Boston College Football

After Saturday’s 22-13 loss against Northwestern, the Boston College Eagles are now 3-10 over the past two seasons against Division 1 opponents.

It was evident that this year’s team had problems following their opening-weekend loss to Miami (Fla.). The defense, a strength in recent seasons, was dreadful in allowing 41 points and 208 rushing yards to the rebuilding Hurricanes. The Eagles also had two crucial fourth-quarter fumbles that put the game out of reach for Chase Rettig and the offense in Week 1.

But a strong performance on the defensive end against Maine (which plays in FCS, the level below D1) gave hope to fans that the D was back on track. BC allowed only three points and 193 total yards against the Black Bears, holding them to three out of 18 on third-down conversions.

As the offense scored 30 points for the second straight game, there was belief that if the team could start getting consistent efforts from their defense, Doug Martin and his new offense would be able to lead BC to a winning year.

Then this weekend happened, and, well, the Eagles are right on the path to another 4-8 season.

The offense that began the year with two consecutive touchdown drives suddenly doesn’t seem so explosive anymore. The final box score says that Chase Rettig passed for nearly 300 yards on 24 completions, but those numbers are misleading. He put up 53 of those yards on a meaningless drive to end the game.

Before that series, Rettig was 19-of-35 for 238 yards and a touchdown. After passing for 441 yards in his first game, Rettig has completed just 40 of his 76 throws over the ensuing two games.

Unfortunately for BC, the passing was the best part of their offense on Saturday.

The Eagles rushed 21 times for 24 yards. That’s not a misprint: they averaged 1.1 yards per carry. RB Rolandan Finch also had a critical fumble on first-and-goal inside the Wildcats 10-yard line.

It doesn’t matter if you have the best QB in the country; you’re not going to win games rushing that ball that poorly. It certainly contributed to the fact that the Eagles were 2-of-11 on third down conversions.

By contrast, Northwestern was 12-of-19. The final score reads 22-13, but the game was not that close: the Eagles defense let up 560 yards. For some context, last season, Oklahoma State (the No. 3 team in the country, which finished second in points scored at 48.7 a game) averaged 545.8 yards a game.

The one bright spot for BC was their red zone defense; Northwestern had to settle for five field goals on the day. But when the D really needed to shut the Wildcats down, they couldn’t. Northwestern got the ball up 15-13 with under three minutes to go, and subsequently ran on each play to eat up the clock.

Even though everyone in the stadium knew they were running, the Eagles still allowed them to pick up 44 yards on four plays for a game-clinching touchdown.

With a bye this weekend for the Eagles, there’s no doubt this loss will linger in their minds. I wish I could say I’m confident in the team as they have double the preparation time for Clemson, but the fact is, they’re playing the No. 10 school in the country. It’s likely the Eagles will be 1-3 when they travel to West Point take on Army on Oct. 6.

Don’t think that game’s an easy win, though: Army’s averaged 384 rushing yards per game this season, as their QB’s only attempted 11 passes. Usually teams are able to defeat such a one-sided offensive attack, but rushing defense is the most prevalent Eagles weakness right now. Army certainly has more than a puncher’s chance in the matchup.

It’s unfortunate that this is where we’ve come to in Boston College football. A team that won eight straight bowl games during the mid 2000s now can barely claw its way to a winning season.

A second year in a row under .500 should spell the end for head coach Frank Spaziani, especially considering BC will soon have a new Athletic Director after Gene DeFilippo decided that he will step down (read: was forced out) on Sept. 30.

Unless Spaz can turn this year around, it sure seems that a new era in BC football (and ultimately BC sports) is coming soon.

Stephen Sikora is a current student at Boston College and a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also writes about BC Sports at bcheights.com. Follow him @sjsik.

After a disappointing 4-8 season last year, Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani hired a new offensive coordinator with the intention of significantly improving the team’s lackluster offense. Doug Martin, the former head coach at Kent State, was expected to utilize BC’s top weapons from 2011, including WRs Bobby Swigert and Colin Larmond, and TE Chris Pantale.

But all of those players, who ranked as BC’s top three receivers in yards last year, got hurt before the season. It didn’t seem to bode well for the start of Martin’s reign as offensive coordinator.

