Category Archives: Sports

Those thrilling days of yesteryear

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Just to demonstrate how really old I am, the introduction to the television show The Lone Ranger was “Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.” Seems appropriate as we anticipate Saturday’s matchup against Notre Dame.

The yesteryear was 1993 and the thrilling day in this case was November 20. The place was South Bend, Indiana.

Actually, we’ll go back a little further to start. November 7, 1992. The Eagles were to play Notre Dame in South Bend (after the first-ever BC-ND game in Foxborough in 1975, BC played three successive games at Notre Dame). The Eagles came into the game ranked #9, with only a 24-24 tie with West Virginia blemishing their 7-0-1 record. Notre Dame was 6-1-1, but ranked #8.

The rivalry was called the “Holy War,” as it included the only two Catholic universities to field Division 1 teams. To give you a hint of the outcome in 1992, that Monday’s Heights carried the headline “Holy War ends with Eagles’ crucifixion.” (Are we getting close to sacrilege there?)

The Irish dominated BC. Only a BC touchdown in the last two minutes prevented a shutout in the 54-7 Notre Dame victory. BC coach Tom Coughlin and many an Eagles fan did not appreciate it when ND coach Lou Holtz, with his team holding a huge lead in the second half, called for a fake punt, which was successful in securing another first down for the Irish.

The Eagles split their final two regular season games to finish 8-2-1, ranked #16, but lost to Tennessee in the Hall of Fame Bowl game.

Back to 1993, the week before the BC game, undefeated and #2 Notre Dame had defeated #1 Florida State and taken the top national ranking. The Eagles that season had slipped a bit, coming into South Bend 8-2, ranked #17.

Just to set the scene. #1 Notre Dame, having just wrecked the Eagles the year before, playing their last game of 1993 at home against an “okay” top 20 Boston College team. What could stop their march to the national championship?

Page one of the November 21, 1993, Boston Globe

Sweet revenge, indeed. It didn’t come easily, either. After running out to a 38-17 lead with 11:13 remaining in the game, BC watched the Irish mount a furious comeback. Notre Dame scored 22 points in the next 10 minutes and led the Eagles 39-38 with 1:01 to go. 

Starting BC’s final drive on the BC 25, quarterback Glenn Foley missed his first two passes. He then hit tight end Pete Mitchell for 12 yards. Two plays later, he passed to Mitchell again for 24 yards. A nine-yard screen to WR Ivan Boyd set up a 41-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left.

David Gordon, BC’s kicker, had been a soccer player at the University of Vermont before transferring to BC and walking on to the team roster as a non-scholarship player. His longest field goal up to that point had been 39 yards. Earlier in the season, he had missed a 40-yard field goal that would have given BC a win over Northwestern. Earlier in this game, he had missed a 40-yard field goal, aiming at the same goalposts.

The Boston Globe account: “The snap was high but Foley was able to grab it out of the air and somehow got it down perfectly. Gordon said he struck it a little bit high, with a little bit too much toe. At first, he said, ‘I thought it was blocked. I like to kick it a little better than that. You could tell by the rotation of the ball that it wasn’t perfect. But I guess it was good enough.'”

Yes, it was. Thousands of BC fans who had attended the game rushed out onto the field, while players milled about, hands on their heads, seeming unable to process what had happened.

Here is the lead up to the last play of the game and the aftermath.

And if you really want to appreciate the game, here is a condensed version of the entire game, but just action, no huddles, etc. (41:15).

The Eagles had put up the most points on Notre Dame since USC had scored 42, 14 years earlier. They outgained the Irish 477-427 in total offense. Foley was 30 of 48 for 315 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Mitchell caught 13 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

#4 Notre Dame went on to defeat Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl. #11 BC lost again in the last game of the regular season to #5 West Virginia, but, ranked #17, beat Virginia in the Blockbuster Bowl to finish 9-3.

Eagles survive Syracuse slog

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Kicker Aaron Boumerhi was leading scorer for BC against Syracuse, with three field goals.

One commentator said yesterday’s football game against Syracuse was the “perfect sandwich game.” BC had played #1 Clemson the week before and will face #2 Notre Dame this Saturday. The Eagles were favored by 14 over lowly Syracuse (1-7) and outlasted them, 16-13.

