QB who stares down receivers, ignores open options, and throws into double coverage. ACC defenses are going to destroy Brown.

With that said, BC can be really good in 2018, cause the kids definitely got potential.

[hansen]

1. I'm hoping Daz and company kept the playbook really vanilla because I wasn't too thrilled with the playcalling on offense and the lack of blitzing on defense til the very last drive. 30 plays of Hilliman up the middle for 2.x ypc is not gonna get it done in the ACC.

2. Brown has the physical tools but made a couple bad reads: The missed TD over the middle when he instead threw into double coverage, the pick when he had a guy open outside along the sideline, etc. But it was his first game on the road... people judging him so critically is unfair.

3. Kobay White is seriously legit. We need him, smith, Walker and/or Sweeney on the field at all times depending on the package.

[twballgame9]

The point is, that Wade, as limited as he is, has played better than what Brown exhibited last night. While Brown certainly has more upside, the smart move would not have been to play a RS Freshman on the road against a MAC team in the season opener. That is not setting your future up for success. Brown looked absolutely lost for large swaths of that game and the safety blanket they gave him--the slow developing, deliberately thrown, five yard out will get jumped all day long against a team with even a modicum of Power 5 talent in their defensive backfield.

It would have been better to play the veteran and give Brown a few series.

Do we really know that wade is better? Wade hasn't really played a real game as a starter in two years. I agree that he should have started over Towles last year but that's on the Ketchup King.

Brown can run and he can throw at a high level. He obviously had some issues in his first college game. But saying he sucks or is terrible is lazy and stupid. We've seen plenty of terrible at the QB spot and Brown isn't it.

There's a difference between talent and playing well. Whatever the reason it wasn't cause for optimism in the near future.

Never change tewdardo. We should have more night games so that stupid drunk teddy isn't only on thursdays during basketball season.

Brown is more cause for optimism at QB than I've seen since Chris Crane destroyed buffalo.

Like I said, he could be great for the new coach in 2019. If he's the best option now, they won't win at least three of the 7-8 I expected them to win based on the rest of the lineup.

[twballgame9]

For the record I hope I am really wrong and Brown is the second coming of Lamar Jackon. Just didn't see any indication of that, and am tired of bad QB play, whatever the reason. We'll all be dead by the time one of these QBs actually develop. In the meantime 4.5 yds/att and Hilliman grinding out 2 will have to do.

[MilitantEagle]

Darius Wade has never impressed me. This team is not very good no matter who is at QB. As usual, tw was too optimistic with his preseason predictions.

[JesuitIvy]

Maybe I'm burned out from Daz and Spaz but my first thought seeing Brown was starting is he is the excuse Daz needs for underperforming this season - that it's hard to win in this league when you have an inexperience QB blah blah blah.

[flakes]

Brown is comically inaccurate. He's basically Towles. I don't see that much potential. Hilliman is horrendus. But the thing that kills me is that it seems like we have 4 plays (not including the inverse of the same play).

[dtwalrus]

Daz deserves credit for:
- Game management, especially at the end of the first half
- Going for it on 4th and 1 from BC's own 44 in a 4Q tied game.
- Sticking with Brown all game. I half expected a rotation or switching back to Wade after some early struggles, but letting Brown manage the entire game was the right call. (Assuming Brown is the right call in the first place.)

As for Brown, we shouldn't judge him based on his first game, a night game on the road. We'll know more next week.

[twballgame9]

I see plenty of potential. I'd rather have a little polish and less potential in year 5. I'm not knocking Brown's talent, just stating the obvious that last night was not good enough at the QB position to win the 7-8 games the rest of the team should win.

[DomingoOrtiz]

92 plays. 23 points.

I know, i can't believe how bad the Oline is with all this experience.

Lazard getting pulled for Phillips seemed to help a little bit.

You sure? He was alternating at LG all night. The OLine play was the must disappointing aspect of the game.

[twballgame9]

92 plays. 23 points.

I know, i can't believe how bad the Oline is with all this experience.

Lazard getting pulled for Phillips seemed to help a little bit.

You sure? He was alternating at LG all night. The OLine play was the must disappointing aspect of the game.

OLine was not good but it will continue to be tough to evaluate so long as they can't throw.

[eepstein0]

92 plays. 23 points.

I know, i can't believe how bad the Oline is with all this experience.

Lazard getting pulled for Phillips seemed to help a little bit.

You sure? He was alternating at LG all night. The OLine play was the must disappointing aspect of the game.

It improved without Lazard at RT.

Brown needs to use his legs more he is fast