Boston College Notes: The Temple Game

• Boston College resumes another old Eastern rivalry as Temple visits Alumni Stadium on Saturday.

• The game will be broadcast on ESPNU at noon. Mark Neely will handle the play-by-play while former Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware is the color analyst.

• Coverage on the Boston College IMG Sports Network begins at 11:30 a.m. 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 134, XM channel 203 and Sirius/XM internet channel 968.

• The Eagles (3-1) dropped their first game of the season with a 30-13 setback at Purdue last Saturday. BC committed four turnovers in the loss to the Boilermakers.

• Temple (2-2) opened American Athletic Conference play with a 31-17 win at home over Tulsa on Sept. 20. The Owls have won two straight games after starting the season 0-2.

The Series

• Boston College and Temple meet for the 38th time Saturday in Chestnut Hill. 

• It is the first game against the former BIG EAST foes since 2004. BC played Temple every season from 1982-2004.

• BC is 28-7-2 against Temple and have won five straight in the series against the Owls. The last time Temple defeated BC was in 1999 (24-14 win in Philadelphia).

• The game marks the first time Steve Addazio will face his former team. Addazio was head coach at Temple in 2011 and 2012.

• Addazio oversaw the Owls’ move from the MAC to the Big East and went 13-11 in his two seasons there. In his first season at Temple, the team went 9-4 and beat Wyoming in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl 37-15 — the Owls’ first bowl win in 32 years.

• BC has three Pennsylvania natives on the 2018 roster. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver and freshman defensive back Aaron Gethers hail from Harrisburg while freshman punter Garrett Reilly is from West Chester.

1st and 10

• Boston College looks to start the year 4-1 for the first time since 2009 with a win Saturday against Temple.

• Head coach Steve Addazio is in his sixth season at the Heights (34-34) and has guided the Eagles to four bowl appearances in five seasons. 

• Under Addazio, BC is 13-11 in the month of September.

• Boston College’s 171 points through four games are the most in program history in the first four games of a season, surpassing the 160 points scored in the first four games of 1940.

• 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.

Strong September Start

• Boston College looks to start 4-1 for the first time since 2009 heading into Saturday’s game against Temple. The Eagles have started 4-1 six times since 2000. BC’s best start since 2000 was 5-0 in 2007.

Closer Look at AJ Dillon in the Starting Lineup

• In 11 games since AJ Dillon has been the starter at running back on Oct. 14, 2017 at Louisville, Boston College is 8-3 overall and has averaged:

37.0 points per game

259.8 rushing yards per game

199.5 passing yards per game

459.4 total offense yards per game

1,747 rushing yards by Dillon

158.8 rushing yards per game by Dillon

16 rushing touchdowns by Dillon

Nine 100-yard rushing games by Dillon

• BC is 20th nationally with 459.4 yards of total offense per game since Dillon became the starter.

• BC is 23rd nationally with 37.0 points per game during the time span with Dillon as the starter.

• Since Oct. 14, 2017, Dillon leads all players nationally with 158.8 rushing yards per game. His 1,747 rushing yards over the 11 games rank second overall, behind only Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin. Taylor has rushed for 1,838 yards over the same time period, but played in two additional games compared to Dillon.

Rushing Leaders (Oct. 14, 2017 – Sept. 22, 2018)

Player, School Yards Avg. TD YPG

1. AJ Dillon, BC 1,747 6.0 16 158.8

2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisc. 1,838 6.0 9 141.4

3. Devin Singletary, FAU 1,575 5.8 31 131.3

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 leads the country with 5.5 sacks on the season and 1.38 sacks per game.

• 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 11th nationally and leads the ACC with 29.8 yards per kickoff return.

• 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. 

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

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 six conference games.

• The Eagles joined the ACC in 2005, and the other game of 40+ points was 2009 against NC State.

• Over the 11 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. 8 Nationally in Passing Efficiency 

• Boston College leads the ACC and ranks eighth 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 sixth nationally with 14 touchdown passes in 2018. 

• Brown is 46-of-75 passing for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018. He has completed 61.3% 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.

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.

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

100-yard Games Piling Up

• AJ Dillon has just 11 career starts, but he has 10 career 100-yard games already at Boston College in 17 games played.

• He is already tied for ninth in BC history with 10 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

Non-Conference Action

• Boston College faces UMass, Holy Cross, Purdue and Temple in non-conference play in 2018. Under Steve Addazio, the Eagles are 19-8 in non-conference games.

BC vs. 2018 Opponents

• Boston College is 173-166-6 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 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).

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.

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 28 games he has played in over the previous three 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 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 eighth nationally with 285.7 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 38 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

First and Goal to Go

• Boston College had 18 total goal-to-go drives last year and scored a touchdown on 17 of them. The lone other drive ended with a field goal on the other, making them one of 12 teams in the country with at least 15 goal-to-go drives that scored 100% of the time.

Goal to Go TD Rates vs. FBS Opponents

1. Army 95.8%

2. Boston College 94.4%

3. Colorado 93.8%

4. Tulsa 91.3%

Arkansas 91.3%

FBS Average 75.3%

Scouting the Owls

• Temple enters Saturday’s game 2-2 overall with wins at Maryland (35-14) and against Tulsa (31-17). The Owls started the year with consecutive losses at home to Villanova (19-17) and Buffalo (36-29).

• Geoff Collins accepted the head coaching position at Temple University on December 14, 2016, becoming the 27th head football coach in Owls’ history.

• Temple ranks 112th nationally in total offense (333.8 yards per game), 105th in rushing offense (129.3 yards per game) and 89th in passing offense (204.5 yards per game. The Owls rank 80th in the country in scoring with 28 points per game on offense.

• On defense, Temple is 58th nationally in total defense (357.5 yards per game). The Owls are allowing just 21.5 points per contest, 44th nationally. Against the run, Temple is allowing 160.8 yards per game (73rd nationally). Through the air, Temple’s opponents are averaging 196.8 yards per game, 46th nationally.

• Temple ranks in the Top 10 nationally in block kicks (1st, 3), defensive touchdowns (1st, 4), fumbles lost (6th), passes intercepted (2nd), red zone defense (1st), sacks allowed (9th), team sacks (5th) and turnovers gained (7th).

• On offense, running back Ryquell Armstead leads the Owls with 364 rushing yards and one touchdown. The Owls have played mainly with two quarterbacks this year in Frank Nutile and Anthony Russo. Nutile has completed 52.4 percent of his passes for 401 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Russo has completed 49 percent of his passes for 364 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

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

Tim Sherwin 1977-80 78 1,055 3

Todd Pollack 1994-97 77 743 8

Tom Sweeney 2015-18 76 1,034 9

Sean Ryan 2000-03 75 950 12