Week 10 Notes: The Florida State Game

Boston College closes out its home portion of the 2019 schedule with Senior Day against Florida State on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. with live coverage on ACC Network. Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Eric Wood (field analyst) have the call. Coverage on the Boston College Learfield IMG Sports Network begins at 1:30 a.m. with Jon Meterparel, Pete Cronan and Scott Mutryn. Fans can listen to the game locally on WEEI 93.7 FM, nationally on TuneIn and on Sirius channel 134, XM channel 193 and online via SiriusXM channel 955.

Boston College put together a historic performance in the 58-27 rout of rival Syracuse last week inside the Carrier Dome. Florida State lost 27-10 to rival Miami at home last Saturday in Tallahassee. On Sunday, the Seminoles announced Willie Taggart's contract has been terminated effective immediately. Odell Haggins, who is in his 26^th season on FSU's coaching staff, has been asked to serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

The Series
• Boston College and Florida State meet for the 18th time in series history Saturday at Alumni Stadium. The Seminoles lead the all-time series, 12-5.
• In ACC play, FSU leads the series 11-4 as the Seminoles were the first ACC opponent for the Eagles in 2005. Florida State won the 2005 matchup 28-17 at Alumni Stadium.
• The series between the two schools began in 1957 in Chestnut Hill as the Eagles came away with a 20-7 victory.
• FSU had won seven straight in the series before BC's 35-3 win in Chestnut Hill in 2017. It was the largest margin of victory for BC in the series and the most points they have ever scored in a game against the Seminoles.
• BC's longest win streak in the series is two games - a 27-17 victory in 2008 and the 28-21 win in 2009. The Eagles have only scored 30-plus points twice in series history against FSU - 34 in 2013 and 2017's 35 points.

Red Bandanna Game
• Boston College will recognize the family of Welles Crowther, a former BC lacrosse player, during the game against Florida State in BC's annual Red Bandanna Game.
• Crowther is known as the "Man in the Red Bandanna" after he saved over a dozen lives in the South Tower during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He wore a red bandanna, which he carried with him and wore during his playing days at The Heights, to protect himself from the smoke and dust.
• BC is distributing red bandannas for fans to wear at Alumni Stadium prior to the game.
• The Eagles will wear special Under Armour uniforms for Saturday's game featuring red bandanna accents on their helmets, gloves, socks and cleats.
• BC will also honor its 2019 senior class prior to the game on Senior Day along with the jersey retirement of consensus All-America tight end Pete Mitchell at halftime.
• The 1984 Cotton Bowl team will also be recognized on the field during the game against the Seminoles.

Record-Breaking Win
• Boston College finished with the most yards gained in a single game in 121 seasons of football as the Eagles rolled to a 58-27 victory at Syracuse on Nov. 2.
• BC's 496 rushing yards were the most by a team in a FBS vs. FBS game this season. Middle Tennessee's 471 yards were the previous high against FIU last week.
• Boston College finished with a school record 691 yards of offense. The previous record for a single-game was 656 versus Penn State in 1982.
• BC's 58 points were the most in school history in an ACC game. The previous record was 52 in the win against NC State in 2009.
• BC's 58 points are the most in 53 all-time meetings against Syracuse. The record was 42, set in the last visit to the Carrier Dome in 2017.
• Boston College finished with 496 rushing yards, the most ever in a conference game (BIG EAST or ACC).
• Syracuse allowed a school-record 496 yards rushing on 65 attempts against the Eagles. The previous Syracuse
opposing team rushing record was 457 yards by West Virginia in 2006.

