Boston College Athletics
Four Downs: Scrimmage No. 2
August 19, 2018 | Football, #ForBoston Files
BC battled through the fatigue of camp at Alumni Stadium on Saturday
There comes a point of every training camp where a football team hits an emotional and physical wall. The players grow tired of hitting the same teammates day after day, and the sultry, steamy climate sucks the energy right out of practice. Every team goes through, and every team pushes through it.
Boston College hit that wall on Saturday during its second scrimmage of the 2018 preseason. The energy from a great week of practice simply ran out, and the fluidity stopped melding one day into the next. The Eagles simply ran out of gas one day before a break.
"We looked fast all camp, but we looked slow and lethargic," head coach Steve Addazio said. "That was my overall assessment. There were just too many people running and out over the course of (the scrimmage), and that's my responsibility. I have to do a better job of being clear on what I want to do."
Balancing those expectations can be especially tough on both the coaches and players. BC is two weeks away from its first game of the season, and its first opponent, UMass, plays its first game on Saturday against Duquesne. So the Eagles have to be mindful of putting too many hits on their first team players. It creates a need to avoid playing too many first team players for too many snaps.
That creates a number of outcomes. New players earn opportunities to make plays, but the substitutions come at awkward times and stunt any momentum. It's the result of timing more than anything, but it makes for a disappointing day out of a team earning praise for the previous, high-caliber days.
"We had too many substitutions going on and a lack of continuity," Addazio said. "Everyone is in an effort to take care of players, so there was no cohesiveness. It was a hodge-podge of different players on the field, and that's what it looked like.
"I know we can do better," he said. "We've had tremendous quarterback play all camp, but (Saturday) wasn't one of them. We just have to clean that up, and that's part of it. We can't pick out when they're going to be, but they usually happen when you're out of gas. We're not supposed to feel great (right now), and the legs are supposed to be heavy, but now we have to figure out how to get it back. We're just in the epicenter of tired legs."
*****
First Down: Connor Strachan
Steve Addazio was disappointed in the overall effort of the scrimmage, but there were a number of bright spots. Linebacker Connor Strachan excelled in the first period of the day, intercepting one pass early before breaking up a play against Tommy Sweeney in the end zone.
The play against Sweeney was particularly sweet. Quarterback Matt McDonald ran a throwback pass play and floated the perfect throw inside the pylon. Sweeney dove for the catch and seemingly made it, but Strachan punched the ball out by slinging one hand directly under the tight end.
"Tom's a good friend of mine, and we've been together for five years," Strachan said. "Anytime you're going against him, it's tough because he makes a lot of plays. But any time I have a chance against him, I'm trying my hardest to make that play."
It came after the middle linebacker made a zone read on a pass play for an interception. Playing in coverage, he appeared almost out of nowhere before leaping to haul in the pigskin.
"You need to be fresh in legs since, as a linebacker, you have to play both (run defense and pass coverage)," he said. "That's my focus mentally. The coaches always put us in good position, so it's just about being ready when your number's called.
"Some of our coverages are zone coverages, and (linebackers coach Bill Sheridan) teaches a lot of vision on the quarterback," he continued. "In that situation, I eyed the quarterback and the routes and set up in a position to make a play."
*****
Second Down: Davon Jones
Davon Jones is an interesting case study for 2018. Two years ago, he made 13 appearances and one start at running back, finishing with four yards per carry and two touchdowns. He also threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Sweeney for the game-winning touchdown on a trick play against NC State.
Then came last year and his transition to linebacker. Jones switched positions midseason when injuries started mounting, and he finished the year with 12 games played on both offense and defense. He made two starts at linebacker and made 23 tackles, including two for a loss, and he recorded a forced fumble while playing special teams against UConn. He made nine tackles alone in the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa.
Jones enters this year as a true football player for the Eagles. He's a rare combination of torque and speed packed into a 235-pound body. On Saturday, he recorded handoffs at running back while continuing to improve his overall football acumen.
