Boston College Athletics
Week Six Notes: The Virginia Tech Game
October 02, 2017 | Football
Eagles and Hokies meet Saturday in primetime on ESPN2
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• For the first time since 2014, Boston College plays under the lights in a Saturday primetime home game as the Eagles host No. 16 Virginia Tech.Â
• ESPN2 has broadcast coverage of the game with Mike Corey (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (color analyst) and Roddy Jones (field analyst) on the call. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m.Â
• Coverage on the Boston College IMG Sports Network begins at 6:45 p.m. with Jon Meterparel, Pete Cronan and Scott Mutryn. Fans can listen to the game locally on WEEI 850 AM, nationally on TuneIn and on Sirius channel 134 and XM channel 193.
• Boston College looks for its second straight win after last week's 28-8 victory at home against Central Michigan while Virginia Tech looks to rebound after dropping its first game of the year at home to No. 2 Clemson (31-17) a week ago.
• The Eagles ran for a season-high 224 yards in the victory over Central Michigan last week at Alumni Stadium.
• Boston College and Virginia Tech meet for the 26th time in series history Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. The two teams have met every year since 1993 except for 2004.
• The Hokies lead the series 17-8 and are 8-4 all-time against BC in Chestnut Hill.
• The old BIG EAST rivals first met as conference foes in 1993 as BC captured a 48-34 victory over the No. 25 Hokies.
• In the BIG EAST, BC was 3-8 against Virginia Tech. The two schools first met as ACC rivals in 2005 as the third-ranked Hokies captured a 30-10 victory in Blacksburg.
• In ACC play, Virginia Tech is 9-5 against BC as the two teams have split the last four meetings.
• The last win for BC in the series was a 33-31 win at Virginia Tech in 2014 while the last home win against the Hokies was a 34-27 victory in Steve Addazio's first season as head coach of the Eagles in 2013.
• The longest winning streak for BC in the series is two games (two times) while Virginia Tech won seven consecutive meetings from 1996-2002.
• The most points scored by BC in series play occurred in the first meeting between the two schools (48) in 1993. Virginia Tech scored 49 last year against BC, the most of any Hokie team in the series.
• The two teams met twice in the ACC Championship Game in 2007 and 2008. The Hokies won both title game matchups, including a 30-16 win in Jacksonville in 2007 followed by a 30-12 victory in Tampa in the 2008 ACC Championship.
• One of the most memorable wins in BC history came on Oct. 25, 2007 as Matt Ryan led a fourth quarter comeback with 14 unanswered points as the third-ranked Eagles defeated the 11th-ranked Hokies 14-0 in Blacksburg.
• BC is 5-12 in the series against nationally-ranked Hokie teams. The last win for BC when VT was ranked was a 28-23 victory over the 17th-ranked Hokies in 2008.
Inside the Series
• Boston College has five wins over Virginia Tech when the Hokies entered the game in the national rankings.
• At home, BC is 3-7 all-time against the Hokies at Alumni Stadium when Virginia Tech has been ranked.
• BC is 30-103-1 all-time against ranked opponents.
Results Against Ranked VT Teams
Date Rank Location Result
10/22/11 11 VT L, 30-14
10/10/09 5 VT L, 48-14
10/18/08 17 BC W, 28-23
12/1/07 6 Jacksonville L, 30-16
10/25/07 8 VT W, 14-10
10/12/06 22 BC W, 22-3
10/27/05 3 VT L, 30-10
10/10/02 4 BC L, 28-23
10/20/01 6 VT L, 34-20
9/30/00 4 BC L, 48-34
11/26/99 2 VT L, 48-14
10/8/98 17 BC L, 17-0
10/11/97 23 BC L, 17-7
9/14/96 19 BC L, 45-7
9/7/95 20 VT W, 20-14
9/17/94 18 BC L, 12-7
11/6/93 25 BC W, 48-34
119th Season of Boston College Football
• The 119th season of Boston College football began with a 23-20 victory at Northern Illinois on Sept. 1. All-time, BC is 654-484-37 in 1,175 games.
• BC is 36th in NCAA history with 654 victories. The Eagles are one of eight ACC schools ranked in the top 40 all-time in victories.