WR Alex Amidon, though, had other ideas.

The junior from Greenfield, Mass. has helped the Eagles offense score 66 points in its first two games. He’s accumulated 16 catches and 248 yards, the latter total the fifth highest in all of college football.

So how does a player with only 558 career receiving yards heading into the season suddenly become one of the top offensive producers in the nation? It helps that he’s been given the opportunity because of all the injuries, but Amidon has taken the chance and run with it.

“We’re giving [Amidon] more opportunities on the outside,” QB Chase Rettig said. “I have a lot of trust in Alex. He’s really hard working. Just seems like we have the right plays called for him at the right time.”

Those plays have allowed him to lead BC in receiving by over 100 yards just two games into the season. Amidon attributes the new offensive system as to why he, and the offense, has had so much success this year.

“[The offense] is more fast paced and a little simpler,” Amidon said. “I love it. Sometimes when you’re in an intricate offense there’s a lot at the line of scrimmage to think about. With this offense, we’ve been doing the same thing for so long now, it’s just second nature- you can play as fast as you can.”

The extra workload and hits from defenders hasn’t been a problem for Amidon, at least not yet. His teammates mention that he’s full of energy on the field, and don’t see any signs of him slowing down.

“He’s kind of done it all for us so far,” Rettig said. “He’s motivated, which is the most important thing.”

“I’m not used to [being involved in so many plays,]" Amidon said. “The most catches I’ve had before this year is four in a game. It’s a lot different being out on the field for the whole game. It’s a lot to do with the offense. The new offense we have- it’s focused on giving a lot of different players touches.”

The Eagles face their biggest test of the season so far when they travel to play Northwestern in Chicago this weekend. They’ll need another big game from Amidon if they want to avoid a 1-2 start heading into their bye week, with a big-time matchup against Clemson looming September 29.

Stephen Sikora is a current BC student and Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained first-hand at BC Football’s weekly media day.

Let the cliche's begin. With a name like Spiffy Evans, they're bound to pile up. Evans—who had four receptions for 53 yard and a touchdown, along with an 82-yard punt return for another touchdown—burst on the scene Saturday afternoon and helped Boston College get their first win of the season against the Maine Black Bears.

After a sluggish first quarter where Maine scored their first points against the Eagles since 1915, Evans was able to give his offense the spark they needed to get things rolling.  

"I love giving my team that extra spark because once I scored, everyone was really into the game," Evans said. "You could see how bland the game was at first, but once you get a spark like that on special teams, there is no telling what our team will do on both sides of the ball."

Evans was able to put up some pretty impressive numbers, but the entire Eagles offense is a cause for concern. The Eagles first three drives resulted in a three-and-out and two turnovers. Down 3-0 early in the second quarter, Boston College was finally able to put points on the board. Quarterback Chase Rettig was able to connect with Evans on a three yard pass on 3rd and goal for Evans' first career touchdown.

The Eagles' defense forced a turnover on Maine's next drive giving their offense greatfield position. Rettig then took advantage and found Jonathan Coleman—also his first career touchdown—on a nice flag play towards the back left pylon putting the Eagles up 14-3.

"It was an inauspicious start," BC head coach Frank Spaziani said. "Those things are there. They need to be corrected. We are not going to be able to go the rest of the season, playing the schedule that we play doing that."

In their first two games of the season the Eagles have been able to put up some impressive offensive numbers. They've had 66 points and 922 yards with Rettig at thehelm but it's Rettig's passing efficiency that is a real worry. In two games, Rettig is 48-83 with a 57.8 completion percentage. Not a great start for his second full season as BC's quarterback.   

"We didn't execute very well in the first half, at the beginning and different parts of the game," Rettig said. "We're not going to be able to afford to do that the rest of the year but we're going to get it fixed this week in practice and move on towards Northwestern." 

The Eagles will look for revenge against the Northwestern Wildcats, who spoiled their season opener last year with a 24-17 victory at Alumni Stadium. It was one to forget for Rettig who went 24-44 for 351 yards and an interception. This year,Rettig will have to get his offense rolling early for BC to come away with the win.

"We're going to a different stratosphere now," Spaziani said. "It's a game that we need to go play well. We took some steps forward in areas, but we've got ten tough games coming up and we've got to get better."

