Boston College Preview
November 05, 2002 01:56 PM | General
By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
November 5, 2002
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The mission for Boston College this Saturday at West Virginia is simple: win and go to a bowl game.
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| Saturday will be the last opportunity for Mountaineer fans to watch record-setting running back Avon Cobourne play at Mountaineer Field. |
The Eagles (5-3, 0-3) are coming off an impressive 14-7 victory at No. 4 Notre Dame last Saturday. Boston College not only dashed Notre Dame’s national title hopes, but it also won for the first time against a Top 10-ranked team since defeating the Irish, 30-11 in 1994.
The Eagle defense held Notre Dame to just seven points -- ND’s lowest scoring output at home since 1997.
Junior linebacker Josh Ott earned Big East defensive player of the week honors following his 15-tackle performance against the Irish. Ott’s 71-yard interception return for a touchdown turned out to be the game’s winning score.
“We have a big challenge against Boston College and hopefully there will be a nice crowd out there for us Saturday,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.
West Virginia’s second-year coach isn’t excited about the prospects of playing a team coming off an emotional road victory in a difficult environment.
“I’d rather play a team that doesn’t have any confidence, a bunch of guys questioning themselves and their coaches,” he said. “That’s who I want to play -- the heck with this stuff.”
BC’s win last weekend against the Irish was also its first this season against a team with a winning record. The Eagles’ four other wins this year have come against 3-6 Connecticut, 2-6 Stanford, 4-5 Central Michigan and 1-7 Navy.
The Eagles are also looking for their first Big East Conference victory of the season Saturday against the Mountaineers. BC has dropped consecutive decisions to Miami, Virginia Tech and Pitt.
Led by senior quarterback Brian St. Pierre, Boston College has produced at least 300 yards of total offense in six of eight games this season. BC’s lowest offensive output came last weekend at Notre Dame when it gained just 184 yards, including a season-low 77 through the air.
St. Pierre ranks third in the Big East in passing, averaging 214.1 yards per game. He has completed 140-of-237 passes for 1,713 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, St. Pierre is one of three Big East starting quarterbacks to have been picked off at least 10 times this year.
The passing game has been complimented by a solid rushing effort turned in by junior Derrick Knight. The 5-foot-9, 205-pounder ranks third in the conference in rushing with an average of 108.1 yards per game. Overall, he has gained 865 yards on 161 carries with seven touchdowns as William Green’s replacement.
Knight has the benefit of running behind one of the nation’s biggest offensive lines. The Eagles go 306, 305, 293, 305 and 308 across the front. Senior center Dan Koppen is probably BC’s top blocker.
“They’re just so massive,” said Rodriguez. “I don’t know if there are stats on the biggest offensive lines in college football, but I’d like to see somebody bigger than them. They’re not just 300 pounders, but they’re 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 and they are going to dwarf our guys. That’s the biggest challenge because you simply can’t see where the running back is and the next thing you know he’s at the second level.”
Senior wide receiver Jamal Burke ranks ninth in the Big East in receiving yards per game at 44.8 and shows 25 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Keith Hemmings also has 25 catches for 345 yards and two scores.
The Eagle defense ranks fifth in the Big East giving up 343 yards per game. BC has been susceptible against the run, though, allowing 176.2 yards per game and 10 touchdowns.
Ott is the team’s top tackler with 73 stops in eight games. Inside linebacker Vinny Ciurciu shows 70 tackles and strong safety Doug Bessette has 58 tackles.
Two key interior defenders for BC are likely gone for the season in senior Antonio Garay and junior Doug Goodwin. Garay had 34 tackles, 7.5 tackles for losses and five sacks before breaking his ankle against Virginia Tech. Goodwin injured his hip against the Hokies after starting the team’s first four games. Senior Derric Rossy has taken over Garay’s left end position while sophomore Tim Bulman has replaced Goodwin at left tackle.
Free safety Ralph Parent leads the team with two interceptions for 26 yards. The Eagles have picked off 10 passes this year.
Last year against West Virginia, the Eagles completely dominated the game after the first quarter on the way to an easy 34-10 victory. Green, now in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, rushed for 204 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead BC.
St. Pierre completed just 11-of-26 passes for 146 yards, but one of them was for a touchdown. The Eagle defense held West Virginia to 316 yards of total offense -- most of which came in the first half.
This year, West Virginia is looking for some redemption on its home turf. The Mountaineers come into Saturday’s game having won six of nine games including a 3-1 mark in conference play.
Tailback Avon Cobourne is one of 22 seniors set to play their last home game at Mountaineer Field Saturday.
“I’m excited for those seniors -- I think they’ve done a really good job for us,” said Rodriguez. “Regardless of what happens over the last three games, our seniors have a lot to be proud of and there are a lot of positives we can build on from this season.”
Cobourne is the conference’s top tailback averaging 141.2 yards per game. He was slowed by a sprained ankle at Temple, gaining just 94 yards on 30 carries, but Rodriguez says he should be fine this weekend.
“He tweaked it a little bit last Wednesday and he didn’t have his best game last weekend at Temple, but he should be okay this Saturday,” said the coach.
The coach mentioned Tuesday that he has lifted the one-game suspension of junior wide receiver Travis Garvin, who did not make the trip to Temple last Saturday.
Garvin will help a WVU wide receiver corps that is still looking for playmakers. West Virginia’s top two receivers – Miquelle Henderson and Phil Braxton – have combined to catch just 45 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns.
West Virginia has a string of nine straight games with at least 300 yards of total offense and joins Miami as the only two Big East teams to have reached at least 300 yards in every game this season.
Sophomore quarterback Rasheed Marshall has accounted for 17 touchdowns both rushing and passing.
Junior Grant Wiley leads the West Virginia defense with 94 tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses and two interceptions. Senior James Davis is second in tackles with 84 and leads the team with 11.5 tackles for losses.
Boston College has won two of the last three games and three of the last five in the series since 1997. All three of those BC wins have come in Chestnut Hill. Boston College’s last win in Morgantown came in 1990, a 27-14 verdict.
“There’s a lot at stake – the more you win the higher the stakes get,” said Rodriguez.
Saturday’s noon game will be televised nationally by ESPN and there are plenty of good tickets remaining. For ticket information, contact the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll-free at 1-800-WVU GAME.
Prior to the game, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and five other WVU alumnus will perform a flyby in two C-130 aircraft to honor veterans from West Virginia.