"We're trying to invest some time in Davon to increase our depth while our young guys develop," Steve Addazio said. "He's a powerful back, and he's going to play on defense. I want good depth at running backs. You can get hit there quick and fast, and if you know you have a guy you can put back in there, you can feel great about it. So our job is to get him four or five times every day that builds a little bit of a bank for him."
Jones doesn't seem to mind. Both a running back and a linebacker hit the same hole, but they just do it differently. Knowing what the other side is looking for can then help in a competitive situation.
"As a linebacker, I kind of know what running backs might be looking for," Jones said. "As a running back, I kind of know what linebackers do. It helps, in terms of vision, knowing what the other side might be doing."
The position won't matter since it would mean Jones is on the field. At the end of the day, that's what's most important to him. Besides, does the contact feel the same on both sides of the line?
"100%," Jones said, smiling.
*****
Third Down: Ray Smith
Watching defensive tackles battle offensive linemen is one of the most interesting aspects of a football game. Every play is as physical as anything on the field, and it requires a unique mentality.
Ray Smith is one of the biggest and baddest defensive tackles in the ACC. He's 300 pounds of horsepower, and watching him collide with offensive linemen made, especially on short down situations, made for one of Saturday's best matchups.
"It's a lot of fun," Smith said. "Now that we have (Jon) Baker back, the offensive line is highly talked about. It's deserved. They're a great offensive line and cohesive, so I try to take every snap seriously because they'll make me better."
Smith spent much of the day against both Baker and John Phillips, two players with distinct height advantages. The six-foot Smith, though, went right at Phillips, who is six inches taller, with his hands, pushing up into his chest for leverage as soon as the center snapped the ball. From there, it was a battle of momentum to open the hole and play on the opposite side of the line.
"Coach (Jim) Reid and Coach (Antoine) Smith start off every practice with hand work, whether it's on the shiver sled or hitting a partner," Smith said. "We're always trying to get our hands inside the framework, so it's very important, especially off the snap."
It's an effort filtering down through the other defensive tackles, all of which, including Smith, are occasionally tasked with stunting outside or misdirecting the line. It's a collaborative effort for Smith, Tanner Karafa and TJ Rayam and others to watch and learn from each other.
"I have guys on the sideline watch me to help me improve," he said. "We're not at the highest level yet, so there's so many things we all can improve upon. Right now, we're working on getting a great first step to form a penetrating stance, and we're working on getting our hands inside."
*****
Fourth Down: Tempo Drill
Saturday saw the Eagles run a tempo drill on the length of the field to simulate game action without the necessary hitting. Both offensive and defensive units broke huddles and ran conditioning drills in an effort to mentally prepare for what a tempo offense might look and feel like.
"It's designed to simulate real football and tempo," Steve Addazio said. "You call a play, and the activity is the pursuit to the play. That's exhausting. So we can simulate one of those 10-play drives. We did three of those, and that's worth 30 plays on top of whatever they've played during the day. Some guys played four snaps before that, some guys played 10 and some guys played 30 or 40. The goal was to grow that group and get everybody up to 70-90 plays so they could feel that."
It's one of those necessary drills players run, and it kept in line with working a tired team through that proverbial wall. At the same time, it was a look inside how the team prepares itself to run a fast offense and how the defense prepares to stop a team looking to go no-huddle.
"I don't think anyone enjoys (the drill)," Strachan said. "It's something we do in our summer conditioning, though, and it's tough. It wears out your legs a lot, but we put on 60 snaps (as a team) per day, and it gets up to 80 in the scrimmage. So we're just trying to stay conditioned without putting the hits on your body. It's something you have to do to get ready to play."
*****
Point After: UMass
Boston College doesn't break camp until the middle of next week on a day when its first opponent, UMass, will begin walkthroughs for its Week Zero game against Duquesne. The FCS-level Dukes will head to Amherst before the Minutemen head across the state to play the Eagles.
UMass is looking to improve upon last season's 4-8 record. There is real, tangible optimism that six wins is a possibility for this team after last season's 4-2 finish, and it might be the best Minuteman offense since the program transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Saturday will give the first real look into an opponent for the Eagles, who are favored to contend within the ACC Atlantic Division.
