Post Practice Reaction

Good Evening Eagle Nation,

Our football team is in good hands. Well, maybe not as good as those hands, but Im pretty sure he is a BC fan so at least we got that going for us.

Anyway Rettig impressed at practice today, especially during the two minute drill. He fired a 30 yard bullet in-between two unsuspecting defenders and hit receiver Clyde Lee right between the numbers. At that moment I knew that this kid was real thing. I know, I've said it before, but now I've seen it with my own eyes and come Saturday, you will too.

The team looked very sharp both offensively and defensively, despite constant yelling from the coaches, which of course was to fire them up. The practice started off with the first offense working against a scout D and vice versa. The D looked strong as always, currently top 20 in run defense, and the scary duo of Mark Herzlich and Luke Kuechly were at the top of their game. The Eagles offense looked confident in their new leader and it showed with the plays coming together very cohesively. After Rettig had his shot, Shinskie and Mascovetra took their turn at running the first O.

Down the far end of the field, kicker Nate Freese, was constantly making 4o+ yard field goals into the swirling wind (it was extremely windy today, branches were coming down) with room to spare. Now this almost gets me more excited than Rettig's debut. I can't remember the last time BC was able to rely on a kicker let alone trust one to make a 40+ yarder in a game. If Matt Ryan had a legit field goal kicker (he had Steve Aponavicius who couldn't make a 25 yarder) then BC might have won a couple more games aka the ACC Championship. If Rettig is as good as I saw today in a game then imagine what BC's offense is going to be like if they can hit field goals consistently.

Despite the high intensity players managed to keep the practice light hearted when during a kicking drill with the first defense, they lined Nate Freese up for a 57 Yard field goal. Everyone on the sideline started cheering "OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and jumping up and down. Instead of a field goal they pulled the "Flutie Fake" causing sighs and "Awwww"s to come from the BC bench. As the drill continued every time Freese drilled a field goal his teammates erupted with cheers of "Freeeeeeesssssseee". Great to see the team getting some fun in there.

Practice Ended with the two minute drill and Rettig marching the first offense down the field against the first D. No mistakes were made by the young gun, throwing the ball away when he had no other option. As the team came together to conclude practice, the sun finally broke through the clouds for a brief five minutes shining down on our team.

The State of Eagle Nation is strong.

Live from the Aluminum Monster

UPDATE: So practice is winding down and I have been tossed out yet again by a damn towel boy. Not only that but he threw me out and not the 70 year old lady sitting 10 seats over from me jumping up and down with every completion and banging the bench with every mishap. But hey at least she cares, and you know what, if it was really such a big deal than Spaz would have told me to scram. Whatever. Anyway I was impressed by the whole team's effort today, very high intensity practice. Ill have a post practice post later tonight recapping today and the outlook for Saturday. Looked good today boys, carry that intensity into Saturday. WE ARE BC.

UPDATE: So there I was, just sitting in the last row behind the end zone minding my own business, when I heard a door open behind me. I didn't think much of it and continued watching practice. Suddenly I hear a deep voice behind me. "Hows it look?" I turn around and there standing behind me is Coach Spaz. Startled and caught off guard I managed to say "Teams lookin good coach." He smiled and started walking away. I yelled out after him, "Good luck Saturday coach." He turned around still walking, "Thanks, hope to see you there."

You will coach, you will.

UPDATE: The reporters I mentioned earlier are from NESN. They stopped Herzlich and Costanzo for interviews. Also I've been told by a ball boy I have to leave because it is a closed practice. BS. I moved from section Q to the north end zone to continue observing practice. I got my first look at Rettig and I have to say I'm impressed. Great arm strength and accurate. Granted its only practice. When one of the coaches got on Rettig for making a mistake, the rest of the team yelled words of encouragement to the quarterback. Leading in this cheer was none other than Uncle Dave. I've just gained a huge amount of respect for him. He just lost his starting job but he is still at practice cheering on his replacement hoping he does well. I tip my cap to you Uncle Dave, you are a class act.

UPDATE: Sophomore linebacker #40 Luke Kuechly is the first on the field as the rest of the team begins to trickle out of the locker room and on to the field. I like that, BC's best defensive player leading by example. As BC players gather together in the middle of the field the sun is trying to break through the clouds, good sign perhaps?

Good Afternoon Eagle Nation,

Im writing this post from my seats in row 19 Section Q. I am hoping to get a glimpse of the future of Boston College football Chase Rettig in action as well as observing the team in general. I will write a post later, reporting on what I saw in practice and what we can expect from our team.

It is currently 2:50pm and there are a group of what appear to be reporters on the far sideline setting up while there is a friendly game of pick up football going on in the end zone to my left (south end zone).

The first player just took the field, number 85 kicker Nate Freese. Freese is a red shirt freshmen and is the best kicker BC has had in a long while. More updates to come, stay tuned...

Respect...

Good morning Eagle Nation,

There is no official update on the QB competition but all signs point to Rettig as we draw closer and closer to the Notre Dame game. Rettig was the first QB on the field and was taking the vast majority of snaps with the first team offense. But hey either way I trust Spaz. To quote the Boston Herald, "The Chase is on".

