Week Seven Notes: The Louisville Game

October 08, 2018 | Football

It's Homecoming at the Heights Saturday vs. the Cards

By: Athletic Communications

Boston College Game Notes in PDF Format

• Boston College looks to keep its perfect home record in place as the Eagles host Louisville on Homecoming at the Heights.
• The game will be broadcast by ACC Network Regional Sports Networks around the conference television footprint (NESN locally). Wes Durham, James Bates and Rebecca Kaple have the call.
• Coverage on the Boston College IMG Sports Network begins at noon 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 133, XM channel 194 and Sirius/XM internet channel 956.
• The Eagles look to bounce back from a tough 28-23 setback at No. 23 NC State last Saturday. The Eagles scored the game's final 20 points over the final 17 minutes of the game.
• Louisville looks for its first ACC win of the year after dropping a 66-31 decision at home to Georgia Tech last Friday night.
• Boston College and Louisville meet for the 11th time in series history Saturday.
• BC is 4-6 all-time against the Cardinals, including a record of 2-3 at Alumni Stadium. Under head coach Steve Addazio, the Eagles are 1-3.
• Last season, BC captured a 45-42 win in the Derby City.
• AJ Dillon led the Eagles offense with a career-high four touchdowns and finished with a career-high 272 yards as Boston College upset Louisville.
• Hamp Cheevers stripped a Louisville receiver and Kamrin Moore recovered the fumble to give the Eagles the ball at the Louisville 39-yard line. A series of Dillon rushes gave BC strong field position with three seconds left to play. Junior kicker Colton Lichtenberg converted the game-winning 27-yard field goal as time expired.
• BC scored a season-high 45 points and rushed for 364 yards on the ground. This was the first time the Eagles defeated Louisville since 1994.
• Boston College looks to move to 4-0 at home for the first time since starting the year 6-0 at Alumni Stadium in 2009.
• Head coach Steve Addazio is in his sixth season at the Heights (35-35) and has guided the Eagles to four bowl appearances in five seasons.
• Boston College's 239 points through six games are the second-most in program history in the first six games of a season. The Sugar Bowl team of 1940 scored 240 points through six games to start the season.
• BC opened the 2018 season with 40+ points in its first three games, the first time in 120 seasons of football at the Heights the Eagles scored 40+ in the first three games.
• For the first time since 2008, Boston College returned to the Top 25 in both polls following the win at Wake Forest. The Eagles dropped out of the national rankings following the 30-13 setback at Purdue on Sept. 22.

Closer Look at AJ Dillon in the Starting Lineup
• In 13 games since AJ Dillon has been the starter at running back on Oct. 14, 2017 at Louisville, Boston College is 9-4 overall and has averaged:

36.5 points per game
250.2 rushing yards per game
195.5 passing yards per game
445.7 total offense yards per game
1,908 rushing yards by Dillon
159.0 rushing yards per game by Dillon
18 rushing touchdowns by Dillon
10 100-yard rushing games by Dillon

• BC is 30th nationally with 445.7 yards of total offense per game since Dillon became the starter.
• BC is 20th nationally with 36.5 points per game during the time span with Dillon as the starter.
• Since Oct. 14, 2017, Dillon leads all players nationally with 159.0 rushing yards per game and is second with 1,908 rushing yards.

Rushing Leaders (Oct. 14, 2017 – Oct. 6, 2018)
Player, School Yards   Avg.     TD        YPG
1. AJ Dillon, BC           1,908   6.0       18        159.0
2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisc.         2,059   6.3       12        147.1
3. Devin Singletary, FAU 1,861   5.7       35        132.9

Benny the Jet
• Redshirt sophomore running back Ben Glines made his first career start at running back for the Eagles at No. 23 NC State. Glines finished the day with 90 yards on 16 carries, including a 21-yard touchdown run. Glines finished with two touchdowns on the day as he hauled in an 11-yard touchdown reception as well.
• Glines rushed for a career-high 120 and a touchdown the previous game against Temple after Dillon left the game with an ankle injury.
• For the season, Glines is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and is second on the team with 265 yards rushing. He has also caught seven passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver.

