Photo by: John Quackenbos
W2WF: Holy Cross
September 06, 2018 | Football, #ForBoston Files
BC will look to become "1-0 for the second time" on Saturday against the Crusaders
There's no questioning that Boston College and Holy Cross went separate ways after playing their final game against one another in 1986. The Eagles elevated to the highest level of Division I, founded the Big East's football conference and matriculated to the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Crusaders opted for Division I-AA and a run in the Patriot League highlighted by a conference championship in 2009. They are now miles apart from one another after spending the better part of a century competing neck-and-neck.
The best rivalries, however, are built by tradition, and that's something this matchup feeds to its gills. A century's worth of memories will be packed into tailgates on Saturday, and that moment when the Holy Cross purple runs out of a tunnel at Alumni Stadium will likely bring nostalgic tears to the eyes of those who remember what it meant to play in that game.
"We're excited about (Holy Cross) and know we're playing an old-time rivalry game here," head coach Steve Addazio said. "It's a Northeast geographical location rivalry game, and (has) a lot of interest to the fan base and to the people in the area. We know we'll get a very well-coached and good football team in Holy Cross, so our goal is to come out and play as strong as we can and continue to improve as a football program."
Nostalgia is great, but the Eagles are expecting more in week two's matchup against the Crusaders. They rolled through UMass for almost 600 yards last week, and expectations are continuing to soar as they ready for another opponent.
"You've got to improve each week," Addazio said. "I just think that your goal is to go out and improve on the areas that you need to improve on each week, and you continue to grow and develop as a football program. When you're not growing, you're not developing and you're stagnant. That means you're going backwards, and no one wants to do that."
That means BC needs to continue developing its all-around game. Anthony Brown needs to continue working with his receivers, and the running backs need to continue their diversification. All of this is behind an offensive line looking to improve its technique against an opponent looking to negate a distinct size advantage for the Eagles.
The defensive line needs to keep playing on the opposite of the line, and the linebackers can improve in coverage and pass rushing. The defensive backs need to take the next step in their calculated aggression.
"Each game has got a new set to it, a new feel to it," Addazio said. "You're fighting like crazy every week to get your team to competitive excellence, and you've got to learn how to deal the cards that you have, whatever they are, whatever that means. I know that nothing is consistent, and each week is a new week. You've got to go after it and learn from the week before."
Here's what to expect in Saturday's game against the Crusaders:
*****
Weekly Storylines
BC Blood Type: AB Positive.
Anthony Brown played as well as he could have against UMass. He went 15-of-21 for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He showed his ability to run BC's up-tempo style, and he excelled in making his reads. He took one hit on a scrambled play, but he showed no physical regression after suffering a knee injury against NC State last season.
"He handled everything," Addazio said. "He didn't have any mistakes or miscues with any of the checks. He's helping people get lined up. We ran 57 plays in the first half. That's as good as you're going to do. I thought we ran pretty efficiently and pretty effectively at a good pace."
Brown needs to continue that development on Saturday. Holy Cross' starting defensive backs will line up nicely against receivers, but its depth players lack size and experience. John Smith and Grant Holloman are 185 and 171 pounds, respectively, so there exists the possibility to exploit a physical mismatch with wide receivers Kobay White and Jeff Smith or tight ends Tommy Sweeney, Jake Burt and Hunter Long.
"Composure," Brown said of what the coaches stressed this week. "We have to stay who we are and not feed into the outside world. We have to just keep playing."
Draggin' The Line
BC's defensive line enters Saturday with an opportunity to really cause problems against the Holy Cross offense. The Crusaders list only two starting linemen over 300 pounds, and they have a sophomore protecting quarterback Emmett Clifford's blind side. That means they will likely need to use a variety of blocking schemes against a defense that levied six sacks and eight tackles for losses last week.
"The biggest time for improvement is in between games," defensive tackle Tanner Karafa said. "You watch game film and work on your mistakes. It's a great opportunity to get all of that and learn what you're working on."
Smaller offensive lines yield creative offenses looking for a variety of ways to move the ball. The Crusaders use two running backs - Miles Alexander and Domenic Cozier - who stay low to the ground. Blaise Bell and Martin Dorsey are both lanky, and they combined with Richie DeNicola for 10 catches last week. Cozier had five receptions, illustrating the need to play up to the line and remain aggressive from the intermediate levels.
"I think we're going to play aggressively," Addazio said. "We have veteran safeties and a veteran corner, and they're competitive guys. We're going to be aggressive in everything we do. I think there's a time and place for each (style of play)."
