Boston College Athletics
Motor City Bowl Moves To Detroit
December 24, 2002 | Football
Dec 24, 2002
(AP) - Boston College's senior class might be best remembered for spoiling Notre Dame's perfect season.
Apparently, there have been a lot of other wins in between.
The Eagles can complete possibly the best four-year stretch in school history if they go into Ford Field and beat Toledo - playing an hour from its campus - in the Motor City Bowl on Thursday.
It was another solid season for Boston College (9-4), but its most noteworthy performance was a 14-7 win over then-No. 4 Notre Dame on Nov. 2 that handed the Irish their first loss in nine games.
That was probably the biggest of the 31 wins the Eagles' seniors have posted in their four years. One more victory, though, would match the 1981-84 group for the most in a four-year period.
This class is also making its school-record fourth straight bowl appearance, having won the last two. BC has notched four straight winning seasons for the first time since 1977.
"The fact that our football team will be going to a bowl game for its fourth straight year speaks volumes about our fourth and fifth-year seniors," BC coach Tom O'Brien said. "Those guys made a commitment to the program when things were rough, and set an example for our younger players."
The Eagles endured four consecutive losing seasons from 1995-98.
One of the seniors that has keyed the team's success is offensive tackle Marc Parenteau, the only BC player to make the All-Big East first team. Fellow senior offensive lineman Dan Koppen made the second team, as did the man he and Parenteau have helped open holes for - Derrick Knight.
The junior tailback rushed for 1,367 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Knight also was one of quarterback Brian St. Pierre's top receivers, making 34 catches for 345 yards with two TDs.
St. Pierre threw for 2,641 yards and 15 touchdowns, but also had 17 interceptions.
The quarterback on the other sideline will be the top concern of the Eagles' defense.
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"The fact that our football team will be going to a bowl game for its
fourth straight year speaks volumes about our fourth and fifth-year seniors."
Coach Tom O'Brien
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Toledo's Brian Jones completed more than 70 percent of his passes for a school-record 3,115 yards with 21 TDs and just seven interceptions.
"I came here from California because Toledo runs the spread - this is a quarterback's offense and we do more with it than any other team in the country," Jones said. "If you can handle the Toledo offense, you can handle any offense in the country."
Eight of Jones' touchdown throws went to Carl Ford, who led the team with 69 receptions and 950 yards.
The Jones-Ford duo keyed the Rockets (9-4) reaching the Mid-American Conference championship game for the fourth time in six years, though they lost 49-45 to Marshall.
Despite that defeat, Toledo is getting a chance to defend its Motor City Bowl title. The Rockets beat Cincinnati 23-16 last year at the Pontiac Silverdome.
The Silverdome was the home of this bowl in its first five years of existence, making this matchup the first one which was actually played in the Motor City.
"Ford Field is just a short drive away, so we are hoping that our fans will come out in big numbers to support us," Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said. "We'd like to turn Ford Field into our home field."