AJ Dillon By The Numbers
• Dillon became Boston College's all-time leading rusher with 76 yards rushing at No. 2 Clemson. Dillon broke the record with a 10-yard carry in the third quarter to move past Andre Williams into the top spot in BC history.
• One of the most impressive aspects of Dillon breaking the BC career rushing record? It took Andre Williams 44 games to total the previous record of 3,739 yards rushing. Dillon set the new school record in just his 31st career game.
• Dillon broke the all-time BC rushing record in just three seasons. He became the first player in BC history to run for 1,000+ yards in each of his first three seasons at the Heights.
• Dillon finished with 242 yards rushing, the ninth-best single-game total in Boston College history, in the 58-27 win at Syracuse on Nov. 2. It was the fourth 200-yard game of his career.
• Dillon became Boston College's all-time leader with 35 rushing touchdowns as he scored on a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter against the Orange. He entered the game tied with Keith Barnette (1973-75) with 34 rushing touchdowns. Dillon ended the day with three touchdowns to up his career total to 37 rushing scores.
• Dillon became BC's all-time leader in total touchdowns with his 37th career score on the 51-yard run. Dillon now has 37 rushing touchdowns and two touchdown receptions in his career. He was tied with William Green and Troy Stradford entering the day.
• Dillon pushed his career total to 3,983 rushing yards, which moved him to ninth in ACC history.
• Dillon is second nationally in rushing yards (1,286) and rushing yards per game (142.9) in 2019.
• Dillon is also third nationally with 158.2 yards per game from scrimmage in 2019.
• With one more 100-yard rushing game, Dillon would move into the top 10 in ACC history in career 100-yard rushing games.
• Dillon is 620 yards away from setting the ACC record for career rushing yards.
ACC Career Rushing Leaders
Player (Years) Yards
1. Ted Brown, NC State (1975-78) 4,602
2. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (2014-16) 4,464
3. Amos Lawrence, North Carolina (1977-80) 4,391
4. LaMont Jordan, Maryland (1997-00) 4,147
5. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-17) 4,132
6. Robert Lavette, Georgia Tech (1981-84) 4,066
7. Chris Barclay, Wake Forest (2002-05) 4,032
8. Thomas Jones, Virginia (1996-99) 3,998
9. AJ Dillon, Boston College (2017-present) 3,983
ACC Career 200-Yard Rushing Games
Player (Years) Games
1. Thomas Jones, Virginia (1996-99) 6
2. Andre Williams, Boston College (2010-13) 5
3. AJ Dillon, Boston College (2017-present) 4
James Connor, Pitt (2013-14, 16) 4

Closer Look at AJ Dillon in the Starting Lineup
• In 28 games since AJ Dillon was named the starter at running back on Oct. 14, 2017 at Louisville, Boston College has averaged:
33.1 points per game
240.2 rushing yards per game
198.1 passing yards per game
438.3 total offense yards per game
3,650 rushing yards by Dillon
140.4 rushing yards per game by Dillon
35 rushing touchdowns by Dillon
17 100-yard rushing games by Dillon
• Dillon missed the games at No. 23 NC State and vs. Louisville with an ankle injury in 2018.
• Since Oct. 14, 2017, Dillon is second nationally with 140.4 rushing yards per game and 3,650 rushing yards. Only Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor has averaged more rushing yards per game during that time span (147.1 rushing yards per game).

Among the Nation's Best
• AJ Dillon is third nationally and leads the ACC with 3,983 career rushing yards. Among the top 10 active career rushing leaders, Dillon has played in the fewest amount of games.
NCAA Active Career Rushing Leaders
Player, School Yards (Games Played)
1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin 5,180 (35)
2. Walter Fletcher, Ball State 4,300 (40)
3. AJ Dillon, Boston College 3,983 (32)
NCAA Active Career Rushing Yards Per Game Leaders
Player, School Yards Per Game
1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin 148.0
2. AJ Dillon, Boston College 124.5

