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The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division. Begun in 1892, Boston College was one of six "Major College" football programs in New England as designated by NCAA classifications, starting in 1938.[1] By 1981, and for the remainder of the twentieth century, BC was New England's sole Division I-A program.[2] It has amassed a 601-419-36 record and is 71-30-0 since the turn of the century. In 2007, the Eagles captured the ACC's Atlantic Division Championship and finished the season ranked in the AP Top 10[3] for the first time since 1984. They also achieved a mid-season #2 ranking,[4] their highest since being ranked #1 in 1942.[5] Most recently, the team was coached by Jeff Jagodzinski, however he was fired on January 7, 2009, after interviewing for the head coaching job with the New York Jets. Boston College is one of only two Catholic universities that field a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the other being Notre Dame. The Eagles' home games are played at Alumni Stadium on the Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In addition to success on the gridiron, Boston College football teams are consistently ranked among the nation's best for academic achievement[6] and graduation.[7] In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the football team's Academic Progress Rate was the highest of any school that finished the season ranked in the AP or ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls.
[edit] Conference affiliations
[edit] History[edit] Early history In 1892, Boston College President Edward Ignatius Devitt, S.J., grudgingly agreed to the requests of two undergraduates, Joseph F. O'Connell of the class of 1893 and Joseph Drum of the class of 1894, to start a varsity football team. Drum would become the first head coach, albeit an unpaid position and O'Connell was captain. On October 26, 1893, BC played its first official game against the St. John's Literary Institute of Cambridge followed by its first intercollegiate game against MIT. BC won the first game 4-0, but lost 6-0 to MIT. Two of the original team's alumni had particularly significant careers: captain Joseph Drum became the first BC graduate to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and running back James Carlin became president of the College of the Holy Cross.  [edit] Holy Cross rivalry In 1896, Boston College and Holy Cross began what was to become one of the most storied rivalries in college football.[citation needed] For much of the early to mid 20th century, BC and The Cross drew some of New England's largest sports crowds. In 1913, BC began playing home games at Alumni Field. To accommodate larger crowds, the Holy Cross game was routinely held at larger venues off campus, with the 1916 matchup taking place at the newly constructed Fenway Park. A record 54,000 attended the 1922 game at Braves Field, home of the Boston Braves baseball team. On November 28, 1942, BC lost in a huge upset to the Holy Cross Crusaders by a score of 55-12. This led to the BC players not attending their scheduled victory celebration at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, which burned down that night. By the late 1970s the Holy Cross game had become more of a tradition than a rivalry, as Holy Cross football had long since ceased being a major power. By 1980, the game was no longer part of the student ticket package, and was mostly attended by alumni. In 1986 Holy Cross changed the direction of its football program, joining the Division 1-AA Patriot League, and terminated the series. BC had won 17 of the last 20 games. [edit] 1940 - "Team of Destiny" The 1940 season can arguably be called the greatest year in the history of Boston College football. BC's undefeated (11-0) and untied team captured the 1941 Sugar Bowl championship and earned the nickname "Team of Destiny".[8][9] Five members of that storied team have been inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame: end Eugene Goodreault (50); guard George Kerr (47); center Chet Gladchuk, Sr. (45); fullback Michael Holovak (12); and halfback Charles O’Rourke (13). It included a 19-18 victory over Georgetown before 41,700 fans at sold-out Fenway Park, that was called one of the greatest games ever by famed sportswriter Grantland Rice. Going into the game, the Hoyas had twenty-two consecutive victories spanning three seasons. BC trailed until the third quarter, when a 43 yard touchdown pass from Charlie O'Rourke to Monk Maznicki put the Eagles ahead. With just seconds remaining, BC had the ball on their own nine, fourth down and 18 to go. Georgetown set up to return the Eagles’ punt. Instead of punting, O’Rourke scrambled in his own end zone for 45 seconds then took a safety. BC used the free kick to boot the ball far downfield and dashed the Hoyas' three-season unbeaten record. Legendary Coach Frank Leahy took his undefeated Eagles on to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans where they beat Tennessee. A banner on BC's campus commemorating the team uses the phrase "national champions," but Boston College was not awarded a national championship by any of the national polls, and BC's claim that it has won a national championship is not recognized by any independent organization. According to the NCAA, 14 polling organizations awarded national championships in 1940 but none of them declared Boston College the champion. [10] Although BC's claim to a title is not recognized by the NCAA or college football historians in general, one Web site called the College Football Data Warehouse notes that selectors named Cliff Morgan and Ray Bryne rated BC #1 in 1940.[11] But even this Web site does not consider this a recognized national championship, instead giving the 1940 title to Minnesota.