Chase Rettig and the Boston College Eagles take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the annual Holy War at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN on Saturday afternoon.
Event: Boston College Eagles (2-7, 2-5 ACC) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3).
Date/Time: Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 4:00 p.m. EDT.
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (Capacity: 80,795), South Bend, Indiana.
Odds: The Fighting Irish are a 24 1/2-point favorites over the Eagles.
Broadcast Information: Saturday's game between the Eagles and Fighting Irish will be televised nationally on NBC, with Tom Hammond providing play-by-play, Mike Maycock providing analysis and Alex Flanagan reporting from the sidelines.
The game can also be heard on the WEEI Sports Radio Network, the home of Boston College football. Jon Meterparel will on play-by-play duty, Pete Cronan will be providing analysis and Brian St. Pierre is on the sidelines.
Series History: Boston College trails the all-time series against Notre Dame, 9-11-0. In the last meeting, the Fighting Irish posted a convincing 31-13 win over the Eagles on October 2, 2010. The Fighting Irish are 6-5 against the Eagles in games played at Notre Dame Stadium. The last BC win against Notre Dame was in 2008, when the Eagles won 17-0. The Eagles posted six consecutive victories over the Fighting Irish from 2001 through 2008.
Last Time Out: BC bested N.C. State last Saturday, 14-10, at Alumni Stadium. Rettig threw for 118 yards and one touchdown and Luke Kuechly had 18 tackles, including nine in the final 13 minutes. Andre Williams rushed for 61 yards on 18 carries and Alex Amidon had three receptions for 69 yards for the Eagles.
Notre Dame blew out Maryland, 45-21, last weekend. The Fighting Irish received a good game from quarterback Tommy Rees, who threw for 296 yards and two scores. Jonas Gray ran for 136 yards and two scores, Cierre Wood had 99 rushing yards and Michael Floyd had nine catches for 90 yards and a touchdown for Notre Dame.
Eagles By The Numbers: BC ranks 105th in total passing yards with 164.2 yards per game and rank 81st in total rushing yards with 133.8 per game. BC also ranks 114th in first points for (18 PPG) and 56th in points against (24.9 PPG).
Fighting Irish By The Numbers: Notre Dame ranks 37th in the nation in passing with 258.9 yards through the air per game and also ranks 41st in total rushing yards per tilt with 177.4. In addition, the Irish rank 28th in points for (33.6) and 26th in points against (20.9).
Storyline: On one side, this game means something. On the other, it doesn't. Notre Dame looks to continue its successful season and rise in the rankings (the Fighting Irish are currently No. 24 in the AP Top 25 Poll) before it wraps up the season with a big game against Top 10 opponent Stanford.
For Boston College, this game would give them nothing more than a good feeling on the plane home, as the Eagles are out of contention for a bowl and are on their way to one of their worst seasons in years. A win might go a long way towards saving the job of head coach Frank Spaziani, who many expect to be fired at the end of the season.
Players To Watch: Luke Kuechly is the standout to watch for Boston College, as the junior linebacker is well on his way to another All-American season and is in contention for several prestigious awards. Kuechly leads the nation in total and solo tackles and has recorded 10 or more tackles in an FBS-leading 32 consecutive games. Chase Rettig, the Eagles' sophomore quarterback, will aslo be under the spotlight as he makes his second start against Notre Dame.
Rees, Wood and Floyd are a dangerous trio to watch out for on Notre Dame's roster, as they are capable of teaming up to put point on the board in a hurry. Manti Te'o, a junior linebacker, is also a player to watch for on defense, as he should have no trouble keeping the Eagles struggling offense in check.
Prediction: There's a reason that Notre Dame enters this game with such a big advantage. The Fighting Irish have a more than capable bunch on offense and a solid defense. Boston College has neither. I would be legitimately shocked if the Eagles were able to keep this game within 10 points. Final Score: Notre Dame 45, Boston College 14.
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