Statistically, BC was pretty dominant. The Eagles gained 399 yards in what was their most balanced offensive performance of the season — 208 passing and 191 running. The defense held Syracuse to 244 yards, 52 rushing. BC also had more first downs, 20 to 14, and possessed the ball more than 17 minutes longer than the Orange.

All that, however, produced one touchdown and three field goals. The BC touchdown was a 20-yard pass from Phil Jurkovec to Zay Flowers. Halftime score was BC 10, Syracuse 6.

Aaron Boumerhi’s third field goal put the Eagles ahead 16-6 with just over two minutes to play. Syracuse’s only touchdown came with 21 seconds remaining, but kicked its ensuing onside kick attempt out of bounds.

Jurkovec was 20 of 29 for 208 yards and one touchdown, no interceptions. Flowers had six receptions for 64 yards. Running back David Bailey had season highs in rushing attempts (25) and yards gained (125).

Highlights

BC improved to 5-3 (4-3 ACC). Okay, the other half of the sandwich is Notre Dame, victors over then-#1 Clemson last night. Game is Saturday, November 14, in Alumni Stadium, 12:30 pm PT on ABC (Channel 10). BC has previously spoiled Notre Dame’s dreams of a national title. I’ll post about that later this week.

Tigers clip Eagles’ wings

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C.J. Lewis, about to snare a touchdown pass. Look! There are people in the stands. BC photo

On Halloween, in #1 Clemson’s “Death Valley” stadium, the Eagles were flying high. In less than two minutes, BC’s had taken the opening kickoff and moved 74 yards in four plays to score a touchdown on a Phil Jurkovec 11-yard pass to Zay Flowers. A classmate texted me: “Did we just do that?!”

Okay, so Clemson came right back and, in just over two minutes, went 64 yards in six plays to equal the score, as QB D.J. Uiagelelei tossed the ball to Travis Etienne who ran it in for the 35-yard score. Seven-seven after just over four minutes gone. Shootout, anyone?

With a series of exciting, innovative, and improbable plays, BC put Clemson in its largest halftime deficit in like forever, 28-13. It was a great half of football for the Eagles. The second half was not. Uiagelelei (a product of St. John Bosco, Bellflower, just south of LA) played like the five-star recruit he was and Clemson blanked BC to give the Tigers a 34-28 comeback win.

The stats in the first half did not reflect the score. Clemson had more first downs (16-13), more plays (42-29) for more yards (239-209). BC was more efficient, averaging 7.2 yards per play, while the Tigers gained an average of 5.7 yards. One stat may help explain the situation. One for 97. Early in the second quarter, Clemson had the ball on BC’s one-yard line. Etienne took the ball, fumbled, and BC’s Brandon Sebastian scooped it up on the three-yard line and ran 97 yards for the touchdown. A 14-point swing.

That, however, was followed by a series of plays that will be recalled and recounted many times by BC fans. On a 14-play drive that stalled at the Clemson 23-yard line, BC sent in the field goal team. Those watching were likely puzzled when one of the blockers for BC suddenly sprinted laterally away from the formation. Then, placeholder John Tessitore jumped up from his kneeling position and ran to the center, appearing ready to take a snap. With a vigorous yell and head bob, Tessitore drew several Clemson players offside, giving BC a first down. On the next play, Jurkovec threw an 18-yard pass to C.J. Lewis in the end zone, who made a miraculous catch of the ball that had bounced off the Clemson defender (it’s the photo at the top of this post). A four-point swing.

Stat-wise, as well as score-wise, the situation was flipped in the second half. Clemson took the kickoff and marched 64 yards in seven plays, topped off by a 30-yard touchdown run by Uiagelelei. Two more touchdowns by the Tigers seemed almost routine. BC gained only 66 yards total offense in the second half, while Clemson gained 226 yards. A missed two-point conversion by Clemson was offset by a two-point safety when Jurkovec was called for grounding in the end zone with 1:18 remaining.

This was a game played through the air. Of BC’s 275 total yards, 208 were by the pass, only 67 on the ground. Jurkovec was 13 of 25 passing for two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Clemson ran for 106 yards, while Uiagelelei was 30 of 43 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Here are highlights.

BC fell to 4-3, 3-3 in the ACC. Next game Saturday, November 7, at Syracuse, 11 am PT.