Boston College vs. Notre Dame Football 2009
Eagles Seek 7th Consecutive Victory over Fighting Irish
Oct 20, 2009
The Fighting Irish will look to halt a six-game losing streak to the Eagles, when they meet Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Notre Dame, Indiana.
Notre Dame (4-2) lost to USC for the eighth consecutive time last week, falling 34-27. The Fighting Irish were on the Trojans’ 4-yard line when a fourth-down pass fell incomplete on the final play of the game.
So fifth-year Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis is now 0-5 against the Trojans. On Saturday, he’ll try to avoid falling to 0-3 against Boston College.
Boston College’s Frank Spaziani, meanwhile, will be meeting Notre Dame for the first time as a head coach. Spaziani guided the Eagles to a bowl victory in 2006 as an interim head coach, but is in his first season as BC’s permanent head coach.
His team is 5-2, with the last game being a 52-20 trouncing of North Carolina State last week. The victory featured a spectacular effort by Montel Harris, who rushed 27 times for 264 yards and five touchdowns.
Boston College’s next assignment will be taking the all-time series lead over Notre Dame. The Eagles won 17-0 last year at home to knot the series at nine wins apiece.
The Irish have not beaten the Eagles since a 28-16 victory in 2000, and BC has won the last two games, and three of the last four meetings at Notre Dame Stadium.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST and will be telecast by NBC.
BC’s Harris Breaks School Records
Boston College was dominated 48-14 by then-No. .4 Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Oct. 10, but rebounded in impressive fashion vs. North Carolina State.
Harris was most impressive of all, setting school records for single-game yardage and touchdowns in a game. He raised his season totals to 756 yard and 10 touchdowns.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound sophomore is gaining 108 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry, being the workhorse of a team that’s had its ups and downs offensively.
The Eagles are averaging 30.9 points and 326.3 yards per game. They sputtered badly in losses to Virginia Tech (163 yards total offense) and Clemson (54 yards, 4 turnovers).
But they do rank third in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in red-zone offense. BC's scored on 24 of 25 of its red-zone drives, managing 15 touchdowns and ine field goals.
Eagles Offense Is Guided by 25-Year-Old Freshman
BC has used three quarterbacks – all freshmen – and 25-year-old David Shinskie has gained the nod over Justin Tuggle and Mike Marscovetra.
A former pro baseball player, Shinskie is completing 53.9 percent of his passes for 815 yards, with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He struggled terribly vs. Virginia Tech, going 1-for-12. But against N.C. State, he went 13-for-25 for 187 yards and two TDs without being intercepted.
Colin Larmond Jr. has been an explosive performer at wide receiver, garnering 368 yards and four touchdowns on 17 receptions. The sophomore is averaging 21.6 yards per catch. Rich Gunnell has collected a team-high 22 receptions for 260 yards and three TDs.
Freshman Linebacker Leads BC Defense
The Boston College defense has been steady but not spectacular, allowing 20.7 points and 329.3 yards per game. The Eagles are led by freshman middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who’s made 69 tackles – including six for losses.
Kuechly’s 44 solo tackles make him 10th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. He had 10 unassisted stops and 14 tackles overall against N.C. State.
Marcellus Bowman is second on the team with 33 tackles, lineman Alex Albright has registered a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss, and safety Wes Davis and linebacker Dominic LeGrande have two interceptions. Lineman Kaleb Ramsey leads the Eagles with two sacks.
Notre Dame Offense Continues to Prove It’s Legit
The Fighting Irish are putting up 31.7 points and 452.8 yards per game, and their passing offense (315.8 yards) ranks seventh in the FBS. The 367 yards they gained vs. USC were a season-low for the Irish, but were 82 more than the Trojans defense had given up in any other 2009 game. They 27 points were also the most yielded by USC.
Irish QB Jimmy Clausen is connecting on 69.4 percent of his passes, producing 1,804 yards and 14 TDs against just two interceptions. His 166.35 passing efficiency rating is second in the FBS behind Boise State’s Kellen Moore.
Armando Allen Jr. has rushed for 416 yards in five games, averaging five yards per carry and scoring three TDs. He also has 12 catches for 110 yards.
Golden Tate, who’s put together back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, has 41 receptions for 719 yards and six TDs. Tight end Kyle Rudolph has added 24 catches for 276 yards and a trio of scores, and Robby Parris – coming off a big game vs. USC – has 16 receptions for 179 yards.
The Irish have committed just five turnovers all season, and they’re not being hurt by their kicking game, either. Nick Tausch has hit 10 of 11 field goal attempts.
Fighting Irish Defense Still Struggling
Matching the efficiency of the Notre Dame offense continues to be an uphill battle for the Irish defense.
Notre Dame is giving up 31.7 points and 419.5 yards per game, with the latter average ranking 10th in the FBS. USC managed a season-high 501 yards against the Irish, whose pass defense (283 yards per game) is 117th in the FBS.
Three of Notre Dame’s four leading tacklers are defensive backs. Safety Kyle McCarthy has 54 tackles along with three interceptions, and is followed by safety Harrison Smith (36 tackles), linebacker Brian Smith (34) and cornerback Robert Blanton (26).
Freshman linebacker Manti Te’o has 24 tackles, linebacker Darius Fleming leads the Irish with 8.5 tackles for loss, and defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore has 4.5 tackles for loss. Fleming, Lewis-Moore and Brian Smith each have two of Notre Dame’s 12 sacks.
