Pack win game 1

NC State just put the finishing touches on an 8-4 victory over BC baseball at Shea Field in game 1 of today's doubleheader (yesterday's game was postponed to this morning due to rain). 

The Eagles and the Wolfpack are starting game 2 as we speak.

The football team just finished up their first scrimmage - I'll link to my story on EagleInsider.com once it's posted.

EDIT:

-LINK to EagleInsider football story

(must be a subscriber)

-BC baseball won game 2 of the doubleheader, 8-6, setting up a crucial rubber game tomorrow at 1 PM.

I leave the country and the BC sports world turns upside down

At around 6 PM this evening, I thought the most interesting thing I'd have to blog about today would be being present at UNH's exciting 5-4 victory over Maine at Alfond Arena, in which UNH scored four goals in the third period to top the Black Bears. 

Then, over the next few hours, the entire BC sports landscape changed right before our eyes.

The UNC win legitimately is a program-changer; it was probably the best regular season win in team history. It instantly gives the program the national respect and attention that it has lacked since the end of the Sean Williams era. There's a very good chance that BC vaults right into the top 20. 

While it's too early to call this a sure sign of things to come, it's hard not to get excited when Rakim Sanders and Reggie Jackson help Tyrese carry the load and bring home a victory in Tobbaco Road. The guys should be very proud.

Of course, there is also the Jags news; according to very reliable sources, he's gone. Absolutely stunning. I feel almost personally hurt and decieved, as I truly believed Jags was here for the long haul. There's no way he actually gets the Jets job... so this is all just very odd.

I'll be perfectly honest here: any way you look at it, this is going to be an EPIC FAIL for BC, perception-wise, and perception really is one of the most important things here. This is going to be viewed one of three ways:

1] BC got rid of a very good football coach [very true, in perception and reality]

2] BC overreacted to Jags' natural desire for an NFL job, the pinnacle of his profession.

3] BC got played by a slick-talker who professed his loyalty then screwed.

This is also going to reinforce the image of BC as a stepping-stone job. But let's be frank - what isn't a stepping stone job? Nick Saban says hello. Coaches are always looking out for the next offer, that's just the way it is. While I salute GDF for his courage here and hope the program can grow from this moving forward, this is going to make BC look VERY bad and will hurt recruiting unless Gene makes a huge splash with the next hire.

With that said, I'm rooting for Spaz to get the head coaching job. I feel like that's highly unlikely, though.

I'll have pictures and stories from New Brunswick and Maine either later tonight or tomorrow... for now, I'm trying to take this all in.

A dubious list while I head into Canada

I'm in Falmouth, Maine this morning, getting set to drive into New Brunswick for the exhibition series between the Eagles and the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. Being on the road has helped me avoid any discussion of the Game That Never Happened, but I've still been steaming over it internally, which led me to think of the following list: The Top 6 losses that made me sick during my time as a BC student. These aren't the most depressing or heartbreaking losses [i.e. National Championship game, ACC title games, etc.], but rather the losses that left me with a sick feeling because of how awful the loss and/or opponent was.

Enjoy:

1. Football - Music City Bowl vs. Vanderbilt - 2008

Yep, this one is the worst; it continued to stain the ACC's already horrible reputation, it broke our one small source of pride, the bowl streak, and it created some big fears about the future of our offense. I respect Vanderbilt as one of the few classy programs in the SEC, but losing to them stinks - especially in a bowl game. This one is tough to stomach.

2. Men's Hockey - vs. Northeastern, March 2008

Senior Night at Conte Forum was the penultimate game of the regular season and the start of a home-and-home with NU. The Eagles needed to step up and win at least one in order to secure home ice for the Hockey East playoffs, but they came in reeling after an 0-1-1 weekend against previously ice-cold Providence.

BC scored just nine seconds into the game, but the rest of it was miserable as Northeastern outhustled BC to every puck and won every battle along the boards. A late Mike Brennan rocket tied the game, but Northeastern dominated and broke through in overtime. After this game, I further adjusted my already low expectations - I just wanted to make it to the Garden for the Hockey East semifinals. How little I knew...

