Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Improvements Aside, Focus Remains on Eighth Win
November 28, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Awards are gratifying, but the Eagles remain focused on obtaining a bowl win
Bowl-bound teams have to walk a delicate tightrope of balance. Postseason games are an honor and a capstone for a season. They represent one more chance for a team to come together and compete with that particular identity. It's the last chance to suit up together before heading into offseason training, and it's a way to honor the players who sacrificed every day for 12 games.
But it's also an opportunity. By earning at least an extra dozen practices, a bowl game becomes vital to the future of a team. It bridges the gap between this season and next year, and it provides a chance to work on different areas. It's simply a chance to experiment and to implement new facets of a game that may exist into the future.
"Let's talk about the way we played at the end of the year," head coach Steve Addazio said. "Aside from NC State, we scored over 30 points per game and were near 40. That's really important to building. I think hitting that stride separates (the end of the year), and we're going to play for our eighth win."
Last year's Quick Lane Bowl was more of the latter. A 6-6 regular season allowed the Eagles to look into the future, and the bowl preparation reflected that mentality. BC unveiled up-tempo fundamentals in Detroit - something that hadn't been used during the season. The bridge became preparation and a springboard into 2017, where tempo developed through execution.
Like 2016, a bowl game announcement awaits BC, but it comes this year with a vastly different approach. The Eagles are looking for one more victory for their 2017 roster, which in turn creates a different kind of springboard that would enhance the current style instead of reinventing the team's identity.
"Offensively, we have stuff that we never could do because of our injuries (earlier in the year)," Addazio said. "So we have an opportunity to expand where we would have liked to expanded but never could do it because we were just so brittle."
Getting to that level will build on the team's growth and improvement in 2017. True freshman AJ Dillon was a breakout star. He finished the season as the ACC Rookie of the Year and a first team All-ACC selection, tied for the most votes among players with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson - last year's Heisman Trophy winner.
Overall, BC improved in nearly every offensive category, including points scored, and finished the regular season as the only team with a freshman leading in passing, rushing and receiving.
The defense remained stout as one of the efficient units against the pass. Lukas Denis recorded seven interceptions and Kam Moore was one of the best shutdown corners. Zach Allen emerged as one of the nation's best tacklers, and the revolving door of injuries made household names out of unknowns like linebacker John Lamot.
"We can develop some of our spread run game a little bit more," Addazio said. "We can really continue to work a little bit more in our throw game. Defensively, we really expanded into multiple coverages (this year), which has really been great for us. We were really a man team for the first three and a half years, but we're a team that can play multiple coverages. I want to expand the development of that and maybe enhance our three-down game instead of being in four-down (situations)."
The second half of 2017 was a stretch to remember, and it created electric moments. It energized the program's foundation, and it made the Eagles one of the toughest games on the schedule. Boston College owned its home territory by dominating against both Connecticut and Syracuse, but it expanded nationally with its performances against Louisville, Florida State and others.
"It's one thing to have five or six wins," Addazio said. "But when you get to seven wins and you're playing for eight? Eight gets into another echelon for me. There's a lot of teams that want to get to eight wins, and we have a chance to play for that. That's exciting, and that's our focus. We want to develop and grow, but we want to go get our eighth win."
The bowl game's goal remains to push beyond the limits of a 7-5 program. BC last won eight games in 2009, but that year featured a loss in the Emerald Bowl to Southern California. Under Steve Addazio, BC won seven games in both 2013 and 2014 but lost in both seasons' bowl game. So there's a hunger still burning that belies past success and refocuses the team on the last one remaining.
"You get to eight wins - that's pretty good," he continued. "But your goal is always to get more, even in our history. If you get to eight wins and get one more, you get to nine. Think about how many teams get to nine or 10 wins, especially in a quality conference. That's exciting stuff right there."
Bowl announcements, including BC's destination, will be announced this Sunday.
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But it's also an opportunity. By earning at least an extra dozen practices, a bowl game becomes vital to the future of a team. It bridges the gap between this season and next year, and it provides a chance to work on different areas. It's simply a chance to experiment and to implement new facets of a game that may exist into the future.
"Let's talk about the way we played at the end of the year," head coach Steve Addazio said. "Aside from NC State, we scored over 30 points per game and were near 40. That's really important to building. I think hitting that stride separates (the end of the year), and we're going to play for our eighth win."
Last year's Quick Lane Bowl was more of the latter. A 6-6 regular season allowed the Eagles to look into the future, and the bowl preparation reflected that mentality. BC unveiled up-tempo fundamentals in Detroit - something that hadn't been used during the season. The bridge became preparation and a springboard into 2017, where tempo developed through execution.
Like 2016, a bowl game announcement awaits BC, but it comes this year with a vastly different approach. The Eagles are looking for one more victory for their 2017 roster, which in turn creates a different kind of springboard that would enhance the current style instead of reinventing the team's identity.
"Offensively, we have stuff that we never could do because of our injuries (earlier in the year)," Addazio said. "So we have an opportunity to expand where we would have liked to expanded but never could do it because we were just so brittle."
Getting to that level will build on the team's growth and improvement in 2017. True freshman AJ Dillon was a breakout star. He finished the season as the ACC Rookie of the Year and a first team All-ACC selection, tied for the most votes among players with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson - last year's Heisman Trophy winner.
Overall, BC improved in nearly every offensive category, including points scored, and finished the regular season as the only team with a freshman leading in passing, rushing and receiving.
The defense remained stout as one of the efficient units against the pass. Lukas Denis recorded seven interceptions and Kam Moore was one of the best shutdown corners. Zach Allen emerged as one of the nation's best tacklers, and the revolving door of injuries made household names out of unknowns like linebacker John Lamot.
"We can develop some of our spread run game a little bit more," Addazio said. "We can really continue to work a little bit more in our throw game. Defensively, we really expanded into multiple coverages (this year), which has really been great for us. We were really a man team for the first three and a half years, but we're a team that can play multiple coverages. I want to expand the development of that and maybe enhance our three-down game instead of being in four-down (situations)."
The second half of 2017 was a stretch to remember, and it created electric moments. It energized the program's foundation, and it made the Eagles one of the toughest games on the schedule. Boston College owned its home territory by dominating against both Connecticut and Syracuse, but it expanded nationally with its performances against Louisville, Florida State and others.
"It's one thing to have five or six wins," Addazio said. "But when you get to seven wins and you're playing for eight? Eight gets into another echelon for me. There's a lot of teams that want to get to eight wins, and we have a chance to play for that. That's exciting, and that's our focus. We want to develop and grow, but we want to go get our eighth win."
The bowl game's goal remains to push beyond the limits of a 7-5 program. BC last won eight games in 2009, but that year featured a loss in the Emerald Bowl to Southern California. Under Steve Addazio, BC won seven games in both 2013 and 2014 but lost in both seasons' bowl game. So there's a hunger still burning that belies past success and refocuses the team on the last one remaining.
"You get to eight wins - that's pretty good," he continued. "But your goal is always to get more, even in our history. If you get to eight wins and get one more, you get to nine. Think about how many teams get to nine or 10 wins, especially in a quality conference. That's exciting stuff right there."
Bowl announcements, including BC's destination, will be announced this Sunday.
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