With an eighth consecutive loss to USC fresh in the minds of Notre Dame, Boston College rolls into town seeking its seventh consecutive win in the series between these Catholic institutions. The Eagles are coached by former defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani, who took the job in January and led the team to a victory over Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Boston College is 5-2 this season, having won all of its games at home while losing in its two trips outside of Beantown.

The Irish are trying to put last week’s disappointment behind them and get on a winning streak. Both teams are relatively healthy although Michael Floyd is still sidelined for Notre Dame. Coach Charlie Weis may be tinkering with the defense this week and fans may see a few personnel changes at linebacker and safety.

The Eagles have fought hard to overcome the loss of star linebacker Mark Herzlich, who is battling cancer that was diagnosed in the spring. Herzlich is making strong progress according to recent reports and Weis has taken a personal interest in his recovery by providing encouragement. The two will meet on Saturday as Herzlich will accompany his team to Notre Dame.

Spaziani also had to address a shortfall at an already thin quarterback position when projected starter Dominque Davis left the program. BC managed to find a stop gap replacement among the ranks of minor league baseball in Dave Shinskie, 25, who spent the past seven years after high school as a pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays system. Shinskie has performed respectably but not spectacularly, and the Eagles remain a run-oriented team that uses multiple Wildcat formations quite effectively.

NOTRE DAME’s OFFENSE vs. BOSTON COLLEGE’s DEFENSE

The interior of BC’s defensive line gave the Irish fits in last season’s shutout win. Stalwarts Ron Brace and B.J. Raji have moved on, but teams are still finding it difficult to run on the Eagles. Sophomore Kaleb Ramsey has filled in well at tackle and ends Alex Albright and Jim Ramella are solid veteran players. Freshman linebacker Luke Kuechly, who leads the team in tackles by a wide margin, has capably filled the hole left by Herzlich. The net result is that Boston College has allowed only 3.2 yards per rush this season, but they have performed considerably better at home.

Notre Dame’s offensive line has a score to settle with BC after being physically dominated last year, and will not be reluctant to attack the Eagles on the ground. Kuechly and middle linebacker Mike McLaughlin will be difficult to block, but they are not fast enough to contain Armando Allen and Golden Tate if the Irish can provide them a crease to run through.

As far as the passing game is concerned, Jimmy Clausen was held in check last year because Boston College was able to apply pressure with its front four and drop seven players into coverage. This strategy is less likely to work this year against the improved Irish, but it will be interesting to see if and when the Eagles are forced to gamble.

The keys to the passing game are once again Notre Dame’s offensive tackles. If Paul Duncan and Sam Young can handle Albright and Ramella, Clausen can utilize tight end Kyle Rudolph as a receiver instead of a pass blocker, and the rest of his receiving corps will have more room to maneuver in a secondary that is only average.

BOSTON COLLEGE’s OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’s DEFENSE

The Eagles had a breakout offensive showing last week against North Carolina State, but they have looked very anemic in two road losses with only 29 and 45 rushing yards. Shinskie is neither mobile nor particularly accurate, and his receivers are not game changing threats. The running game is the key to BC’s success and must be present if Shinskie is to have any success.

Tailback Montel Harris set a team record with 264 yards and five touchdowns last week on 27 carries. Josh Haden and Rolandan Finch also see spot duty and are small and quick as is Harris. The Eagles will use multiple formations to spring Harris loose and are difficult to stop once they gain momentum and keep a defense off balance.

Rich Gunnell is a veteran possession receiver with a knack for getting open on third down, and he is joined by 6’5” Justin Jarvis and Colin Larmond, Jr., who is the fastest of the group. Tight end Chris Pantale has had a quiet season to date with only 12 receptions for 92 yards.

The defensive game plan for Notre Dame should be straight forward. Stop Harris out of a standard formation or the Wildcat and force Shinskie to beat you by throwing the ball. The Irish should not have to routinely gamble with the blitz to accomplish their goal, but the defensive line needs to continue its improved play against a massive Eagle forward wall led by center Matt Tennant and junior tackles Anthony Castonzo and Rich Lapham.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The BC kicking and punting specialists are average but consistent. Senior place kicker Steve Aponavicius has not missed a field goal this season, but he does not have particularly long range. Punt returner Gunnell has recorded a touchdown and always manages to pick up yardage. The coverage units are quite good, particularly on kickoffs.

Nick Tausch had an extra point blocked by USC and did not attempt a field goal in that contest, but he may very well be called upon in a tight situation this week. The Irish kick returners were replaced by front line players Tate and Allen against the Trojans and may continue to supplant Theo Riddick and Barry Gallup in that role. This move may again be strictly cosmetic if Notre Dame’s wedge blockers do not exert considerably more effort to hit people than I witnessed last week.

SUMMARY

Boston College is not an impressive team on paper, but they can be difficult to put away if they are allowed to control the tempo of the game. Their strength lies not in the skill positions but in a strong offensive line and solid but not exceptional players along the defensive front seven. This appears to be polar opposite the Irish, who must forget last week’s bruises and be prepared for sixty minutes of brawling. Clausen’s ability creates a gulf between these teams that should be enough to spell victory for Notre Dame, but anything less than a spirited effort by a motivated defense will keep the Eagles in it until the end.

Let’s review a few questions that will help determine the outcome:

Will the Irish have anything left in the tank after last week?

Can the Eagles offense finally play well on the road?

Will Notre Dame be able to protect Clausen without resorting to maximum protection packages?

Will the Irish offensive line assert itself against this year’s Eagles front four?

Can Notre Dame’s special teams gain the upper hand in the battle for field position?

Will the shaky Irish secondary make Shinskie look like an All-American passer?

Will Haden and company run around and through Notre Dame?

PREDICTION

It’s no longer a coincidence that Boston College has had Notre Dame’s number in recent years. Their consistently high effort and place on the schedule has enabled them to catch the Irish flat at times, but in other cases they have exhibited a stronger will to win. That should end this year as Notre Dame has stronger leadership and a sense of purpose for the rest of this season. The USC loss was one that the team should use as a confidence builder and springboard rather than an excuse to go into a funk.

In some ways, BC may be the perfect opponent for Notre Dame this week. Still, the Irish have played almost every game close this year and the Eagles’ offense may be ready to roll after putting everything together last week. Once again, fasten your seat belt and hang on.

NOTRE DAME 31 BOSTON COLLEGE 27< /strong>

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