Ending Provides Sad Disappointment for Proud Competitors
December 27, 2018 | Football, #ForBoston Files
It was the right thing to do, but there's still a feeling of wanting more.
Bowl games are supposed to end with a feeling of season-concluding satisfaction. One team stands with a trophy, basking in its final step. Seniors pull off jerseys for the final time, and the locker room brotherhood, as sacred as it is, stands above all else. Teammates take final photos with each other, and everyone boards buses bound for planes flying home for the last time in a season.
They aren't supposed to end after nine minutes of football that never happened.
Boston College led No. 25 Boise State, 7-0, with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The game already looked like an instant classic as the Eagles' vaunted pass defense bottled up quarterback Brett Rypien, and the defensive front seven, playing without Zach Allen, controlled the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Anthony Brown moved the chains with lethal efficiency, and AJ Dillon's 19-yard rumble run produced the game's only score.
Then came lightning, and conditions deteriorated. Bowl officials consulted with athletic directors and coaches, and the decision came down to cancel the game. It ended and erased what could have been one of the best games of the bowl season, and it sent both the Eagles and Broncos home with an empty feeling after this week's holiday buildup.
"We all wanted to play, all the work and effort and the 15 practices that go into a game like this, to have it taken from you is a tough decision," athletic director Martin Jarmond said. "But it's made easy by thinking about the guys and being in the locker room for (that long), then having to come back out on a wet field and warmup. At the end of the day, it's an easy call but it's a tough call. So we supported the bowl."
Nobody tried to hide the collective disappointment of the game's erasure. This game provided both teams with an opponent that they would not ordinarily cross paths with. It offered an interesting contrast in style while creating a subplot for East-vs.-West. Bowl officials invited these teams because it created a compelling matchup, not because of a conference tie-in. Everyone understood what happened, and it was the necessary call to make, even as it is widely believed to have caused the first-ever cancellation of a bowl game due to weather.
That was of little consolation for the teams, who unquestionably wanted to compete, and for fans, who likewise desired to get after it in the mud as a post-Christmas treat. Still, BC is doing what it can to mitigate that sadness. The athletics department offered a full refund for tickets purchased through the school with an added bonus of complimentary tickets for any athletic event between now and next December. For football fans, that creates a future opportunity to see a traditional ACC opponent like NC State or Florida State or a unique non-conference opponent like Kansas. The annual Atlantic Division rotation ensures the Wolfpack and Seminoles will travel north next year, and the Eagles announced a home-and-home series with the Jayhawks that will feature Les Miles' first trip to Chestnut Hill next September.
"As you (deal) with competitors, they wanted to play the game," BC head coach Steve Addazio said. "At the end of the day, we were all deeply disappointed. I can't speak for (Boise State), but I am sure they are like us. They are competitors, and a lot went into this. At the end of the day, when you have administration in charge, tough decisions have to be made in the big picture of things, and the most important thing here is player safety."
Losing that opportunity likely creates frustration, especially given BC's early-game success. The defense had Rypien scouted perfectly and put the clamps on his horizontal outlet passes. Cornerback Hamp Cheevers tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage and nearly created a pick-six on a bubble screen. Boise State later ran a double pass that ended with a tackle-for-loss before the second throw was released.
It contrasted with an offense that moved the ball with lightning efficiency. The Eagles had just under 100 yards when officials canceled the game, and Dillon's TD run showcased his complete return to form. The offensive line surged through the Boise State defense, and Dillon escaped two tackles to give BC a 7-0 lead.
"Boston College, those guys were physical and it was as advertised," Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin said. "It didn't end up how we wanted to."
The game now becomes an interesting footnote in college football history. It creates a memory and a news story for the casual sports observer, a unique tale during a time where games are often taken for granted. Time will gradually fade its memory, and it will likely become an interesting trivia fact brought up every now and then.
Ironically, both teams chose to end their season with a simple gesture. Both teams gathered their belongings and cleared out of the Cotton Bowl, headed back to cities located over 2,000 miles from one another. Before they left, though, the coaches offered a token of appreciation, especially to the seniors, as teams came together to sing their respective pride.
"I was hoping that we'd be able to win and sing the fight song together," Addazio said. "But we sang it anyways. It was emotional and overwhelming to be honest. It was just odd. That's the best way I can put it. Everything was done in their most important interest."
