Boston College at USC: Steve Addazio Press Conference Notes

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Every Monday, Boston College Eagles head coach Steve Addazio holds a press conference, and he offered some insights into the Eagles’ upcoming contest against the USC Trojans.

First, Addazio acknowledged that running the football against USC would be very difficult and signaled the need for “creativity” on offense. Having already completed the offensive preview for Boston College for tomorrow, it was very clear to me that 40 carries and a buck-fifty against this team would get BC a Diet Coke and not much else. Coach Addazio recognizes that and was sure to say that Boston College will do “whatever it has to do to sing that fight song in the locker room.”

He also made mention of the fact several times that the defense only played six snaps in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest on Friday, completely controlling time of possession and dictating the tempo of the game late. Our defensive coordinator, Don Brown, definitely noticed.

Addazio spoke of the need for aggressiveness against USC. He called USC one of the most talented teams he’s seen in some time and said that Boston College’s plan would be to go out there “and let it rip.” He also stated that one thing Boston College is absolutely not going to do is “be cautious.” Playing aggressively on defense does have some liabilities but Addazio is cognizant of the fact that the Eagles are not going to win this game by not taking chances.

In speaking of USC, he declined to comment on Lane Kiffin’s job status but in particular praised Coach Ed Orgeron, with whom he coached at Syracuse, for their exceptional defensive line.

Addazio was asked about Tahj Kimble, to which he responded that Kimble is working hard but is “not 100%.”

Inspirationally, much of what Addazio spoke of was the building chemistry of the Eagles. He mentioned the camaraderie within the locker room, even amongst coaches on different sides of the football. They, coaches and players on either side, compliment each other and all feel as though they are part of the same family working towards the same goal, and are not just looking out for themselves. He would not describe the Eagles as being selfish before, but as “fragmented.” Addazio feels the team is taking well to the team and family concept, in part because that’s Boston College (as a university) is about.

In terms of how he publicly evaluates the game, Addazio’s approach is not only the conclusion I reached myself, but the proper one the Eagles have to take. He acknowledges that Boston College is going to have to get some big breaks and do everything they can with what they have to keep it close and give themselves a chance to win. Playing “not to lose” like we did before is not going to work, and was never going to work in this game. If this all bears out, expect to see the Eagles diversify the offensive gameplan some more this week and throw more looks at USC’s offense.