100-Yard Games Piling Up
• In 26 career starts, AJ Dillon has 18 career 100-yard games at Boston College in 32 games played.
• He is tied for second in BC history with 18 career 100-yard games. BC is 12-6 when Dillon rushes for 100+
yards in a game.
Boston College Career 100-Yard Rushing Games
Player (Years) Games
1. Montel Harris (2008-11) 22
2. AJ Dillon (2017-present) 18
Derrick Knight (2000-03) 18
Mike Cloud (1995-98) 18
ACC Career 100-Yard Rushing Games
Player (Years) Games
1. Ted Brown, NC State (1975-78) 27
2. Amos Lawrence, North Carolina (1977-80) 23
Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-17) 23
4. Montel Harris, Boston College (2008-11) 22
5. Warrick Dunn, Florida State (1993-96) 21
Dalvin Cook, Florida State (2014-16) 21
7. Joe McIntosh, NC State (1981-84) 20
8. Tiki Barber, Virginia (1993-96) 19
9. AJ Dillon, Boston College (2017-present) 18

"The Buffalo Boys" Are The Nation's Best 1-2 RB Duo
• Boston College features two of the most physical running backs in the country - 250-pound AJ Dillon and 240-pound David Bailey. The "Buffalo Boys" are first nationally with 1,984 combined rushing yards in 2019 for a pair of running backs. Only Oklahoma State's duo of RB Chuba Hubbard and QB Spencer Sanders (2,192) have more combined rushing yards.
• Dillon and Bailey became the first two running backs in school history to run for 180+ yards in the same game in BC's 45-24 victory over NC State. Dillon finished with 223 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Bailey added 181 yards rushing and two scores against the Wolfpack.
• The Buffalo Boys were the first BC teammates to rush for over 100 yards in the same game since Bailey (102) and Ben Glines (107) did so vs. Louisville on Oct. 13, 2018.
• Dillon and Bailey combined for 414 yards and five touchdowns in the 58-27 win at Syracuse on Nov. 2. Dillon totaled 242 yards and three scores while Bailey ripped off 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Orange.
• Prior to this season, the last time two Boston College running backs gained at least 150 yards on the ground in the same game: Oct. 18, 1997 in a 45-44 home loss to Miami. Omari Walker (185) and Mike Cloud (157).

Offensive Explosion
• Boston College scored 44 points and totaled 484 yards of offense in the first half of the 58-27 win at Syracuse. It marked the most points and total yards in a half for the Eagles in an ACC game. The 44 points scored were the most by any ACC team in the first half in 2019 and the 484 yards were the third-most by any FBS team in the first half in 2019.
Most Points Scored in Any Half - Since 1996
62 9/12/15 vs. Howard (FCS) 1st Half, 62-0
48 9/1/18 vs. Massachusetts 1st Half, 48-7
44 11/2/19 at Syracuse 1st Half, 44-20
42 12/26/02 vs. Toledo 1st Half, 42-18
Most Total Yards in Any Half - Since 2012
11/2/19 at Syracuse 484 (1st)
9/1/18 vs. Massachusetts 455 (1st)
9/7/19 vs. Richmond 374 (1st)
10/14/17 at Louisville 361 (2nd)

First Half Fireworks
• Boston College has been explosive in the first half in 2019 on offense. BC has totaled 218 points in the first half, an average of 24.2 per game in the first 30 minutes of play.
• The Eagles have scored touchdowns on their first possession in three games this season (Richmond, Kansas, Rutgers).

Max Effort
• Max Richardson is fourth in the ACC and ranks 23rd nationally with 9.7 tackles per game in 2019. He leads BC with 87 total tackles, 59 solo stops, 13.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 3.5 sacks.
• Richardson is third nationally with 59 solo tackles this season.
• The Georgia native is 11th nationally with 13.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2019.
NCAA Solo Tackles Leaders
1. Evan Weaver, California 69
2. Nate Landman, Colorado 68
3. Max Richardson, Boston College 59

Big Game Hunter
• Redshirt sophomore tight end Hunter Long is quietly developing into one of the best tight ends in the ACC. Long leads the Eagles in receptions (21), receiving yards (411) and leads the team averaging 19.6 yards per reception.
• Long leads all tight ends nationally with 19.6 yards per reception.
• He is part of a talented tight end room for Boston College that features three of the team's leading five receivers.
NCAA Tight End Receiving Yards Leaders (Power 5 schools)
1. Hunter Bryant, Washington 557
2. Brevin Jordan, Miami 495
3. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State 486
4. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue 538
5. Kyle Pitts, Florida 469
6. Hunter Long, Boston College 411