3. Men's Basketball - vs. Duquesne, December 2006

The 2005-06 basketball team should have gone to the Final Four - I maintain that to this very day - and I held out hope that the '06-'07 team could make a similar run. But the loss against an awful Duquesne team at home really put a damper on that. I do recall Duquesne coming back from a late double-digit deficit, and Sean Williams [who?] picking up a very dumb technical foul in overtime to help gift-wrap the game.

4. Football - vs. Georgia Tech, September 2008

We don't lose home games, for the most part; for all the talk about our crappy home field advantage, BC football has dominated at Alumni Stadium over the past five seasons or so. The Class of 2012 was not as lucky as '10 or '11 as their first home game was a bitterly disappointing loss to a team we expected to beat. Chris Crane's struggles poured cold water all over my theory that Crane's mobility and the return of Raji and Toal would make the '08 squad better than their '07 counterpart.

5. Women's Hockey - vs. Northeastern, December 2007

In hindsight, realizing how good Leah Sulyma is in net makes this one easier to swallow, but at the time a loss to Northeastern was very, very tough to take; it was the official sign that the '07-'08 version of the Eagles had something missing, and that the rest of the season would be difficult to watch.

6. Men's Hockey - vs. BU, December 2008

We were lucky enough to go the entire year in '07-'08 without seeing BC lose to BU, so I was able to forget how sickening it is to see a loss in a huge rivalry game. Coming on the heels of the ACC championship loss earlier that afternoon, watching BU fans celebrate all over Conte left me with a sick feeling that lingered for days. Making matters worse: the team hasn't played yet since then.

New lowpoint

Wow, not much else to say other than this game makes me sick more than any BC game in a long, long time.

The defense gave up a grand total of 9 points today - 3 set up by an INT and 3 set up by a terrible 'roughing the passer' [bullshit] call. Our defense is amazing. But it ain't enough with offense like that.

I won't say anything bad about any of the guys because they try their hardest and nobody's getting paid here. But the coaches better make sure that through recruiting, game planning, and practicing, the offense is never as absolutely pitiful as it was this season.

I'm beginning to think of Steve Logan as bizzaro Dana Bible. Is there an offensive coordinator out there who believes in both running and passing, depending on the situation? Or do they all have to be so stubborn? 

Bowling

Although it doesn't really feel like it, the Eagles take the field in four hours in a bowl game, looking for 9 straight. The last time BC played in the Music City Bowl, it was a pretty big deal - it was the start of BC's bowl win streak, and it was a matchup with ranked Georgia.

This game doesn't get much hype as Vanderbilt is 6-6 and the Eagles are heavily favored to dispatch them, even in front of 50,000+ Vandy fans. There doesn't seem to be much excitement as fans seem to be a little more disappointed about the ACCCG loss this year, a little less enthusiastic about recruiting, and quite a bit less enthusiastic about the bowl opponent. I know that I've sort of already mentally shifted into hockey mode [with a good dose of hoops, too - the men and the women are both off to good starts, although neither has done much against top competition].

But no matter what the situation, when BC football takes the field, it's a big deal - so I'm starting to get excited to watch these guys one more time. I know that when the final whistle sounds, I'll be greatly looking forward to next fall.

There are plenty of reasons to care about the game today:

-A win gives us 10 on the year for the third straight season

-A loss would be a major black eye. Not really a reason to get excited, but a reason to care.

-A win improves the ACC's bowl record to 4-3; it's been a disappointing bowl season so far, but it can be salvaged if BC, GT, Clemson and VT win.

Go Eagles!

Oh snap...

In the Meineke Car Care Bowl, UNC just pulled a Brady-to-Moss-esque juggling touchdown bomb of about 70 yards to tie WVU 7-7. 

It's a big day for ACC football - UNC is currently playing West Virginia, FSU has Wisconsin at 4:30 in the Champs Sports Bowl, and Miami plays Cal in the Emerald Bowl at 8.

