BC Accepts Invitation to TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – BC has accepted an invitation to the 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl and will face No. 21 Cincinnati from the American Athletic Conference. ESPN has broadcast coverage of the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 3 p.m., from historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl is the 28^th bowl appearance in school history for Boston College and the 18^th bowl in the last 21 years for the Eagles.

BC will play its first game in the state of Alabama since its 38-31 victory over No. 9 Alabama at Legion Field on Sept. 8, 1984. An ABC television audience watched as BC roared back from a 31-14 deficit for a thrilling 38-31 win over the Crimson Tide. Doug Flutie threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns while Troy Stradford scored on a 42-yard touchdown run with 3:26 remaining to clinch the upset victory for Boston College.

The Eagles are 14-12 all-time in bowl games after the 27-20 loss to Iowa in the 2017 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Last season’s First Responder Bowl in Dallas was canceled due to inclement weather in the first quarter with BC leading No. 23 Boise State 7-0.

This year’s bowl appearance marks the fourth straight for Boston College and the sixth bowl trip in the previous seven seasons.

Boston College (6-6, 4-4 ACC) finished the regular season with a 26-19 victory at Pitt to become bowl-eligible. The bowl will be the eighth all-time meeting between BC and Cincinnati and the first between the two schools since 1997. BC is 4-3 all-time against the Bearcats.

Fans interested in purchasing tickets to the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl should click here.

NOTES: The Eagles’ first postseason victory came in New Orleans at the 1941 Sugar Bowl … the year before, Boston College fell, 6-3, to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl in its first-ever bowl bid … BC went undefeated in 11 games in 1940 and refused to let Tennessee tarnish its perfect season … the 19-13 come-from-behind victory over a Volunteers squad that hadn’t lost a regular-season game in three years catapulted Boston College football to its best-ever finish and a claim on the national title … in Doug Flutie’s first full campaign as the Eagles’ signal-caller, he led BC to the 1982 Tangerine Bowl, BC’s first taste of the postseason in 39 years … the last bowl prior the Eagles traveled to was the 1943 Orange Bowl, which resulted in a 37-21 loss to Alabama … after a one-point loss to Notre Dame in the 1983 Liberty Bowl, falling 19-18 to the hated Irish in 11-degree temperatures in Memphis, Flutie propelled BC to a 45- 28 1985 Cotton Bowl victory over Houston by throwing three touchdowns, leading the Eagles to their first postseason bowl win in 44 years … BC football began its eight-game bowl winning streak in 2000 at the Jeep Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a 31-17 win over Arizona State … the Eagles went on a postseason tear: winning eight bowl games in a row: 2001 Music City Bowl (BC 20, No. 16 Georgia 16); 2002 Motor City Bowl (BC 51, Toledo 25); 2003 San Francisco Bowl (BC 35, Colorado State 21); 2004 Continental Tire Bowl (BC 37, North Carolina 24); 2005 MPC Computers Bowl (BC 27, Boise State 21);  2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl (BC 25, Navy 24); 2007 Champs Sports Bowl (BC 24, Michigan State 21) … the final win of the eight-year postseason streak came in Orlando, Fla., at the Champs Sports Bowl … in a fitting end to his brilliant collegiate career, Matt Ryan led the Eagles to a three-point victory over Michigan State … Ryan completed 22-of- 47 attempts for 249 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles kept the nation’s longest bowl game win streak alive with a 24-21 victory … BC captured its first bowl win since 2007 with a 36-30 victory over Maryland in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl.

Boston College Year-By-Year Bowl Results
1940 Cotton Bowl: Clemson 6, Boston College 3 (Jan. 1, 1940)
1941 Sugar Bowl: Boston College 19, Tennessee 13 (Jan. 1, 1941)
1943 Orange Bowl: Alabama 37, Boston College 21 (Jan. 1, 1943)
1982 Tangerine Bowl: Auburn 33, Boston College 26 (Dec. 18, 1982)
1983 Liberty Bowl: Notre Dame 19, Boston College 18 (Dec. 29, 1983)
1985 Cotton Bowl: Boston College 45, Houston 28 (Jan. 1, 1985)
1986 Hall of Fame Bowl: Boston College 27, Georgia 24 (Dec. 23, 1986)
1993 Hall of Fame Bowl: Tennessee 38, Boston College 23 (Jan. 1, 1993)
1994 Carquest Bowl: Boston College 31, Virginia 13 (Jan. 1, 1994)
1994 Jeep Aloha Bowl: Boston College 12, Kansas State 7 (Dec. 25, 1994)
1999 Insight.com Bowl: Colorado 62, Boston College 28 (Dec. 31, 1999)
2000 Jeep Aloha Bowl: Boston College 31, Arizona State 17 (Dec. 25, 2000)
2001 Music City Bowl: Boston College 20, Georgia 16 (Dec. 28, 2001)
2002 Motor City Bowl: Boston College 51, Toledo 25 (Dec. 26, 2002)
2003 San Francisco Bowl: Boston College 35, Colorado State 21 (Dec. 21, 2003)
2004 Continental Tire Bowl: Boston College 27, North Carolina 24 (Dec. 30, 2004)
2005 MPC Computers Bowl: Boston College 27, Boise State 21 (Dec. 28, 2005)
2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College 25, Navy 24 (Dec. 30, 2006)
2007 Champs Sports Bowl: Boston College 24, Michigan State 21 (Dec. 28, 2007)
2008 Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14 (Dec. 31, 2008)
2009 Emerald Bowl: USC 24, Boston College 13 (Dec. 26, 2009)
2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Nevada 20, Boston College 13 (Jan. 9, 2011)
2013 Advocare 100 Independence Bowl: Arizona 42, Boston College 19 (Dec. 31, 2013)
2014 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State 31, Boston College 30 OT (Dec. 27, 2014)
2016 Quick Lane Bowl: Boston College 36, Maryland 30 (Dec. 26, 2016)
2017 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa 27, Boston College 20 (Dec. 27, 2017)
2018 First Responder Bowl: Game canceled due to inclement weather with Boston College leading No. 23 Boise State 7-0 in the first quarter