Block Party
• Boston College blocked a field goal and a punt at No. 23 NC State on Oct. 6. Kevin Bletzer blocked his first career field goal - the first blocked field goal for Boston College since Connor Wujciak at Virginia Tech on Nov. 1, 2014.
• In the fourth quarter, redshirt sophomore safety Michael Palmer blocked an NC State punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by sophomore running back Travis Levy. It was the first punt blocked by BC since Matt Milano vs. Buffalo (10/1/16) and the first returned for a TD since Elijah Robinson's scoop-and-score vs. Louisville (10/24/15).

Select Company
• Anthony Brown threw for a career-high 304 yards and five touchdowns on 16-for-25 passing in the 41-34 win at Wake Forest on Sept. 13. The New Jersey native is one of two Boston College quarterbacks in school history to have thrown five or more touchdowns in a game without an interception. Doug Flutie threw for 354 yards and 6 TDs without a pick in 1984 at home vs. North Carolina.
• Brown became the first BC quarterback to throw for over 300 yards and five TDs in a game since Matt Ryan vs. Wake Forest (9/1/07). It was the first 300-yard passing performance by an Eagle since Chase Rettig vs. Wake Forest (11/3/12).

Unforgettable, That's What You Are
• The Walter Camp Football Foundation announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, presented by Generation UCAN, for games ending September 15.
• Senior defensive end Wyatt Ray was the sixth Boston College player to earn Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors since 2004, joining current teammate AJ Dillon, who was recognized on Oct. 15, 2017.
• Ray set a school single-game record with four quarterback sacks as BC earned a 41-34 victory over ACC-rival Wake Forest. Ray also recorded a career-best eight tackles and had one quarterback hurry as the Eagles' improved to 3-0, their best start to a season since 2007.
• Ray is 22nd nationally and fifth in the ACC with 5.5 sacks on the season.
• Ray comes from a family full of recording artists. His grandfather was Nat King Cole and his aunt is Natalie Cole.

Watch Out for Walker
• Michael Walker showed again at Purdue on Sept. 22 why he is one of the nation's most dangerous kick and punt returners. Walker finished tied for second in BC history with 213 kickoff return yards against the Boilermakers.

BC Single-Game Kickoff Return Yard Leaders
Yards Name (Year)     Opponent
214      Dave Bennett (1968)    Army
213      Michael Walker (2018) Purdue
213      Jeff Smith (2006)          Clemson

• Walker is 18th nationally and leads the ACC with 27.4 yards per kickoff return.
• In punt returns, Walker was fourth nationally with 354 punt return yards in 2017. This season, he is 17th nationally with 13.1 yards per return.
• For the second straight year, Walker leads the nation in combined kick and punt return yards (571 yards).
• Against Central Michigan last year, 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.
• Walker returned four kicks for 95 yards at No. 23 NC State on Oct. 6. He moved up two spots to second all-time at BC with 87 career kickoff returns. He added a season-high 72 receiving yards on three catches, including a long of 46.

BC Single-Game Punt Return Yard Leaders
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

BC Career Kickoff Return Yardage Leaders
Yards Name Years
2,700   Will Blackmon   2002-05
2,197   Michael Walker           2015-present
2,082   Myles Willis       2013-16

BC Career Kickoff Return Leaders
KR       Name Years
110      Will Blackmon   2002-05
87        Michael Walker           2015-present
86        Tim Frager        1987-90

Offensive Explosion
• Boston College has scored at least 40 points in an ACC game five times. Four of those five are in BC's past seven conference games.
• The Eagles joined the ACC in 2005, and the other game of 40+ points was 2009 against NC State.
• Over the last 13 games, BC has eclipsed the 500-yard mark in total offense six times.
• Boston College rolled up 598 yards of total offense in the 55-21 victory against UMass on Sept. 1. The Eagles topped that mark with 610 yards of total offense in the 62-14 victory over Holy Cross on Sept. 8.
• BC went over 500 yards of total offense for the 10th time under head coach Steve Addazio in the victory at Wake Forest. The Eagles finished the 41-34 win over the Deacs with 524 yards of total offense.