[12] Since no other sources credit Boston College with a national championship, BC's claim to a national title thus seems to be recognized only on the BC campus. [edit] The Flutie yearsThe early 1980s are sometimes referred to as "The Flutie Era", and are often credited with putting BC football firmly into the big time. Quarterback Doug Flutie played for Boston College from 1981 to 1984, and won the Heisman Trophy in his senior year. He gained national attention on November 23, 1984, when he led the Eagles to victory in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game against incumbent national champion Miami Hurricanes (led by star QB Bernie Kosar). The game was nationally televised on CBS the day after Thanksgiving, and had a huge audience. Miami staged a dramatic drive to take the lead, 45-41, in the closing minute of the game. Boston College then took possession at their own 22-yard line with 28 seconds to go. After two passes moved the ball another 30 yards, only six seconds remained on the clock. On the last play of the game, Flutie rolled out right away from the defense and threw a Hail Mary pass that was caught in the end zone by senior wideout Gerard Phelan, giving BC a miraculous 47-45 win. A persistent urban legend holds that this play essentially clinched the Heisman Trophy, the award given to the best player in college football that year, for Flutie; in fact, the Heisman voting was already complete by the day of the game. It has been called "the greatest moment in college football."[13] In November 2008, Doug Flutie was honored by Boston College with a statue of his famous “Hail Mary” pass to Gerard Phelan to beat Miami.[14] [edit] The Holy WarMain article: Holy War (Boston College vs. Notre Dame) See also: Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, Ireland Trophy, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries#Boston College In recent years, Notre Dame has become one of BC's football rivals. Today, ND is the only other Catholic university playing NCAA Division I-A football. The match up was dubbed the "Holy War" in 1975, and has acquired a number of other nicknames over the years. The two teams battle for the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl and the Ireland Trophy. On November 2, 2005, Notre Dame announced that because it had agreed to a request from the Big East to play teams from that conference each season, it would suspend the Boston College series following the 2010 season. Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese said the conference made the request after Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech withdrew from the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, on February 6, 2007, BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo stated "The Notre Dame contract calls for two games in South Bend, in 2007 and 2009, and two games in Boston, in 2008 and 2010. We have been in discussions with Notre Dame concerning additional games, and I am very hopeful that we will be able to announce something in the near future." [edit] Memorable moments in the BC-ND rivalryThe series produced one of the top moments in college football history[13] when in 1993, David Gordon kicked a wobbly 41-yard field goal as time expired to beat top-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame 41-39, ending Irish hopes for a national championship. During the 2002 matchup in South Bend, Indiana, Notre Dame came into the game undefeated at 8-0, wearing their celebrated green jerseys (which since 1981 had only been worn against archrival USC or in bowl games). BC won the game 14-7, putting an end – again – to Notre Dame's dreams of an undefeated season. The series was played annually from 1992 to 2004 and resumed in 2007, though its future after 2010 is uncertain.[15]
[edit] Gambling scandalBoston College's Cody Williams earned some negative press in 1996 when news broke that some football players had bet against BC in a bad loss on October 26 to Syracuse. After the 45-17 beating by the Orangemen, word leaked out to Head Coach Dan Henning that several players may have bet against the team in the game, and the coach subsequently told the university administration. Following an investigation by the university and law enforcement officials, 13 players would be suspended from the team for the season for placing illegal bets — six permanently from the football program.[citation needed] As a result of the scandal and a mediocre 16-19-1 record as coach, Henning resigned at then end of the 1996 season. [edit] Tom O'Brien eraIn December 1996 BC hired a 1971 Navy graduate and the former Virginia offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien. O'Brien arrived at The Heights with plans to revive the program after the team had been tarnished in the wake of the scandal. With good recruiting skills and a strong coaching staff around him, notably offensive coordinator Dana Bible and defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani, O'Brien has turned the program into a consistent top-25 team. The team has also been helped by increased exposure on the national stage due to the move to the ACC and, more recently, improved facilities in the form of the Yawkey Center. Following two mediocre seasons in 1997 (4-7) and 1998 (4-7), O'Brien's vision of a re-built football program began to take shape. In 1999, the Eagles finished the regular season 8-3 including a 31-29 win at Notre Dame Stadium on November 20. BC had earned itself its first bowl berth since being ensnarled in the 1996 gambling scandal. Despite the excitement of its first postseason game in five years, Boston College laid an egg at the Insight.com Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, getting squashed by the University of Colorado, 62-28. In 2000 BC finished the regular season at 6-5 with just enough wins to be bowl-eligible and found themselves in Honolulu for the Aloha Bowl where they downed Arizona State 31-17, giving O'Brien his first bowl victory as head coach. The year 2001 saw Boston College end a 21-game losing streak to ranked opponents when, in the Music City Bowl, the Eagles beat No. 16 Georgia 20-16 to finish at 8-5. But the most memorable moment of the year came in another thrilling game against then-No. 1 Miami at Alumni Stadium. Trailing 12-7 BC stood at the Hurricanes 9-yard-line, poised to win with just over 20 seconds left in the contest, but a freak interception thrown by Eagles quarterback Brian St. Pierre cost BC the game. St. Pierre threw too low for BC receiver Ryan Read, and the pass ricocheted off a Miami defender's leg and fell into the hands of Ed Reed, who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown — preserving a win for the Hurricanes and keeping its hopes alive for a national championship, which they would eventually win. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the season had several highs including running back William Green rushing for 1,559 yards and being the top RB taken in the 2002 NFL Draft; eight wins for the first time since 1993; and the team finished the season ranked (No. 21) for the first time since 1994. Over the next few years the team posted respectable win-loss records and continued to win bowl games. In 2002, BC went 9-4 and won the Motor City Bowl, in 2003 they were 8-5 with a victory in the San Francisco Bowl and finished 9-3 in 2004 with a win in the Continental Tire Bowl. The year 2004 would be the Eagles final campaign in the Big East, and it finished the season in a four-way tie atop the league — a year in which they closed the season ranked No. 21 in both major polls. BC holds the active national record for consecutive bowl victories, having won a postseason bowl game in each of the past eight years. BC footballers routinely rank at or near the top in Division 1-A for best graduation rate and were ranked sixth nationally in Student-Athlete GPA for 2004-05. As of June 2005, 20 Boston College football players were on NFL rosters. Among the more notable: Marc Colombo '02 (Cowboys), Doug Flutie '85 (Patriots), William Green '02 (Browns), Matt Hasselbeck '98 (Seahawks), Chris Hovan '00 (Bucs), Dan Koppen '03 (Patriots), Tom Nalen '94 (Broncos), and Damien Woody '99 (Lions). Mathias Kiwanuka, BC defensive end who earned Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2004, was drafted by the New York Giants in the April 2006 NFL Draft. The Giants are coached by former BC Head Football Coach Tom Coughlin. On December 6, 2006, O'Brien decided to leave the Eagles and replace Chuck Amato as head coach at NC State. He was replaced by then Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. [edit] Logos and uniforms It was announced on December 1, 2009, that the Boston College football team, along with 29 other athletic programs on campus, will officially switch its athletic outfitter from Reebok to Under Armour. On July 1, 2010, BC will become the fourth Football Bowl Subdivision team to wear uniforms from the Baltimore-based outfitter.[16] [edit] Recent seasons[edit] 2004In Boston College's final year as a member of the Big East Conference, the Eagles finished the regular season at 8-3 including a 4-2 conference record. The Eagles tied West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Syracuse - all at 4-2 - for a share of the Big East regular season title. Pittsburgh was selected as the conference's BCS representative, heading to the Fiesta Bowl only to lose to Utah 35-7. The Eagles were invited to the Continental Tire Bowl where they defeated North Carolina. BC ended final season in the Big East ranked in the Top 25 of both major polls (No. 21 in the USA Today/Coaches' Poll and No. 21 in the AP Poll). Boston College reached the 9 win mark for the second time in three years.
[edit] 2005Boston College moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference in time for the 2005 season and the football team faced a new schedule of opponents. BC football earned its first ACC win at Clemson on September 24 and finished the year at 8-3 including a 5-3 conference record, tied for the Atlantic Division title with Florida State, and the Eagles were invited to the MPC Computers Bowl where they defeated Boise State on the Broncos' home blue turf. BC ended the 2005-06 campaign at No. 17 in the coaches' poll and at No. 18 in the AP poll. Boston College won nine games for the second straight year and the third time in four years, while the senior class tied the school record for most wins in a four-year period with 35 (1939-42).
[edit] 2006
[edit] 2007The Eagles, under first year coach Jeff Jagodzinski, the Boston College Eagles started their season 8-0, featuring a dramatic last-minute win engineered by QB Matt Ryan against Virginia Tech. They rose to Number 2, a position not held by a BC football team since the 1940s. Florida State upset the Eagles in the 9th week, ending Boston College's hopes of contending for a National Championship. After a second consecutive loss, this time to Maryland, they beat Clemson to clinch a position in the ACC Championship Game. The next week they beat Miami for the first time since "Hail Flutie" in 1984, and sent Miami to their first bowl-ineligible season in 9 years. A loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game, however, dashed Boston College's hopes of its first BCS bowl bid. Despite their #2 conference ranking, #14 BCS ranking and 10-3 record the Eagles were the 4th overall bowl selection in their conference and were chosen by the Champs Sports Bowl. Due to loopholes in the ACC bowl selection process the Chick-fil-A Bowl used its #2 pick to select Clemson, a team BC had beaten on the road. With the third choice the Gator Bowl selected Virginia. Both Clemson and Virginia had 9-3 records and only 1 win each over ranked teams to BC's 3 wins (over ranked opponents). This made Boston College and its former conference rival Connecticut the only bowl-eligible teams in 2007 that received a bowl bid lower than its conference ranking.
[edit] 2008Main article: 2008 Boston College Eagles football team
[edit] 2009
[edit] Yearly recordsThe Boston College Eagles football season records are taken from the Boston College football media guide.[17]
[edit] Coaches[edit] Head coaches
[edit] Defensive coordinators
[edit] Offensive coordinators
[edit] Assistant Head Coach
[edit] Individual award winners
[edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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