Experience the Depth
The 34-point second quarter against UMass enabled Boston College to play some of its depth athletes. Quarterbacks EJ Perry and Matt McDonald continued their preseason duel for the second quarterback slot, combining for 47 yards without an incompletion. David Bailey, Javian Dayne, Ben Glines and John Fadule all took snaps in the backfield, and Joseph Sparacio, Jason Maitre, Jahmin Muse, Tate Haynes and TJ Rayam all saw action with others on defense.
"Your goal is to get your young guys in the game with this new redshirt rule," Addazio said. "You're giving guys a chance to get in the game and experience some of this (in-game) stuff, so that later on when you need them or continually if you need them, they grow on that experience. There's no substitute for that."
The new redshirt rule allows Boston College to play athletes in up to four football games without burning a year of eligibility. So it becomes imperative for the Eagles to put the gas pedal down early with the intention of maximizing reps for depth players. BC succeeded in salting the UMass game away early, and it would be a huge advantage if they can do the same against Holy Cross.
BC isn't expecting a glorified walkthrough against an FCS team. This game will mean too much to the Holy Cross team, so it becomes imperative to avoid getting caught asleep. The Eagles therefore have to remain focused on becoming 1-0 on Saturday, which in turn would get younger players potential playing time en route to their second overall win of the season.
"It's really hard to execute at a high level and win a major college football game," Addazio said. "There's a lot of different pieces and parts and different people's mentalities. My job is to make sure that we're locked in, focused and prepared for this game at hand on Saturday. That's what we're going to do, and then we're going to have to deal with what's next when we get there.
*****
They Said It
"My uncle played here (at BC) back in the Flutie era, so from what I've heard, they had a strong rivalry (with Holy Cross). A kid from my high school is a quarterback at Holy Cross now, so there's some friendly competition. I'm excited to play them, for sure." -Connor Strachan
"Back in the day, there were plenty of rivalries like this. It was a good rivalry and an intense rivalry. I'm a big fan of these non-conference geographical games. I think they bring fan interest and it's good for everybody." -Addazio
"I always followed UMass as a kid, and I grew up 20 minutes from Worcester, so people always talked about BC and Holy Cross. It's going to be pretty cool to play in one of those games and have a fun experience." -Chris Lindstrom
"For us, it's an opportunity. It doesn't make or break our season. This doesn't have any playoff or title ramifications attached to it. This is about us trying to do our best again." -Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney
*****
Meteorology 101
New England weather. If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes.
Midweek brought the heat index back up around 100 degrees. The humidity sank into Boston, and the air became thick enough to chew. Then came the rains on Thursday night and the cooler weather settled into town.
Saturday afternoon will see temperatures head up into the 70s with partly cloudy skies. It'll be a virtual replica of last week against UMass. If anyone knows the magic spell to keep that perfect weather handy, it would be great - especially since rain is coming on Monday.
*****
Scoreboard Watching
A steady diet of football last weekend gives way to gluttonous Saturdays from here on out as virtually everyone is back in action. All 14 ACC teams will be in action on Saturday, starting at noon and running straight through the late portions of the night.
The biggest game is arguably in College Station, Texas for No. 2 Clemson's game against Texas A&M. The Tigers used last week's game against Furman to fine tune but now draw old friend Jimbo Fisher, who left Florida State in the offseason to become head coach of the Aggies.
Eight ACC teams, including BC, are playing their FCS matchup this week, but there are some other intriguing matchups on the board. Pitt's night game against No. 13 Penn State highlights a slate that includes an early-afternoon game between Duke and Northwestern in Illinois. One state over, Virginia will play at Indiana at 7:30 p.m.
BC's next opponent, Wake Forest, hosts Towson State at 12 p.m. Towson is an FCS team but annually plays FBS opponents, memorably earning a victory back in 2013 against Connecticut.
*****
Pregame Quote & Prediction
Hopefully we can build a rivalry and we'll be able to do this a lot. Make a legacy, then retire champions. -Serena Williams
The Boston College-Holy Cross rivalry is an emotional trigger for anyone who once played in it. The players gave their heart and soul to beat the other, and it meant everything to earn victory. It was the answer to Harvard-Yale and Army-Navy, and it remains a matchup capable of casting a large shadow from the past.
This game matters because it's a chance to earn a second victory, thereby moving closer to bowl eligibility. Nostalgia runs deep and feels good, and it will likely feel just as good in two years when BC plays Holy Cross again.