500+ Yards of Total Offense During Addazio Era
1. 610 Holy Cross (9/8/18)
2. 598 UMass (9/1/18)
3. 581 at Syracuse (11/25/17)
4. 555 at Louisville (10/14/17)
5. 550 at New Mexico State (11/9/13)
6. 524 at Wake Forest (9/13/18)
7. 523 Army (10/5/13)
8. 512 at Virginia (10/21/17)
9. 511 UMass (8/30/14)
10. 506            No. 9 Southern California (9/13/14)

No. 13 Nationally in Passing Efficiency
• Boston College leads the ACC and ranks 13th nationally in passing efficiency in 2018. Starting quarterback Anthony Brown along with backups EJ Perry and Matt McDonald have been sensational so far this season.
• BC is tied for eighth nationally with 18 touchdown passes in 2018.
• Brown is 75-of-133 passing for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2018. He has completed 56.4% of his passes.
• Perry is 15-of-18 passing for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Andover, Mass., native is completed 83.3 percent of his passes.
• McDonald is 7-of-8 through the air for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Chunk Plays
• Boston College is tied for 12th nationally and is tied for the ACC lead with 38 plays of 20+ yards in 2018.
• Last season, BC was 70th nationally with 57 plays of 20+ yards in 13 games. In 2016, the Eagles were 121st nationally with 42 plays of 20+ yards over the 13-game season.
• On the ground, BC has three runs of 50+ yards in 2018, tied for the 11th-most in the country.

What Can Brown Do for You?
• Anthony Brown finished with the best single-game passer rating (245.9) by a BC QB dating back to the 1996 season with his performance against UMass in the season-opener. He finished 15-of-21 passing for 279 yards and four touchdowns. The yards and TD passes were then career-highs for the New Jersey native.
• Brown finished with the second-best single-game passer rating in the 41-34 win at Wake Forest. Brown became the first BC quarterback to throw for over 300 yards and five TDs in a game at Wake Forest (9/13/18) since Matt Ryan vs. Wake Forest (9/1/07). It was the first 300-yard passing performance by an Eagle since Chase Rettig vs. Wake Forest (11/3/12).
• Brown was named the ACC Quarterback of the Week for his performance in the win at Wake. In addition, he was one of eight quarterbacks nationally recognized by the Davey O'Brien Award and The Manning Award for his play in the win at Wake.
• In 2017, Brown was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the first time in his career following the UVA victory and also was one of eight quarterbacks nationally recognized by The Manning Award as its "Stars of the Week."
• He was the first Boston College player with three passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in a conference game since Quinton Porter in 2003 in the 41-10 victory at UVA.
• It marked the third-best single-game passer rating by a BC quarterback since 1996 at the time. The performance now ranks fourth since 1996.
• Brown was the second freshman in BC history to start a season opener under center in the Sept. 1, 2017 win at Northern Illinois. He is the only freshman quarterback in school history who started to win a season opener on the road.

