Chase Rettig and the Boston College Eagles begin the second half of their season with a difficult match-up against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, VA on Saturday afternoon.
Event: Boston College Eagles (1-5, 0-3 ACC) vs. No. 12 Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1, 2-1 ACC).
Date/Time: Saturday, October 21, 2011 - 3:00 p.m. EDT.
Location: Lane Stadium (Capacity: 66,233), Blacksburg, Virginia.
Broadcast Info: Saturday's game between the Eagles and Hokies will be broadcast on RSN, with RIch Waltz providing play-by-play, Keith Jones providing color analysis and Jenn Hildreth reporting on the sideline. The game can also be viewed on ESPN3.com.
The game can be heard on the radio on the WEEI Sports Radio Network (93.7 FM/850 AM), with Jon Meterparel on play-by-play duty, Pete Cronan on color duty and Brian St. Pierre reporting on the sidelines.
Series History: Virginia Tech and Boston College will meet for the 20th time on Saturday, and the Hokies hold a 13-6 advantage in the all-time series. At Lane Stadium, the Hokies are 5-3 against Boston College. The last time the Eagles defeated the Hokies was in 2008 when they posted a 28-23 win. BC has lost its last three games against Virginia Tech, with the most recent loss coming on September 25, 2010 - a 19-0 loss.
Storyline: These are two very different teams squaring off on Saturday. Boston College has been struggling mightily this season, with its only win coming against an unskilled FCS opponent in UMass. Other than that win, the Eagles have looked lost and confused at best this season. Virginia Tech, well, hasn't. The Hokies have won six of their first seven games, with the only loss coming against ACC powerhouse Clemson, 23-3, on October 1. Clemson steamrolled the Eagles as well two weekends ago, winning 36-14. Even though the Hokies were blown out by Clemson, there's no reason to think that Virginia Tech won't beat the Eagles for the fourth straight meeting.
Players To Watch: It's always smart to keep an eye on the quarterbacks in any given game, and Virginia Tech boasts a pretty good one in Logan Thomas, who has thrown for 1,476 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Chase Rettig, the Eagles' quarterback, has had a decent statistical season (1,181 yards, six touchdowns) but has struggled with his composure. Another player to watch for BC is their junior phenom at linebacker, Luke Kuechly, who you can count on for at least 10 tackles or more in any given game.
Prediction: Boston College couldn't hold up against Clemson, so why would they hold up against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg? This one will get ugly, most likely pretty quickly. Final Score: Virginia Tech 42, Boston College 17.
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