CHASE, MEET RILEY

Let's talk quarterbacks. 

First, best QBs since the TOB era, recommended order:

1. Matt Ryan

2. Paul Petersen

3. Brian St. Pierre

T4. Chris Crane/Chase Rettig/Quinton Porter

T8. Dominique Davis/Dave Shinskie

Off Radar: Mike Marscovetra/Josh Bordner/Justin Tuggle/Me (I'm pretty sure I started a game in this cluster carousel.)

Second, there are many reasons to rue the Spaz Era of mismanaged rosters, but perhaps the single most important one happened on October 2nd, 2010. That was the day that Chase Rettig earned his first official time as a NCAA football player, thus ensuring that his freshmen year would not be a red shirt, and propelling us down a path that leads us to where we are today.

Mike Marscovetra was listed, at the beginning of the season, as the 1b on the depth chart, but sometime in those first few weeks of the season - a combination of what I recall was Marsco being not that great and Shinskie being on the outs with Spaz, Rettig got the nod for his first start. 

Chase threw 10 passes, five were completed and one of them which Bobby Swigert took to the house. Then he injured his ankle, Marsco came in and threw 37 times over the remainder of the game. Two weeks later, the true freshman who started the season as second on the depth chart behind two guys (liberal arts school, folks) would pretty much get the full-time starting gig, something that's basically been his since October 16th, 2010.

We don't like giving Spaz credit for anything, especially when it's so easy to pick on him, but the reason we call this one the big mistake is that someone on that staff knew that Rettig could throw, and it didn't take that many games to get him into the rotation. Why, though, even bother with the other two - especially when Weber State and Kent State stood to be better tune-ups for the game.

The historical comparison is something that happened in Winston-Salem a few years earlier. True freshmen Riley Skinner was thrust into the QB role in 2006 when the starter was injured and I think is still their starter. He started out his first year, though, much differently than Chase. 

Here's Riley's first season:

And here's Chase's:

Something dramatically drops out (not just John Abbate's Wake defense that year) - Syracuse, Duke, Ole Miss are much better places to start your career than Notre Dame, Florida State and Maryland - and those last two were on a bum wheel. The decision to play through with Rettig in that year hurts so many things. He got freshmen experience, yes, and he has been a starter at some point during each of the last three years. But was it good experience? No.

Riley Skinner's final line at Wake:  903 for 1349 (66.9%) for 9,762 yards and a 60:37 TD/INT ratio. Chase, in his senior year, does have some tools at his disposal, but he'll never get to that level of productivity likely because of the mistake Spaz made in 2010. Through three seasons, Chase is 523 for 979, just slightly over 50 percent, with 6,258 yards and a slightly positive TD/INT ratio (35:31). His make-up and back-story is so similar to Riley, but unless he has a 400 for 350 (yes, I know that's above 100 percent), 3,000 yard season that is mistake free, he's not going to get there. 

After Matt Ryan, Riley Skinner just may be the best under-center QB of the expansion ACC area. The fact is that while some of those suggestions that Chase could get there are useless now, the first nail in the coffin was put there by Spaz three years ago. Just think of what Rettig could have done getting a fresh start in 2011, and where we would be not only this year...but next.

WHAT'S A CHASE GOTTA DO?

(We can't tell if he's sneezing or being exasperated).

32 for 51, 441 yards, two TDs and one TAINT on a play where there actually was a receiver open five yards down field from the corner. Please also circle zero sacks.

If he's growing up before our eyes, there is something in the future. I believe.

FOOTBALL: THE HEIGHTS PREVIEW

This is what we get up for - game week. For us, we're going to pitch in a few quick season previews in the style of H&L. Today's is the "HEIGHTS" preview - our overly optimistic predictions. What will follow will be the LOWS and a few other things we used to do last year (Three Games to Watch will be returning on Thursdays). Let's make this quick and get to doing what we do best.

What's the high water mark for the 2012 squad has to fall into two separate questions, based on what you want the most in this world. Do you want the most success? Or do you want just enough success that will ensure Frank Spaziani will hang up the visor at year's end?

Like last year's opener, we start  with a headscratcher: what identity does Miami have and how will they roll in Alumni Stadium? A win by the Eagles would be a great way to get the boulder rolling down the hill - especially with the FCS Maine Black Bears in Chestnut Hill the following week. Two comfortable wins would likely give the offense confidence, and Chase Rettig could roll into Chicago feeling good for Northwestern.

The bye week comes early this year, but after an away game and before Clemson isn't a bad place to have it. Clemson is a lean loss, toss-up game - but since it's Clemson and they have their own verb about this kind of stuff, an Eagles team that's clicking could sneak an upset. Go to Army the week after and ring up the Black Knights and you aren't crazy to look up and see BC at 4-1 or, somehow, 5-0. 

That's when things get tough. Road trip to "It's August, They're Top Ten" Florida State, where even though BC has played well since joining the ACC, a tough test will wait. Georgia Tech in Atlanta, coming off a bye week of their own, also pose a formidable task for a BC team coming off a third straight away game. Luckily, BC returns home to face the Maryland team that was one of the four wins the 2011 team had up.

November is weird for the team - travel to Wake, a late out of conference game with Notre Dame, hosting Virginia Tech late in the season (when you know they'll be clicking) and finally Thanksgiving weekend in Raleigh. But if you look back and see that September starts hot and there is potentially a win or two in October available, November is the difference between 6-6 expectations and a surprising 7-5 or even, gulp, 8-4 depending on what Irish team shows up in Chestnut Hill.

The defense gets time to settle in, but the fact of the matter is that these heights are likely only reachable if the offense wins a few games. There is no freak of nature to get in Miami QB heads in the linebacking corps anymore. Chase, whoever is playing RB and what's left of the receivers and tight ends must find a way to click and score. 

Is 8-4 really as good as it can get? Even in optimism we're getting dull. Maybe that's the record that fits in the category of success that won't be enough for Spaz and we're really preventing ourselves from letting the rainbows shine through because we want to look to the future.

RETTIG TO EXHALE

No, we aren't trying with the blog posts titles. Thanks for asking.

We're into the second week of STG's incredible day-by-day preview leading up to kick-off on Labor Day weekend. It's early in the previews, but since he's going numerically, perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle is under the microscope today - Junior QB Chase Rettig:

Anyone who knows Boston College football and has two or more brain cells to rub together is aware that Rettig is pivotal to this team’s near-term future. Unless you think Josh Bordner will turn into an ACC quarterback tomorrow or that some other quarterback not on the two-deep will suddenly prove worthwhile, Rettig is realistically all we’ve got. His spring performance was troubling, but it must be our hope that he comes through these problems with a renewed energy and makes 2012 his best season yet.

As STG notes (and many other previews as well), Chase has had to deal with offensive coordinators as if it was the cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts. That's a lot of learning, unlearning and relearning. There is good news: the weapons he has at his disposal may finally be aligned under Doug Martin, the question is if he will adapt and grow into that over the summer.

There aren't many options when it comes to the field marshal offensive position on this depth chart, or really next year's either. Rettig *has* to step up for this team to come around.