Single-Game Passer Rating Leaders (since 1996)
Player Passer Rating
1. Anthony Brown (9/1/18) vs. UMass 245.9
            15-of-21, 279 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
2. Anthony Brown (9/13/18) at Wake Forest   232.1
            16-of-25, 304 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
3. Quinton Porter (10/11/03) vs. Temple           224.1
            18-of-24, 308 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
4. Anthony Brown (10/21/17) vs. Virginia       216.7
            19-of-24, 275 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
5. Tim Hasselbeck (9/9/00) vs. Army     216.2
            14-of-21, 256 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Notes to Remember
• Boston College finished the 2017 regular season winning five of its last seven games as the Eagles closed out a 7-6 season and 4-4 mark in the ACC.
• BC was one of 21 teams nationally - and just one of 13 teams from Power Five conferences - to win at least five of the final six games of the regular season.
• Boston College was just one of two bowl teams nationally to play 10 teams who qualified for a bowl in 2017.
• Only Clemson (6-0) and Boston College (5-1) won at least five of their last six in the regular season among ACC schools.
• Head coach Steve Addazio has led the Eagles to four bowls in his first five years, the first head coach in BC history to do so.
• The Eagles return ACC Rookie of the Year AJ Dillon, the nation's second-leading rusher among freshmen and the country's No. 7 overall rusher with 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns.
• Dillon was BC's first ACC Rookie of the Year. He had 1,099 rushing yards over the last six regular season games, the most of any player in the country.
• Dillon's 1,589 rushing yards were the second-most by any ACC freshman in conference history.
• Dillon tied for the most All-ACC votes with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. Dillon had four games of 190+ yards of rushing in 2017.
• Boston College had nine players earn All-ACC honors, tied for the most in school history. Seven of the nine All-ACC selections return in 2018.
• Over the last six regular season games, BC averaged 36 points per game and outscored the opposition by 19 points per contest including wins over Florida State (35-3), at Louisville (45-42) and at Virginia (41-10).
• Boston College was third nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2017.
• Boston College was 12th nationally in interceptions (18) in 2017.
• BC scored 35+ points in three consecutive games for the first time since 2002.
• BC scored 40+ points in consecutive conference games once in school history in the BIG EAST and ACC (this season).
• 500+ yards of total offense in consecutive games against Louisville and Virginia was also a first in ACC history for BC.
• Boston College's rushing offense was the most improved unit of any Power 5 school in yards per carry (96th to 25th).
• Boston College was 12th nationally and was second in the ACC in sacks allowed in 2017.
• Boston College was 18th nationally in total plays in 2017. In 2016, the Eagles ranked 94th nationally in total plays.
• Lukas Denis was tied for second nationally with seven interceptions in 2017.

100-yard Games Piling Up
• AJ Dillon has just 12 career starts, but he has 11 career 100-yard games already at Boston College in 18 games played.
• He is already tied for eighth in BC history with 11 career 100-yard games.

Dillon Named ACC Preseason Player of the Year
• AJ Dillon returns as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year after a record-setting freshman campaign in 2017.
• Dillon's 1,589 yards rushing last season were the second-most by any freshman in ACC history. The New London, Connecticut, native ranked second nationally among all freshmen in rushing in 2017 and seventh among all players. Dillon set the Boston College freshman rushing record while posting the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
• Dillon received 45 votes in this year's ACC Preseason Player of the Year balloting to edge Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins by three votes. NC State quarterback Ryan Finley placed third with 37 votes, and Florida State running back Cam Akers followed with 13.

Second in ACC History
• AJ Dillon became the 12th freshman in ACC history to run for 1,000 yards in a season after his 196-yard performance against No. 23 NC State on Nov. 11, 2017. He finished 2017 second in ACC history with 1,589 rushing yards by a freshman.

ACC Freshman Rushing Yards Leaders
1. Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech (2009) 1,655
2. AJ Dillon, Boston College (2017)    1,589
3. Darren Evans, Virginia Tech (2008) 1,265
4. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (2011)        1,253
5. Amos Lawrence, North Carolina (1977)        1,211

• Dillon was the first BC player to rush for over 1,000 yards since graduate quarterback Tyler Murphy accumulated 1,184 in 2014.