Spaziani is right. They do have to get better. On Sept. 29, Clemson goes into Alumni Stadium for BC's biggest game of their season.  

For BC to be competitive against Clemson, the Eagles offense will have to score early and often. Clemson has been on fire with quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington and, by that game, stud wide receiver Sammy Watkins will be back.

Luckily for Spaziani and Rettig, they have Northwestern and a bye week to prepare for Clemson. I look for Rettig to exorcise his demons from last year's dismal performance against Northwestern and finally get his offense clicking. 

Garrett Turner is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig didn’t get much sleep this past weekend. He was too preoccupied with replaying portions of Saturday’s game against Miami in his head.

“We could have scored 50 points on Saturday,” said Rettig. “You saw our potential. Just watching plays in my head- we have to eliminate the mistakes.”

The mistakes Rettig’s referring to were few and far between. BC scored the most points against a Division I opponent since their opening game of the 2010 season, and Rettig’s 441 passing yards rank sixth on BC’s all-time single-game list.

After a down year last season—especially on the offensive end—head coach Frank Spaziani overhauled his offensive staff by bringing in a new line coach and offensive coordinator. Rettig credited both of those before practice Wednesday when speaking to why he fared so well against Miami.

“The offensive line played great- not having pressure definitely got me into a rhythm,” he said. “We’re really good up front- I thought that coming into the year. It has to do with the offense being more spread out, as the defense can’t afford to blitz people.”

WR Alex Amidon and RB Tahj Kimble were both beneficiaries of the new offensive scheme installed by O-coordinator Doug Martin. Amidon finished with 10 catches for 149 yards, and Kimble had eight for 130. Rettig noted the importance of having a RB who’s able of catching passes.

“Tahj has receiver hands,” said Rettig. “It’s very convenient checking the ball down and knowing he’s going to catch it.”

“When Matt Ryan was here, the running back had the most receptions, then the tight end. So it’s a big deal when we have a back that can go out and catch the ball.”

There was, however, one play when Rettig—most likely having replayed this in his head countless times—thought he should have gone to Kimble. With just over two minutes in the game and BC down by 11, the Eagles had a 1st-and-goal at the 5-yard line. But they failed to score in the series, including on a first-down pass, an unsuccessful fade to WR Jonathan Coleman.

“We went empty, and [Miami] played press man coverage,” said Rettig. “We’re trying to look for the deeper route in the whole series right there. The first look is usually the running back. I could have stayed in it, because Tahj juked the linebacker and he was open. That’s one thing [to work on;] we can stay in the play a little longer.”

Heading into their game against Maine, Rettig will strive to go through his progressions better than he did against the Hurricanes.

“I got pretty comfortable in the game on Saturday,” said Rettig, “that some of the reads that were early in my progression- when I saw the defense I said- ‘oh that’s not going to be there.’ Giving the first couple routes of my progressions more time, and not just knowing where to throw the football, [is important.]”

While Miami’s defense was both predictable and easy to prepare for, that’s not the case with Maine, who has a new defensive coordinator this season.

“With Maine and their different multiple, defenses- and not knowing too much about their defense- it’s going to be very important to say ‘here’s one, two, and three,’’’ said Rettig. “Staying with the progression is something I definitely want to be better at for the rest of the season.”

And although they probably won’t need it against the Black Bears, Rettig also said BC’s vertical passing game could use some improvement.

“When we have single receivers, [we need] better timing with throwing the deep ball,” said Rettig. “We’re going to need that at sometime this year- just throwing the ball deep and making plays.”

It’s a great sign for a football team when their QB who just threw for 400 yards isn’t satisfied with his performance. The Eagles should be able to use this Saturday’s game against lowly Maine as a tune-up for their first potential turning point of the season: an away game September 15 at Northwestern.

Stephen Sikora is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

The Boston College Eagles will welcome the Maine Black Bears in Week 2 as they look to even their record at 1-1 for the season.

After losing their ACC season opener to Miami last week, Boston College is looking to avoid a disastrous start. Their task will be much easier against an FCS opponent this time around.

