Boston College Game Notes: BC vs. Holy Cross

• BC faced Holy Cross 82 times from 1896-1986, its most games against one opponent. BC leads the all-time series between the two institutions, 48-31-3.

• For many years, the Boston College-Holy Cross rivalry was played at the end of the regular season, providing a “cap” for the New England college football schedule.

• The Holy Cross Club of Boston will present the Eddie O’Melia Trophy to the game’s MVP following the game on Saturday.

• BC is 36-21-1 all-time against Holy Cross at home. The last time the two schools met at Alumni Stadium was a 38-7 BC win in 1985.

• Boston College looks to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2015 with a win Saturday versus Holy Cross.

• Boston College has eight straight wins in the series vs. Holy Cross. The last time the Crusaders defeated the Eagles was a 30-29 decision in 1978.

• BC has started 2-0 twice under Steve Addazio – both in 2013 and 2015.

• Addazio is in his sixth season at the Heights (32-33) and is 5-1 in season openers. 

• Under Addazio, BC is 11-10 in the month of September, including a 10-6 mark in September home games.

•  Boston College scored 50 or more points in a season-opener for the first time since 2009 in last week’s 55-21 win over UMass. Prior to last week, the last time BC scored 50+ in an opener was the 54-0 win vs. Northeastern (9/5/09). The 55 points against UMass was the most points scored in a season-opener since a 78-0 win over St. Anselm (9/20/41).

Offensive Fireworks in 2018 Opener

• Boston College opened the 2018 season with a 55-21 win against UMass at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 1.

• Boston College scored 50 or more points in a season-opener for the first time since 2009, in a 54-0 win vs. Northeastern (9/5/09). It was the most points scored in a season-opener since a 78-0 win over St. Anselm (9/20/41).

• Boston College finished with 598 yards of total offense, the most in a single game under head coach Steve Addazio. 

• The 55 points scored was the third-highest total in 120 seasons of Boston College Football in an opening game.

Most Points Scored in a Season-Opener

1. 9/20/1941 vs. St. Anselm W, 78-0

2. 9/24/1938 vs. Canisius W, 63-12

3. 9/1/2018 vs. UMass W, 55-21

4. 9/5/2009 vs. Northeastern W, 54-0

4. 9/27/1930 vs. Catholic W, 54-7

500 Club

• Boston College rolled up 598 yards of total offense in the 55-21 victory against UMass on Sept. 1.

• It marked the best day of total offense for the Eagles since rolling up 578 yards of total offense at NC State on Oct. 4, 2008.

• BC went over 500 yards of total offense for the seventh time under head coach Steve Addazio in the victory vs. UMass. 

• Over the last eight games, BC has eclipsed the 500-yard mark in total offense four times.

500+ Yards of Total Offense During Addazio Era

1. 598 UMass (9/1/18)

2. 581 at Syracuse (11/25/17)

2. 555 at Louisville (10/14/17)

3. 550  at New Mexico State (11/9/13)

4. 523 Army (10/5/13)

5. 512 at Virginia (10/21/17)

6. 511 UMass (8/30/14)

7. 506 No. 9 Southern California (9/13/14)

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 career-highs for the New Jersey native.

• 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.

• 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.

• Brown was 26-for-42 with 191 passing yards and two touchdowns in the NIU win. He threw one interception. 

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. Quinton Porter (10/11/03) vs. Temple 224.1

18-of-24, 308 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

3. Anthony Brown (10/21/17) vs. Virginia 216.7

19-of-24, 275 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

4. Tim Hasselbeck (9/9/00) vs. Army 216.2

14-of-21, 256 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

5. Brian St. Pierre (9/22/01) vs. Navy 211.8

19-of-25, 247 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

Airing it Out

• For the first time under head coach Steve Addazio, the Eagles eclipsed the 300-yard mark passing in the 55-21 win over UMass to start the season.

• BC finished with 326 yards passing against the Minutemen, including 279 yards in the first half by Anthony Brown.

• Prior to UMass, the most yards passing in a game by BC under Addazio was 285 vs. Villanova (8/31/13).

Noting the UMass Win

• BC is 22-5 all-time against the Minutemen, including a 13-3 mark at home.  The Eagles have won 10 straight in the series against UMass. The last time UMass defeated BC was in 1978.

