Boston College

You could feel it as soon as you got to town. With all due respect to the top 20 academic rankings that this university has reached, this is a damn football school. I was in class before any of the national championships, and my history professor on home football Fridays just had us check in at 1 pm and sent us packing. "No arrests, Go Noles!" was his exit mantra. Why bother teaching a bunch of kids that had no interest in learning when we were inside 36 hours from a Seminole Saturday night?  Speaking of which, we had ourselves a Seminole Sunday morning as the orange wearing idiots elsewhere in the State both lost. But back to the point...although Tally has been asleep for a half decade, the hot start and the way these kids compete woke up the monster. Tallahassee was buzzing. Football was back.

The intensity did not dim when the opening kickoff was returned for a score, and three plays later, we had an oskie and the ball back. Before the echo of the opening warchant and the smoke from the planted spear had dissipated, the Noles were up 14. In fact the game was over midway through the first quarter. The crowd and the town did their job, and got to spend the rest of a gorgeous clear night golf clapping the home team to victory. 

 We have been cautiously waxing about Jordan all season, but it is time to put a stamp on that note and mail it in. This kid has improved more than any QB since the Weinke 6 pick debacle in Raleigh and then became a Heisman holder. The job that Mike and Tony did with him this offseason is beyond remarkable. Those two throws - one on 4th down - to Cam McDonald against zone coverage were simply not in the regular arsenal in 2021. He did that exactly one time, albeit it was a somewhat memorable 4th and 14 prayer answered against the Canes, but now it is routine. His demeanor from 40 rows up is obvious and exudes confidence. The throw to McClain on the sideline is a perfect example. as he tossed that rainbow before Malik broke and it hit him right in the hands as he careened towards the sideline. A Jameis-rhythm throw that only comes with experience. If this kid was with a top 10 team, he is heading to NYC in December. Oh, by the way that ridiculous scramble for 16 yards when he looked like a greasy popsicle in the pocket before popping out for a key first down showed the ankle is ok thank you very much. 

Remember way, way, way back in November of 2021 when we were openly debating if this Seminole receiving corps was the worst since Larry Jones was patrolling the sidelines? Skip ahead four games, and this is looking like the reincarnation of the Fab 4 - only they might be the Super 7. As Debbie pointed out, this was the Oprah special - you get the ball, and you get the ball, and YOU get the ball. Dorian Williamson comes off the bench and snags 5 quick catches for just shy of a century. Poitier high points a end of half dime to score before he was WWE pile driven into the turf for no call. Cam caught the aforementioned key balls in the middle and Micah - the human muscle - just destroys the first guy he sees on bubble screens. We did not mention Pokey and Johnny because they were mostly blocking. Ron Dugans who got the best wideout in Florida to say I do this week, is hoping to stay married to FSU and his troops development is a something borrowed, blue and new in his favor.

Meanwhile, Trey Benson decided to go all Greg Jones this week breaking tackles, stiff arming Eagles and then shoulder pumping a poor stiff and popping the poor bastards helmet right off. He incinerated a sold out Doak right off the jump with the first opening return since Tamarick Vanover against Miami in 1992. BC's offense is a landfill, but their defense is in the top half of the conference. So when the line was not blowing open holes, there was a justification. And when Benson and Ward started bouncing off the beanpot boys, this stuff was legit. Meanwhile, our fat boys up front on offense hung in there without any new noticeable injuries to propel 31 first half points. In the new normal department, we actually saw an entire new backup OL in the 4th quarter... in an ACC game...What?! Yup, it was a full throated throwback game. 

Early in the second half, it was nice to see our entire starting defensive line together. The bummer was that they were hanging out and lined up perfectly...on the bench injured. Cooper and McClendon joined the bench bunch late, but they were able to eventually crash the pity party. Somehow, maybe because the Eagle O line was the signal corps for the Titanic, it made no difference. The young line with Payton, Ray and Lyons played paddy cake and the back 7 cleaned up with Bethune and DeLoach leading the way. Duke Cooper is still not all the way back, but a pick will help his mental state. How about our first chance to see the true Frosh AZ Thomas with meaningful snaps? This kid is special. His first series he had two tackles for a loss. He is physical and can really flat run. I like him to be starting by seasons' end. A key play for me was one of the few "big" runs BC had. A back squirted through a hole and had one guy between him and a 60 yard burst. That one guy was Jammie who just stepped up and popped him right in the chest for a instant ground discovery. Two confident safeties make all the difference for Coach Allen, and you can start to add Shyheim to that list. 

Well, we only missed one kick this week. Feeling confident yet? Yeah, I know...it was an extra point with no pressure that doinked the left upright, but he made the rest right? I doubt any game including Miami will come down to a kick, so I think we will be fine. Alex had his first punt go for a touchback since his initial game in a Nole uniform - 100 straight efforts with no touchback. Oh, and it went out about a millimeter into the endzone.  Think we are ok with that segment. 

We talked last week about how important this game was to set the floor for the '22 Noles. This win made the realistic floor a bowl game. What I caution Seminole nation against is thinking that the ceiling involves a New Years check. I know it may be hard to hear, but if we can come out of the next three games without being swept, that would be huge. Because the schedule gets markedly easier after Clemson leaves town. Middle Tennessee and USF showed us what we can do to our rivals and they are surrounded by wins. Let's send former Nole Rick Stockstill to attack this storm as MTSU has never been beaten by a Hurricane, and get Tally buzzing again Saturday afternoon.