Defending the Pass
• Boston College is allowing just 154.0 passing yards per game, its fewest yards allowed through the air per game since 1992 (152.9 yards per game).
• BC is 12th nationally in passing yards allowed and first in the ACC.
• Boston College's starting secondary of free safety Lukas Denis, strong safety Will Harris and cornerbacks Kamrin Moore and Isaac Yiadom is off to a tremendous start in 2017.
NCAA Fewest Passing Yards Allowed
Team Yards Per Game
1. UTSA 121.0
2. Tennessee 129.2
3. Air Force 133.8
4. Michigan 134.0
5. Auburn 142.4
6. Vanderbilt 143.2
7. Washington State 146.6
8. Idaho 151.5
9. Michigan State 152.3
10. Georgia 153.6
11. Washington 153.8
12. Boston College 154.0
Ball Hawks in the Back End
• Boston College has seven interceptions in five games, which is tied for 10th in the country. The Eagles have at least one interception in every game this season except against Wake Forest.
• BC is second in the ACC in interceptions behind only Duke (8).
NCAA Team Interceptions Leaders
Team Interceptions
1. USF 14
2. Utah 9
Central Michigan 9
4. San Diego State 8
Duke 8
Washington 8
Alabama 8
New Mexico State 8
Southern California 8
10. Boston College 7
Wisconsin 7
Utah State 7
Texas 7
Penn State 7
Stanford 7
Colorado State 7
California 7
Oregon 7
Stingy Pass Defense
• Opponents have had a tough time completing passes against the BC pass defense in 2017. The Eagles rank fourth nationally in passing efficiency defense as opponents have only a 90.64 pass efficiency rate.
NCAA Pass Efficiency Defense Leaders
Team Passing Efficiency Defense
1. UTSA 73.87
2. Michigan 87.55
3. USF 89.2
4. Boston College 90.64
5. Michigan State 94.05
Look Out for Lukas
• Junior Lukas Denis has made a flawless transition from cornerback to free safety in 2017. The Everett native is tied for the national lead with five interceptions this season.
• Denis finished with a game-high and new career-high with 13 tackles in the Clemson game. He also forced a fumble against the second-ranked Tigers and had one interception.
• In the Sept. 30 victory over Central Michigan, Denis recorded the first two-interception game of his career.
• Denis is eighth nationally and first in the ACC with 1.8 pass breakups per game as well.
NCAA Interception Leaders
Player, Team Interceptions
1. Lukas Denis, Boston College 5
Jalen Davis, Utah State 5
3. Deshon Elliott, Texas 4
Demetrius Monday, Kent State 4
Justin Reid, Stanford 4
NCAA Passes Defended Leaders
Player, Team Passes Defended Per Game
1. Mike Hughes, UCF 2.3
2. Jalen Davis, Utah State 2.0
Mazzi Wilkins, USF 2.0
Joshua Jackson, Iowa 2.0
Bradd Ellis, Ohio 2.0
Denzel Ward, Ohio State 2.0
8. Lukas Denis, Boston College 1.8
Levi Wallace, Alabama 1.8
Uchenne Nwosa, USC 1.8
Arrion Springs, Oregon 1.8
Watch Out for Walker
• Junior wide receiver Michael Walker has been all over the field for the Eagles through five games this season. The Naples, Fla., native leads BC with 130.2 all-purpose yards per game and is third on the team with 13 receptions. Walker is also among the national leaders in kickoff returns and punt returns.
• In punt returns, Walker is ninth nationally and first in the ACC with an average of 18.1 yards per return.
• Walker is eighth in the ACC with 130.2 all-purpose yards per game.
• Walker is 45th nationally and fifth in the conference in kickoff returns (23.4 yards per return).Â
• Against Central Michigan, Walker registered 128 punt return yards - including 124 in the first half - the fourth-best single-game total in BC history. It was the most punt return yards in a game since Ed Rideout finished with 131 punt return yards against Holy Cross in 1970. He finished the game with 135 all-purpose yards.Â
Yards Name (Year) Opponent
166 Kelvin Martin (1985) Holy Cross
136 Kelvin Martin (1986) SMU
131 Ed Rideout (1970) Holy Cross
128 Michael Walker (2017) Central Michigan
109 Spiffy Evans (2012) Maryland
• Walker setup BC's first touchdown of the game with a career-long 61-yard punt return. Last week at No. 2 Clemson, Walker's previous career-long of 27 yards also set up a BC touchdown.