But this BC team is still on a mission. This game is still one piece of that mission. The Eagles need to build on last week and play every bit as dominant. They have a distinct size and athleticism advantage. Match it with heart and desire, and this game can become another dream memory for the alumni who lived it annually.
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The best rivalries, however, are built by tradition, and that's something this matchup feeds to its gills. A century's worth of memories will be packed into tailgates on Saturday, and that moment when the Holy Cross purple runs out of a tunnel at Alumni Stadium will likely bring nostalgic tears to the eyes of those who remember what it meant to play in that game.
"We're excited about (Holy Cross) and know we're playing an old-time rivalry game here," head coach Steve Addazio said. "It's a Northeast geographical location rivalry game, and (has) a lot of interest to the fan base and to the people in the area. We know we'll get a very well-coached and good football team in Holy Cross, so our goal is to come out and play as strong as we can and continue to improve as a football program."
Nostalgia is great, but the Eagles are expecting more in week two's matchup against the Crusaders. They rolled through UMass for almost 600 yards last week, and expectations are continuing to soar as they ready for another opponent.
"You've got to improve each week," Addazio said. "I just think that your goal is to go out and improve on the areas that you need to improve on each week, and you continue to grow and develop as a football program. When you're not growing, you're not developing and you're stagnant. That means you're going backwards, and no one wants to do that."
That means BC needs to continue developing its all-around game. Anthony Brown needs to continue working with his receivers, and the running backs need to continue their diversification. All of this is behind an offensive line looking to improve its technique against an opponent looking to negate a distinct size advantage for the Eagles.
The defensive line needs to keep playing on the opposite of the line, and the linebackers can improve in coverage and pass rushing. The defensive backs need to take the next step in their calculated aggression.
"Each game has got a new set to it, a new feel to it," Addazio said. "You're fighting like crazy every week to get your team to competitive excellence, and you've got to learn how to deal the cards that you have, whatever they are, whatever that means. I know that nothing is consistent, and each week is a new week. You've got to go after it and learn from the week before."
Here's what to expect in Saturday's game against the Crusaders:
*****
Weekly Storylines
BC Blood Type: AB Positive.
Anthony Brown played as well as he could have against UMass. He went 15-of-21 for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He showed his ability to run BC's up-tempo style, and he excelled in making his reads. He took one hit on a scrambled play, but he showed no physical regression after suffering a knee injury against NC State last season.
"He handled everything," Addazio said. "He didn't have any mistakes or miscues with any of the checks. He's helping people get lined up. We ran 57 plays in the first half. That's as good as you're going to do. I thought we ran pretty efficiently and pretty effectively at a good pace."
Brown needs to continue that development on Saturday. Holy Cross' starting defensive backs will line up nicely against receivers, but its depth players lack size and experience. John Smith and Grant Holloman are 185 and 171 pounds, respectively, so there exists the possibility to exploit a physical mismatch with wide receivers Kobay White and Jeff Smith or tight ends Tommy Sweeney, Jake Burt and Hunter Long.
"Composure," Brown said of what the coaches stressed this week. "We have to stay who we are and not feed into the outside world. We have to just keep playing."
Draggin' The Line
BC's defensive line enters Saturday with an opportunity to really cause problems against the Holy Cross offense. The Crusaders list only two starting linemen over 300 pounds, and they have a sophomore protecting quarterback Emmett Clifford's blind side. That means they will likely need to use a variety of blocking schemes against a defense that levied six sacks and eight tackles for losses last week.
"The biggest time for improvement is in between games," defensive tackle Tanner Karafa said. "You watch game film and work on your mistakes. It's a great opportunity to get all of that and learn what you're working on."
Smaller offensive lines yield creative offenses looking for a variety of ways to move the ball. The Crusaders use two running backs - Miles Alexander and Domenic Cozier - who stay low to the ground. Blaise Bell and Martin Dorsey are both lanky, and they combined with Richie DeNicola for 10 catches last week. Cozier had five receptions, illustrating the need to play up to the line and remain aggressive from the intermediate levels.
"I think we're going to play aggressively," Addazio said. "We have veteran safeties and a veteran corner, and they're competitive guys. We're going to be aggressive in everything we do. I think there's a time and place for each (style of play)."