Flowers in Full Bloom
• Zay Flowers wowed coaches and teammates from the first practice of preseason camp in August. It took the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native just three minutes into his first collegiate game to show the college football world his potential as well.
• Flowers ignited a BC offense that scored 28 first-half points in a 35-28 win over Virginia Tech.
• On BC's first scoring drive, Flowers started the drive with a 16-yard rush and ended the drive with a 33-yard touchdown reception. The 33-yard touchdown was Flowers' first career reception for the Eagles.
• He also added a 58-yard reception against the Hokies to finish with two receptions for 91 yards. He led BC with 116 all-purpose yards.
• The Eagles scored the second-most points in series history (28 games) against the Hokies. Only the 1993 BC team scored more against a Virginia Tech defense in a 48-34 victory.
• Flowers is averaging 8.7 yards per carry in 2019 (192 yards on 22 rushing attempts) and 18.3 yards per reception (17 receptions for 311 yards and three touchdowns).

Big-Play Passing Offense
• Boston College is tied for sixth nationally with eight pass plays of 50+ yards in 2019.
• In 2018, BC had just three pass plays of 50 yards or more the entire season.
• Going back to 2014, the Eagles have just five total passing plays covering more than 50 yards.
• Steve Addazio's first season marked the largest total of 50-yard pass plays as BC connected on eight passes of 50 yards or more.

Chunk Plays
• Boston College is first in the ACC with 28 plays of 30+ yards in 2019.
• The Eagles are tied for ninth nationally with 28 plays covering 30 yards or more.

Dennis the Menace
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Dennis Grosel turned in the best performance of his young career in the 58-27 win at Syracuse.
• Grosel was the first BC quarterback to throw two TD passes of 50 yards or more since Matt Ryan (2007) with scoring strikes of 64 yards and 50 yards at Syracuse.
• Grosel completed 8 of 10 attempts for 193 yards (19.3 ypa), 3 TDs, 0 INTs and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
• Versus pressure against the Orange, Grosel went 5 for 6 for 170 yards (28.3 ypa), 2 TDs and 0 INTs. Grosel's
overall grade from Pro Football Focus of 92.5 ranked first among QBs in the ACC for the week and second overall in the nation among QBs with at least 10 attempts.
• Grosel's 19.3 yards per attempt were the most for an FBS QB in week 10 with at least 10 attempts.

Scouting Florida State
• Florida State Director of Athletics David Coburn announced Sunday that head coach Willie Taggart's contract
had been terminated effective immediately.
• Odell Haggins, who is in his 26th season on FSU's coaching staff, has been asked to serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Haggins served in the same capacity for the Seminoles' final two games of the 2017 season following the departure of Jimbo Fisher.
• The Seminoles are 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the ACC after last week's 27-10 loss at home to Miami. Florida State owns wins over Louisiana-Monroe (45-44 OT), Louisville (35-24), NC State (31-13) and Syracuse (35-17) while losing to Boise State (36-31), No. 25 Virginia (31-24), No. 2 Clemson (45-14), at Wake Forest (22-20) along with the loss to the Hurricanes.
• Florida State averages 28.8 points per game, 77^th nationally. FSU is 80th in the country in total offense (393.2 ypg), 37th in passing offense (265.4 ypg) and 108th nationally in rushing offense (127.8 ypg).
• On defense, FSU ranks 100th nationally in total defense (434.1 ypg), 79th in scoring defense (28.8 ppg), 60th in rushing defense (154.7 ypg) and 118th in passing yards allowed (279.4 ypg).

Boston College Athletics

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Players Mentioned

David Bailey

AJ Dillon

Zay Flowers

Ben Glines

Dennis Grosel

Hunter Long

Max Richardson

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