Boston College Athletics
Countdown to Kickoff
August 30, 2002 | Football
Aug. 30, 2002
The Connecticut Huskies rolled into Chestnut Hill on Friday afternoon in preparation for the Boston College football team's season opener, which kicks off Saturday at 12:05 p.m. in Alumni Stadium. Tickets for the game remain available at the BC Ticket Office.
The game will be televised live by ESPN Regional and seen locally on NESN. It will also be broadcast on Sports Radio WEEI with John Rooke and Peter Cronan handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties.
Coach Tom O'Brien's Eagles return eight starters on offense and eight on defense from last year's team that finished with an 8-4 record and a 20-16 win over Georgia in the Music City Bowl. Senior quarterback Brian St. Pierre will lead the Eagle offense behind an offensive line anchored by All-BIG EAST center Dan Koppen, back in the lineup after spraining an ankle in a preseason scrimmage. Junior Horace Dodd was given the starting nod at tailback earlier in the week. Dodd will be starting his first collegiate game at tailback. He sat out last season after transferring to Boston College from Penn State.
Defensive end Antonio Garay and linebacker Vinny Ciurciu, both preseason all-star candidates, lead the Eagle defense.
"We're eager and excited to kick off the season," O'Brien says. "After eight months, a spring practice, summer conditioning and fall camp, we're anxious to get going."
Late-Breaking News and Notes
Worcester's Jesse Burkett Little League team will be honored in halftime ceremonies of Saturday's game...BC has added two state-of-the-art 15' x 32' Daktronics LED videoboards, located in the north and south endzones. BC partnered with Coca-Cola for the sponsorship of the new TEAM BC corporate program. Videoboard capabilities will include live action shots and instant replays. Also included are two new Daktronics 54' Pro Advertising panels, located at both ends of the stadium, and two new message center boards on the Conte Forum concourse...Dan Koppen has been named to the Watch List for the 2002 Rimington Trophy, honoring the nation's best college center. The 2002 award will be presented on Dec. 14...Saturday's game will mark only the fifth August season opener in BC football history. BC also kicked off the 1985, 1991, 1995 and 1996 seasons in August. The Aug. 27, 1995 game vs. Ohio State was BC's earliest opener ever, but Saturday's game will be its earliest opener ever at Alumni Stadium.
