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Preview: No. 4 Notre Fighting Irish vs. Boston College Eagles

Can Notre Dame prove itself to be the nation’s best Catholic team?

BRYAN FITZGERALD,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, November 9, 2012, 8:35 AM

Updated Friday, November 9, 2012, 8:35 AM

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Brian Kelly, Notre Dame's head coach

Photo by Google Images

Notre Dame Defense
All-American LB Mant T’eo rose to the occasion yet again collecting two sacks and eight tackles. DE Stephon Tuitt stepped up his game with 1.5 sacks upping his total to 10 on the season. Tuitt leads the team in sacks and is ranked fifth in the nation.

The team recorded a season-high 5 sacks last week. Look for another sack-heavy day for the blue and gold against a weak Boston College Offesnive Line that has surrendered 7 sacks over the past two games.

The nations 10th best defense should feast on an Eagle offense with 18 turnovers this season including 4 in last weeks win over Wake Forest.

At 11.9 points per game Notre Dame is second in the nation in points allowed.

Boston College Offense
The Eagles QB is no lightweight. Junior Chase Retting has impressive stats: 2556 yards, 56.4% completion rate, 15 TDs, and a 128.5% QB rating. He ranks 27th in the country.

WR Alex Amidon is Retting’s top target amassing 67 receptions, 1073 yards, and 6 TDs. His 119.2 receiving yards per game ranks this Eagle 5th in the nation.

Junior RB Andre Williams’ 584 yards rushing, 4 TDs, and 4.5 Avg paces BC’s ground attack. The team has racked up only 20 rushing yards in the past two games and Williams left last week’s game with an injury.

Boston College ranks among the worst teams in 3rd down conversions and scoring in the red zone.

Boston College Defense
This porous defense ranks among the lowest of the ACC giving up 477.4 yards per game.

It fields a solid corps of LBs including Nick Clancy who is 3rd in the nation with 103 tackles and third in the nation with 11.89 tackles per game. Steele Divitto has ecorded 75 tackles himself and over 8 a game. He has also broken up three passes and forced one fumble.

Prediction; Notre Dame 28 Boston College 10

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PhlutiePhan | Nov 09, 2012, 11:30 AM EST

In 1992, an unbeaten BC squad (8-0) was devastated by Lou Holtz and the bois 54-7. The next year, the leftfooted Jewish kid, David Gordon, put one into the arms of Touchdown Jesus and onto the cover of Sports Illustrated 41-39. BC was on the rise. In 2007 and 2008, Coach Jags and Matt Ryan took them to the ACC championship game and a high ranking of number two before they cooled off. Jags interviewed with the Jets and was fired. The loyal d.c. Spaziani assumed the mantle after 16 years. He has literally destroyed the program and literally run off any ethnic remnants of the Jags era. He was then given a two year extension for a total of seven years. This is year four and a steady worsening of the quality of the program. Finally, the A.D. was forced to retire and his replacement, Brad Bates, came on board in November. Spaziani will be gone by Christmas but another blowout loss by the second most Irish program will devastate the Heights and they may never recover. A lot of best wishes go to Brian Kelly for his success. BC has seen the light and is actively courting Kelly's d.c., Bob Diaco. It is probably too late and Notre Dame will lay waste like Hurrican Sandy to Chestnut Hill.

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