Attention Students: BC Football is Fun Again
By Peter Kim
No really, I swear. I know that being an Eagles fan the past couple of seasons has been difficult, and it’s easy to be skeptical that they have suddenly started to turn the corner. I also know that, right now, it’s better to forego any and all skepticism about BC football. Until recently I was a self-professed skeptical fan. My father spent his college years at UC Berkeley, becoming an avid Golden Bears fan, and he began to pass his fandom down to me when I was young. And one of the first things that he taught me was that, no matter how good the Bears were, they would always find a way to disappoint you. To illustrate this point, and since most people reading this article are more than likely unfamiliar with Cal football history, let’s take a trip back to 2004.
The 2004 Cal team was loaded with talent. Aaron Rodgers (yes, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers) led the offense, and Cal starting running back J.J. Arrington rushed for over 2000 yards and managed to keep Marshawn Lynch (yes, current Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch) off the field. After three straight reasonably comfortable wins to begin the season, Cal traveled to eventual BCS champion USC. Despite Aaron Rodgers completing 23 straight passes at one point, and Cal having first and goal from the USC 8 with under two minutes left down 23-17, Cal lost, and later in the season controversially missed out on a Rose Bowl berth. That was the most talented Cal team of the past 15 years, and they still were unable to make a BCS bowl despite finishing 11-1. So suffice to say, from my first season as a Cal fan, I was prepared to be skeptical. I was skeptical in 2007, the same year as the magical Matt Ryan season that Eagles fans know so well, when Cal rose as high as #2 in the country. And sadly my skepticism proved right, as Cal lost a winnable home game to Oregon St. and finished the year 7-6. I was skeptical again in 2009 when Cal was ranked as high as #8, and once again was proved right as Cal finished the season unranked.
Following a string of successful seasons, Cal’s football team took a turn for the worse and finished the 2013 season 1-11, their worst ever season. Watching the games with my father was brutal, and we spent most of the time simply looking for any semblance of hope for the future. And it was at some point during this season that I decided the next time Cal showed some form of competence in football that I would forego skepticism, and simply enjoy it while it lasted. So, true to form, two years later when Cal started the season 5-0 and headed into a road matchup with #5 Utah, I was all in, confident that they were going to win. Despite ultimately losing that game 30-24, and finishing the season 8-4, I had so much fun watching that team play that I vowed to never again be skeptical about the Golden Bears.
Anyways, I guess what I’m trying to say, with this long and convoluted story about another college football team who most BC fans likely care nothing about, is that life as a football fan is more fun when you embrace your team, good or bad, and support them without any trace of skepticism or doubt. Embrace them for their strengths and try and humor their flaws, frustrating as they may be. Which brings us back to the Eagles. I understand that a lot of fans are upset with Coach Addazio, the lack of offensive creativity, and the noted flaws the defense has defending the run. All are very reasonable things to be upset with. But at the same time I swear this team is making BC football fun for the first time since that upset win over USC in 2014.
The past two years of Boston College football have been followed a similar pattern. An excellent defense paired with a floundering offense. Some of the offensive struggles could be attributed to play calling, and some of the struggles could be attributed to a lack of talent. Well, the play calling has remained mostly the same, but it’s evident to anyone who has been watching the program the past couple of weeks that talent is no longer the problem. The Eagles have gained over 500 yards, and scored over 40 points in each of the past two ACC games. Thadd Smith, Jeff Smith, Tommy Sweeney, and redshirt freshman Kobay White have all developed into capable weapons. But no one has generated more excitement than BC’s dynamic freshman duo.
I don’t think it’s possible to be a BC fan right now and not be excited about the freshman combination of A.J. Dillon and Anthony Brown. Dillon, the most heralded recruit of BC’s 2016 class, has really come into his own over the past two weeks. First it was the 272 yard, four touchdown performance against Louisville that was punctuated by him literally throwing a defender to the ground during a 75-yard touchdown run. And then just last week he rushed for 89 more yards against a solid Virginia team who entered the game 5-1. In October as a whole, he’s averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Of course, it’s more than just the statistics that excite me when I watch Dillon. He looks explosive, quick, and decisive with his runs. Even when his blocking fails him, he is often able to grab the extra yard or two and avoid the negative play that puts this offense in such a bind.
Brown, much like any first year starter at quarterback, has had his ups and downs, but I have been excited about him ever since the successful two-minute drill he led during the first game of the season against Northern Illinois. Perhaps the most important part of a quarterback’s job is to stay composed at all times. And in that two-minute drill, Brown stayed incredibly composed. Since then, he has of course had his rough patches, most notably in a one TD, three INT performance against Wake Forest, but he is just now coming off his best game of the year. Against a solid Virginia team, Brown completed 79% of his passes, rushed for 32 yards, and led an offense that racked up 512 total yards. And regardless of his performance this year, the fact remains that he has three years of eligibility remaining and ample time as well as the talent needed to develop into a star.
I know that it is easy to look at the exciting talent BC has compiled and think about the negatives. What if these players fail to live up to their talent? What if one gets hurt? Or decides to transfer? I know that the past couple of years have made it hard for Eagles fans to get excited about the football team. Constant offensive struggles and some questionable coaching decisions will do that. But I also know that, for me, the past couple of years don’t matter right now. There’s youthful talent, and a sense of better things to come surrounding the team right now. And hopefully, come Friday night against Florida State, the team will take another step towards fulfilling its potential. I know I’ll be there rooting hard for the Eagles, and I hope that the stadium is packed with people just as excited about the football team as I am. For the first time in a while, they’ll have a reason to. Boston College football is fun again.