There's still work to be done before Week One, of course, but UMass' first game is an indication that things are about to start counting for real.
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Boston College hit that wall on Saturday during its second scrimmage of the 2018 preseason. The energy from a great week of practice simply ran out, and the fluidity stopped melding one day into the next. The Eagles simply ran out of gas one day before a break.
"We looked fast all camp, but we looked slow and lethargic," head coach Steve Addazio said. "That was my overall assessment. There were just too many people running and out over the course of (the scrimmage), and that's my responsibility. I have to do a better job of being clear on what I want to do."
Balancing those expectations can be especially tough on both the coaches and players. BC is two weeks away from its first game of the season, and its first opponent, UMass, plays its first game on Saturday against Duquesne. So the Eagles have to be mindful of putting too many hits on their first team players. It creates a need to avoid playing too many first team players for too many snaps.
That creates a number of outcomes. New players earn opportunities to make plays, but the substitutions come at awkward times and stunt any momentum. It's the result of timing more than anything, but it makes for a disappointing day out of a team earning praise for the previous, high-caliber days.
"We had too many substitutions going on and a lack of continuity," Addazio said. "Everyone is in an effort to take care of players, so there was no cohesiveness. It was a hodge-podge of different players on the field, and that's what it looked like.
"I know we can do better," he said. "We've had tremendous quarterback play all camp, but (Saturday) wasn't one of them. We just have to clean that up, and that's part of it. We can't pick out when they're going to be, but they usually happen when you're out of gas. We're not supposed to feel great (right now), and the legs are supposed to be heavy, but now we have to figure out how to get it back. We're just in the epicenter of tired legs."
*****
First Down: Connor Strachan
Steve Addazio was disappointed in the overall effort of the scrimmage, but there were a number of bright spots. Linebacker Connor Strachan excelled in the first period of the day, intercepting one pass early before breaking up a play against Tommy Sweeney in the end zone.
The play against Sweeney was particularly sweet. Quarterback Matt McDonald ran a throwback pass play and floated the perfect throw inside the pylon. Sweeney dove for the catch and seemingly made it, but Strachan punched the ball out by slinging one hand directly under the tight end.
"Tom's a good friend of mine, and we've been together for five years," Strachan said. "Anytime you're going against him, it's tough because he makes a lot of plays. But any time I have a chance against him, I'm trying my hardest to make that play."
It came after the middle linebacker made a zone read on a pass play for an interception. Playing in coverage, he appeared almost out of nowhere before leaping to haul in the pigskin.
"You need to be fresh in legs since, as a linebacker, you have to play both (run defense and pass coverage)," he said. "That's my focus mentally. The coaches always put us in good position, so it's just about being ready when your number's called.
"Some of our coverages are zone coverages, and (linebackers coach Bill Sheridan) teaches a lot of vision on the quarterback," he continued. "In that situation, I eyed the quarterback and the routes and set up in a position to make a play."
*****
Second Down: Davon Jones
Davon Jones is an interesting case study for 2018. Two years ago, he made 13 appearances and one start at running back, finishing with four yards per carry and two touchdowns. He also threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Sweeney for the game-winning touchdown on a trick play against NC State.
Then came last year and his transition to linebacker. Jones switched positions midseason when injuries started mounting, and he finished the year with 12 games played on both offense and defense. He made two starts at linebacker and made 23 tackles, including two for a loss, and he recorded a forced fumble while playing special teams against UConn. He made nine tackles alone in the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa.
Jones enters this year as a true football player for the Eagles. He's a rare combination of torque and speed packed into a 235-pound body. On Saturday, he recorded handoffs at running back while continuing to improve his overall football acumen.
"We're trying to invest some time in Davon to increase our depth while our young guys develop," Steve Addazio said. "He's a powerful back, and he's going to play on defense. I want good depth at running backs. You can get hit there quick and fast, and if you know you have a guy you can put back in there, you can feel great about it. So our job is to get him four or five times every day that builds a little bit of a bank for him."
