Throwback Theater W2WF: Penn State (1992)

Boston College and Penn State used to represent one of college football's traditional, northeastern matchups. The two teams played annually between 1965-1970 before resuming from a decade-long hiatus in 1981 (save for one game in 1972), and it quickly became a must-see theater production when the Eagles joined the Nittany Lions in college football's elite tier.

In 1982, Doug Flutie threw for more than 520 yards but committed two interceptions in a 52-17 loss. Penn State won the national championship that year, but Flutie's performance, a program record, still stands as the only 500-yard game by a BC quarterback in school history.

He earned a measure of revenge the next year when the series moved off campus to Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro. He threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-17 win. It was BC's first-ever win over Penn State and catapulted the Eagles to three wins at the home of the New England Patriots that season. The win over Alabama later that year clinched a bowl invitation to the Liberty Bowl against Notre Dame, the first-ever meeting between the two Catholic institutions.

BC ended 1983 as the better team in the national polls, even if Penn State started the year ranked No. 4. That's the number the Nittany Lions rose to in 1984, though they eventually lost three out of five games to tumble out of the polls altogether. The Eagles, meanwhile, suffered only one loss to West Virginia en route to a 5-1 record. Of course, that meant Penn State upset BC, though Flutie laughed last with a Heisman Trophy and a Cotton Bowl win.

The years droned on, and a series of almost-not-quite losses piled up for BC. 1985 turned into 1986 and 1987, and three-point losses in 1988 and 1989 kept the win in '83 as an anomaly. Every year seemed to follow a script where BC would always hang close but fail to overcome obstacles, and it continued through last year when Glenn Foley rallied past five interceptions to nearly tie Penn State.

Now the rivalry enters its final chapter of a 43-year odyssey. Penn State will finally join the Big Ten after a three-year odyssey and transition out of its northeast, independent roots. The Big East will finally shift into a seven-game round robin after playing last year and this year with a disorganized group of games.

It's the backdrop for an incredibly competitive matchup and BC's final chance to score its first-ever victory in Happy Valley.

Here's what to watch for when the No. 22 Eagles play the No. 9 Nittany Lions - for the final time:

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Weekly Storylines

Put up your Dukes.

Penn State's loss last week to Miami exposed the defense's potentially-fatal flaw against an opponent's run. The pass-first Hurricanes have a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Gino Toretta, but running back Donnell Bennett gashed the Nittany Lions for over five yards per carry in a 17-14 victory that all but extinguished national title hopes in Happy Valley.

"I saw the Miami game and imagined what it'd be like for us," running back Chuckie Dukes said. "Miami ran the ball successfully, but every game is a different game and we're going to have to prove ourselves that we can run the ball successfully in this game."

Penn State is averaging over 300 yards allowed on defense, including over 135 yards per game on the ground. The unit possesses a number of heavy hitters, including the aforementioned Bochna and safety Brian King, but the front four has its problems containing opposing offensive linemen.

"Miami ran off-tackle, slash-type plays, a few more mis-directional ideas than I would have thought at first but were successful," Tom Coughlin said. "They did catch (Penn State) in a number of things formation-wise and were able to make some plays off of. By and large, they had a nice mix."

That opens the door for a number of juicy possibilities. Chuckie Dukes and Dwight Shirley are both at or over 500 yards apiece with a combined nine touchdowns, and a change-of-pace fullback like Darnell Campbell can bash the line of scrimmage if the offensive line creates a surge.

"You've got to be able to run through arms," Coughlin said. "It's tough to run clean because you're not going to see a whole lot of clean-looking things. Chuckie's had some big games against people of this caliber, and I hope he continues to do that."

Stomp 'em.

West Virginia's option offense is unique because it harnesses running back Adrian Murrell into designed attacks at unfamiliar positions in the defensive front. Two weeks ago, it also became the first team to gash the Boston College defense after three consecutive shutout performances. It didn't sit well with the Eagles, who clearly felt they should have earned the win in Morgantown.

"There's no words for a tie," Tom Coughlin said. "There's no satisfaction."

That sets up a critical matchup this week against a banged-up Penn State offense. Quarterback John Sacca bruised his shoulder last week against Miami and is doubtful but may be forced to play if Kerry Collins still isn't ready. Collins, a highly-touted sophomore who was supposed to take over for Tony Sacca, broke his index finger in the offseason.

Whoever plays at quarterback still has the benefit of throwing to O.J. McDuffie, a potential future first round pick who returned this year to finish a mission in Happy Valley. He's caught just about half of Penn State's completed passes this year with 488 yards and an average of 16 yards per reception. His six touchdowns lead the Nittany Lions as the only player with multiple scores receiving.

"I didn't feel I would hurt myself (by returning)," McDuffie said. "I definitely felt better about the decision to come back."

McDuffie's presence will tax the Eagles through the air, and it puts a premium on getting into the backfield. Running back Richie Anderson has nine touchdowns with an average carry over five yards, so pushing Penn State out of balance, with more emphasis on the quarterback, is a hot commodity in this game.

Look to last year.

Quarterback Glenn Foley would probably like to forget last year's Penn State game. Sure, he led a rally from down three scores to put BC within a single play of tying the game, but the Eagles fell into the hole because he threw five interceptions. Four of those picks resulted in scores, including a pick-six in the fourth quarter, and ultimately doomed the team to another defeat at the hands of the Nittany Lions.