• Walker had the second-longest punt return of his career on his second return of the day with a 33-yard return. BC scored on the drive as true freshman running back AJ Dillon scored his second career touchdown (first at Alumni Stadium) to give BC a 14-2 lead.
• Walker's 29-yard punt return put BC in position for BC's third touchdown as BC started the drive on the CMU 17-yard line. Hilliman scored his second touchdown of the game to extend the BC lead to 21-8.
• Over the last two games at No. 2 Clemson and against Central Michigan, BC had four scoring drives ending in touchdowns came after Walker got things started with a punt return of 27 yards or longer.
Strong at Safety
• Boston College junior strong safety Will Harris leads the Eagles with 43 tackles in 2017.
• Harris is fourth in the ACC with 8.6 tackles per game, which ranks 48th nationally.
Keeping the Flags off The Field
• Boston College ranks among the national leaders in fewest penalties, fewest penalties per game and fewest penalty yards per game.
• BC ranks 13th in the nation and fifth in the ACC with just 35.4 penalty yards per game this season.
• The Eagles are committing just 4.40 penalties per game, the 18th-best mark in the nation and fourth in the ACC.
Schwab Stepping Up
• Boston College senior linebacker Ty Schwab is third on the team with 40 tackles through five games. Even more impressive, the Florida native has been the one steady force at the position with injuries to Connor Strachan and Max Richardson.
• Against defending National Champion Clemson, Schwab set career-highs in tackles (11) and sacks (1.5).
• Schwab has played in 22 consecutive games, including 18 starts, at weakside linebacker.
Zach Attack
• Boston College junior defensive end Zach Allen has quietly become one of the top defensive ends in the ACC. The Connecticut native is secomnd on the team with 41 total tackles and is tied for the team lead with five tackles for loss and leads BC with three sacks.
• Allen recorded two TFLs, one sack and his first career interception in the 28-8 win over Central Michigan on Sept. 30.
20 Completions, 100-Yard Rusher
• For only the second time in the Steve Addazio era, Boston College had a quarterback with 20-plus completions along with a 100-yard rusher in the same game Sept. 16 against Notre Dame.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown finished 24-of-40 passing for 215 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Fighting Irish while junior running back Jon Hilliman rushed for 122 yards on 22 carries.
• In Addazio's first game at BC, Chase Rettig was 23-of-30 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns while Andre Williams rushed for 114 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown in a 24-14 win against Villanova (8/31/13).
Three-Headed MonsterÂ
• Boston College has been one of the best teams in the nation in all three phases of the kicking game so far in 2017.Â
• Junior place-kicker Colton Lichtenberg is 6-for-9 on field goals this season and ranks 46th nationally with 1.2 field goals per game.
• Senior place-kicker Max Schulze-Geisthovel has 14 touchbacks on 22 kickoffs this season. The 63.5% rate for touchbacks is 32nd nationally. BC ranks fourth in the ACC allowing just 18.7 yards per kick return.
• Senior punter Mike Knoll has averaged 40.8 yards per punt, but 20 of the punts have pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line. Against Clemson, Knoll had six punts inside the 10-yard line, including three pinned inside the Tigers' six.
Freshmen Combo At QB and Center
• Boston College is the only school in the country with freshmen starting at center and quarterback. True freshman Ben Petrula made his first career start at center vs. Wake Forest after senior captain Jon Baker was lost for the year with a knee injury.
• Anthony Brown has just five career starts at quarterback as the redshirt freshman made his first career start in the season opener at Northern Illinois.
Career Day for the Captain
• Boston College wide receiver and tri-captain Charlie Callinan had the best game of his career Sept. 16 vs. Notre Dame. Playing in his 41st career game including his 31st start, Callinan set career-highs in receptions (7), receiving yards (82) and receiving touchdowns (2) against the Fighting Irish.
