Jagodzinski expects change of pace

Revamped offense must catch up fast

GREENSBORO, Ga. - It is different now for Jeff Jagodzinski. Different, not easier. But if you listen to Boston College's football coach, anything is possible.

A year ago Jagodzinski was in his first season as a head coach at any level. The results almost matched the expectations for the Matt Ryan-led Eagles, who won the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division crown before losing to Virginia Tech in the ACC title game.

Still, an 11-3 season and the Eagles' eighth straight bowl victory (the longest current streak in the country) left Jagodzinski with a feeling of accomplishment.

Now that Ryan is gone, the challenge for the BC staff is retooling the offense while staying competitive in an elite conference.

"Our defense is going to have to carry us for the first part of the season until our offense gets up to speed," said Jagodzinski yesterday during the ACC's Football Kickoff, where all 12 coaches met with the media at the Reynolds Plantation.

Jagodzinski made it clear the offense will look different, starting with senior Chris Crane at quarterback and with smaller, faster running backs in freshman Josh Haden and junior Jeff Smith, who will attempt to resume his career after a series of concussions.

"It's Chris's team now," said Jagodzinski of the 6-foot-4-inch, 239-pound Crane, who served as Ryan's backup the past two years. "Chris is more athletic than Matt; the intangibles I don't know about. He's never asserted himself. Now he's starting to do it. I saw him start to blossom this spring. I told him 'It's your team now. You're not a backup.' He's into it full time. What I don't know is how he's going to react at crunch time."

Jagodzinski said he will use Smith, a product of Silver Lake Regional High School, in every possible offensive situation. "He brings an element of speed," the coach said. "He's going to return kicks, he's going to run out of the backfield, he's going to catch passes. He's a playmaker and we're going to get the ball into his hands any way we can."

A true freshman who enrolled at BC in January, Haden will also be used in different scenarios. "He's going to catch the ball. He's going to run," said Jagodzinski. "[Former BC coach] Jack Bicknell Sr. saw him this spring and said he's Troy Stradford [who is the No. 3 rusher in BC history]. At the end of Josh's career he will have the most receptions of any running back in ACC history."

Jagodzinski also said he will consider using linebacker Brian Toal, who is returning for his senior season after redshirting in 2007, in goal-line situations. "He's hinting that he wants to do it," said Jagodzinski. "If it helps us win, we'll do it."

There are other questions, of course, including the kicking game, which was unpredictable last season. But for now, Jagodzinski sounded like he was more than ready for his second season at The Heights.

In the ACC's preseason media poll, the Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division behind Clemson, Wake Forest, and Florida State, ahead of Maryland and N.C. State. Virginia Tech and North Carolina were picked to finish 1-2 in the Coastal Division, with Clemson the overwhelming choice as ACC champion. "They should have put us sixth," said Jagodzinski with a laugh. "I want to be totally under the radar like last season." . . . ACC coaches agreed to a new policy regarding the announcement of injuries, although it still needs approval by the conference. The head coaches will defer injury questions to the primary sports medicine contact in football, with the school announcing each Monday any player who will be out for the season or scheduled to have surgery. No other announcements will be made until Thursday (or Tuesday if there is a Thursday game), with players' injury status to be listed under NFL guidelines (ranging from probable to out).

Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com.