Boston College Athletics
Bowl Slots At Stake For Eagles, Terrapins
November 17, 2005 | Football
Nov. 17, 2005
Postseason positioning will be on the collective minds of both teams this coming Saturday as the Boston College Eagles travel to College Park, Md., to take on the Maryland Terrapins in a key ACC matchup. The two teams will meet for the first time since 1986, when the Eagles won 30-25 at Maryland. The two teams will meet for only the third time in history (Maryland won a 31-13 decision in 1985 in a BC home game played at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro).
Saturday's game marks the regular-season finale for the Eagles, who could tie Florida State for the top spot in the ACC's Atlantic Division with a win over the Terrapins. Although FSU already has clinched a spot in next month's inaugural ACC Championship game in Jacksonville, the Eagles do hope to share the division title in their first year in the conference.
On the other side, Maryland has the opportunity to become bowl-eligible with a win over the Eagles. The Terrapins upped their record to 5-4 with an exciting 33-30 overtime win at North Carolina this past week. They are led by quarterback Sam Hollenbach, who is averaging 230.4 passing yards per game.
The Eagles are coming off arguably their best performance of the season. Led by senior Mathias Kiwanuka (12 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks), the Boston College defense registered a season-high eight sacks and held N.C. State to 59 net yards rushing en route to a 30-10 victory over the Wolfpack on Senior Day at Alumni Stadium.
As representatives from several bowl games watched from the press box, sophomore quarterback Matt Ryan got the start for the game and responded by completing 8-of-16 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown. Running back L.V. Whitworth rushed 26 times for 119 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles ended a two-game losing streak with one of their most impressive performances of the season. In addition to Kiwanuka's dominating performance, senior linebacker Ricky Brown contributed nine tackles (including a half-sack) and fellow senior Ray Henderson contributed eight. B.J. Raji, Nick Larkin, Jim Ramella and Al Washington all registered solo or sack assists.
BC is bowl-eligible for a school record seventh consecutive year. The Eagles have gone to six bowls in a row and have won five in a row, the longest active bowl winning streak in college football.