• Callinan will be out for an extended period of time after suffering an injury to his foot at practice on Sept. 21.
Protecting the QBs
• Boston College's offensive line has allowed just five sacks through five games. The Eagles have attempted 177 passes so far in 2017 and rank 12th nationally and first in the ACC with just the five sacks allowed.
Freshman at Quarterback
• Redshirt freshman Anthony Brown was the second freshman in BC history to start a season opener under center in the Sept. 1 win at Northern Illinois. He is the only freshman quarterback in school history who started to win a season opener on the road.
• Brown was 26-for-42 with 191 passing yards and two touchdowns in the NIU win. He threw one interception. Both his attempts and completion totals are the most a BC quarterback has logged under head coach Steve Addazio.
• Redshirt freshman Justin Tuggle started the first game of 2009 against Northeastern and finished 3-of-5 passing for 56 yards with a touchdown in BC's 54-0 victory.
• Glenn Foley entered in the second quarter of his first game his redshirt freshman season and started the rest of the way. He owns BC's freshman record for most passing attempts (349) and completions (182) in 1990.
• Dave Shinskie played in all 13 games in 2009 and started the final 10 contests to set BC freshman records for passing yards (2,049) and passing touchdowns (15).
• Doug Flutie started the final seven games of his true freshman season in 1981 and ended the year with 1,652 yards passing, 10 touchdowns, eight interceptions and he completed 54.7 percent of his passes.
Comparing First Starts
• Anthony Brown did something in his first start that the top four career passing leaders in Boston College history could not do - win the game. Below is a comparison of the first career starts from Doug Flutie, Glenn Foley, Matt Ryan, Chase Rettig and Brown.Â
Doug Flutie (10/17/81 vs. Navy)
14-of-25, 118 yards, INT, 56.0 comp. % L, 25-10
Glenn Foley (9/15/90 vs. No. 17 Ohio State)
20-of-41, 179 yards, 48.7 comp. %) L, 31-10
Matt Ryan (11/27/04 vs. No. 17 Syracuse)
24-of-51, 200 yards, TD, 3 INT, 47.1 comp. % L, 43-17
Chase Rettig (10/16/10 at No. 16 Florida State)
9-of-24, 95 yards, 37.5 comp. % L, 24-19
Anthony Brown (9/1/17 at Northern Illinois)
26-of-42, 191 yards, 2 TD, INT, 61.9 comp. % W, 23-20
Spreading the Wealth
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown completed passes to eight different players in the season opening win at Northern Illinois.Â
• Six players finished with multiple receptions, led by junior wide receiver Michael Walker's eight receptions.
• Walker led all BC players with 12 targets, followed by Kobay White and Jeff Smith (eight targets).
• Brown was at his best throwing on first down, completing 64 percent of his attempts (9-of-14). The New Jersey native was pretty consistent no matter the down, completing 61 percent on second down (8-of-13), 57 percent on third down (8-of-14) and was a perfect 1-for-1 on fourth down.
Noting the Win Over Northern Illinois
• Boston College opened its 119th season of college football with a 23-20 win at Northern Illinois Sept. 1 at Huskie Stadium. BC is 4-1 in season openers under Steve Addazio.Â
• All-time, BC is 69-48-2 in season openers and 13-5 since 2000.Â
• BC held NIU to 2-of-15 on third down conversions.Â
• Brown threw the first touchdown of his career on a five-yard pass to Michael Walker to give BC its first lead of the game at 13-10 with 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. It was Walker's fifth career touchdown reception.
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kobay White caught his first career reception on a 20-yard catch to move the sticks on third down. White finished the game with six receptions for 76 yards. He finished the game with 104 all-purpose yards, which also included 28 yards on kickoff returns.Â
• The Eagles ran 92 plays in the game, more than any game in 2016. Last season's game high was 84 against Buffalo (Oct. 1, 2016).
• Sophomore tight end Ray Marten's first career reception was a touchdown as he hauled in a four-yard touchdown pass from Brown to give BC a 20-10 lead.
