Boston College Athletics
Game Notes: Week 1 vs. Virginia Tech
August 26, 2019 | Football
Eagles and Hokies open the 2019 season on ACC Network
The Game
• For the second time under head coach Steve Addazio, the Boston College football team opens the season against an ACC opponent as Virginia Tech visits to kick off the 2019 season.
• The game will be broadcast on the new ACC Network. Chris Cotter provides play-by-play commentary while former BC standout linebacker Mark Herzlich has the color commentary along with sideline reporter Kelsey Riggs.
• Coverage on the Boston College Learfield IMG Sports Network begins at 3:30 p.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 211, XM channel 201 and online via SiriusXM channel 964.
• Boston College returns 11 starters from last season's 7-5 squad that finished 4-4 in the ACC. The offense features the bulk of the returning firepower as six starters return, including the team's leading running back (AJ Dillon), quarterback (Anthony Brown) and No. 1 wide receiver (Kobay White).
The Series
• Boston College and Virginia Tech meet for the 28th time in series history Saturday.
• BC is 9-18 all-time against the Hokies following last season's 31-21 victory over the Hokies in Blacksburg.Â
• The Eagles are 4-8 all-time at Alumni Stadium against the Hokies. The last time BC won at home over Tech was a 34-27 victory in 2013.
• 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 10-6 against BC.
• 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 in 2016 at Tech 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 14-10 in Blacksburg.
• Former BC All-America linebacker Mark Herzlich totaled a season high 13 tackles against the Hokies in 2008 during the regular season. He also finished with seven tackles and two fumble recoveries against the Hokies in the 2008 ACC Championship game. In 2007, he had 11 total tackles in the strong defensive effort that kept the team within striking distance for its historic comeback at Virginia Tech.
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121st Season of Boston College Football
• The 121st season of Boston College football is set to begin on Saturday, August 31 vs. Virginia Tech. All-time, BC is 666-492-37 in 1,195 games according to the NCAA.
• BC head coach Steve Addazio enters his seventh season at the Heights (38-38) and is 5-1 in season openers. The lone loss in a season opener under Addazio was in 2016 in Ireland to Georgia Tech.
• Under Addazio, BC is 14-11 in the month of September, including a 12-6 mark in September home games.
• All-time, BC is 70-48-2 in season openers, including a 14-5 mark since 2000.
• BC is 35th in NCAA history with 666 victories. The Eagles are one of eight ACC schools ranked in the top 40 all-time in victories.
NCAA All-Time Won-Loss Records (by Victories)
1. Michigan 953
2. Ohio State 911
3. Texas 908
4. Alabama 905
5. Nebraska 897
Notre Dame 897
15. Clemson 744
16. Virginia Tech 743
18. Georgia Tech 735
20. Pitt 724
22. Syracuse 719
30. North Carolina 691
35. Boston College 666
36. Virginia 657
Opening Act
• Boston College is 70-48-2 all-time in season openers. The Eagles have won five of six season openers under Steve Addazio and the Eagles have won 12 of their last 15 opening games of the season.
• Saturday's opener against the Hokies marks the fourth time since BC joined the ACC in 2005 the Eagles will open against a conference foe.Â
Season Openers Versus ACC Foes
9/1/07 vs. Wake Forest W, 38-28
9/1/12 vs. Miami L, 41-32
9/3/16 vs. Georgia Tech (Dublin, Ireland) L, 17-14
Notes to Remember
• Tied for the fifth-highest scoring offense in BC history (120 seasons) at 32.0 points per game in 2018.
• QB Anthony Brown's 20 touchdowns in 2018 were the second-most by any sophomore in BC history (Glenn Foley threw 21 TDs as a sophomore in 1991).
• 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.
• Boston College has scored at least 40 points in an ACC game five times. Four of those five are in BC's past 13 conference games.
• The Eagles joined the ACC in 2005, and the other game of 40+ points was 2009 against NC State.
• Over the last 19 games, BC has eclipsed the 500-yard mark in total offense six times.
• 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, 2018. 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.Â
• 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).
• Boston College ended the 2018 regular season 23rd nationally and second in the ACC behind only Clemson with 69 plays of 20+ yards in 2018.Â
• Boston College finished 2018 fifth nationally with 18 interceptions.
• Over the last two seasons, Boston College has 36 interceptions, second nationally.
