Boston College 24, Villanova 14: On Being Happy With What You Have
By Joe Micik
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The complaints yesterday about Boston College’s first half play against the Villanova Wildcats were prolific. Some even came from our very own Twitter feed. Nonetheless, the Eagles were victorious in their 2013 season opener and have their first 1-0 start in three years.
We all saw some of the deficiencies out there on the field. The defense gave up some big plays and the offense stalled out now and then. The playcalling was, in certain cases, uninspiring and some of the decisions made on the field were dumb and careless, such to the point that a better team might not have let BC back in it. None of that changes the fact that they won the game and ran back into the tunnel with smiles on their faces and their helmets hoisted in the air in triumph.
As fans (and bloggers), we can collectively identify those things that the Eagles did correctly and not-so-correctly. Instead of worrying about how the team proposes to rectify these issues, however, it seems far simpler to just accept at face value the fact that BC won and be happy. It is for the players and coaches to assess how to improve from this week to the next. We can only hope that all parties involved do their due diligence.
So, despite the fact that yesterday’s contest was closer than it had to be or should have been, it was still a win, and it is worthy of congratulations. True, this game lacks the significance of a matchup like Florida State or Clemson, and Villanova is not comparable to the top level of competition the Eagles will face this season, but it still counts in the win column. If the players are happy with a win, and they always will be, then we should be as well. They can and will worry about the nuts and bolts later.
Now, do not misunderstand my position. My criticisms, as well as my plaudits, of yesterday’s effort are well-documented and anyone who sees this website as suddenly being blinded by a maroon-and-gold tinted view has skipped last several years. Despite my unending support for the players, we here have always called it honestly, even when we didn’t say what fans wanted to hear. Still, an ugly win is preferable to an uglier loss, though ugly games are not preferable at all.
Maybe the 2013 season is a lost cause or maybe the Eagles will improve. We won’t know until it’s over. What I can say is that while I still believe the team’s ultimate objective is to sneak into a bowl at a maximum of roughly 6-6, it is premature to consign to ruin a team that just won its season opener. After years of Frank Spaziani destroying our morale, I won’t promote being upset about a so-so win, even if we all know it was an inconsistent effort.
We all want to see the Eagles do the best they can. It’s no secret that their first-half play on Saturday would not cut it against just about any opponent they’ll face the rest of the way, but they took some steps in-game to start fixing and their film sessions this week will be geared towards that end. They also won’t fix this thing in a week. It is legitimate to have praise and criticism for BC’s effort any day, and that’s what we do here, but try to be happy with what BC has now: which is to say, very simply, a 1-0 record. It may all come crashing down later, but it won’t today.