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BOSTON COLLEGE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 29, 2018

Steve Addazio

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston College - 45, Temple - 35

STEVE ADDAZIO: We had some injuries to overcome. We played most of the game without our starting safety. We played the back half of the game without our starting tailback. We lost Jeff Smith during the game and just kept battling. Guys stepped up and made some real plays.

Benny Glines, I think AJ ran for 160, then Benny came in and ran for a buck-20-something, some real tough, gritty runs. Meanwhile he's on the kickoff team, the punt team, the kickoff return team. I thought his performance was really something.

On defense, we made some really big plays like we've been doing. But we need a little more consistency. We got a little exposed with some youth, which Lukas going down hurt us, because we couldn't make a move there, which we typically could put Lukas down at corner. So we struggled with that a little bit. But I thought our team battled.

Our special teams, Mike Walker made some big plays in the game. Two big, critical punt returns with confidence. You know, I just thought our team was strong, was strong resolve, tough, played hard, tempo. I knew this was going to be a tough game. They have a talented team, they have big, long, tall receivers. They're a big football team with speed and athleticism, and this was going to be one of those days.

Of course, we spotted them, which doesn't help matters. We had the kickoff return fumble, which was a scoop-and-score deal, and that was a tough deal. And we gave up a 75-yard run, which is not something we can do.

So, in my mind, I think it might have even been back-to-back. There was a 14-play swing right there. That made this game what this game was to the bitter end. I think if we didn't have that, I think we could have really pulled away with our physicality.

But I think this is a team that is getting tougher by the week. You talk about baptism under fire and getting leathered and tough. We have not had an easy non-conference. We may have started out easy, but we haven't played -- these last three opponents have been tough. These last two opponents, one on the road, one home, those are tough games out of conference in the ACC to play and we've played them. I think we'll get better from those, and we'll continue to improve. We've got to tighten up some of the spots that seem to be some areas of concern, and I'll address those.

I thought the play of Dan Longman was outstanding today as well, another young freshman. So we'll just keep grinding, keep getting better, keep improving. Hopefully we'll get some of these players bark. I have no information, so you might as well not even ask me, because I couldn't tell you. I'll head that off now. I'm not trying to not say, but I just don't.

But we have some guys that got dinged out of this game. We had a guy called for targeting and thrown out of the game. So from the injuries and the targeting, we were down some of our better players. All in all, we battled, and showed great grit. I think offensively we were explosive. Defensively we were explosive, just some inconsistencies.

So look at the tape and get better, but can't question the toughness of this football team. It's a tough football team.

Last week I don't know if we played with that intensity. I don't know that. But I know we did this week. We played with a lot of intensity. So with that, I'll answer any questions.

Q. Can you talk about the performance of Ben Glines put in?
STEVE ADDAZIO: I mean, he put one in at the pend of last week's game. And I said to the team last Sunday, you know, we were all pretty upset and disappointed, but I said to the team, "I want to mention one guy, and he's a warrior." And it was Ben Glines. That was last Sunday and I had to point that out because of what was on the tape. So he came in here and just continued and picked up right where he left off.

Extremely valuable to us. Tough, gritty, hard-nosed runner. But then again, if you ask our strength coach, he would tell you that's the toughest guy on our football team, so...

Q. You mentioned the two 100-yard rushers today. What does that say about your offensive line and how important it is to this team's success on offense?
STEVE ADDAZIO: I think our O-line is, I said it from the beginning, I think it's a veteran line. I think it's an outstanding line. I'm a little upset we had two critical penalties down the home stretch up front which cost us. But they played hard, they played tough. Anthony had time to throw the football. We were running the football. They're a physical outfit, and that has, every game that's been the case. Even a week ago that was the case up front. So they're playing hard and doing a great job. We've just got to continue to squeeze out the little penalty errors.

Like today there were two back-to-backs, which cost us. We've got to get rid of those.