• Junior defensive back Will Harris collected a career-high 10 tackles, besting his previous high of eight, which he recorded at Virginia Tech on Sept. 17, 2016. His total tonight included seven solo stops and one tackle for a loss.
• Junior defensive end Zach Allen recorded a career-high nine tackles, which included four solo tackles. Â
• Sophomore middle linebacker Max Richardson earned his first career start.Â
• Junior free safety Lukas Denis made his first career start for the Eagles. He recorded his second career interception, along with two pass breakups and assisted on a tackle for a loss.
• Senior PK Max Schulze-Geisthovel appeared in his first game as an Eagle after playing on the men's soccer team last season at BC. Schulze-Geisthovel finished with three touchbacks.
Noting the Win Over Central Michigan
• BC is 4-0 all-time versus Central Michigan, including a 3-0 mark at Alumni Stadium, following the 28-8 victory over the Chippewas.
• BC is 21-3 all-time against current schools from the Mid-American Conference. BC has not lost to a MAC team since 1969 to Buffalo.
• Central Michigan scored first with a safety in the first quarter as Jon Hilliman was tackled on a first-down running play as the BC drive started on the one-yard line. The safety was the first against Boston College since Georgia Tech recorded a safety on Sept. 6, 2008.
• Boston College scored 14 points in the first quarter, the most points scored against a FBS team since also scoring 14 against NC State on Oct. 11, 2014.Â
• Central Michigan entered the game 22nd nationally with 306.3 passing yards per game. The BC defense held the Chippewas to 56 yards in the first half and 180 total for the game. The Eagles entered the day 14th nationally and second in the ACC allowing just 147.5 passing yards per game.
• Boston College finished with season-highs in points (28) and rushing yards (224).Â
• Redshirt junior running back Jon Hilliman scored two rushing touchdowns to move into a tie for 10th place in Boston College history with 23 career rushing touchdowns. Mike Holovak (1940-42) also scored 23 career rushing touchdowns.
• Hilliman's two rushing touchdowns tied a career high as he scored two touchdowns for the seventh time in his career.
• Hilliman finished with three touchdowns total (two rushing, one receiving) for the first time in his 34-game career.Â
• True freshman running back AJ Dillon finished with a career-high 120 rushing yards on a career-best 25 attempts. Dillon's previous single-game best was 58 yards on the ground against Notre Dame (Sept. 16, 2017).
• The 100-yard game by Dillon was the first 100-yard game by a true freshman running back for the Eagles since Hilliman rushed for 148 yards against Penn State in the 2014 New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 27, 2014).
• Redshirt freshman linebacker John Lamot made his first career start at middle linebacker. Lamot finished with 10 tackles, tied for the team lead. He also added a quarterback hurry in the game. Lamot's 10 tackles were a career-best for the North Carolina native.
• Senior defensive end Harold Landry finished with two tackles for loss and one sack. Landry is now tied for second in Boston College history in career TFLs with Luke Kuechly (44).
• Landry totaled his 23rd career sack in the fourth quarter. He is now just one sack behind Mike Mamula for second place in school history in career sacks.
• Junior free safety Lukas Denis recorded two more interceptions, a new career-high for the Everett native. Denis entered the game tied for second in the nation in interceptions. He now has five interceptions on the year.
• Junior defensive end Zach Allen recorded his first career interception in the third quarter. The Connecticut native finished with seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in addition to the interception.
• Junior defensive back Will Harris recorded 10 tackles on the day, matching his career best which he set in the season opener at Northern Illinois (Sept. 1, 2017).
Scouting This Week's Opponent: Virginia Tech
• Virginia Tech is ranked No. 16 in this week's AP Top 25 and No. 19 in the latest coaches' poll. The Hokies lost for the first time in 2017 last week 31-17 to No. 2 Clemson at home. The Hokies own wins this year over No. 22 West Virginia (31-24), Delaware (27-0), at East Carolina (64-17) and against Old Dominion (38-0).
• Virginia Tech has been explosive on offense through five games this season. The Hokies are 27th nationally in total offense (474.2 yards per game), 45th in rushing offense (192.6 yards per game), 31st in passing offense (281.6 yards per game) and 37th in scoring offense (35.4 yards per game).