EDIT: Wow, Alric Arnett and WVU just gave it right back to the Heels with a 44 yard TD laser... 14-7 'Eers.

ACC: 1-0 in bowl season

It's not a pretty win, but Wake Forest has overcome Navy 29-19 in the EagleBank Bowl, avenging their loss to the Midshipmen earlier this season. Wake overcame an early 13-0 deficit and dominated the 2nd half, somewhat reminiscent of the way they roared to victory over UConn last year.

The next ACC bowl is the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Dec. 27 - a good matchup between UNC and West Virginia.

ACC Bowl Games

Dec. 20 - Eaglebank - Navy vs. Wake Forest

Dec. 27 - Meineke - UNC vs. West Virginia

Dec. 27 - Champs Sports - Florida State vs. Wisconsin

Dec. 27 - Emerald - Miami vs. Cal

Dec. 29 - Papajohns.com - NC State vs. Rutgers

Dec. 30 - Smurf Turf - Nevada vs. Maryland

Dec. 31 - Gaylord - Vanderbilt vs. Boston College

Dec. 31 - Chick-Fil-A - LSU vs. Georgia Tech

Jan. 1 - Gator - Clemson vs. Nebraska

Jan. 1 - Orange - Virginia Tech vs. Cincinatti

Ten bowl eligible teams. Let's hope for ten wins, eh?

My predictions: W, W, W, L, W, L, W, W, L, W = 7-3 = much better than last year. Cross your fingers.

Smile

Beanpot 2004


BC wins in 2OT vs Maine

Sucks to be us

What more can you say? That was about as awful as an awful day can be, sports-wise. Probably the darkest day in BC athletics during my time as a student.

The hockey game was immensely frustrating. BU did a great job of clogging the lanes and BC never really adjusted their passing accordingly; the power play was not so powerful, Conte was fairly dead considering it was a BU game; BU scored on a penalty shot... just a bad night.

Thankfully the basketball team beat UMass 85-81, but a 4 point win over that piece of crap team doesn't really make me feel much better, even if it was at Mullins Zoo.

I'm gonna go throw something now. Bye bye.

TAMPA

Mr. Davis, I apologize for doubting your ability to win us this game. Go get 'em in Tampa.

This one is for all the braindead morons who continually pick BC to struggle year after year after fucking year, only to be wrong again and again. For all the people who said BC could never win without Ryan, for all the chicken littles who wanted to run Jags out of town after UNC, for all the pundits who picked BC 5th or even 6th in the Atlantic, for all the people who said TOB made football at BC, for all the fucking rednecks who send us to shit bowls every year.

The best part about BC triumphs is that they're ours and ours only. This one's for BC, and everyone else can go screw.

4 years in the ACC, 2 ACC Atlantic titles. Time to bring home the conference title next week.

Rally around the new guy

Can this man lead BC to the promised land?

It doesn't matter who you wanted to be the starter at the beginning of the year, or after the Georgia Tech game, or after the UNC game; it doesn't matter if you think he should have gotten some snaps during games this year; it doesn't really even matter what you think of Davis's abilities. What matters is this: Dominique Davis is the man charged with getting us over the hump and into the Orange Bowl. It's time to rally around him. With a week at the helm under his belt, a lot of those first week jitters should be gone... let's hope it translates into results.

It's not going to be easy, but it never really is with BC athletics. GO DOMINIQUE!

Thank you, Chris Crane.

With that blow in the second quarter of yesterday's game against Wake Forest, it appears that Chris Crane's BC career is over.

There has not been a single BC athlete during my three years here that's received more flack from fans - some of it deserved, some of it undeserved - than Chris Crane. The only other two I can think of who got audibly booed were Ryan Ohliger and Jon Oates. 

But with Oates, there was sort of a protective fondness from the crowd; there was none of that with Crane, just lots of vitriol and chants for Davis. A satire newspaper at BC even had the headline "Students agree: Crane must go," ostensibly about the crane in front of Gasson Hall. I can't imagine having to deal with that ignominy, having to deal with being reviled and booed by your own fans.

