Category Archives: Football

Gap between BC and ACC ‘monstrous’

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Following BC’s 45-7 loss to Florida State Friday night, the Boston Globe said the “the monstrous gap between the Eagles and their competition in the ACC couldn’t be more apparent.”

This was BC’s 6th loss in 7 games against ACC opponents this season and 14th loss out of the last 15 games against ACC opponents. Due to the presence of teams like UMass, Wagner, and Buffalo on the schedule earlier, the Eagles have a 4-6 record and, with wins in the final games against UConn and Wake Forest, would qualify for a post-season bowl.

From 1999 through 2015, BC lost 4 games by 30 points or more. The Florida State loss was the team’s 4th such loss this season. The Eagles have been shut out 4 times in the last two season. They had 60 games 2010-14 in which they were not held scoreless.

bcflad_fsuAs for the game itself, the highlight for BC might have been just running out into the stadium in front of 74,000 fans and thinking out great it would be to upset the Seminoles on national television. Alas, when Richard Wilson scored a touchdown for BC with just over 3 minutes left in the game, Florida State had 45 points on the board. It was 21-0 at halftime.

The Eagles gained a total of 146 yards in the game. They rushed for 96 yards, 39 of which came on a 39-yard run by Myles Willis in the first quarter. Quarterback Patrick Towles was 3 of 11 for 29 yards. Florida State had 24 first downs to BC’s 8, and gained 416 yards overall.

Game video (It is all Florida State. Duh.)

Basketball/Hockey roundup

Last year, the BC men’s basketball team matched the football team in going winless in conference play. With 10 more chances than the football team to win (18 games vs. 8), the could be considered even more egregiously bad.

But it’s a new season, right? BC opened its season yesterday at home against Nicholls State (that’s that school in Thibodaux, Louisiana). Never behind, Nicholls State beat BC 79-73. Details unbecoming.

Women’s basketball traveled to Connecticut for its opener and lost 65-56 to Hartford.

Women’s hockey swept UNH this weekend, after splitting with BU the previous weekend. BC is 9-3-2 overall and 8-2-0 in Hockey East. As of November 7, they were ranked #6 nationally. The men’s hockey team, meanwhile, moved up to #3 in the country, as of November 7, and have compiled a record of 9-2-1, 5-0-1 in Hockey East.

Can’t compare

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Louisville continued to add to BC’s undistinguished record against better teams in the ACC this season, beating the Eagles 52-7 Saturday in Alumni Stadium. Against teams in the ACC with winning records, BC’s football team is now 0-3, giving up 157 points and scoring 17 in those games.

Carlsbad's own Ray Smith (96) takes aim at Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

Carlsbad’s own Ray Smith (96) takes aim at Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

Indeed, Saturday’s loss was the Eagles’ 7th straight to a ranked team, and 19th out of 20, since 2009. The sole win in this run was against USC in 2014.

Saturday’s game was a résumé-builder for Louisville’s freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson in his bid for the Heisman Trophy. He accounted for 7 touchdowns, 4 passing and 3 rushing, covering 416 total yards. Personally, he had 15 carries for 185 yards. The Cardinals gained 515 yards in total offense.

On the game’s 3rd play, Jackson ran up the middle and past BC defenders for 69 yards and a touchdown. He looked back a couple of times in the last 20 yards or so to find himself alone. “I was surprised when I looked back,” he said in the Boston Globe.

Louisville led 38-0 at halftime. BC scored early in the 3rd period on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Towles to Tyler Rouse. BC overall gained 207 yards, 150 on the ground, and had 9 first downs. Towles was 13-of-21 for 147 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

The Eagles have 3 games left — Florida State, UConn, and Wake Forest — needing to win 2 to reach the 6-win criterion for bowl eligibility.

A small, but hardy, crew at Saturday's gamewatch. Front, l-r: Pat Ahern '11, Chris Lamb MS'08, and Julia Leone '11. Rear, l-r: Adrienne Lamb, Meryl Evangelista, Lissa Tsu '00, Bill McDonald '68, and Brian Tsu '00.

A small, but hardy, crew at Saturday’s gamewatch. Front, l-r: Pat Ahern ’11, Chris Lamb MS’08, and Julia Leone ’11. Rear, l-r: Adrienne Lamb, Meryl Evangelista, Lissa Tsu ’00, Bill McDonald ’68, and Brian Tsu ’00.

Game video

 

Not elegant, but a win!

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In a game of teams with a total of one ACC win between them this season, no one expected elegance. Neither team achieved elegance. And odds-makers, who made North Carolina State a 15+ points favorite, didn’t expect a win by Boston College. But Eagles fans certainly hoped to see their team’s 12-game ACC losing streak end, and those hopes were realized.

With a trick play producing the winning touchdown and a defensive stop in the red zone — both of which were rare this season — BC defeated NC State, 21-14, and finally put a number in the conference win column. I’ve seen reports that it had been 700 days since the last conference win for the Eagles, and I’m not going to count to challenge that.

Jeff Smith finishes a 60-yard touchdown run

Jeff Smith finishes a 60-yard touchdown run

BC led 10-7 at halftime on the basis of a 24-yard field goal from Mike Knoll and a 60-yard jet sweep by Jeff Smith in which he ran untouched. A 29-yard field goal by Knoll made it 13-7 in the 3rd quarter, but about 90 seconds later and following an NC State interception of Patrick Knowles, the Wolfpack scored a touchdown to make take a 14-13 lead.

With just over 9 minutes left in the game, BC had the ball at its 37. Nine plays later, on the NC State 14, Towles handed off to freshman running back Davon Jones, who then threw a pass to tight end Tommy Sweeney for what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown. Knoll’s kickoff to NC State was returned 56 yards to the BC 42 yard line, with 4:34 remaining. The Wolfpack moved quickly into the red zone and was 1-and-goal at the BC 2. In an offense older BC fans may recall from Dana Bible, who was later the offensive coordinator for this Wolfpack team, NC State ran up the middle twice for a total of -1 yard and then attempted a quite predictable fade throw into the corner of the endzone. BC defensive back Kamrin Moore said later he had anticipated the throw, which he easily intercepted. BC then ran out the clock.

BC had 21 first downs and 386 yards total offense, compared to NC State’s 14 first downs and 338 yards. Towles was 18-of-33 for 204 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception, for a QB rating of 28.2. NC State quarterback Ryan Finley was about as mediocre, completing 23-of-41 for 307 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Jonathan Hilliman led the Eagles in rushing, with 74 yards.

The Eagles next meet #5 Louisville, in Alumni Stadium, 9 am PT, Saturday, November 5.

Highlights