Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Eagles Back To Work, Readying for Notre Dame
September 12, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
After Saturday's loss, BC charges ahead with its preparation.
With four days remaining until Saturday afternoon's Holy War matchup against Notre Dame, Steve Addazio didn't look back at his team's performance against Wake Forest. He only stressed the need to continue pressing forward after a disappointing defeat against the Demon Deacons.
"There's a buzz because (our opponent) is Notre Dame, and we're not going to deny that there is a natural rivalry in there," he said on Tuesday. "But there's also a buzz because our team is not happy. We're going to charge this opponent."
The loss to the Demon Deacons remains a bitter pill to swallow after an encouraging first game against Northern Illinois. The offense had several miscues accounting for almost 75 percent of Wake's scoring total. Stemming from sloppy play, the Eagles began preparing for the Fighting Irish by simplifying their scheme.
"We have to take care of the football, plain and simple," Addazio said. "We can't have balls fumbled on the 26. It's not who we are and it hasn't been who we are all preseason camp. It's not going to keep going that way. That's going to end abruptly. We're just going to go play hard and physical and we're going to attack this game with a real passion and real charge."
Simplifying the game plan backs up the vote of confidence in quarterback Anthony Brown, who struggled in his second career start. After winning a preseason camp quarterback battle against Darius Wade, Addazio pulled his rookie signal caller in the first half in favor of the graduate student. Wade responded by going 7-for-12 for 44 yards. But as this week began, Brown was back under center preparing for the next opponent.
"Anthony is going to play great," Addazio said. "He's going to have a great plan. That will happen. Everybody around him has to do their job and play well too. That's all part of it. Our center is going to have another week under his belt right now and that's going to help. These guys get another week under their belt and they go. There's some good plays made in that game. We got to make more of them and make the more consistently."
The center referenced is true freshman Ben Petrula, a player originally slotted as the "sixth or seventh" player in the BC trenches. But injuries have robbed the Eagles of senior captain Jon Baker for the rest of the season and redshirt freshman Shane Leonard. That forced BC to choose between Petrula and Alec Lindstrom, another true freshman.
"We had to go to the next guy, and the next best offensive lineman is Ben," Addazio said. "Alec is ready to go. Alec is going to be a heck of a player. He's 263 pounds right now and we're getting ready to play some pretty big men at center. So we have to get a big man ready to go. (Ben) did some really good things in that game (against Wake). He had one errant snap but to think that wasn't going to happen would be naive. He had a heck of a day out there, so he's just going to get better and better."
With Brown back under center and Petrula handling the snaps, the Eagles can look to their first two games' worth of film for assistance in preparing for the Irish. Both Northern Illinois' Ryan Graham and Wake Forest's John Wolford flashed the ability to run, something they'll see in Notre Dame's Brandon Wimbush.
Wimbush hasn't completed 20 passes in a game this season, but he remains a dual-threat player capable of ripping off a big play. He was dominant in a 49-16 blowout win over Temple, accounting for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with 106 yards on the ground in 12 carries, scoring an eight yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Against the Bulldogs, he threw for 211 yards but found himself largely contained on the ground. For the Eagles to pull out victory, it's a fact Addazio knows will need to remain true for a second straight week.
"It helps that we've prepared for two quarterback-run teams and that's what we've been involved with," he said. "It helps us prepare for (mobile quarterbacks). We've had some game reps and a whole bunch of practice reps. They are not exactly the same as the other two but there are some really carry over principles. We understand that offense, but it doesn't make it any easier. (Wimbush) can throw it, he can run it. He's a big kid. He's a really good looking athlete. They also have a really good offensive line with future NFL players in it. This is a talented team. I think these are going to be two teams that are going to play really hard against each other."
The Eagles and Irish kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN and heard over the airwaves on the BC IMG Sports Network.
"There's a buzz because (our opponent) is Notre Dame, and we're not going to deny that there is a natural rivalry in there," he said on Tuesday. "But there's also a buzz because our team is not happy. We're going to charge this opponent."
The loss to the Demon Deacons remains a bitter pill to swallow after an encouraging first game against Northern Illinois. The offense had several miscues accounting for almost 75 percent of Wake's scoring total. Stemming from sloppy play, the Eagles began preparing for the Fighting Irish by simplifying their scheme.
"We have to take care of the football, plain and simple," Addazio said. "We can't have balls fumbled on the 26. It's not who we are and it hasn't been who we are all preseason camp. It's not going to keep going that way. That's going to end abruptly. We're just going to go play hard and physical and we're going to attack this game with a real passion and real charge."
Simplifying the game plan backs up the vote of confidence in quarterback Anthony Brown, who struggled in his second career start. After winning a preseason camp quarterback battle against Darius Wade, Addazio pulled his rookie signal caller in the first half in favor of the graduate student. Wade responded by going 7-for-12 for 44 yards. But as this week began, Brown was back under center preparing for the next opponent.
"Anthony is going to play great," Addazio said. "He's going to have a great plan. That will happen. Everybody around him has to do their job and play well too. That's all part of it. Our center is going to have another week under his belt right now and that's going to help. These guys get another week under their belt and they go. There's some good plays made in that game. We got to make more of them and make the more consistently."
The center referenced is true freshman Ben Petrula, a player originally slotted as the "sixth or seventh" player in the BC trenches. But injuries have robbed the Eagles of senior captain Jon Baker for the rest of the season and redshirt freshman Shane Leonard. That forced BC to choose between Petrula and Alec Lindstrom, another true freshman.
"We had to go to the next guy, and the next best offensive lineman is Ben," Addazio said. "Alec is ready to go. Alec is going to be a heck of a player. He's 263 pounds right now and we're getting ready to play some pretty big men at center. So we have to get a big man ready to go. (Ben) did some really good things in that game (against Wake). He had one errant snap but to think that wasn't going to happen would be naive. He had a heck of a day out there, so he's just going to get better and better."
With Brown back under center and Petrula handling the snaps, the Eagles can look to their first two games' worth of film for assistance in preparing for the Irish. Both Northern Illinois' Ryan Graham and Wake Forest's John Wolford flashed the ability to run, something they'll see in Notre Dame's Brandon Wimbush.
Wimbush hasn't completed 20 passes in a game this season, but he remains a dual-threat player capable of ripping off a big play. He was dominant in a 49-16 blowout win over Temple, accounting for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with 106 yards on the ground in 12 carries, scoring an eight yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Against the Bulldogs, he threw for 211 yards but found himself largely contained on the ground. For the Eagles to pull out victory, it's a fact Addazio knows will need to remain true for a second straight week.
"It helps that we've prepared for two quarterback-run teams and that's what we've been involved with," he said. "It helps us prepare for (mobile quarterbacks). We've had some game reps and a whole bunch of practice reps. They are not exactly the same as the other two but there are some really carry over principles. We understand that offense, but it doesn't make it any easier. (Wimbush) can throw it, he can run it. He's a big kid. He's a really good looking athlete. They also have a really good offensive line with future NFL players in it. This is a talented team. I think these are going to be two teams that are going to play really hard against each other."
The Eagles and Irish kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN and heard over the airwaves on the BC IMG Sports Network.
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