Because he didn't play for very long, we didn't really get to learn much about Chris Crane. But here's what I do know:

He inherited the position from the 2nd-best quarterback in BC history - a guy who was good for two miracles per year and a guy who took BC into the national Top 10. Filling Matt Ryan's shoes is almost impossible no matter who you are, and Crane was thrust into that position. And with Crane at the helm, BC has 8 wins and is one win away from getting to the same place they got to with Matt Ryan, the ACC title game.

Crane won the confidence of his teammates during the offseason, beating out message board heroes Boek and Davis ane earning both the starting QB job and the title of offensive captain. 

And although he had several awful games, he clearly learned from his mistakes week to week and was starting to really get into a groove. He has become outstanding at fake handoffs and misdirection, and his ability to tuck it and run added another element to BC's offense this year that none of the other QBs on the roster could have provided. He also learned how to become a game-manager, limiting turnovers and doing what he had to do to put a W on the board. He finally put together back-to-back solid games against Notre Dame and FSU and was doing a good job against Wake before the injury.

From time to time, he also uncorked some great throws. His toss to Robinson in the corner of the end zone to give BC a fleeting lead over Clemson was brilliant, and he had some excellent passes in the Virginia Tech game even with a hostile crowd hurling down boos and insults upon him.

Additionally, from all I know about Crane, he's known as a great guy in the locker room, and a guy who has the respect of his teammates. He also reportedly has a 4.0 GPA.

Chris Crane will probably not go down in history as a player BC fans remember 20 or 30 years down the road, but his short career as BC's starting QB, for all its tumult, has the Eagles two wins away from the Orange Bowl.

Thank you, and good luck.

A follow-up on yesterday's game

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Day of reckoning

It's an ACC championship quarterfinal today for the Eagles and the Demon Deacons. There's really not much I can say to add to what we already know about this game. It's the most important game of Chris Crane's life. Let's hope they all rise to the occasion.

Today, the women's soccer team also has a huge test, facing Florida State in the Sweet 16 at 2 PM. The Eagles lost to FSU 1-0 in September in Chestnut Hill.

The men's hockey, women's hockey, and men's basketball teams all have games today as well, facing UMass, BU, and St. Louis, respectively.

*

In this week's episode of "Logic people use to denigrate the ACC," OMG! #2 BU lost to fellow Hockey East team Vermont and will thus move down the national rankings. I guess that means Hockey East sucks!

Women's soccer gametime announced, conference honors for BC athletes, and new hockey polls

-BC women's soccer will take on Florida State on Saturday at 2 PM in Tallahassee in the NCAA Sweet 16. I re-iterate: please wear black jerseys, FSU.

-The men's soccer team finds out its fate tonight when the NCAA D-1 tournament field is announced at 6 PM on ESPNews. BC is on the bubble to be one of the four teams seeded in its bracket; if they do get a 4 seed, they have a good chance of hosting the first two rounds in Newton this weekend.

-Marcellus Bowman was named ACC defensive back of the week after his pick-6 on Saturday night at FSU. Get on the Brock Bradford for Hobey bandwagon - his 5 goals and assists this weekend earned him men's Hockey East player of the week honors. Kelli Stack joined in the fun, earning women's Hockey East player of the week with 3 goals this weekend.

-The new NCAA hockey rankings are out. In men's hockey, BC moves up a place to #4 thanks to Denver's big drop (4th to 10th). Minnesota unsurprisingly moves into the #1 spot. Air Force remains overlooked at #12 although one voter gave them a first place vote; UMass-Lowell remains inexplicably outside of the top 20 .

-In the women's hockey poll, BC drops to #8 after a rough loss to Maine. Wisconsin and Minnesota remain #1 and #2. BU earns its highest ranking ever at #5.

-Boston College has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA women's cross-country tournament.

BLACKOUT!!!!!

Please FSU, wear the black jerseys again in two years.

Montel Harris, I love you. Chris Crane, you almost gave me a heart attack with that fumble, but wow, what a solid performance.

