Boston College Athletics
Football Picked To Finish Fifth in ACC Atlantic Division
July 21, 2015 | Football
PINEHURST N.C. -- Boston College was picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 2015 season, the league announced on Tuesday. The Eagles received 473 points from the 158 media members in attendance at the 2015 ACC Football Kickoff at Pinehurst Resort.
Clemson was chosen as the favorite to claim the ACC title. Georgia Tech was favored to repeat as the Coastal Division winner. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was voted the 2015 ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Clemson was picked the likely overall champion of the ACC on 84 ballots, followed by Florida State with 41 and Georgia Tech with 20. Virginia Tech (7 votes), North Carolina (3), Miami (2) and NC State (1) rounded out the ballot.
In the Atlantic Division preseason voting, Clemson received 101 first-place votes and finished with 1,032 total points. Florida State received 56 first-place votes and placed second with 992 points, while Louisville had one first-place vote and was third in the voting with 746 points. NC State was tabbed for a fourth-place Atlantic Division finish, followed by BC, Syracuse and Wake Forest.
Georgia Tech was selected the likely Coastal winner by 96 voters and finished with 991 total points, followed by Virginia Tech with 44 first-place votes and 841 points. Miami received seven first-place votes and was third in the voting with 632 total points. Duke (four first-place votes) placed fourth, followed by North Carolina, Pitt and Virginia. Four voters chose UNC to claim the Coastal Division, while three gave Pitt the nod.
The Eagles finished the 2014 season 7-6, finishing fourth in the division with a 4-4 conference record and a trip to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. They went 4-1 on the road and upset No. 9 Southern California with a 37-31 win at home.
Sophomore running back Jon Hilliman returns as the Eagles' top scorer, tallying 13 rushing touchdowns. He broke Boston College's rookie record for rushing attempts and tied for ninth in BC record books for single-season rushing touchdowns. Senior defensive back Justin Simmons also returns as the Eagles' top returning tackler, amassing 76 tackles, including 63 solo stops and two interceptions in 2014. Hilliman, along with junior defensive end Kevin Kavalec and senior defensive lineman Connor Wujciak, earned All-ACC honors last season.
ACC Championship Votes
1. Clemson - 84
2. Florida State - 41
3. Georgia Tech - 20
4. Virginia Tech - 7
5. North Carolina - 3
6. Miami - 2
7. NC State - 1
Atlantic Division
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Clemson (101) -- 1,032
2. Florida State (56) - 992
3. Louisville (1) - 746
4. NC State - 673
5. Boston College - 473
6. Syracuse - 291
7. Wake Forest - 217
Coastal Division
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Georgia Tech (96) - 991
2. Virginia Tech (44) - 841
3. Miami (7) - 632
4. Duke (4) - 615
5. North Carolina (4) - 590
6. Pitt (3) - 535
7. Virginia - 220
