Ask Head Football Coach Tom O'Brien

 Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien hosted a live chat on Thursday, August 26, 2004 at 6 PM EDT.

Boston College's coach hosted a live internet chat on Thursday, August 26, 2004.

Boston College Football Coach Tom O'Brien chatted with fans on Thursday, August 26. As the Eagles count down to the season opener at Ball State, the coach took questions about preseason camp, position changes and announcements.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Hello everyone. This is Coach Tom O'Brien. I just arrived from the practice field and am ready to answer your questions. I would like to thank everyone for joining us today.

Lenny Wall, South Boston: Coach, you mentioned you may give Ryan playing time to begin the second quarter - Peterson seems like a rythem quaterback, are you worried about taking him out of that?? Also I know of no other program that uses such a rotation, does one or two series really benefit a back-up QB. Thanks and best of luck this season - let's keep it rolling!! L. Wall

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think it's important to give the backup time in a game, especially if he's never been in a game before. We're in a situation with a redshirt freshman again being a backup. He can only get better by playing. We don't want to get in a crucial situation in November with a backup quarterback who has never played in a game. So we'll continue to play our backup at the start of the second quarter for an undetermined amount of time this season.

Bob from Wellesley: Coach, Please prioritize, from top to bottom, the positive impact on your program of the new building, field turf, moving to the ACC and new new land acquisition? What do you see as the impact on recruiting, preparation and national perception and why?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think the immediate effect for this team is with the FieldTurf. It's a much better surface, it's more player friendly. It was used against us in recruiting. Immediately that's the biggest positive for us. I believe the new building has had an impact on our recruiting and I know it will affect our preparation. The new land acquisition will definitely help many of our sports here at BC. And the move to the ACC will definitely help us because many recruits perceive it to be the best conference in America, and we'll have the opportunity to play in it.

Kim (Hanover): I hope when you travel to away games that everyone leaves the morning of the day before the game. I think leaving later than that invites travel snafus which (the Cuse game is the ultimate example)leads to tired players and losses on the road.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I try to keep our Friday schedule the same, whether we're at home or away. I believe the routine is much better for the players. Sometimes travel is affected by weather or plane difficulties. But I don't think being on the road significantly affects whether we win or lose, as we were 5-1 on the road last year.

Chris - Melrose: Does Brian Toal have the talent to get significant playing time this year?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Brian Toal is one of three freshmen who will play in the game next Thursday. Depending upon how fast he learns and how he performs, it will lead to significant playing time this year.

Dawn from Melrose: There was statement in Atlhon Sports that you would be leaving BC after this year to accept a job in the NFL. Is there any truth to this rumor??

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: The answer is none.

Allie from Newton, Mass: Coach, Could you explain why you chose Paul Peterson over Quinton Porter and decided to redshirt him?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: After evaluating the last season and through spring practice and preseason, we feel as a staff that Paul Peterson gives us the better chance to win this year. We are very fortunate to have two quarterbacks of Paul's and Quinton's capabilities in our program, but it does not make sense to play both of them. We feel Paul will be the better QB for us as we enter the 2004 season, and he will play.

Sean (Phoenix): Coach O'Brien, Who will be returning punts and kick-offs? Thank you.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Will Blackmon will be returning punts with DeJuan Tribble backing him up, and Will Blackmon and Grant Adams will return kickoffs, with Peter Shean backing them up.

Ken (Chestnut Hill): The past few years it seems like it's taken the Eagles a few games to get going. You've had greater success in the second half of most years, which I think can be attributed to opening up the offense a bit. Given that you have an experienced QB, will you and Dana not play it as close to the vest early in this year?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think Dana has done a tremendous job utilizing the talent he has here at BC. We've been in the top three in total offense the last four years. I don't think the first or second half of the year has anything to do with schemes or how we're playing on offense or defense. I think we do a good job of utilizing our personnel and putting our team in a position to win.

John(Dedham): Will this team bring an "attitude" to the NBE games this year? Many of us alumni and friends certainly hope so. There ought to be plenty of motivation, due to the treatment of BC and its representatives over the last year or so.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think this team will be plenty motivated to succeed this year. We as a team have not discussed any of the treatment or whatever has gone on outside the program as far as the movement from the Big East to the ACC. This team realizes they had no part in the decision making. But we set out to be champions. They have worked extremely hard from the moment we finished in San Francisco all the way to the present, and we look forward to having a great season.

Mike (Springfield): Although your punter last year performed admirably, I haven't ever witnessed such a poor special teams. What changes have been made to the long snapper, and the punt formation blocking schemes? How do you feel your new punter measures up to the experience of previous punters?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: The biggest change in our kicking game has been the return of Brochu as our long snapper. Our schemes have been sound, but with him in the snapper position, getting the ball back to the punter and to the holder on field goals, the operation has been much smoother. I think both our kickers, though freshmen (as scary as that may be) are talented as individuals and who, as they gain experience, will get better and better at their positions.