"To play, in our opinions, was not the best decision," Harsin said. "There were too many unknowns. So when I walked back in there, I didn't have a speech prepared for this. I was looking at the guys and their long faces, and I asked for them to help me out. We sang the fight song, we ended it the right way, and that is all you can do."
They aren't supposed to end after nine minutes of football that never happened.
Boston College led No. 25 Boise State, 7-0, with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The game already looked like an instant classic as the Eagles' vaunted pass defense bottled up quarterback Brett Rypien, and the defensive front seven, playing without Zach Allen, controlled the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Anthony Brown moved the chains with lethal efficiency, and AJ Dillon's 19-yard rumble run produced the game's only score.
Then came lightning, and conditions deteriorated. Bowl officials consulted with athletic directors and coaches, and the decision came down to cancel the game. It ended and erased what could have been one of the best games of the bowl season, and it sent both the Eagles and Broncos home with an empty feeling after this week's holiday buildup.
"We all wanted to play, all the work and effort and the 15 practices that go into a game like this, to have it taken from you is a tough decision," athletic director Martin Jarmond said. "But it's made easy by thinking about the guys and being in the locker room for (that long), then having to come back out on a wet field and warmup. At the end of the day, it's an easy call but it's a tough call. So we supported the bowl."
Nobody tried to hide the collective disappointment of the game's erasure. This game provided both teams with an opponent that they would not ordinarily cross paths with. It offered an interesting contrast in style while creating a subplot for East-vs.-West. Bowl officials invited these teams because it created a compelling matchup, not because of a conference tie-in. Everyone understood what happened, and it was the necessary call to make, even as it is widely believed to have caused the first-ever cancellation of a bowl game due to weather.
That was of little consolation for the teams, who unquestionably wanted to compete, and for fans, who likewise desired to get after it in the mud as a post-Christmas treat. Still, BC is doing what it can to mitigate that sadness. The athletics department offered a full refund for tickets purchased through the school with an added bonus of complimentary tickets for any athletic event between now and next December. For football fans, that creates a future opportunity to see a traditional ACC opponent like NC State or Florida State or a unique non-conference opponent like Kansas. The annual Atlantic Division rotation ensures the Wolfpack and Seminoles will travel north next year, and the Eagles announced a home-and-home series with the Jayhawks that will feature Les Miles' first trip to Chestnut Hill next September.
"As you (deal) with competitors, they wanted to play the game," BC head coach Steve Addazio said. "At the end of the day, we were all deeply disappointed. I can't speak for (Boise State), but I am sure they are like us. They are competitors, and a lot went into this. At the end of the day, when you have administration in charge, tough decisions have to be made in the big picture of things, and the most important thing here is player safety."
Losing that opportunity likely creates frustration, especially given BC's early-game success. The defense had Rypien scouted perfectly and put the clamps on his horizontal outlet passes. Cornerback Hamp Cheevers tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage and nearly created a pick-six on a bubble screen. Boise State later ran a double pass that ended with a tackle-for-loss before the second throw was released.
It contrasted with an offense that moved the ball with lightning efficiency. The Eagles had just under 100 yards when officials canceled the game, and Dillon's TD run showcased his complete return to form. The offensive line surged through the Boise State defense, and Dillon escaped two tackles to give BC a 7-0 lead.
"Boston College, those guys were physical and it was as advertised," Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin said. "It didn't end up how we wanted to."
The game now becomes an interesting footnote in college football history. It creates a memory and a news story for the casual sports observer, a unique tale during a time where games are often taken for granted. Time will gradually fade its memory, and it will likely become an interesting trivia fact brought up every now and then.
Ironically, both teams chose to end their season with a simple gesture. Both teams gathered their belongings and cleared out of the Cotton Bowl, headed back to cities located over 2,000 miles from one another. Before they left, though, the coaches offered a token of appreciation, especially to the seniors, as teams came together to sing their respective pride.
"I was hoping that we'd be able to win and sing the fight song together," Addazio said. "But we sang it anyways. It was emotional and overwhelming to be honest. It was just odd. That's the best way I can put it. Everything was done in their most important interest."
"To play, in our opinions, was not the best decision," Harsin said. "There were too many unknowns. So when I walked back in there, I didn't have a speech prepared for this. I was looking at the guys and their long faces, and I asked for them to help me out. We sang the fight song, we ended it the right way, and that is all you can do."
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