Experience the Depth
The 34-point second quarter against UMass enabled Boston College to play some of its depth athletes. Quarterbacks EJ Perry and Matt McDonald continued their preseason duel for the second quarterback slot, combining for 47 yards without an incompletion. David Bailey, Javian Dayne, Ben Glines and John Fadule all took snaps in the backfield, and Joseph Sparacio, Jason Maitre, Jahmin Muse, Tate Haynes and TJ Rayam all saw action with others on defense.
"Your goal is to get your young guys in the game with this new redshirt rule," Addazio said. "You're giving guys a chance to get in the game and experience some of this (in-game) stuff, so that later on when you need them or continually if you need them, they grow on that experience. There's no substitute for that."
The new redshirt rule allows Boston College to play athletes in up to four football games without burning a year of eligibility. So it becomes imperative for the Eagles to put the gas pedal down early with the intention of maximizing reps for depth players. BC succeeded in salting the UMass game away early, and it would be a huge advantage if they can do the same against Holy Cross.
BC isn't expecting a glorified walkthrough against an FCS team. This game will mean too much to the Holy Cross team, so it becomes imperative to avoid getting caught asleep. The Eagles therefore have to remain focused on becoming 1-0 on Saturday, which in turn would get younger players potential playing time en route to their second overall win of the season.
"It's really hard to execute at a high level and win a major college football game," Addazio said. "There's a lot of different pieces and parts and different people's mentalities. My job is to make sure that we're locked in, focused and prepared for this game at hand on Saturday. That's what we're going to do, and then we're going to have to deal with what's next when we get there.
*****
They Said It
"My uncle played here (at BC) back in the Flutie era, so from what I've heard, they had a strong rivalry (with Holy Cross). A kid from my high school is a quarterback at Holy Cross now, so there's some friendly competition. I'm excited to play them, for sure." -Connor Strachan
"Back in the day, there were plenty of rivalries like this. It was a good rivalry and an intense rivalry. I'm a big fan of these non-conference geographical games. I think they bring fan interest and it's good for everybody." -Addazio
"I always followed UMass as a kid, and I grew up 20 minutes from Worcester, so people always talked about BC and Holy Cross. It's going to be pretty cool to play in one of those games and have a fun experience." -Chris Lindstrom
"For us, it's an opportunity. It doesn't make or break our season. This doesn't have any playoff or title ramifications attached to it. This is about us trying to do our best again." -Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney
*****
Meteorology 101
New England weather. If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes.
Midweek brought the heat index back up around 100 degrees. The humidity sank into Boston, and the air became thick enough to chew. Then came the rains on Thursday night and the cooler weather settled into town.
Saturday afternoon will see temperatures head up into the 70s with partly cloudy skies. It'll be a virtual replica of last week against UMass. If anyone knows the magic spell to keep that perfect weather handy, it would be great - especially since rain is coming on Monday.
*****
Scoreboard Watching
A steady diet of football last weekend gives way to gluttonous Saturdays from here on out as virtually everyone is back in action. All 14 ACC teams will be in action on Saturday, starting at noon and running straight through the late portions of the night.
The biggest game is arguably in College Station, Texas for No. 2 Clemson's game against Texas A&M. The Tigers used last week's game against Furman to fine tune but now draw old friend Jimbo Fisher, who left Florida State in the offseason to become head coach of the Aggies.
Eight ACC teams, including BC, are playing their FCS matchup this week, but there are some other intriguing matchups on the board. Pitt's night game against No. 13 Penn State highlights a slate that includes an early-afternoon game between Duke and Northwestern in Illinois. One state over, Virginia will play at Indiana at 7:30 p.m.
BC's next opponent, Wake Forest, hosts Towson State at 12 p.m. Towson is an FCS team but annually plays FBS opponents, memorably earning a victory back in 2013 against Connecticut.
*****
Pregame Quote & Prediction
Hopefully we can build a rivalry and we'll be able to do this a lot. Make a legacy, then retire champions. -Serena Williams
The Boston College-Holy Cross rivalry is an emotional trigger for anyone who once played in it. The players gave their heart and soul to beat the other, and it meant everything to earn victory. It was the answer to Harvard-Yale and Army-Navy, and it remains a matchup capable of casting a large shadow from the past.
This game matters because it's a chance to earn a second victory, thereby moving closer to bowl eligibility. Nostalgia runs deep and feels good, and it will likely feel just as good in two years when BC plays Holy Cross again.
But this BC team is still on a mission. This game is still one piece of that mission. The Eagles need to build on last week and play every bit as dominant. They have a distinct size and athleticism advantage. Match it with heart and desire, and this game can become another dream memory for the alumni who lived it annually.
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