• All-time, BC is 70-48-2 in season openers, including a 14-5 mark since 2000.

• BC is 5-1 in season openers under head coach Steve Addazio.

• AJ Dillon’s first career reception was for 15 yards and a touchdown on BC’s first drive of the year.  The Eagles covered 80 yards on 10 plays for the score. 

• It was the first opening drive of the season to end in a touchdown for BC since August 31, 2013, in a 24-14 win over Villanova.

• BC’s 14 first-quarter points were the most for the Eagles in an opening game since scoring 14 versus Miami on Sept. 1, 2012.

• Brown set new career-highs with 279 passing yards and four touchdown passes in the first half. It was the first time in his career he has thrown three touchdowns to three different receivers in a game.  His previous career-high came last year at Virginia (10/21/17), throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns.

• Sophomore wide receiver Kobay White set a new career-high with two touchdown receptions. He finished the game with three receptions for 86 yards.

• BC’s seven first-half touchdowns marked the first time the Eagles registered five or more TD’s in a half since scoring five against Northeastern (9/5/09).

• BC’s 48 points in the first half were the most in a season opener since tallying 62 in the first half at home vs. Howard (9/12/15)

• Lukas Denis’ pick-six to end the first half was the first returned for a score in his career and the first by a BC player since Taj-Amir Torres vs. Connecticut (11/18/17) at Fenway Park.

• The interception was the ninth of Denis’ career.

• The 55 points scored in the season opener were the most by a Steve Addazio team at Boston College.

• Junior tight end Ray Marten set career-highs in receptions (3) and receiving yards (69). His 33-yard touchdown reception was also a career-best. 

• Sophomore quarterback EJ Perry finished with the first three completions of his career, going 3-of-4 passing for 30 yards. Redshirt freshman Matt McDonald played in his first career game and finished 2-of-2 passing for 11 yards.

• Senior nose tackle Ray Smith finished with six tackles and his first career interception.

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. 

• Boston College 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.

Preseason Award Watch List

• The following list of Eagles were named to various preseason award watch lists and All-America teams:

Zach Allen

Phil Steele’s – Preseason All-America

Athlon – Preseason All-America

Bednarik Award – Watch List

Bronko Nagurski Trophy – Watch List

Wuerffel Trophy – Watch List

Lukas Denis

ACC – Preseason Team

The Athletic – Preseason All-America

Associated Press  – Preseason All-America

Sporting News – Preseason All-America

Sports Illustrated – Preseason All-America

CBSSports.com – Preseason All-America

Athlon – Preseason All-America

Street & Smith’s – Preseason All-America

Bednarik Award – Watch List

Bronko Nagurski Trophy – Watch List

Jim Thorpe Award – Watch List

AJ Dillon

ACC – Preseason Player of the Year

ACC – Preseason Team

Associated Press  – Preseason All-America

Phil Steele’s – Preseason All-America

The Athletic – Preseason All-America

Sports Illustrated – Preseason All-America

CBSSports.com – Preseason All-America

Athlon – Preseason All-America

Lindy’s Sports – Preseason All-America

Doak Walker Award – Watch List

Maxwell Award – Watch List

Walter Camp Football Foundation – 50 Players to Watch

Will Harris

Phil Steele’s – Preseason All-America

Chris Lindstrom

ACC – Preseason Team

Athlon – Preseason All-America

Outland Trophy – Watch List

Tommy Sweeney

ACC – Preseason Team

John Mackey Award – Watch List

Michael Walker

Athlon – Preseason All-America

Allstate AFCA Good Works Team – Nominee

Paul Hornung Award – Watch List

Roster Breakdown by State

• The 105 players on the Boston College roster hail from 20 states and one Canadian province.

State Number of Players

Alabama 1

Arizona 1

California 6

Connecticut 7

Florida 9

Georgia 5

Indiana 2

Maryland 3

Massachusetts 24

New Hampshire 4

New Jersey 13

New York 13

North Carolina 2

Ohio 3

Pennsylvania 3

Quebec (Canada) 1

Rhode Island 1

South Carolina 1

Texas 4

Virginia 1

Wisconsin 1

Dillon Named ACC Preseason Player of the Year

• Sophomore running back 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’s Freshman Rushing King

• AJ Dillon became BC’s all-time leading freshman rusher with 1,039 rushing yards after logging 196 yards against NC State last season. Dillon scored the game’s first touchdown on a 66-yard touchdown run, his second-longest carry of the season.