Q. Coach, you mentioned Danny Longman, will he be your kicker going forward?
STEVE ADDAZIO: You know, every week we assess where we are. We'll wait and see if Colton Lichtenberg will be available this week. These guys are all young guys. They're all great kids and they're all talented. They're just young, they're young, including Grant Carlson. He's been here a couple years but he's never really played. And he kicked some fantastic punts today, Grant did. But we had a couple hiccups along the way.

So we're dealing with a young, skilled group, and the -- a young specialist group. The only real veteran guy we have is out. So hopefully we'll get him back this week. That's the only one that I think -- that's the one that I can comment on because I think we have a shot to get him back this week. What we do with that, I don't know yet.

Q. Is the consistency what bothers you the most getting off the field on third down?
STEVE ADDAZIO: Yes.

Q. Can you comment on that going into ACC play and what you have to do with that?
STEVE ADDAZIO: I mean, we have to get off the field, and we all know it. We've got great pass-rushers. It's not like -- no, we have a pass rush. I mean, but you know, we've got some unbelievable balls thrown at us. I mean, there are times where we're actually in terrific position, you know? Then there are a few times when we're not. But as many as not, are, and guys are making big-time plays.

I'll tell you this: Hamp Cheevers play might have been one of the plays of the game, that pick he had. So we had a couple picks, and they were critical. We probably left another one out on the field. But we've got to get rid of these big plays. Like I said, a couple of them, honestly, we're in pretty good position. What are you going to say? Went out and made a friggin play.

Then there's a couple of them where, you know what? We're not, and we've got to get rid of that. We all flow that. That's not a big secret. So it kind of breaks your back a little bit because we get tired out there, and the pass-rushers start to wear down. They get tired. If we could just get off the field a little better, I think the momentum would really swirl.

So that's a critical deal for us right now. That's something I feel like we've got to get on top of, without a doubt.

Q. What do you lose when Lukas leaves the game? Is he like the central nervous system out there?
STEVE ADDAZIO: You lose a veteran player who makes a lot of calls out there, you know, a guy that you can push the corner. We've got Mike Palmer back. We know he can play really well. We know we can always utilize Lukas at the corner, we lost that checker move. So that hurt us. But, I mean, they lost guys too. This is a physical football game now. Give them credit.

I've been in a lot of games here, and this is my sixth year here. I'm telling you, ACC and all this other stuff, that was a physical, physical football game on both sides. They took a lot of hits, I think, and we took some hits. And there's good skilled players on that field today. So that was a tough football game.

There's a whole lot of other people non-conference that you can play than that team. That was a tough football team. I'm proud of our guys that we came out with that win, and played as gritty as we did without -- without some of our very best players down the home stretch.

I mean, AJ had 160 yards. I mean, 160 yards rushing, he could have been on track to have 250 yards rushing. That's a big loss. Then Benny Glines came in and just wow.

Just keep grinding, man. This is football. This is what it is. Hopefully we regroup and get some guys back. If we don't, we keep moving forward, that's what it is.

But I'm proud of these BC guys or BC men. They represent this university fantastic. As we said as a team down there, we're all very proud to represent the institution that we represent. It's a special place. This is a special place, and we know it. Coaches and players alike. We can represent the kind of play that we had from a standpoint of grit, toughness and class and come out with a win like that, it's a good day.

Q. AJ was running a lot of shotgun today. Was that an adjustment you made throughout the week?
STEVE ADDAZIO: Yeah, we're going to start to diversify a little bit more with our shotgun game, our quick game, our run game out of the same thing. Really trying to go down into game 6 right now. You're trying to get rid of your tendencies. So you don't want to constantly show your tendencies.

If you're a heavy under center run team on early downs, trying to shake some of that out. You saw in this game, we came out and tried to throw the ball and be balanced early. And we did. You know, there were a couple times where I was like, oh, boy, just kept feeding it. But we're trying to make sure as we go into conference play, we know we have to have the ability to throw that ball in early downs, shotgun under center, play action, empty, quick game, so we worked at that hard and that showed in the game.

So hopefully we just keep improving there. But, yes, that's why he's in the shotgun.

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