Maine hasn't played this season, but it is ranked No. 18 in the FCS rankings according to NCAA.com. Its 1,000-yard rusher Pushaun Brown is gone from last season, as is 2011's starting quarterback Warren Smith.

Neither player will be easy to replace, but the Black Bears must make it work if they want to keep Saturday's score respectable.

Let's preview this matchup from top to bottom:

When: Saturday, September 8 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Radio: Boston College Affiliates, Maine Affiliates

Live Stream: ESPN3

Betting Line: TBA

What's At Stake?

No one wants to lose the first two games of the season, but that's exactly what Boston College is facing in Week 2. It's not likely, but a loss to Maine would be devastating to the Eagles.

Maine just wants to start on the right foot. It lost key contributors on offense, but is still one of the better squads in the Colonial Athletic Association.

We saw Pittsburgh lose to Youngstown State in Week 1. Losing to an FCS squad is considered unspeakable for major programs, but it's not beyond possibility at this point.

It's one thing to start the season 0-2, but losing to Maine in the process would severely damage Boston College's season moving forward.

Injury Report (via USA Today)

Boston College

WR Colin Larmond - leg - questionable

DB C.J. Jones - foot - questionable

OG Harris Williams - foot - questionable

TE Mike Naples - back - questionable

RB Rolandan Finch - foot - questionable

WR Bobby Swigert - knee - out

DB Al Louis-Jean Jr. - foot - out

TE Chris Pantale - ankle - out

Maine

No injuries to report

What They're Saying

Boston Globe reporter Julian Benbow provided this quote from Eagles coach Frank Spaziani following his team's loss to Miami in Week 1:

“I think everyone on the team, I think they’re going to feel what I feel,” he said. “We need to do some of the fundamental, basic things and get it done and we can be a pretty good football team. Talking about it and doing it are two different things, but there’s a lot of optimism on our side.”

The game against Maine will be the perfect time to play fundamental football. Getting back to the basics would be advisable now before Boston College's schedule becomes more difficult later.

Foster's Daily Democrat reporter Mike Zhe reports this tidbit concerning the addition of Albany and Stony Brook to the CAA:

"It was getting lonely up here, was the best way to say it," said Maine coach Jack Cosgrove on Monday, during a CAA coaches teleconference. "In talking to Sean, we figured we couldn't play each other 12 times a year. We had to see some kind of movement in the Northeast."

Adding the two teams cuts down on Maine's traveling distance, and it makes sure that the CAA schedule is fully stocked.

Maine Player to Watch: Marcus Wasilewski, QB

Wasilewski will do his best to replace Smith behind center. He has only attempted two career passes, paling in comparison to Smith's 3,000-plus yard performance from last season.

If the Black Bears want to pull the upset, they will need a massive performance from their inexperienced signal-caller. He will have to mature in a hurry, or his team will have nowhere to turn offensively.

It's a lot to ask, especially away from home.

Boston College Player to Watch: Nick Clancy, LB

With Luke Kuechly now making his home with the Carolina Panthers, Clancy must step up for the Eagles.

You can't just replace a player who racked up over 500 tackles in his four-year career, but Clancy must fill the gap with sound tackling and leadership.

He had eight tackles against Miami in Week 1. This game will give him another chance to improve before the Eagles get too deep into ACC play.

Matchup to Watch: Wasilewski vs. Eagles Secondary

Stephen Morris threw for 207 yards and a touchdown to beat the Eagles in Week 1, and Wasilewski will try to repeat that performance.

There's only one difference: He won't have Duke Johnson behind him.

Wasilewski will have to play a tremendous game in his first career start if the Black Bears want to have a prayer. Boston College's defense got roughed up in its first contest, and will be looking to restore its pride.

Prediction

Boston College 35, Maine 6

In Saturday’s season opener at Alumni Stadium versus Miami, the Boston College Eagles lost 41-32 in a game that wasn't decided until the final two minutes. Though BC made several mistakes down the stretch and their defense was ineffective against the run, the story of the day for Eagles fans was the impressive offense attack by the home team.

Junior quarterback Chase Rettig threw for 441 yards, the sixth-highest single game total in BC history. New offensive coordinator Doug Martin introduced a game plan that featured short outs in the flat, intermediate passes in the middle of the field and play action rollouts, all of which Rettig executed to perfection. It provided a refreshing change of pace for fans, who over the past few years have been subjected to a stale offense characterized by third down runs and shotgun draws.

