Control experiment for BC

Herzlich, defense wary of Vandy

Junior linebacker Mark Herzlich (94) might be pondering a future in the NFL instead of returning to play for BC next year. (Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff)

NASHVILLE - When it comes to analyzing opponents, Boston College defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is a "glass half empty" guy. So while the rest of the college football world might look at a Vanderbilt team as one that used three quarterbacks while sputtering to a 6-6 finish after a 5-0 start, Spaziani sees a different picture.

"The guy reminds me a lot of [Virginia Tech's] Tyrod Taylor," said Spaziani about presumed Vanderbilt starter Chris Nickson for Wednesday's Music City Bowl against the Eagles. "He can move around and he can hurt you."

Whether Nickson, who started Vandy's first six games, as well as the last two games (both losses), can hurt BC is one area of concern for the Eagles. For the record, the 6-foot-1-inch, 212-pound redshirt senior passed for 545 yards, threw for eight scores, and rushed for 485 yards and six TDs.

Spaziani's reference to Taylor, Virginia Tech's mobile QB, is telling, as the Eagles still are smarting from their 30-12 loss to the Hokies in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

"It did take a while to get over it," said BC linebacker Mark Herzlich, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. "When we started finally practicing for Vanderbilt two weeks ago, we finally started to get that taste out of our mouths."

Herzlich seemed to take the loss harder than anyone, pacing the sideline in the final moments, urging his teammates to continue the fight even with the game clearly lost.

It has been Herzlich's way throughout a season that has made him a favorite for the Butkus Award next season, or perhaps even an early arrival in the National Football League should he decide to pass up his senior season.

"Right now, the feeling is that I'm probably returning," said Herzlich before BC practiced yesterday afternoon at a local high school. "But I have to do the smartest and best thing."

How that unfolds should be determined in the next week or so when Herzlich gets a report from the NFL, which gives college players considering an early departure a projection of where they might be drafted.

"I sent in all of the paperwork," said Herzlich, who added his inclination is to stay in school unless he is projected as a solid first-round pick. "We'll see what happens."

What Herzlich, who led the Eagles in tackles this season and was tied with safety Paul Anderson for the interception lead with six, wants to happen against Vanderbilt is a return to the defense that pitched three shutouts this season.

"We've got something to prove," said Herzlich. "We don't want what happened against Virginia Tech to happen again."

A concern of BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski is the "rust" factor, with his team slowly playing its way back into game shape after a long holiday break.

"Sure, there is some rust," said Jagodzinski. "It showed a little bit last year against Michigan State [in the Champs Sports Bowl]. We didn't come out very fast. What you have to do is set the tempo, chip it [the rust] away, and go play."

Whether the Eagles can do that against Vanderbilt, which is making its first bowl appearance in 26 years, is to be determined. Mobile players such as Nickson and Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer (ACC Offensive Player of the Year) have caused the Eagles the most problems this season.

"We're going to do whatever it takes," said Herzlich, starting to put his game face on again, which may not be good news for any QB, regardless of his style.

BC has the longest active bowl winning streak (eight). The Eagles will be making their second Music City Bowl appearance, having defeated Georgia, 20-16, in 2001 . . . BC is 2-0 against Vanderbilt, having won a home-and-home series in 1962 and 1963 . . . Vanderbilt definitely will be the "home" team, with the campus a 15-minute drive from downtown Nashville, part of the reason Vanderbilt sold its allotment of 11,500 tickets and asked for 2,000 more. BC is expected to sell only 2,000 of its 11,500 . . . Vanderbilt's last bowl appearance was in December 1982, when it beat Air Force, 36-28, in the Hall of Fame Bowl. BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo was an assistant on then Vanderbilt coach George MacIntyre's staff . . . BC will be making a school-record 10th straight bowl appearance. The Eagles are 13-6 in bowl games, a winning percentage of .684, the highest in college football . . . BC's three shutouts during the regular season were the most of any team in the Football Bowl Subdivision other than Southern California, which also had three . . . Although kicker Steve Aponavicius is listed as a senior, he still has one more year of eligibility. Whether he returns for a fifth season seems questionable. "No one has asked," said Aponavicius, who gained notoriety as a walk-on three years ago.

The Eagles practiced in weather more normal for Boston than Nashville, with temperatures dropping nearly 20 degrees from the low 70s to the 50s, although with sunshine and no wind, the conditions were ideal . . . All of the players were at practice, after weather issues caused several to arrive late Saturday. Free safety Marty Bowman didn't arrive until yesterday after dealing with weather issues in Chicago Saturday. Cornerback Kevin Akins, who has been bothered by a high ankle sprain the past several weeks, resumed practice.

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