BC Single-Season Rushing Yards Leaders
1. Andre Williams (2013)           2,177
2. Mike Cloud (1998)    1,726
3. Derrick Knight (2003)            1,721
4. AJ Dillon (2017)      1,589
5. William Green (2001)            1,559

BC Single-Game Rushing Leaders
1.         Andre Williams (339 vs. NC State)        11/16/13
2.         Andre Williams (295 at New Mexico State)        11/9/13
3.         AJ Dillon (272 at Louisville)   10/14/17
4.         Montel Harris (264 vs. NC State)           10/17/09

BC Single-Game Rushing Attempt Leaders
1. Andre Williams (42 vs. NC State)      11/16/13
Andre Williams (42 at Syracuse)           11/27/10
3. Montel Harris (41 vs. Maryland)         11/28/09
Fred Willis (41 vs. Pitt) 11/14/70
5. AJ Dillon (39 at Louisville) 10/14/17
Rolandan Finch (39 vs. Maryland)        10/29/11
Jim Bell (39 vs. Tennessee)      10/31/87

BC vs. 2018 Opponents
• Boston College is 174-167-6 all-time against its 2018 opponents. The Eagles own winning records against UMass, Holy Cross, Wake Forest, Temple and NC State.

UMass 22-5
Holy Cross        49-31-3
Wake Forest     14-10-2
Purdue 0-1
Temple 29-7-2
NC State          9-7
Louisville          4-6
Miami   5-24
Virginia Tech    8-18
Clemson           9-16-2
Florida State    5-11
Syracuse          20-31

Cap and Gown
• Five members of the 2018 Boston College Football team have already earned their undergraduate degree from BC: Center Jon Baker (marketing), linebacker Kevin Bletzer (communication), offensive lineman Sam Schmal (marketing), linebacker Connor Strachan (finance) and tight end Tommy Sweeney (marketing).

Look Out for Lukas
• Lukas Denis made a flawless transition from cornerback to free safety in 2017. The Everett native tied for second nationally with seven interceptions last year.
• He is the only player in the country over the last decade to total at least 80 tackles, seven interceptions, 10 pass breakups and two forced fumbles in a single-season.
• Denis ended the season earning Walter Camp Football Foundation Second-Team All-America honors and was an All-ACC selection for the first time in his career.
• Denis also tied for 12th nationally with 17 passes defended in 2017.
• Denis started the 2018 season with his ninth career interception - and first pick-six - with a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown against UMass.

The Nation's Most Complete Defensive Lineman
• Boston College defensive end Zach Allen has quietly become the most complete defensive lineman in the nation.
• Allen, a Preseason All-America selection, was one of two defensive linemen nationally in 2017 that recorded 100 or more tackles.
• An All-ACC honorable mention pick last year, Allen finished the season with 100 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.0 sacks. The 15.5 TFLs ranked Allen in the top-10 in BC single-season history.
• Allen recorded a career-high 14 tackles, leading all players, in the Oct. 7, 2017 game against No. 16 Virginia Tech. He notched a career-high three tackles for loss and one sack on the night. He was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts in the Virginia Tech game.
• In the 45-35 win over Temple on Sept. 29, Allen was practically unblockable. The Connecticut native led BC with eight tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He also broke up two passes and was credited with one quarterback hurry.

Pound the Rock
• For the 13th time under Steve Addazio, Boston College rushed for 300 yards or more in the Sept. 8 win against Holy Cross. BC finished with a season-best 365 yards rushing vs. the Crusaders.
• Under Addazio, BC is 13-0 when rushing for 300+ yards in a game.
• The Eagles rank 27th nationally with 222.8 rushing yards per game in 2018.

