2014 Boston College Football Special Teams: Stats and Grades
By Joe Micik
Dec 27, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles place kicker Mike Knoll (98) kicks a field goal against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the fourth quarter in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Penn State defeated Boston College 31-30 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The Eagles offense and defense were alright this year, but an evaluation of the 2014 Boston College football special teams should prove much more volatile.
Anyone who watched the 13 games during the regular season — or even just that last one at Yankee Stadium — is aware of this team’s very specific issues with regards to special teams. How specific? The kicking, mostly.
Considering how frustrating it was, it can be difficult to lose sight of the fact that there were other elements of the special teams unit that were actually good. That is why an exercise such as this takes everything into account, not dismissing the successes of some because of the failures of others.
Sometimes, harsh tones such as the ones which will be forthcoming are necessary. Avoiding objectivity will do nobody any good.
2014 Boston College Football Special Teams: Grading Factors
So, just how are we going to arrive at the final grade for Boston College specials? The following areas are going to be graded:
- Kickers
- Punters
- Kick returns
- Punt returns
As we have in the offense and defense reviews, the bottom line “effectiveness” of the overall unit will be factored into the final grade.