There was an article this morning on espn.com that interviewed BC's defensive linemen Alex Albright. Basically the article said how BC doesn't get respect from Notre Dame (or the nation for that matter) and that this game is about respect. Respect? How have we not earned Notre Dame's respect? We have won 7 out of the last 9 meetings, including a 17-0 shutout last time ND visited the "Aluminum Monster"©, and won six times in a row between 2001-2008 (before Uncle Dave blew the streak). Notre Dame has played six games in Chestnut Hill and out of those six they've only won twice. And the stats continue.

Notre Dame leads the all time series 10-9, and out of the 19 games played two were on neutral sites, 11 were played in South Bend and only 6 were played in Chestnut Hill. without the two neutral site games BC leads the series 9-8 with a 4-2 record at home and a 5-6 record on the road. BC has played at Notre Dame almost double than at home and despite that have a 9-8 record against Notre Dame not counting neutral field games.

Not only should we have their respect but they should begging us to play them every year because lets face it Notre Dame, we are your rivals. Not USC, not Michigan or Michigan State. We are. You know why? Because you can't beat us at our house. You won't beat us at our house. WE ARE BC.

This Just In From Coach Spaz!!!

Hey everyone, apparently Coach Spaz hasn't made his decision final about the Quarter Back situation. You can read about it here. All I have to say is Spaz, make the right choice for Eagle Nation, I have 100% faith in you.

(Mike Mascovetra, #16 top, and Chase Rettig #11 but will be wearing #7 for BC bottom, will battle it out for the starting QB job at Boston College. Either way there should be a improvement at the position for the 2-1 Eagles.)

I will keep you up to date on the QB competition.

The Rettig Era Begins...

BC FOOTBALL FANS YOUR SAVIOR IS HERE (Just in time because I have had just about enough of the quarterback shenanigans)

Coach Frank Spaziani has unveiled his secret weapon. Freshmen quarterback Chase Rettig. Rettig is a solid 6-3 210 pounds with a great arm and decent mobility. A highly touted recruit from California, who received offers from Tennessee and USC, decided to cross the country to set up shop in Chestnut Hill. Make no mistake, Rettig is the real deal, he has the chance this season to start a legacy and join the great QBs of Boston College. Chase Rettig will be a legend at Boston College.

Lets think about this for a second. Notre Dame is coming to Chestnut Hill this weekend. Its a night game. Primetime at 8pm on ABC (or ESPN2 for you west coast nerds). Sure Notre Dame is 1-3 (Losses to Ranked teams such as Michigan and #9 Stanford, as well as losing on a fake field goal to Michigan St. Really Notre Dame?) and BC has lost to their only worthy opponent, but the BC vs ND rivalry always brings out the best in both teams and no doubt under the national spotlight the intensity will be ramped up a couple notches. Despite their 1-3 record Notre Dame is a GOOD TEAM. They could very easily be 2-2 or 3-1, if Denard Robinson hadn't gone off for 500 total yards and leading the game winning drive, scoring with 27 seconds left to go up 28-24. So we have a legit team in Notre Dame (very well could be ranked if things had gone their way), a primetime ABC game at 8pm, at home, under the lights, with pride, bragging rights, the season and Eagle Nation on his shoulders. Rettig's time to shine.

He has no experience at the collegiate level and he is being asked to step in, save what would have been a lost season, and beat BC's biggest rivals on the biggest possible stage in the regular season. No problem. He has the fundamentals, athletic ability and laser arm to send ND crying all the way back to South Bend. Not to mention he has a preseason All American, NFL draft first round caliber tackle in Anthony Costanzo protecting his blind side which should give the young gun some piece of mind. However he is still a rook and Spaz should work Rettig into the game by letting him hand off to very reliable and talented running back Montel Harris, as well as working in some short passes before going taking shots down the field. If the BC O-line can provide the running lanes for Harris (and hopefully return my boy from Wellesley, Thomas Claiborne, Wellesley still sucks though, go Rockets!) than Rettig will have less pressure on him to win the game.

He has all the right tools for a QB and he is on a relatively young team. Going forward BC has a bright future with Chase Rettig at the helm. I guarantee that Rettig will lead BC to their first ACC championship and an Orange Bowl victory during his time here. If everything falls BC's way as well we could be looking at a…gasp…National Championship appearance. What!? you say. You heard me, don't be surprised, BCs defense is always in the top 20 lead by preseason first team all-American Luke Kuechly (Sophomore), the defense will be a strong point for the Eagles going forward. With Rettig, and a young crop of talented receivers and tight ends, this team has all the makings of the 2007 BC team. (Who lost their national championship hopes after a devastating defeat from the damn Seminoles of Florida State, Exact Moment (2:30, sorry best clip I could find) BC's season went down the drain). Rettig I believe in you.

The only concern I have for Rettig is that if he doesn't perform well this game or his confidence is crushed before he has the chance to get going, then the next four years for BC football will be the longest in recent memory. However, there is a simple solution to avoiding another QB crisis.

