CLEMSON FOOTBALL

BC Head Coach Tom O’Brien Press Conference

BC Head Coach Tom O’Brien Press Conference


by -

Boston College Head Coach Tom O’Brien:

Opening Statement:

“Two points of note to start with. B.J. Raji will not play the first half of this game. He threw a punch Thursday night which constitutes fighting and was notified by the ACC that he will be ineligible to play the first half this weekend so he will sit out the first half.

Even though Matt Ryan is supposed to be the starting quarterback he will be at least questionable for this week as to whether he will be able to play or not with an ankle injury.”

Q: Did Ryan’s ankle injury flare up on him when he got back?

“Well, he was limited Thursday night but played through it most of the time and, as it generally happens, a day or two later, it wasn’t very functional. So, we’ll see how he does. If he can make it on the practice field this week, he’ll play and if he doesn’t make it then Chris Crane will start against Clemson.”

Q: Did anything jump out either positive/negative after looking at the tape from the CMU game?

“I think until the 10-minute mark in the fourth quarter, there were a lot of positives going on. At that point in the game, their tailback, who has averaged about 96-97 yards /game, had six yards rushing to that point. We had 400 yards of offense to their 200 and it’s 31-10 and they are on the 13 yard line. But then, somewhere on defense, we forgot to finish the game, so, that was the bad news that we let them back in it. But the positive of that is, when it came time to shut them down, we found a way to do it and found a way to win. There are always goods and bads in everything but I think that hopefully if we learn from this, it will definitely be a positive for us down the road.”

Q: Have you had any chance to look at Clemson yet?

“The tape just came in. I’ve looked at about 10 plays so it’s hard to form an opinion other than they look like Clemson did last year. They are fast, they can run. A lot of speed playing with a lot of enthusiasm. This will be a great test for out football team come Saturday.”

Q: Wouldn’t it be ironic if you had to go with Crane – your backup QB for this football game?

“Well, if it happens, it happens. I guess, in the future, the backup (QB) will get excited when we play Clemson.”

Q: What is your hope for Matt? Can you put a percentage on it?

“I am not going to put a percentage on it. He is either going to be able to practice this week and if he does he’ll play and if he doesn’t, we will go with plan B.”

Q: Was it encouraging that he was able to finish the game or does that not really matter?

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. It was encouraging then. He didn’t feel that it was that bad. We re-taped him, checked him out and he was cleared to go back in the game but, as sometimes happens, things get worse.”

Q: What was your reaction to their (Clemson) injuries?

“I heard that their middle linebacker is done. Basically, it makes you sick. The kid is a great kid and comes back and gets an ACL in the first game. I am sure it is a tough loss for Clemson but they have a lot of great players and I am sure that they will bring somebody up here to play for him.”

Ultimate Level LogoUpgrade Your Account

Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.

Upgrade Now
Comment on this story
Print   
FIRST LOOK: Clemson Basketball Dancing in March Bobblehead unveiled
FIRST LOOK: Clemson Basketball Dancing in March Bobblehead unveiled
4-star lineman picks up Clemson offer on visit
4-star lineman picks up Clemson offer on visit
WATCH: Clemson coordinators talk spring progress, break down latest scrimmage
WATCH: Clemson coordinators talk spring progress, break down latest scrimmage
No. 2 Tigers take on Hurricanes
No. 2 Tigers take on Hurricanes
Post your comments!