• Virginia Tech is 24th nationally in total defense (315.4 yards per game), 12th in scoring defense (14.4 points per game), 29th in rushing defense (115.6 yards per game) and 40th in passing yards allowed (199.8 yards per game).Â
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Jackson is 10th nationally with 12 passing touchdowns and 16th in the country with 1,378 passing yards.Â
• Jackson's favorite target has been wide receiver Cam Phillips. Phillips ranks third nationally with 597 receiving yards and eighth in the country with five touchdowns. He is fifth in the nation averaging 8.2 receptions per game.
Counting on Kobay
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kobay White had quite the debut as an Eagle at Northern Illinois. The Harrisburg, Pa., native led BC with 76 yards receiving on six receptions, including a critical 12-yard reception on 4th down to keep BC's game-winning drive alive.
• White led all BC players with 104 all-purpose yards in the NIU victory.
• White led all BC players with four 15-yard plus plays in the NIU victory, including three receptions covering 15-plus yards. Four of White's six receptions against NIU resulted in first downs.
• On the season, White leads BC with 187 yards receiving and 19 receptions. White also leads BC with seven receptions of 15-plus yards and 10 receptions for first downs.
Setting the Tempo
• Boston College ran 92 plays out of a no-huddle, up-tempo offense in the win at Northern Illinois. It was the most plays run under head coach Steve Addazio, beating the previous game-high of 86 vs. UMass in 2014.
• The 92 plays were the most by a BC team since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005. Only three other times since 2005 has BC ran 90 plays in a game - 2007 vs. Army (90), 2005 vs. Florida State (90) and 2005 vs. Clemson (90).
• Heading into the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl, BC shifted its focus to an up-tempo, no-huddle offense. The results were immediate as the Eagles scored 29 points in the first half and 36 for the game in a 36-30 victory over Maryland.
Total Plays in a Game (since 2005)
1. Northern Illinois (9/1/17) 92
2. Army (9/22/07) 90
Florida State (9/17/05) 90
Clemson (9/24/05) 90
5. UMass (8/30/14) 86
6. Notre Dame (9/16/17) 85
Maine (9/20/14) 85
Miami (9/1/12) 85
9. Buffalo (10/1/16) 84
10. Maryland (11/10/07) 83
11. Wake Forest (9/9/17 82
Wake Forest (10/1/11) 82
Wake Forest (11/4/06) 82
Duke (11/11/06) 82
Preseason Award Watch List
• The following list of Eagles were named to various preseason award watch lists and All-America teams:
Harold Landry, Senior Defensive End
AP Preseason All-America First Team
ESPN.com Preseason All-America First Team
USA Today Preseason All-America First Team
Sports Illustrated Preseason All-America First Team
Phil Steele Preseason All-America First Team
Athlon Preseason All-America First Team
Lindy's Preseason All-America First Team
Street & Smith's Preseason All-America First Team
Preseason All-ACC First Team
Walter Camp Football Player of the Year Watch List
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch ListÂ
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch ListÂ
Jon Baker, Senior Center
Rimington Trophy Watch List
Tommy Sweeney, Junior Tight End
John Mackey Award Watch List
Jeff Smith, Junior Wide ReceiverÂ
Paul Hornung Award Watch List
Darius Wade, Junior Quarterback
Golden Arm Award Watch List
Jon Hilliman, Junior Running Back
Doak Walker Award Watch List
The Nation's Leader Returns
• Boston College defensive end Harold Landry decided to return to Boston College for his senior season in January. The All-American led the nation in sacks in 2016 with 16.5.
• Landry led the country with seven forced fumbles en route to Walter Camp and Associated Press All-America honors.
• Landry finished with one of the best seasons of any defensive player in the country in 2016. An AP All-ACC first-team selection, Landry was also selected as the Division I Gold Helmet of the Year Award recipient, given annually to the top player in New England by the New England Football Writers' Association and the recipient of the 78th annual George "Bulger" Lowe Award, "New England's Heisman Trophy" and one of America's oldest college football accolades.
 • Landry, who collected All-ACC second-team honors by the media and coaches, was one of six finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive end.