Preseason Award Watch List
• The following list of Eagles were named to various preseason award watch lists and All-America teams:
• John Mackey Award – Watch List
• ACC – Preseason Team
• Athlon – Preseason All-America
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
• CBS Sports – Preseason All-America
• Doak Walker – Watch List
• Maxwell Award – Watch List
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-America
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Sports Illustrated – Preseason All-America
• Walter Camp – Watch List
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
• Rimington Trophy – Watch List
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• John Mackey Award – Watch List
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
• ACC – Preseason Team
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
• Phil Steele's – Preseason All-ACC
• Athlon – Preseason All-ACC
Roster Breakdown by State
State Number of Players
Alabama 1
Arizona 1
California 5
Connecticut 9
Florida 6
Georgia 2
Indiana 1
Maryland 6
Massachusetts 17
Michigan 2
New Hampshire 4
New Jersey 17
New York 15
North Carolina 2
Ohio 4
Pennsylvania 5
Quebec (Canada) 1
Rhode Island 1
South Carolina 1
Texas 3
Virginia 1
Wisconsin 1
Closer Look at AJ Dillon in the Starting Lineup
• In 19 games since AJ Dillon was named the starter at running back on Oct. 14, 2017 at Louisville, Boston College is 12-7 overall and has averaged:
32.6 points per game
220.3 rushing yards per game
197.9 passing yards per game
418.2 total offense yards per game
2,364 rushing yards by Dillon
139.1 rushing yards per game by Dillon
22 rushing touchdowns by Dillon
11 100-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 139.1 rushing yards per game.
Going on the Offensive
• Boston College averaged 32.0 points per game last season, the fifth-best single-game average in school history.Â
BC All-Time Points Per Game Leaders
Year Points Per Game
1. 1984 36.7
2. 1993 34.3
3. 1974 34.1
4. 1974 33.2
5. 2018 32.0
1940 32.0
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)
Non-Conference Action
• Boston College faces Richmond, Kansas, Rutgers and Notre Dame in non-conference play in 2019. Under Steve Addazio, the Eagles are 20-9 in non-conference games.
Playing the Best
• Boston College and West Virginia are the only two schools in the nation to play 11 games against Power Five competition in 2019 with just six home games.
• Only four schools in the entire country play 11 Power Five opponents in 2019: Boston College, Purdue, Stanford and West Virginia.
BC vs. 2019 Opponents
• Boston College is 118-126-1 all-time against its 2019 opponents.Â
Virginia Tech 9-18
Richmond 4-1
Kansas First meeting
Rutgers 19-6-1
Wake Forest 14-10-2
Louisville 5-6
NC State 9-7
Clemson 9-17-2
Syracuse 20-32
Florida State 5-12
Notre Dame 9-15
Pitt 13-17
Cap and Gown
• 10 members of the 2019 Boston College Football team have already earned their undergraduate degree from BC, while six additional student-athletes earned their undergraduate degree at another institution: Defensive back Nolan Borgersen, place-kicker Aaron Boumerhi (Temple), tight end Jake Burt, tight end Danny Dalton (Penn State), defensive back Mehdi El Attrach, tight end Chris Garrison, wide receiver Ben Glines, defensive tackle Tanner Karafa, wide receiver Clifford Kurker (UMass Lowell), offensive lineman Hayden Mahoney (Miami), offensive lineman Anthony Palazzolo, offensive lineman John Phillips, wide receiver Elijah Robinson, offensive lineman Dwayne Scott (Rhode Island), defensive end Richard Yeargin (Clemson).
Returning Firepower for the Eagles
(Percentage of 2018 statistics returning)
Passing Yards 82.1
Rushing Yards 86.6
Receptions 63.6
Tackles 44.9
TFLs 41.3
Sacks 36.4
Interceptions 16.7
Famous Bloodlines
• Boston College has several players with famous bloodlines on the 2019 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
John Tessitore Son of ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore
Tyler Vrabel Son of Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
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, 2018. 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.Â
• 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).
• Brown was sixth in BC single-season history with 20 touchdown passes in 2018. He was just the fifth player in BC history to throw at least 20 touchdowns in a season.
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 in 2018. 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 later in the season. 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 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
Pound the Rock
• For the 13th time under Steve Addazio, Boston College rushed for 300 yards or more last season in the 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.
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)
Notes to Watch ...
• Needs 230 passing yards (3,718) to tie Paul Peterson (2003-04) for 11th all-time at BC. 10. Mark Hartsell (1993-95) - 3,763; 9. Tim Hasselbeck (1998-00) - 3,890.
• Needs 4 completions (162) to tie Chase Rettig (2013) for most completions in the Addazio era.