Rettig completed 32 of his 51 passes, despite a number of drops by BC receivers. 10 were caught by WR Alex Amidon, who led the Eagles with 149 receiving yards. RB Tahj Kimble, though, may have been the star of the game: Not only did he have 50 rushing yards on 10 carries, he also caught eight balls for 130 yards, including a key fourth quarter touchdown.

The Eagles had started out the game hot, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives. But Miami then outscored BC 41-6 until Kimble’s TD reception. Hurricanes RB Duke Johnson had two touchdown runs of over 50 yards, and Rettig was intercepted for a score after staring down a WR to end the first quarter.

Other than that mistake, Rettig showed the precision, poise and leadership that made him such a highly regarded recruit. He engineered the Eagles down the field on two drives in the final quarter, one for a touchdown, the other three inches away from a score. Had they scored on the drive, a two-point conversion would have brought BC within a field goal with just over two minutes left.

BC still has a ways to go to put up a winning season, however. The defense, which has been a strength in recent years, needs to improve quickly. If there’s one area, though, that current head coach and former defensive coordinator Frank Spaziano can be trusted in, it’s defense. BC also had two crucial fumbles in the fourth quarter; ball security and defensive gameplans should be at the top of the list of areas to work on in practice this week.

Despite the loss, Eagles fans should be pleased with Saturday’s performance. Chase Rettig and Doug Martin seem to be working quite well together, and that’s without the presence of top targets Bobby Swigert and Chris Pantale, who are both sidelined with injuries. If the offense can continue to execute and the defense improves, once those players return BC may have a chance against some of their tougher opponents this season.

When you think of Boston College against Miami, it's hard to think of anything other than Doug Flutie's famous Hail Mary pass.

But those teams were competing with national implications on the line. These days, Miami and Boston College are just hoping to start 2012 off with a win after disappointing 2011 campaigns. Neither is expected to win the ACC this year, let alone make noise nationally.

Still, there is much to be excited about, especially for a young Miami team loaded with freshman talent. For the Hurricanes, 2012 may be a preview of the very exciting future this team has.

For now, however, an early-season win in the ACC is on the line. Let's get previewing.

When: Saturday, September 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Watch: ABC/ESPN2

Listen: Sirius 91

Live Streaming: ESPN3

Betting Line: Miami (-2.5), according to Bet Online.

Miami Injuries

DL Curtis Porter, Appendix, Questionable

LB Raphael Kirby, Leg, Out

OL Seantrel Henderson, Concussion, Out

Boston College Injuries

RB Rolandan Finch, Foot, Questionable

TE Mike Naples, Undisclosed, Doubtful

DB Al Louis-Jean Jr., Foot, Out

TE Chris Pantale, Ankle, Out

What's At Stake

For both teams, an early foothold in the ACC would be nice. Really, a nice start to the season for a Boston College side that finished 4-8 last year is a must. Miami surely was disappointed by a 6-6 season last year as well. Neither is likely to win the ACC, but each must get off to a fast start to have a chance.

Miami Players to Watch: The Freshmen

Quite a few freshman will play key roles for Miami in this one. Al Golden went so far as to say 14 or 15 could play in the opener. 15!

Ereck Flowers will try to replace Seantrel Henderson at right tackle. Defensive backs Tracy Howard, Deon Bush, Rayshawn Jenkins and Antonio Crawford should all see the field. Jelani Hamilton and Tyriq McCord will see time at defensive end. Malcolm Lewis, Herb Waters and Robert Lockhart could see time at wide receiver.

The future is bright for Miami. It's uncertain how the team will fare in the present, however.

Boston College Player to Watch: Chase Rettig, Quarterback

Returning starter Chase Rettig only threw for 1,960 yards last season, and he'll need to do better than that this year if BC is to be competitive.

He'll have some help, as former Kent State head coach Doug Martin—praised as one of the finer quarterback coaches in the land—was brought in to improve the play of the signal-callers.

Boston College is already without last year's leading rusher, Montel Harris—dismissed by the team this offseason—so a healthy passing attack will be vital moving forward.

