Silver Linings (in the) Playbook: Eagles Offense Finally Shows Signs of Life
Eagles QB John Fadule runs out of a tackle attempt by two Notre Dame defenders on Saturday night at Fenway Park. Photo credit to the Boston Herald and Christoper Evans.
By: Anthony Iati
If there is one phrase that sums up the 2015 season for the Boston College offense, it is “too little, too late.” Now 3-8, BC has dropped seven consecutive games, largely due to the youth and slow development of its offense. On Saturday night at Fenway Park in the much-anticipated Shamrock Series clash with #4 Notre Dame, the Eagles’ offense at last displayed flashes, albeit brief ones, of firepower.
The offensive unit has been bailed out all season by the team’s near-impenetrable defense, allowing BC to stay in games just long enough to come up short at the end. Flash back to September, when the defense held then-#9 Florida State to a single touchdown in a 14-0 Eagles loss. Then in October, there were BC’s excruciating losses at Duke, 9-7, vs. Wake Forest, 3-0, and at Louisville, 17-14. In each of those three games, the Eagles offense had an opportunity to tie or win the game with a late-game scoring drive. Each time, it came up empty.
Similarly, in BC’s recent home games against Virginia Tech (Oct. 31) and North Carolina State (Nov. 7), BC entered halftime without points on the board. Freshman walk-on quarterback John Fadule led a touchdown drive late in each of those games, but the Eagles lost each game by 16 points.
So when Notre Dame kicker Justin Yoon drilled a field goal to extend the Irish’s lead to 19-3 in the 4th quarter, it looked like the same old story for BC. Yet finally, in the eleventh game of what is now a lost season, the Eagles offense fought back. Jeff Smith, inserted at quarterback in the 3rd quarter to replace a struggling Fadule, raced 80 yards to the end zone on a read-option keeper, conjuring up memories of 2014 Tyler Murphy. The ensuing 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Eagles down 19-9. It turned out the failed 2-point attempt loomed large, as Smith orchestrated another late touchdown drive, this time firing a short strike to wide receiver Charlie Callinan with less than a minute to play. Freshman kicker Colton Lichtenberg, who had nailed a 43-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, converted the extra point, bringing BC within a field goal. Lichtenberg’s onside kick attempt was recovered immediately by Notre Dame, ending BC’s hopes of a miraculous comeback at Fenway.
Coach Steve Addazio is not the type to admit publicly that this was a moral victory for BC. Realistically, though, it was. The defense was close to its usual dominant self, forcing 5 turnovers in a textbook bend-but-don’t-break performance. More importantly, the struggling kicking game showed promise and the offense produced both the long, exciting TD that fans grew accustomed to the past two seasons thanks to Andre Williams and Tyler Murphy as well as a prolonged scoring drive. It was even nice to see some wrinkles in the play-calling, as BC attempted (albeit unsuccessfully) a fake punt and later completed a rare 22-yard pass to tight end Tommy Sweeney up the seam for a first down.
The Eagles will end the year at Syracuse (3-8), which has lost eight in a row and fired head coach Scott Shafer on Monday, on Saturday with little to play for except pride. Addazio admitted after the game that it will be difficult for the Eagles to be as energized and prepared as they were for the primetime showdown with the Irish. If BC’s offense continues to progress the way it did late in Saturday’s game, the Eagles can escape Western New York with real optimism heading into 2016.