"We played the poorest third quarter," head coach Tom Coughlin said after the game. "But there's no question we played with tremendous heart in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win it."

Foley is always capable of leading a charge like he did two weeks ago against West Virginia. He went 20-of-31 in that game for 252 yards, and his 18-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Cannon sparked a rally from a 14-3 deficit in the second quarter. BC eventually took a 24-17 lead with two touchdowns in the third quarter but watched West Virginia's option uncharacteristically gash the Eagle defense in the fourth.

"A tie's better than a loss," Foley said. "But we definitely should have won (that) game."

The two games highlight Foley's potential downfall. He moved into the No. 2 all-time passing spot behind only Doug Flutie last week and is on a trajectory to potentially pass the only Heisman Trophy winner in program history in some, if not all, statistical categories. His intensity is just always risky, and his propensity for turnovers or tight passes makes it tough to predict which Foley will show up.

He could easily throw for 350 yards, but the key is containing turnovers. A driven, motivated Foley could rip this Penn State defense, but the Nittany Lions enter this week with eight interceptions. Shelly Hammonds has a pick six, and both Mark Graham and Derek Bochna have multiple picks in the defensive backfield.

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Meteorology 101

I constantly feel like I write about bad weather every week in this section. October in the Northeast is always unpredictable, and there's always a looming shadow of rain lurking around every corner. This week, though, I can't complain, which is saying something.

There will be clouds in Happy Valley, but it's going to be otherwise gorgeous for the noon start. It's exactly what a Rockwellian picture would paint for a football game at this time of year. I know the players are going to love it, the coaches are going to love, and the fans are going to love it. No complaints here.

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Scoreboard Watching

The tie against West Virginia means the Eagles are now looking up at a number of different schools in the Big East's informal race for a conference championship. Syracuse's win over Rutgers this week moved the Orange into first place while Miami won't play a Big East team until next week against Virginia Tech.

BC, meanwhile, is 1-0-1 after beating Rutgers and tying West Virginia, meaning the Eagles need the Mountaineers to upset Syracuse in order to move back into first place. West Virginia, which beat Pittsburgh earlier this year, still has to play Miami, while BC would only need to go through the Orangemen later this year.

I know I have to say it every week, but none of this actually matters. It'll be more fun next year when the Big East is a legitimate conference, and the league title is a real thing.

Elsewhere around the nation, both No. 1 Washington and No. 2 Miami are in action this week, but neither should be particularly challenged against Oregon and TCU, respectively. No. 3 Michigan, at 5-0-1, also should enjoy a relatively easy week against an Indiana team that gave up 40-odd points to Michigan State.

There are two really exciting games down south this week. No. 4 Alabama heads to No. 13 Tennessee in a game that will likely impact what happens with No. 10 Georgia, and No. 6 Florida State, which is 6-1 overall and undefeated in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, heads to No. 16 Georgia Tech.

On the local radar, an absolutely huge game will be over at Parsons Field in Brookline when Northeastern hosts Youngstown State. The Penguins won the Division I-AA national championship last season and enter this game ranked No. 6 in the lower division after blowing out the Huskies, 59-7, last season.

And out in Amherst, UMass hosts UConn in the annual meeting of the Western New England rivals. This is actually a sneaky-important game for the Minutemen, who could improve to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the Yankee Conference before hosting Villanova next week.

Speaking of UMass, former head coach Jim Reid returns to the Bay State with Richmond when the Spiders play Boston University at Nickerson Field.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

It's so hard to say goodbye...to yesterday. -Boyz II Men

There's a part of me that sees Boston College-Penn State as one of the greatest opportunities lost in college sports. The Big East's reluctance to invite the school because of its basketball irrelevance is a nod to the league's roots, but I can't help but dream about the northeastern rivalries that BC could have established with Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Penn State.

I also recognize, though, how livid the Big Ten coaches were that the league's hierarchy invited Penn State without consulting any coaches, and I wouldn't want that level of divisiveness in the Big East. The formation of a league is too valuable right now, and BC is ultimately replacing Penn State with future matchups against Notre Dame, the first of which is later this season.

That said, this feels substantially different than other matchups between BC and Penn State. The Nittany Lions are still the older brother, but BC is a pretty good football team with something to play for. The Eagles are clearly a program on the rise and are starting to gain traction under its relatively-new head coach and quarterback. The defense is locked and loaded with talent, even with last week's disappointment.

Penn State is already locked into the Blockbuster Bowl per its preseason agreement, and the national championship is off the table. That means last year's Fiesta Bowl champion is now listing through its season to a preordained destination, and there isn't a whole lot left on the table already. The coaching staff will need to right the ship because the road only gets tougher with West Virginia, Brigham Young and Notre Dame.

The rivalry between BC and Penn State ends this year, and the Eagles have never won in Happy Valley. This is a potential statement game for the new era of Boston College football, and it feels like the two programs are meeting up at the exact right time to create some magic at Beaver Stadium.

All quotes were originally printed in the Boston Globe.

Boston College Athletics

Throwback Theater W2WF: Penn State (1992)

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