What They're Saying

As Michael Casagrande of the Sun Sentinel notes, a scheduling quirk makes this one a very interesting contest:

It creates an interesting dynamic that only the 2004 Miami Hurricanes can understand. The team faced Florida State on opening weekend after meeting the Seminoles in the previous Orange Bowl. The 'Canes won both games.

Both teams will look a bit different this time around. Namely Miami, with all those freshman seeing time.

Key Matchup: Boston College Passing Game Against Miami Secondary

Whoever wins this battle of potential weaknesses for each side should win the game. 

Boston College had an abysmal passing attacking a year ago, ranking 100th nationally at just 167.8 passing yards per game last year. Still, this is a young Miami secondary, and one BC must take advantage of if they hope to win this game.

Prediction

Expect a sloppy, tightly-contested affair. Boston College has more experience, but they will struggle to keep up with the speed of Miami. Still, a young Hurricanes team will make its fair share of mistakes. Miami will survive in the end, however, winning 24-21.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets have an ADP of one.

Brad Sorensen may be the most underrated quarterback in college football.

Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com rates Sorensen as the second-best small-school prospect; only outstanding Elon receiver Aaron Mellette is ranked above him.

Sorensen has a very interesting background story. He played one season at San Bernardino Valley College and also had a redshirt season at BYU before settling with Southern Utah in 2010.

"Settling" may be a massive understatement. "Excelling" may be more appropriate because he has thrown for over 6,300 yards and 38 touchdowns in only two years as a starter.

At 6'5" and 235 lbs, Sorensen has great NFL size and could the next non-Division I quarterback to make an impact at the next level.

If so, he would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Joe Flacco and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Under-the-radar quarterback prospects like Sorensen usually become more recognized during their senior seasons, and I believe Sorensen is in store for a great one.

He is also going to be playing in the Big Sky Conference, thus allowing him to test himself against better secondaries.

If interested in a good scouting report of him, check out this piece by Gil Alcatraz on draftbreakdown.com

Here is my interview with the promising quarterback:

Colan Lamont: After having two highly productive seasons in a row, do you think there are other things you have to improve on. If so, what are they?

Brad Sorensen: Everything! I sat down with my OC this offseason and studied every single play that I did from last season, and I quickly found out all the things I had to work on. Eyes, footwork, pre-snap reads, audibles.

CL: You have had a pretty hectic college career in that you have played for three teams. Do you think moving around has improved you as a player in any way?

BS: Yes, of course. Having different coaches and people in different locker rooms, you can take the good from each situation and try to incorporate it into your personality as a player and a leader. Playing in many different offenses has helped me be balanced as a football player and I can do a lot of different things. 

CL: What makes Southern Utah a good fit for you?

BS: Everything. I love it down here. My teammates, coaches and my wife. 

CL: Many consider you the best small-school quarterback prospect in college football. Do you take pride in that?

BS: I never paid much attention to it. I still feel like I have a lot to improve on and I'm just trying to get better every day.

CL: Was Ed Lamb the main reason you moved to Southern Utah, after he left BYU to coach the Thunderbirds?

BS: Yes, along with the players and QB coach I met while on my recruiting trip. Everything just felt right when I came down here. 

CL: Most people will say you have prototype size for a quarterback, but are there any other aspects of your game you feel may be undervalued?

BS: Athleticism. I feel like I can move pretty well for my size.

CL: Do you think playing in a spread offense will hinder your chances in the NFL at all?

BS: I don't know. I'm just trying to work at being the best QB I can be for our offense.

CL: Do you think it is just a matter of time before more and more NFL teams start incorporating it into their game plan?

BS: Yeah I can see that. You see some of it already in the NFL.

CL: Are you excited about playing your senior season in the Big Sky Conference?

BS: Absolutely! It's a great conference with a lot of talent from top to bottom.

CL: Do you think the secondaries of the Big Sky will be more difficult to pick apart than in the Great Western Conference?

BS: I think every defense we go against is hard to pick apart. It takes a lot of practice and preparation to be able to have success in the passing game on Saturdays.

CL: Why do you think your 2011 stats didn't quite match up to your 2010 campaign?

