Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Year in Review: Defensive MVPs

Usually the defense carries the day for BC. This year it was the better side of the team, but still not that good. Or at least not as great as BC usually is. Talent was a big issue, as was experience. Even with some holes in the roster a few player stood out.


1. Luke Kuechly
Kuechly concluded his BC career with one of the most statistically impressive seasons in Boston College history. His productivity and fundamentals were well known prior to the season. This year he showed an added toughness by finishing the season despite a bad elbow injury. He also got better as the season progressed. Never a real liability in pass coverage, Kuechly became much better as he proved in his performance against Miami. I've debated where he ranks among the all-time BC greats, but there is no denying he was this team's most valuable player.


2. Kevin Pierre-Louis
Because of who he played next to and because he dealt with nagging injuries in the latter part of the season, it is easy to overlook how good KPL was in 2011. We already knew he was tough and strong but this year I think he improved in his ability to diagnose plays. He blew pass blockers and did a better job when in zones. If he's healthy, he should be all conference next year.


3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway's biggest issue among his critics is who he is not. He's not a game-changing sack machine. But he had a really solid 2011. Fourth in tackles, the leader in sacks and he had a INT. What he lacks in dynamism, he made up for in consistency. Holloway improved from last year and improved during the season. When you look for silver linings, that is one.

4 comments:

Eagle4life said...

Luke Kuechly will obviously be drafted in the 1st Round of the 2012 NFL draft. So with the current state of our program, how many years till we have another BC player taken in the 1st Round?

Dan said...

What does KPL do to pass blockers?!?

JBQ said...

There is no doubt that the "Cool Hand" carried the team on his back. Without a backbone, in what shape will the D be next year? In watching him closely, you could see that he reacted to the quarterback even before the qb finished his thinking sequence. Luke has an innate sense of knowing thought patterns and predicting the physical response. His like will not come this way soon again. It was a joy to watch. That too goes with him.

EL MIZ said...

to try to predict the next kuechly is a waste of time. coming into BC (a 3-star recruit that ohio state didn't want) nobody thought this guy would be a 3-and-out, top-15 pick, guy who would break a whole slew of records. thinking back to the guy before luke who was a first rounder, BJ Raji, he was a 2-star recruit and an afterthought in a class that had big name guys like brian toal and brandon robinson. this stuff is just too hard to predict.

KPL looks like he will come into his own next year. i agree with ATL that he will be the defensive leader and hopefully can stay healthy.

sean duggan (also went to St. X like luke) looked really good as a true freshman on D. he showed good range and looked like a good tackler.

we have two very accomplished HS LBs coming in next year -- steven daniels (another cincinnati kid; PGed this year) and bobby wolford out of jacksonville FL (the guy who decommited from BYU and chose BC over georgia tech, arkansas, vandy, boise st).

i also thought manny asprilla came on in a big way in the secondary. everyone was slapping 5 about ALJ decommitting from the U and staying local, but aspirilla was the real story as the season wore on. he showed a lot of skills in the secondary.