And thanks to FSU for a continued string of stupid penalties. 

ONWARD!

Suck of the Irish

Wow. I knew Notre Dame was bad. I had no idea they were that shockingly pathetic.

Six in a row plus the national title game in hockey. BC's ownership of ND continues.

Does anything else really need to be said about the game?

I didn't see anything out of the offense that inspired me for the ACC stretch run, although I suppose Crane et. al. did what they had to do to grind out a victory against an inferior opponent.

The defense showed their dominating run-stopping form for the first time in the post-Toal era, but to be fair, Hughes is a pathetic running back.

Anderson and the secondary did well, but once again, the big asterisk is that Jimmy Claussen made Chris Crane look like Tom Brady.

Mark Herzlich is an absolute animal. Poor old Steve-o still can't hit chip shots.

The analogy I'm using here is that this feels a bit like winning the Beanpot. The hard work and the games that really count are still to come, but this is a good point during the season to sit back, smile, and laugh at the misfortune of our ugly stepsisters from Indiana.

Things that are good...

• The men's basketball team is hosting a public intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday morning at 10 AM in the Power Gym. This is not quite as cool as, say, Midnight Madness; nor is it qute as cool as an actual exhibition game against another opponent - but at least it's something. I look forward to getting a glimpse of this year's hoops team and getting some insight as to what the rotation is going to look like. I'm sure student attendance will be almost nonexistent, but it's nice of Coach Skinner to open the doors and let us get an early look at this season's squad.
• The women's basketball team also has an exhibition game coming up - a Monday night matchup with a team called "Premier Players" in Conte Forum. I can't attend... night class. Boo.
• The #10 BC women's soccer team defeated #14 Duke yesterday 1-0 in the quarterfinal round of the 2008 ACC Soccer Tournament in Cary, N.C. The Eagles will now face perennial national powerhouse UNC tomorrow evening at 5 PM. The game will be aired live on ACC Select. The winner advances to the championship game, to be televised Sunday afternoon on (I think) NESN. In their last matchup with the 'Heels, BC battled hard in Chapel Hill before being beaten 3-2 by a UNC goal in the final minutes.
• Tomorrow night's BC-Notre Dame men's hockey game will be the first national title rematch in college hockey since the BC-Wisconsin series two autumns ago at the Kohl Center in Madison. In that series, BC swept the Badgers; the Eagles now have three consecutive wins over Wisconsin since falling to Bucky in the '06 NCAA championship game.
• Tomorrow's game also marks Notre Dame's first visit to Conte Forum since their 7-1 beatdown of BC two seasons ago, and the first Notre Dame football/hockey dual weekend in four years. Here's hoping they keep the semi-tradition alive in South Bend next year - I'd love to be able to see hockey and football on the road.
• An anonymous source tells me that Hockey East may be on the verge of establishing higher standards for arena quality - including quality of facilities, seating capacity, and ice quality. The long and short of that nugget is that such a policy would result in the end of Merrimack in Hockey East. Sad anonymous source mentioned that Quinnipiac is considered a favorite to take Merrimack's place, should they ever get the boot; Quinnipiac has a gorgeous facility in Hamden, Conn., a growing program, and a pretty decent fanbase, considering it's in the middle of nowhere. Merrimack-for-Quinnipiac would be an excellent swap for the league, so let's keep our fingers crossed that this source knows what he's talking about.
• Jags is talking about the chance that Ryan Quigley may kick field goals and take kickoffs this weekend against the Irish, depending on who wins the practice battle. Of course, Quigley's one kickoff on Saturday was disastrous, so let's hope that was the exception and not the rule...
• Our traveling party did not hit a moose yesterday on our trip to Hanover, N.H.
• The women's hockey team does not have another game until next Thursday night, at home against UConn; by then, the Four Nations Cup will be over, and Molly Schaus and Kelli Stack will be back in maroon and gold after a quick stint wearing the red, white and blue. Speaking of which, Molly, Kelli and team USA take on Canada tonight at 7 PM in Lake Placid... go America!