300+ Rushing Yards During Addazio Era
1. 452 No. 9 Southern California (9/13/14)
2. 420 NC State (11/1613)
3. 413 Maine (9/20/14)
4. 365 Holy Cross (9/8/18)
5. 364 at Louisville (10/14/17)
6. 347 Howard (9/12/15)
7. 338 UMass (8/30/14)
8. 333 at Syracuse (11/25/17)
9. 330 at UConn (11/18/17)
10. 320 at New Mexico State (11/9/13)
11. 320 Army (10/5/13)
12. 310 at NC State (10/11/14)
13. 300 Wagner (9/24/16)

Famous Bloodlines
• Boston College has several players with famous bloodlines on the 2018 roster:

Javian Dayne   Son of Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne
AJ Dillon           Grandson of CFB Hall of Fame WR Thom Gatewood
Tate Haynes    Son of NFL Hall of Fame DB Mike Haynes
Tito Pasqualoni            Son of Lions DC Paul Pasqualoni
Wyatt Ray        Grandson of Nat King Cole
John Tessitore Son of ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore
Tyler Vrabel      Son of Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

Lindstrom Leads Stout BC O-Line
• Boston College returns all five starters on the offensive line along with the return of center Jon Baker from injury in 2018.
• Phil Steele's Magazine ranked the BC offensive line as the sixth-best unit.
• BC is second nationally with 139 career combined starts returning on the offensive line entering the 2018 season.
• Chris Lindstrom headlines the returners up front for the Eagles. A preseason All-American by Athlon Magazine, Lindstrom returns as one of the ACC's top offensive linemen in 2018.
• Lindstrom graded out as BC's best offensive lineman a year ago en route to All-ACC second-team honors. The Dudley, Mass., product has 40 career starts under his belt and was named the ACC's Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 3.

Career Offensive Line Returning Starts (Entering 2018)
Team   Career OL Starts
1. Wisconsin     150
2. Boston College       139
3. Wake Forest 131
4. FIU   129
5. Indiana        126

Scouting the Cardinals
• Louisville is 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the ACC. The Cardinals own wins over Indiana State (31-7) and Western Kentucky (20-17) while losing to No. 1 Alabama (51-14), at Virginia (27-3), vs. Florida State (28-24) and vs. Georgia Tech (66-31).
• Louisville ranks 115th nationally in total offense (340.2 yards per game), 112th in rushing offense (118.8 yards per game) and 79th in passing offense (221.3 yards per game. The Cardinals rank 120th in the country in scoring with 20.5 points per game on offense.
• On defense, Louisville is 93rd nationally in total defense (413.8 yards per game). The Cardinals are allowing 32.7 points per contest, 98th nationally. Against the run, Louisville is allowing 231.0 yards per game (118th nationally). Through the air, Louisville's opponents are averaging 182.8 yards per game, 27th nationally.

Baker, Harris Named 2018 Captains
• Graduate center Jon Baker and senior defensive back Will Harris were voted team captains by their teammates, Boston College head coach Steve Addazio announced in August.

Sweeney Continues to Climb
• Tommy Sweeney is among the top 10 in school history for career receptions by a tight end at Boston College.
• The Don Bosco Prep product had just one scholarship offer at the FBS level coming out of high school in Boston College. His lone other offer was from FCS member Delaware.
• He is one of seven tight ends in school history with 1,000 or more career receiving yards.
• A three-year starter, Sweeney was named to the All-ACC third-team in 2017.

Tight End Receptions Leaders at BC
Name   Years Rec.     Yards TD
Pete Mitchell    1991-94           190      2,388   20
Mark Chmura    1987-91           164      2,046   11
Scott Gieselman           1982-85           120      1,485   10
Ryan Purvis      2005-08           113      1,121   6
Chris Pantale   2009-12           98        986      7
Scott Nizolek    1979-82           83        1,335   7
Tom Sweeney 2015-18           79        1,056   10
Tim Sherwin     1977-80           78        1,055   3
Todd Pollack    1994-97           77        743      8
Sean Ryan       2000-03           75        950      12

This Week's TV Clearances
• Saturday's game will air on ACC Network Regional Sports Networks across the conference's television footprint. The game is available locally on NESN and in the following television markets:

AT&T Sportsnet Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Rocky Mountain
FOX Sports Arizona, Detroit, Florida, Midwest, North, Prime Ticket, San Diego, South, Southwest, Wisconsin
NBC Sports Washington
NESN
SportsTime Ohio
YES Network