Mark Stanglin (Woodstock, VT): Good afternoon Coach O'Brien: My question is: Now that the team will have the experience and leadership that Paul Peterson, Dave Kashetta and the group of wide receivers brings as a unit for the 9/2 opener, do you feel the offensive line and running back positions have come together well enough to offer good flexibility in terms of game strategy, matching up against opponents, etc.? Thanks and good luck this season.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I feel the offensive line has made tremendous strides in preseason. That's one of the benefits of going against a quality defensive line as we have right now. They've gotten better every practice and have started to mold themselves into an effective unit. I believe we have quality running backs. It was difficult to pick Jeff Ross over LV, but as I told them both, they'll both get playing time in the opening game, and as the game progresses, we may end up playing the hotter of the two backs.

Steve (Clemson, SC): Now that Quinton Porter will red-shirt this season, will be be immediatly placed as the starter in 2005? Also, did part of the decision to red-shirt Porter have anything to do with the fact that he fits a more prototypical style of quarterback that you might find in the ACC (ala Chris Rix or Brock Berlin)?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: The move to the ACC had no effect whatsoever on our decision to redshirt Porter this year. This football team is focused on the 2004 season, and there are many seniors playing their last year here at BC. It would do them a disservice to think about the 2005 season. The QB decision was made for what is best for 2004. Quinton will have the opportunity. He will go into spring practice as the number one quarterback for 2005.

Frank (New York): I was very impressed with Ryan Glasper's play last year and was surprised to see that Silva beat him out for the SS position. Is Silva as athletic as Glasper is and do you forsee Silva playing the running downs and Glasper coming in on passing situations? Thanks

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Ryan Glasper played well for us last year and there is nothing he did that cost him his position to Silva. Silva in the spring stood out as the spring progressed and continued to be a much better player into the fall. The situation evolved that Silva has won the position. Ryan Glasper will play a lot of football this year. He's capable of playing both safeties and will see a lot of time on special teams.

Coop (San Francisco): Coach, do you think it is a good idea to continue the Notre Dame series once we move into the ACC? Would scheduling some less grueling out of conference opponents make us more likely to continue getting to bowl games? Keep up the great work!

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think it's always a good idea for Boston College to schedule Notre Dame. It's a very special game for our school. I think with eight conference games in the ACC, we most certainly would want to keep Notre Dame on our schedule as the major out-of-conference game we play. I think the ACC would look forward to having one of our non-conference games as a national game, and Notre Dame would fit that criteria for us.

Albany, NY: After getting 10 commitments and one commitment from last year, who are we targetting to get?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: NCAA regulations do not permit me to talk about recruited athletes, so we will be careful and not make a comment on recruiting as we do these chats.

Tom, NYC: Coach, with strength of schedule out of the BCS formula and a tougher conference schedule coming via the ACC, should we expect more IAA opponents like UMass in the future?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: To schedule a I-AA football team is important to us so that we can have six home games. It was unfortunate this year that we could not get a sixth home game. It has nothing to do with strength of schedule or our tough non-conference. It's about having six home games, not five this year where we're forced to play six on the road.

Larry (Leominster): Coach, do you feel a certain pressure to have a true break-out performance this year and get the BCS bid and enter the ACC on a high note?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think coaches feel pressure every year to be the best they can be, and for their team to be the best they can be. I don't think our entry into the ACC has anything to do with this year's schedule. This team had decidated itself to being the best it can be in the Big East and getting a BCS bid, and we'll accept that pressure.

Scott (New York City): What do you love most about coaching and the game of football?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think what I love most about coaching is watching players improve, from the moment they show up on campus until they graduate; watching them grow not only as football players, but as individuals, as BC allows them to do in so many ways. To take a wide-eyed freshman and to see him leave our campus not only as a football player, but as a complete person.

Bob from Wellesley: Coach, It was interesting to see Lucero make the two deep as a transfer. What do the coaches see that he brings to the DE position that we can look for this fall.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Lucas will be playing defensive tackle for us. He's capable of playing either defensive end or defensive tackle, but right now that's where we need him most. He's a high motor individual, he's a mature football player, having played three years of football. Hopefully he'll step in and give us backup help and play 20-25 plays per game.

Brian (Herndon, VA): Coach, we are very exciting to have BC coming down to ACC country. Is this going to help open doors for recruiting in the DC & Tidewater areas (areas we seem to have mostly been shutout in the past)?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think when we move to the ACC our exposure in the South in general will help us in recruiting. Right now the only games we've played have been in Miami and Blacksburg. I think with the increased exposure, when they see what a fine academic institution we have and what a great city we live in, we'll be able to build some interest among the players South of the Mason-Dixon line.

Jim (Gloucester): Can a program graduate 90% of its players and still win 10 games, or are certain teams limited by the desire to educate their players?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I don't think having your players receive their diplomas is a detriment to any program. It's one thing we use in recruiting. I think it's a very positive situation for us. We most certainly want to try to prove that we can be a 10-game or better type of football program.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Thank you very much for joining us this evening. We'll try to host these online chats several more times throughout the season. Thanks again for your continued support of our program.

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