• Dillon eclipsed Montel Harris’ BC freshman rushing record of 920 yards in 13 games during the 2008 season.

• Dillon has seven career 100-yard games, including two games of 200+ rushing yards.

• Dillon’s 300 carries ranked fifth in Boston College single-season history in 2017.

• Dillon’s seven 100-yard games in 2017 are the ninth-most in school history for single-season 100-yard games. 

Breakout Performance

• AJ Dillon had one of the best performances in school history in the 45-42 victory at Louisville on Oct. 14, 2017.

• Dillon finished the day with a career-high 272 yards on 39 carries, his first career 200-yard game, along with a career-best four touchdowns.

• Dillon finished with the third-best single-game rushing total in school history and the most ever by a true freshman in Boston College history.

• He earned Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the Louisville victory. He was the fifth Boston College player to earn Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors since 2004, and the first since running back Andre Williams (Nov. 17, 2013).

Top Performance Nationally

• AJ Dillon’s 272 yards rushing were the seventh-most nationally in a game in 2017 and the most by a true freshman.

NCAA Single-Game Rushing Leaders (2017)

1. Khalil Tate, Arizona 327 at Colorado

2. Bryce Love, Stanford 301 vs. Arizona State

3. Khalil Herbert, Kansas 291 vs. West Virginia

4. Malcolm Perry, Navy 282 vs. SMU

5. Phillip Lindsay, Colorado 281 vs. Arizona

6. Darrius Guice, LSU 276 at Ole Miss

7. AJ Dillon  272 at Louisville

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

Non-Conference Action

• Boston College faces UMass, Holy Cross, Purdue, and Temple in non-conference play in 2018. Under Steve Addazio, the Eagles are 18-8 in non-conference games.

BC vs. 2018 Opponents

• Boston College is 171-165-6 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 48-31-3

Wake Forest 13-10-2

Purdue First meeting

Temple 28-7-2

NC State 9-6

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).

Returning Firepower for the Eagles

(Percentage of 2017 statistics returning)

Rushing Yards 68%

Passing Yards 69%

Receptions 80%

Tackles 68%

TFLs 65%

Sacks 56%

Interceptions 78%

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.

Defending the Pass

• Boston College is tied for 12th nationally with 18 interceptions last season.

• Opponents had a tough time completing passes against the BC pass defense last season. The Eagles ranked third nationally in passing efficiency defense as opponents finished with a 101.8 pass efficiency rate. BC led the ACC in passing efficiency defense in 2017.

Watch Out for Walker

• Michael Walker was all over the field for the Eagles in 2017. The Naples, Fla., native led the nation in combined kick returns with 1203 yards in 2017.

• In punt returns, Walker was fourth nationally with 354 punt return yards in 2017.

• 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. 

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

The Nation’s Best Safety Tandem

• Will Harris and Lukas Denis have put up strong numbers to form the best safety tandem in the nation. Denis was named an All-American in 2017 after finishing tied for second nationally with seven interceptions.

• Harris collected Phil Steele Preseason All-America first-team honors as the standout senior safety has started all 26 games he has played in over the previous two seasons. 

• Harris led the nation with four fumble recoveries in 2017 to go along with 83 tackles (third on the team). For the year, Harris totaled 5.5 TFLs, one interception, one sack and two pass breakups as a key part of one of the nation’s top pass defenses.

Pound the Rock

• For the 12th time under Steve Addazio and third time in 2017, Boston College rushed for 300 yards or more in the Nov. 25 win at Syracuse.

• Under Addazio, BC is 12-0 when rushing for 300+ yards in a game.

• The Eagles ranked fourth in the ACC and 25th nationally averaging 220.4 rushing yards per game in 2017.

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. 364 at Louisville (10/14/17)

5. 347 Howard (9/12/15)

6. 338 UMass (8/30/14)

7. 333 at Syracuse (11/25/17)

8. 330 at UConn (11/18/17)

9. 320  at New Mexico State (11/9/13)

10. 320 Army (10/5/13)

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