McDonough and Millen

[ObserverCollege]

Aspiring communications types, you are witnessing a rare example of absolutely fabulous announcing work tonight. McDonough and Millen are speaking to all those who know BC has no speed, can't get recruits, and is a glorified Holy Cross. Note some of the key points they have made:

• McDonough laughing as he points out that, really, BC has no serious major college football receivers. Matt Millen, noted Wide Receiver Draft Expert, guffaws in agreement--thus we know it's true.
• See Millen's deep, careful preparation as he explains that BC's offensive line has been the most consistent offensive unit this season.
• The compassion they show to Gary Tranquill, who is moving heaven and earth to try to "manufacture" space for the wide receivers.

At the end of the day, you get the same understanding Coach Spaziani shared in the postgame press conference last week. The BC players are a joke, they can't get out of their own way, and the poor coaches are persecuted trying to mold such unworthy talent.

Note how McDonough tops things off (I paraphrase): "Brian Kelly grew up in Boston, big sports guy, and never came over to BC until tonight. All those years, he never came over".

Wonderful! All the modern-day Massachusetts Fausts out there, those of you who laugh at BC--you're doing the right thing. McDonough laughs, noting Kelly never saw BC play. Millen laughs. Blauds and Spaz laugh over biscotti and anginetti. So why on earth would you take them seriously???

[cvilleagle]

Millen always was great at spotting receiver talent

[rktbrkr]

I never thought Gunnell would be missed soooo badly, now the Shinskie staredown is a little more understandable - also the short dump off passes.

If this team can't get up for playing VPI and ND at home then their road games against decent teams will be horrifying. I really don't want to see FSU

I really thought ABC was going to switch to another game. BC isn't going to have many more TV appearances this year.

[twballgame9]

They were catching the balls when they were being zipped in there by a legit QB as opposed to fluttered in there by a terrible one. The velocity and crispness differential is blatantly obvious; the receivers know that every ball from Marsco Polo is going to be a knuckler, take forever to get there, and likely get them killed in the process. Clyde Lee should refuse to go over the middle when that clown is in at QB.

The easiest example is the slant pass Rettig threw to Coleman on the FG drive. Friggin bullet on the hands, leading the receiver and getting there long before the safety. Same pass to Lee in the third, and he almost got decapitated waiting for the ball to get there.

[PhillyandBCEagles]

Millen always was great at spotting receiver talent

Actually, the internet feed I watched the game on somehow had the audio left on in the booth during most of the commercial breaks, allowing you to hear the comments they were making off the air....pretty interesting, especially early on when they were commenting (before they brought it up on the air) about the ridiculous officiating. Millen also referred to a section of BC fans as "a bunch of booze-bags" at one point

[Boston Domer]

Millen always was great at spotting receiver talent

Millen was pretty bad tonight. i remember him calling out a BC receiver when it was just a bad pass.

[kobenhavn]

The 'off the air' comments that appear to have come though by accident on the ESPN3 coverage during commercial breaks were very interesting including calling one of the early official calls "awful" and "its a Big East crew and guess who left the Big East - have they called anything on ND?", a very early Millen comment that "this is not a typical BC offensive line - they are not blowing out anybody", and some less clearly audible comments that seemed to be questioning why Shinskie wasnt playing later in the game. At one point as things got painful one of them made a comment about maybe they should play running time, although I dont recall if that was an off-air comment. Probably still available on the ESPN3 On Demand feature.

[b0mberMan]

Millen always was great at spotting receiver talent

Millen was pretty bad tonight. i remember him calling out a BC receiver when it was just a bad pass.

There is a reason he's not and will not be allowed to run a football team at any level above Pop Warner. I'm not sure why he's paid to evaluate and comment on the game, though.

[HJS]

They were catching the balls when they were being zipped in there by a legit QB as opposed to fluttered in there by a terrible one. The velocity and crispness differential is blatantly obvious; the receivers know that every ball from Marsco Polo is going to be a knuckler, take forever to get there, and likely get them killed in the process. Clyde Lee should refuse to go over the middle when that clown is in at QB.

The easiest example is the slant pass Rettig threw to Coleman on the FG drive. Friggin bullet on the hands, leading the receiver and getting there long before the safety. Same pass to Lee in the third, and he almost got decapitated waiting for the ball to get there.

Wait. Are u talking about the same group who dropped like the first 5 passes Rettig threw because the ball only hit 9 out of their 10 fingers? They were atrocious yesterday I'm every way. In fairness, it takes time to get used to a QB... timing... spin... Etc. This is the reason why teams don't play 3 QBs in over the course of 2 quarters.

[twballgame9]

They were catching the balls when they were being zipped in there by a legit QB as opposed to fluttered in there by a terrible one. The velocity and crispness differential is blatantly obvious; the receivers know that every ball from Marsco Polo is going to be a knuckler, take forever to get there, and likely get them killed in the process. Clyde Lee should refuse to go over the middle when that clown is in at QB.

The easiest example is the slant pass Rettig threw to Coleman on the FG drive. Friggin bullet on the hands, leading the receiver and getting there long before the safety. Same pass to Lee in the third, and he almost got decapitated waiting for the ball to get there.

Wait. Are u talking about the same group who dropped like the first 5 passes Rettig threw because the ball only hit 9 out of their 10 fingers? They were atrocious yesterday I'm every way. In fairness, it takes time to get used to a QB... timing... spin... Etc. This is the reason why teams don't play 3 QBs in over the course of 2 quarters.

Rettig's early passes weren't good. His first throw skipped off the turf before it got to the receiver, and the two on the second drive weren't good, although you would probably call the back shoulder throw into double coverage "catchable" on the third pass. From there, he got better, and balls got caught.

[HJS]

Rettig completed 5 passes... only 2 were to WRs. Swiggert's bomb and the slant. The first completion was to Pantale and he had a couple to Harris. The point is that your statement about the WRs being good when Rettig was in and terrible only after he left couldn't be more wrong. They were fucking atrocious from the second they stepped foot on the field. Worst performance out of that group in years.

[twballgame9]

Rettig completed 5 passes... only 2 were to WRs. Swiggert's bomb and the slant. The first completion was to Pantale and he had a couple to Harris. The point is that your statement about the WRs being good when Rettig was in and terrible only after he left couldn't be more wrong. They were fucking atrocious from the second they stepped foot on the field. Worst performance out of that group in years.

The point is that his first three passes were terrible. Of his other 7, 5 were caught and one was thrown away. The drops started when floppy arm came in the game. The two identical slant passes (one zipped in for 15 yards to Coleman, and one floppy armed in for a Clyde Lee safety decapitation) are all you really need to look at to see the difference. It's fucking obvious.

[eepstein0]

To be honest, it honestly looks like sometimes no one at all is open. I'm beginning of understand Shinskie's dilemma.

[twballgame9]

To be honest, it honestly looks like sometimes no one at all is open. I'm beginning of understand Shinskie's dilemma.

There were dudes open all night. The pissing on the WRs thing is a joke. Swigert was wide open on the bomb. Marscovetra missed the flea flicker and another deep pass. Dudes are open, they aren't being seen. When they are, they aren't being hit. Or they are being led right into a crime scene where they get decapitated.

Playing WR for Shinskie or Marco Polo is like having a death wish.

[eepstein0]

My other problem: What the fuck is the obsession with that draw play to Montel inside? I swear to God we ran the same play legimiately 20 times. Does have some other running play that we could possibly try? The playcalling against VT I thought was at least acceptable. Saturday Night was a travesity on playcalling.