Jones doesn't seem to mind. Both a running back and a linebacker hit the same hole, but they just do it differently. Knowing what the other side is looking for can then help in a competitive situation.
"As a linebacker, I kind of know what running backs might be looking for," Jones said. "As a running back, I kind of know what linebackers do. It helps, in terms of vision, knowing what the other side might be doing."
The position won't matter since it would mean Jones is on the field. At the end of the day, that's what's most important to him. Besides, does the contact feel the same on both sides of the line?
"100%," Jones said, smiling.
*****
Third Down: Ray Smith
Watching defensive tackles battle offensive linemen is one of the most interesting aspects of a football game. Every play is as physical as anything on the field, and it requires a unique mentality.
Ray Smith is one of the biggest and baddest defensive tackles in the ACC. He's 300 pounds of horsepower, and watching him collide with offensive linemen made, especially on short down situations, made for one of Saturday's best matchups.
"It's a lot of fun," Smith said. "Now that we have (Jon) Baker back, the offensive line is highly talked about. It's deserved. They're a great offensive line and cohesive, so I try to take every snap seriously because they'll make me better."
Smith spent much of the day against both Baker and John Phillips, two players with distinct height advantages. The six-foot Smith, though, went right at Phillips, who is six inches taller, with his hands, pushing up into his chest for leverage as soon as the center snapped the ball. From there, it was a battle of momentum to open the hole and play on the opposite side of the line.
"Coach (Jim) Reid and Coach (Antoine) Smith start off every practice with hand work, whether it's on the shiver sled or hitting a partner," Smith said. "We're always trying to get our hands inside the framework, so it's very important, especially off the snap."
It's an effort filtering down through the other defensive tackles, all of which, including Smith, are occasionally tasked with stunting outside or misdirecting the line. It's a collaborative effort for Smith, Tanner Karafa and TJ Rayam and others to watch and learn from each other.
"I have guys on the sideline watch me to help me improve," he said. "We're not at the highest level yet, so there's so many things we all can improve upon. Right now, we're working on getting a great first step to form a penetrating stance, and we're working on getting our hands inside."
*****
Fourth Down: Tempo Drill
Saturday saw the Eagles run a tempo drill on the length of the field to simulate game action without the necessary hitting. Both offensive and defensive units broke huddles and ran conditioning drills in an effort to mentally prepare for what a tempo offense might look and feel like.
"It's designed to simulate real football and tempo," Steve Addazio said. "You call a play, and the activity is the pursuit to the play. That's exhausting. So we can simulate one of those 10-play drives. We did three of those, and that's worth 30 plays on top of whatever they've played during the day. Some guys played four snaps before that, some guys played 10 and some guys played 30 or 40. The goal was to grow that group and get everybody up to 70-90 plays so they could feel that."
It's one of those necessary drills players run, and it kept in line with working a tired team through that proverbial wall. At the same time, it was a look inside how the team prepares itself to run a fast offense and how the defense prepares to stop a team looking to go no-huddle.
"I don't think anyone enjoys (the drill)," Strachan said. "It's something we do in our summer conditioning, though, and it's tough. It wears out your legs a lot, but we put on 60 snaps (as a team) per day, and it gets up to 80 in the scrimmage. So we're just trying to stay conditioned without putting the hits on your body. It's something you have to do to get ready to play."
*****
Point After: UMass
Boston College doesn't break camp until the middle of next week on a day when its first opponent, UMass, will begin walkthroughs for its Week Zero game against Duquesne. The FCS-level Dukes will head to Amherst before the Minutemen head across the state to play the Eagles.
UMass is looking to improve upon last season's 4-8 record. There is real, tangible optimism that six wins is a possibility for this team after last season's 4-2 finish, and it might be the best Minuteman offense since the program transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Saturday will give the first real look into an opponent for the Eagles, who are favored to contend within the ACC Atlantic Division.
There's still work to be done before Week One, of course, but UMass' first game is an indication that things are about to start counting for real.
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