• Needs two points (152) to tie for 23rd all-time in scoring at BC with Ryan Ohliger (2004-06) and Dave Bennett (1966-68); 21. Mike Cloud (1995-98) - 156; 20. Tyler Murphy (2014) - 157; 19. John Cooper (1979-81) - 161; 18. Derrick Knight (2001-93) - 162.
• Needs two touchdowns (27) to tie Derrick Knight (2000-03) for 10th all-time at BC.
• Tied for 10th all-time at BC in rushing touchdowns with 24 with Mike Esposito (1972-74). 8. Derrick Knight (2000-03) and Mike Cloud (1995-98) - 25; 7. Jon Hilliman (2014-17) - 26; 4. Montel Harris (2008-11), Darnell Campbell (1991-93) and Troy Stradford (1982-86) - 27; 3. Andre Williams (2010-13) - 28.
• 13 career 100-yard games, which is tied for sixth in BC history. One more ties Andre Williams (2010-13) for fifth.
• Ranks 9th all-time in rushing yards at BC with 2,697. 8. Mike Esposito (1972-74), 2,759; 7. Andre Callender (2004-07) - 2,971; 6. William Green (1999-01) - 2,974.
Dillon Near the TopÂ
• AJ Dillon was 13th nationally averaging 110.8 rushing yards per game in 2018. Dillon played in 10 of BC's 12 games, missing two due to an ankle injury.
• Dillon was one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's best running back.
• The New London, Conn., native was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.
• Dillon became the first player in 120 seasons of Boston College football to begin his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Dillon went over the 1,000-yard mark on his four-yard touchdown run at Florida State in 2018.
• Dillon is just the fourth player in BC history with two seasons of 1,000+ yards rushing. He joins Derrick Knight, Montel Harris and William Green with two years of 1,000 or more rushing yards.
• Dillon passed L.V. Whitworth (2004-07) for ninth all-time in rushing at BC with 2,641 career yards after his 116 yards rushing at Florida State on Nov. 17.
100-yard Games Piling Up
• AJ Dillon has just 17 career starts, but he has 12 career 100-yard games already at Boston College in 23 games played.
• He is tied for seventh in BC history with 12 career 100-yard games.
• BC is 9-3 when Dillon rushes for 100+ yards in a game.
Last Time vs. Virginia Tech (Nov. 3, 2018)
• Travis Levy rushed for two touchdowns and compiled 103 all-purpose yards as No. 22 Boston College beat Virginia Tech, 31-21, at a sold-out Lane Stadium. Â
• Levy rushed 11 times for a career-high 75 yards and two touchdowns - the first two rushing scores of his collegiate career. The Olney, Md. native also hauled in three catches for 28 yards.Â
• Anthony Brown was 15-for-26 for 177 yards and a TD pass. The sophomore signal caller connected with eight different receivers on the evening.
• The win was the first by a ranked Boston College team in close to a decade. The last win as a ranked opponent was a 28-21 win over Maryland when the Eagles were ranked 20th on Nov. 29, 2008.
• Boston College compiled 396 total yards. The Eagles were 7-0 when gaining at least 396 yards of offense.
• BC gained just 20 yards of offense in the second quarter, but flipped the script in the third, holding Virginia Tech to 32 yards en route to taking the lead for good.
• The Eagles moved to 9-18 all-time versus Virginia Tech - including a 6-10 mark in ACC play. BC is now 5-7 in games played at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
Scouting the Hokies
• Virginia Tech was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division, according to a poll of 173 media members who attended the 2019 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.
• The media awarded the Hokies 20 first-place votes in the Coastal. Clemson is the media's preseason favorite to claim the ACC title for the fifth consecutive year.
• The Hokies embark on their fourth season under Justin Fuente who has compiled a 25-15 record in Blacksburg, the most wins by any Tech football coach in his first three campaigns. No other active ACC head coach can top Fuente's 25 wins in his first three seasons at an ACC school.Â
• The Hokies enter the 2019 season seeking to extend a streak of 26 straight bowl appearances – the longest active streak in the nation and the third-longest streak in NCAA history.
• Tech returns nine starters on the defensive side of the ball in 2019, a unit that was one of the youngest in the nation last season and the youngest in Bud Foster's tenure as the Hokies' defensive coordinator. • Offensively, the Hokies bring back four of their top five pass catchers in WR Damon Hazelton, TE Dalton Keene, WR Hezekiah Grimsley and WR Tré Turner.
