Boston College Athletics
Football Practices Twice On Monday
August 16, 2010 | Football
Aug. 16, 2010
The Boston College football team had its second of six two-a-days on Monday at Alumni Stadium in preparation for its second scrimmage of the preseason on Wednesday night. The offense performed well in the first scrimmage on Saturday led by sophomore QB Dave Shinskie.
The Eagles' offense has established stars in the backfield with junior RB Montel Harris and on the offensive line led by senior LT Anthony Castonzo. That combination has proven to be dominant over the last two years, but BC is looking for another combination to bolster the offense.
As with any quarterback, Shinskie is one of the keys to Boston College's success in 2010. With a year of Gary Tranquil's offense under his belt and a body in better football shape, Shinskie could take some of the load off of Harris.
"I have to cut down on interceptions, make better reads and just work on my check balance a little bit more," Shinskie said. "It comes with learning the playbook."
Shinskie is only one part of it though, as a young crop of talented wide receivers will be relied upon this year to make plays. Junior Colin Larmond, Jr. is the leader of the group, catching 29 balls for 596 yards and five touchdowns in 2009. He will step into the spotlight this year with the departure of Rich Gunnell, who is BC's all-time leading receiver.
"I'm in the driver's seat now, so I have to lead by example," Larmond, Jr. said. "When it comes to 2:30, I have to go out there and work, no matter how I feel. I have to make sure I set the bar high, so everybody else knows."
Larmond, Jr. will lead an inexperienced but exciting group of receivers. Junior Ifeanyi Momah redshirted last year and worked most of the year at defensive end, but now he is back on offense and listed atop the depth chart. At 6-6, he is a big target for Shinskie.
Redshirt freshman Johnathan Coleman is another big receiver who stands at 6-4. The Bronx, NY native played one year of organized football in high school, but earned numerous accolades as a senior and his potential is endless.
Senior Billy Flutie has great hands and plenty of experience on the field to get the job done while senior Ryan Lindsey and sophomore Clyde Lee provide much needed depth to the unit.
The tight ends could play an important role in the pass offense this year. Sophomore Chris Pantale had a solid year in 2009, catching 25 passes for 223 yards, on his way to earning second team All-American freshman honors by the College Football Network. But even he talked about the potential that the receivers could tap this year.
"Our receivers are certainly going to step up this year," Pantale said. "I think Colin's going to have a breakout year."