 • The North Carolina native led the nation with 16.5 sacks and seven fumbles forced. Landry rewrote the Boston College single-season record for sacks in 2016, breaking the old mark of 13 held by Eric Storz (1997) and Mike Mamula (1994). Landry was fifth in the country with 22.0 tackles-for-loss, the second-best total in Boston College single-season history behind only Mathias Kiwanuka's 25.5 TFLs in 2004.
• Since 2005, only two players have led the nation in sacks and decided to return to school instead of opting for the NFL Draft: Harold Landry and Von Miller (Texas A&M).
• Landry recorded at least one sack in 10 of BC's 13 games in 2016. He set the BC single-season sack record, breaking the mark of 13 held by Erik Storz in 1997 and Mike Mamula in 1994.
• For his career, Landry has 22 sacks, third in BC history.
• Landry finished 2016 with 22 tackles-for-loss, the second-best single-season total in BC history.
BC Career Sacks Leaders
1. Mathias Kiwanuka (2002-05) 37.5
2. Mike Mamula (1992-94) 24
3. Harold Landry (2014-present) 23
4. Chris Hovan (1996-99) 20.5
5. Erik Storz (1994-97) 19
BC Career TFL Leaders
1. Mathias Kiwanuka (2002-05) 65.5
2. Harold Landry (2014-present) 44
Luke Kuechly (2009-11) 44
4. Chris Hovan (1996-99) 43
5. Tim Bulman (2001-04) 38
In the ACC …
• Landry's 16.5 sacks in 2016 ranked third in ACC single-season history. Only Peter Boulware (FSU) and Charles Bowser (Duke) recorded more sacks in one season.
All-Time ACC Single-Season Sacks Leaders
1. Peter Boulware, Florida State (1996) 19.0
2. Charles Bowser, Duke (1981) 17.5
3. Harold Landry, Boston College (2016) 16.5
4. Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina (1980) 16.0
Keith Adams, Clemson (1999) 16.0
Andre Wadsworth, Florida State (1997) 16.0
All-ACC Linebacker Out
• Senior linebacker Connor Strachan collected All-ACC honorable mention honors in 2016 and returned as one of the top defensive players in the nation in 2017. The Wellesley native injured his knee prior to the NIU game and played in the team's first two games before the injury forced him to be out for the season.
• Strachan earned All-ACC honors for the first time after the junior led the Eagles with 80 tackles in 2016. Appearing in 12 games including 12 starts, Strachan is third on the team with 11.0 tackles-for-loss and led the Eagles with four fumble recoveries. The four fumbles recovered ranked second nationally.
• Strachan played every snap in the win at NIU and finished with a key stop on fourth down to stall a NIU drive. The senior also made his first start at strongside linebacker after playing middle linebacker during his first three years at The Heights.
Sack, Sack, Sack the Quarterback
• Under the direction of defensive coordinator Jim Reid, Boston College tied a school record and finished second in the nation with 47 sacks in 2016.Â
• Reid, who was also the defensive coordinator at BC in 1994, equaled the school record for single-season sacks as his 1994 BC defense also totaled 47 sacks.
• BC returned 69 percent of their sack production in 2017 led by Harold Landry (16.5 sacks in 2016). In all, the Eagles have 32.5 combined sacks returning to the field this season.
• BC snapped a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one sack after not getting a sack in the win at NIU on Sept. 1. The last time previous to NIU when BC went without a sack was Nov. 21, 2014 vs. Notre Dame.
NCAA Team Sacks Leaders (2016)
1. Florida State (ACC) 51 (3.92 per game)
2. Boston College (ACC) 47 (3.62 per game)
3. Alabama (SEC) 54 (3.60 per game)
4. Michigan (Big Ten) 46 (3.54 per game)
5. Texas (Big 12) 41 (3.42 per game)
It All Starts on Defense
• One of head coach Steve Addazio's staples to building the Boston College football program has been to have a top-notch defense. BC finished ninth nationally in total defense in 2016, allowing just 314.2 yards per game.