BS: I think teams for were game planning for us so much better, and we were seeing the best from our opponents each and every week. We didn't sneak up on anybody last year.

CL: You were sacked 31 times last year. Did you ever feel the effects of that beating?

BS: Only in the games we lost. You feel so good after a win that you can't even feel the bumps and bruises. 

CL: Just how much preparation do you need to get ready for every game?

BS: The whole week. We try to see as much film on them as we can and go out and practice how to attack them all week.

CL: Do you feel any extra pressure to be great every week because you play for a smaller school?

BS: No, not at all. I play my best football when I just go out and play and not get too caught up in the hype surrounding the game.

CL: Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and many other stars have taken the JUCO route. How do you think it prepared you for bigger things?

BS: I think it's made me have to work that much harder to get to where I am today.

CL: Joe Flacco and Ryan Fitzpatrick are just two former non-Division I quarterbacks who are NFL starters. Do you feel that you can be the next in line?

BS: I have no idea. It seems like so far away, and I've got so much stuff to work on and get better at before I can even think about that.

CL: What defense has been the toughest you have faced and why?

BS: Northern Iowa. They had a good D-line and mixed things up in coverage.

CL: Which college/NFL quarterbacks do you most admire and why?

BS: Tom Brady. He's so competitive, so calm under pressure. So good.

CL: Which round do you expect to be drafted in?

BS: I haven't thought about it.

CL: What are your overall expectations for yourself and the team for the upcoming season?

BS: To win a Big Sky championship. It has been our goal since the end of last season, and we have been working towards it all year long.

Thanks to Neil Gardner for helping me get in touch with Brad. Also to Brad, himself, for taking the time to provide these great responses.

All quotes in this interview were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Earlier in the week, we talked about some of the rivalry series' that we would like to see renewed from around the country in light of Penn State and Pitt agreeing to pick up games in 2016 and 2017. One game that we left off the list was the UConn and Boston College series.

The two most prominent schools in New England discontinued their series when the Eagles moved to the ACC in 2005. This move was hotly contested as the Huskies filed a lawsuit against the new ACC school. In return for the suing, Boston College pushed to block UConn from even being considered by the ACC during the most recent round of expansion.

Well, it seems Connecticut's governor is extending the olive branch. From an interview with the Associated Press, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy:

"The reality is that time has the ability to heal all wounds, and hopefully we move forward," Malloy said. "Economically, it makes great sense. The schools are 80 miles apart. Instead of a plane trip, it's a bus ride. We should be doing more of that, not less."

The man makes a great point. Boston College's closest conference games are trips to Maryland and Virginia. That's eight hours to College Park, MD and 10.5 hours to Charlottesville, VA. With divisional opponents even further south in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, the Eagles could use some travel relief.

Now, I know what the big national people are thinking: Who cares? In the big landscape that is college football, the Boston College-UConn rivalry is not something that registers as even a blip on the proverbial radar. Neither of them has been much of a national player of late and they aren't exactly big draws at the television set.

However, in the region, this game would be a solid move. It is up to both teams to bury the hatchet. Get back together on the gridiron in order to give their regional recruits something to look forward to and provide at least one game of relief from a travel schedule that sends both teams to the airport more often than not. 

The Boston College Eagles join several other college football teams in disciplining one of their players during the offseason.

According to CollegeFootballTalk, Montel Harris has been removed from the Boston College Eagles football program.

Boston College announces RB Montel Harris has been dismissed due to a repeated violation of team rules.

— CollegeFootballTalk (@CFTalk) May 1, 2012

This isn't a devastating blow for the Eagles' depth chart, as they're loaded with rising juniors and sophomores that can carry the load. 

Still, it's unfortunate to see another young collegiate athlete disobeying the rules. 

Much is asked of these student athletes, but following the rules set by your coaches and administrators shouldn't be that difficult.

Yet so many players have problems these days. 

Per his bio on bceagles.com, Harris became the all-time leading rusher for Boston College this past season when he ran for 108 yards against Wake Forest. It was also the last game Harris ever played in.  

He only played in two games during the 2011 season, but for his career, he had 3,735 rushing yards. Harris also holds the school record with 786 carries and 22 games with 100 or more yards rushing.