20 on '20: The Play Calling Philosophy of Jeff Hafley
College football has opened up around the country, and as we await the Eagles return to Chestnut Hill it is time to look at some topics surrounding the team.
Do we highlight questions that need to be answered by the new staff? Perhaps we look at the biggest concerns with a team returning many starters and contributors but has specific questions needing to be answered at key positions?
In that light, BC Bulletin presents its "20 on '20" series where we dissect (you guessed it) 20 topics pertaining to the football program.
Previous Topics:
No. 1: Which Position Group is the Deepest?
No. 2: What is the biggest area of concern for the Eagles?
No. 4: True Freshmen Who Could Contribute
No. 5: New Names To Watch For on Defense
In the world of football, games sometimes are seemingly decided by one play. But that can be a simplistic way of looking at a series of calls that got a team to that point. Maybe it is a game at FSU where BC decided to punt the ball away on the other side of the field. But when you look at the rest of the film you notice that the bigger issue is that the team squandered multiple opportunities before that, and wasted numerous drives. Whatever way you look at these issues, Steve Addazio struggled in this area.
In game play calling is a huge unknown for new head coach Jeff Hafley. When Addazio took the job, the Florida and Temple fan bases could tell you what he was and wasn't good at. We don't have that luxury with this first time head coach. We have seen Hafley take a defense and turn them into elite squads, but we have yet to see what he will do when it's 4th and 2 and the team needs a first down.
He has shown a killer instinct on defense, that many hope will bleed into his overall gameplanning in all aspects of the game. We don't know yet how the offense will be called, whether he will get final calls on decisions, or if that stays with veteran OC Frank Cignetti Jr. Having a veteran on the side of the ball that he doesn't have the most experience with will be a huge plus for Hafley. Cignetti has been there, and can be a calming experienced influence when things get tough.
Until we see a full season, with the ups and downs, we will have to see how Jeff Hafley does in his first year as a head coach. Expectations are high for the young coach, but he will need to prove himself.
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