• The 2016 BC defense ranked on eight top-10 lists nationally, including ninth in total defense (314.2 yards/game), second in sacks (3.62 sacks/game) and 10th in turnovers gained (27).
• In 2015, the Eagles ended the year first in total defense (254.3 yards per game).
• Addazio's 2014 squad finished the season ranked 11th nationally in total defense as the Eagles yielded just 324.2 yards per contest.
First Bowl Win Since 2007
• Boston College earned its first bowl victory since 2007 with a 36-30 victory over Maryland in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 26.
• Boston College is 14-11 all-time in 25 bowl appearances. The last bowl victory prior to the win over Maryland was a 24-21 win over Michigan State on Dec. 28, 2007 in the Champs Sports Bowl.Â
• Boston College's 29 first-half points marked the third-best first half scoring in BC's bowl history.Â
• The defensive line was named Most Outstanding Player in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl. Boston College finished with eight sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss.
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Baker, Moore, Callinan Named 2017 Captains
• Senior center Jon Baker, senior defensive back Kamrin Moore and senior wide receiver Charlie Callinan were voted team captains by their teammates, Boston College head coach Steve Addazio announced. Baker and Moore were named captains in August while Callinan was named a captain prior to the Wake Forest game for the rest of the season.
• Baker entered 2017 with 26 consecutive starts at center, the longest current streak on the team. The Millis, Mass., native was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, an award given annually to the nation's top center. A two-time ACC All-Academic team selection and three-time Athletic Director's award winner for academic achievement, Baker entered the season as one of the top centers in the ACC. Baker played in 36 consecutive games prior to having his season cut short with a knee injury in the season opener.
• Moore entered 2017 after starting all 13 games last season for the Eagles. The District Heights, Md., product recorded 43 tackles a year ago and totaled two interceptions, including the game-winning INT in the road victory at NC State. For his career, Moore has played in 36 games and has made 23 starts over the last 23 games he has played in.
• Joining Baker and Kamrin Moore as a team captain in 2017 will also be senior wide receiver Charlie Callinan. The team voted prior to the season on captains and Callinan recorded the third-highest total of votes and will represent the Eagles as a captain for the rest of the year.Â
Three Bowls in Four Years
• Head coach Steve Addazio joined Jack Bicknell as the only coaches in Boston College history to lead the Eagles to three bowl games in their first four seasons at The Heights. Under Addazio's leadership, BC has won seven games in three of his four seasons in Chestnut Hill and led the Eagles to their first bowl win since 2007 with the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl victory over Maryland.
• During Addazio's tenure, 11 players have been selected in the NFL Draft, including two members of last season's team (John Johnson, Third round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft and Matt Milano, Fifth round pick of the Buffalo Bills).
Up/Down
• The following coaches are in the press box during the game for Boston College:
Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler
Defensive coordinator Jim Reid
• The following coaches are on the sideline during the game:
Special teams coordinator/SLB coach Ricky Brown
Offensive line coach Justin Frye
Defensive backs coach Anthony Campanile
Tight ends coach Frank Leonard
Wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell
Defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni
Running backs coach Brian White
Heading Into 2017
• Boston College entered 2017 with off-season momentum after the Eagles earned their first bowl win since 2007 with a 36-30 victory over Maryland in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl.
• The Eagles won their final three games of the 2016 season and return 46 letterwinners and 17 starters in 2017.Â
Welcome to The Heights
• Martin Jarmond was named the William V. Campbell Director of Athletics on April 24, 2017, becoming the eighth athletic director in Boston College history. At 37, Jarmond became the youngest athletic director of a Power Five conference institution in Division 1 athletics.
• Jarmond, who has more than 15 years of experience in the Big Ten, came from The Ohio State University where he served as the Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief of Staff to Buckeyes' athletic director Gene Smith. Jarmond spent eight years in Columbus after spending seven at Michigan State.
• A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Jarmond graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in communication studies. He was a two-time captain of the basketball team, earned All-CAA Academic honors and helped the Seahawks gain their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2000. He earned both an MBA (2002) and a master's in sports administration (2003) from Ohio University.
• Jarmond and Harold Landry are both graduates of Pine Forest High School in North Carolina.
