Boston College
Eagles

The other questions on defense were finding personnel to plug the holes created when defensive tackles B.J. Raji -- the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL draft -- and Ron Brace went to the NFL, but the offense was the real cause for concern.

Matt Ryan took his talents to the NFL after the 2007 season and Chris Crane lived an up-and-down life as the starter last year before getting hurt and missing the last three games. Dominique Davis, who took over for Crane after he went down, began spring as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart. But Davis announced on June 2 his plans to transfer after being suspended by the university for academic reasons. Davis didn't immediately announce where he will transfer.

"We need a lot of work," Frank Spaziani, who moves from defensive coordinator to the head job, said after the spring scrimmage.

"We're making progress in inches. Now we have to sit down and evaluate what we have and how we're going to do things."

It sounds like BC will be helped by opening the season at home against 1-AA Northeastern and MAC also-ran Kent State, which went 4-8 last year.

--LB Mark Herzlich, who passed up a shot to enter the NFL early, was expected to return as a Butkus Award candidate and leader of the defense. But on May 14, he announced that he'd been diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of cancer found in bones and muscle tissue. Herzlich, 21, almost instantly turned his attention to how he could inspire the Eagles this season. He and his family were discussing treatment options. It's not certain when he might return to football activities.

His absence is a big one on the field for BC coach Frank Spaziani. In spring drills, Spaziani said: "What he has to do is just take over and be our leader over there on defense. We have a lot of younger guys and we don't have Queen May I and II (B.J. Raji and Ron Brace) up there in front of him."

--Spaziani will make his debut as a full-time head coach in September, but he is 1-0 in the position, having coached and won the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl game against Navy after Tom O'Brien left to accept the North Carolina State job.

--FS Wes Davis was selected as the winner of the annual Jay McGillis Scholarship. The award honors the former BC defensive back, who passed away in 1992 and goes to the DB who best exemplifies the personal qualities of McGillis.

--BC opens the season at home against 1-AA Northeastern and Kent State but then opens its ACC and road schedules at Clemson the following week.

--Director of athletics Gene DeFilippo signed a contract extension through 2014.

SPRING MOVERS:

LB Nick Clancy -- The redshirt freshman was listed as a starter as the Eagles headed into the summer. He also had nine tackles in the spring game.

DT Damik Scafe -- With B.J. Raji and Ron Brace gone to the NFL, Scafe, a junior, is being counted on up front.

RB/R Jeff Smith -- He started with so much promise before head injuries got in his way. There were signs in the spring he can really contribute as a senior.

Safeties Wes Davis and Marcellus Bowman -- The pair is growing into a good one, and they're both juniors.

OT Anthony Costanzo -- He has started every game in his two years at BC and just keeps getting better.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're happy with the progress we've made but it's not as fast as we would have liked. We're basically a young team." -- New BC coach Frank Spaziani on his Eagles.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Herzlich was the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year last year and one of the best defensive players in the country. He might not play this season after being diagnosed with cancer. His LB sidekick, Mike McLaughlin, will be coming off Achilles tendon surgery and the Eagles lost their two aircraft carries on the front in NFLers B.J. Raji and Ron Brace. Spaziani says new coordinator Bill McGovern, elevated from linebackers coach to replace Spaziani in that job, will "have as much freedom as he needs" to put his own stamp on the defense.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: The kicking game was a weakness for the Eagles last year and is anything but a sure bet entering '09. Former walk-on Steve Aponavicious is back for another year and is listed as the No. 1 kicker, but his range has always been in question. Ryan Quigley is fine as the punter and BC has Montel Harris and Jeff Smith listed as the kick returners, while Rich Gunnell is a quality punt return guy.

ROSTER REPORT:

--LB Mike McLaughlin missed spring ball because of Achilles tendon surgery and should be back for the fall.

--FB James McCluskey, who broke his leg last season, returned for spring ball but also suffered an Achilles injury and was lost again.

--DE Alex Albright, who had neck surgery after playing two games last year, should be ready for fall practice.

--K Steve Aponavicious, who has returned for an extra year, pulled a hamstring late in spring camp but was able to kick a 37-yard field goal for the only points of the spring game.

--QB Cody Boek moved back from fullback into the QB mix but was just 2-for-10 in the spring game.