Spaz needs to tell Chase before the game, "This is your team. Im handing you the keys to the car. No matter what happens tonight, this team will still be yours come Monday and we trust you 100%. Just go out there, make some plays and have fun and you will win this game for us." If Rettig has the confidence from the coaches and the team then Rettig will produce. Also the fans of BC NEED to let Rettig know that he has their support as well. No booing when he overthrows the receiver or fumbles the ball or throws an INT. NONE OF THAT. Yeah Im talking to you too "Super Fans". Oh wait, sorry, that link was wrong, let me try again, Im talking to you "Super Fans!". What the hell? Wrong link again! Where are our Super Fans?? Oh here they are, arriving a couple minutes after kickoff. Which brings me to a brief point I'd like to make.

I've been coming to games for 20 years now. I have seen 96 games played at Alumni Stadium. I was there before Matt Ryan (and during, ah those were some good times) and I remain after. I will always be a BC football fan. So when I see the student section telling me to stand up and cheer during the game I laugh. I think out of the people yelling at me to stand up, how many of them will be BC fans five years from now? How many games have you been to? Approximately 50% of you have been to ten games or less (Freshmen and Sophomores) and for the upper classmen the most games you've been too is 24 (Unless you grew up in the area like me, and have seen more games, shout out to the Needham kids at the school). Now I'm not saying I don't cheer anymore or I'm going to stop. No. But I have put in my time cheering Boston College Football, its the Student Section's job to stay loud the entire game, NO MATTER WHAT THE SCORE IS OR THE RECORD OF THE TEAM. Show up on time (at LEAST 10 minutes before kickoff) and don't leave until they finish playing the Alma Matter and our boys are back to the locker room. YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO DRINK AFTER THE GAME. TRUST ME. You have a job to do Saturday and that is come to the stadium with as much fire, passion and energy as you can and you don't stop cheering until the final whistle blows or the clock strikes 0:00. Do your job as students, support the team, GET LOUD AND STAY LOUD, show up on time and stay to the end, then I will stand up when you call on me, but until I see that out of our student section I will continue to shake my head. That being said in recent years I have seen improvement but again I say, GET THERE EARLY and show up for every game and the other BC fans will be proud of a student section so dedicated as you. When they show up, BC fans are the greatest fans in college sports. In general BC Super Fans, I tip my cap to you, lets try and get the few exceptions that give the student section a bad name to follow your example. (This is a general statement about the student section, I know there are a great number of Individuals that do go to games early and bring that intensity, I am basing what I have said on my observations of the student section over the past 13 years (when the superfan shirts were first sold). However those of you who do go early and support the team, it is your job to excite the rest of the student body and encourage them to do as you are, and by doing that we will create an electric atmosphere every Saturday. For those of you who want a student perspective check out this post from a BC superfan).

Anyway with the support of the team and the support of the, wait for it, SUPER FANS! Rettig will lead BC to victory and join the great list of BC QBs (Doug Flutie (betcha didn't see that highlight coming), Matt Hasselbeck, "Chuckin" Charlie O'Rourke, and Matt Ryan aka Matty Ice). His legend starts Saturday, under the lights, with the hopes of Eagle nation in the "Aluminum Monster"©.

Rettig, do us Proud, beat ND

Game Prediction: BC: 31 ND: 20

Rettig Stats: 2TDs 1INT 220YDS passing.

ACC Predictions:

#23 NC State vs Virginia Tech/ My Pick: NC State is the real deal. Wolfpack

#17 Miami vs Clemson/ My Pick: Its all about the U!

Florida State vs Virginia/ My Pick: Dag Gum Seminoles!

North Carolina vs East Carolina/ My Pick: X BC QB Dominique Davis wont save Pirates. UNC

Maryland vs Duke/ My Pick: Fear the Turtle!

Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest/ My Pick: Ramblin Wreck at Georgia Tech.

Other Games:

#8 Oklahoma vs #21 Texas/ My Pick: The Red River Rivalry is still all red. OU

#11 Wisconsin vs #24 Michigan State/ My Pick: Fake field goal wont save State again. Badgers

Tennessee vs #12 LSU/ My Pick: No one is gonna be signing Rocky Top after this one. LSU

#9 Stanford vs #4 Oregon/ My Pick: The Ducks! (Space Jam reference)

Welcome

This is my first post on View From Section Q. My blog will be strictly about Boston College Football (with some BC basketball and hockey). I am a season tickets holder of BC football (and basketball) I sit in Section Q on the visitor's sideline. For the record it used to be the BC sideline. I went to my first BC football game when I was four months old, BC played West Virginia, October 1991. I will attend my 100th BC football game this year when the University of Virginia comes to Chestnut Hill in November. I will offer my opinions on BC football and college football in general and hope to provide those interested in BC football a view from Section Q. (Also the format of my blog was inspired by that of the Club Trillion blog, created by none other then Mark "the Shark" Titus.)

Matt Corcoran