Happy Thursday - These are your Thursday Tidbits - Boston College
Oh what a night
The Scorpions’ Rock You Like a Hurricane reverberated throughout Notre Dame Stadium. Miami players retreated single file toward the visitors’ tunnel. Thousands of fans, in a surprisingly orderly fashion, stormed the field from every corner of the stadium. Meanwhile, a few seats down from me, two fans dressed in orange and green shouted, “That’s f#@$ing bull#$&@!”
Such was the scene moments after one of the most electric games ever played at Notre Dame Stadium, as Marcus Freeman guided the Irish to the program’s 10th victory over an AP No. 1-ranked opponent, the second-most such wins among FBS programs.
The historic evening produced some remarkable numbers. For only the second time in school history, Notre Dame passed for more than 300 yards in victory against the nation’s top-ranked team, joining Ian Book’s 310-yard, double overtime performance against Clemson in 2020. It was also just the fourth time Notre Dame had defeated a No. 1-ranked opponent in South Bend.
Defensively, Notre Dame did a lot of things well Saturday night, but perhaps the most understated was the impact of its pass rush on Miami quarterback Darien Mensah. His athleticism and quick decision-making limited the Irish to just two sacks, but the pressure was relentless. Notre Dame consistently forced Mensah into uncomfortable throws, often on the run and into low-percentage areas of the field resulting in a 55.7% completion percentage for a quarterback who entered the game among the most accurate in college football.
Oh what a night!
CJ Carr
After passing for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Miami, CJ Carr has surged to the top of the Heisman finalist list. He is a special talent, and seemingly treats every game like an honor student studying for the AP history test. Is he ready for the NFL?
Quarterback talent breaks into four areas. 1. Physical ability is the easiest to see: size, speed, arm strength, and accuracy. 2. Football knowledge is understanding the playbook, recognizing coverages, and knowing where the ball should go. 3. Character shows up in how a quarterback communicates, leads the huddle, responds after a mistake, and applies coaching. 4. Cognitive ability is how quickly the quarterback sees what’s changing, works through the options, and makes a sound decision under pressure.
From what we’ve seen, Carr checks all four boxes.
A recent episode of Freakonomics Radio explored why it is so hard to find an NFL QB. The traits that are easiest to measure are only part of what determines who succeeds. A touchdown on college film tells you how the play ended. A scout still has to figure out what the quarterback saw and whether he made the right decision. There were 45 NFL scouts at the game on Saturday.
Give the pod a listen:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000788943303
The Cost of a college football roster
Earlier this year, The Athletic published a list of all Power 4 schools and their estimated “payroll” for their roster.
There are six teams whose roster is estimated to touch $50 million or more (Ohio, Oregon, Texas, LSU, aTm, and Miami). Notre Dame is just below this group with an estimated roster costing between $41 million and $48 million. These are the college football “haves.”
But who are the “have nots?”
It is estimated that Boston College’s NIL budget is between $8 million and $13 million—the lowest among all power schools. There are thirteen schools with budgets estimated to be under $20 million, including Irish opponents Purdue and Stanford.
How does this matter? In games where a team has a $5 million or more roster advantage, the record of the wealthier team is 92-53. When that advantage is $20 million, the record improves to 22-7 (76%). BYU’s victory over ND is one of the seven.
Welcome to campus waitlisted students
The Eagles come to South Bend with a record of 4-5. Earlier this season, BC made history in their 47-2 loss to Duke by becoming the only team in history to score their only points of a game on a defensive two point conversion after a blocked extra point.
So they have that going for them, which is nice.
Offensively the Eagles are led by Saginaw Valley St. transfer QB Mason McKenzie (#10). He is 131-for-229 passing, 1,616 yards, 10 touchdowns, eight interceptions and 145 rushing attempts for 676 yards and five touchdowns.
The BC defense has 15 takeaways (12 interceptions, three fumble recoveries), which is the most in the ACC.
Boston College is known for leaning into the Jesuit philosophy of Cura Personalis (care for the whole person). For example, the English department offers niche courses exploring Disney films, fairy tales, and young adult fiction. Their dining halls are known for delicious mac and cheese. And, during exam weeks, Boston College brings in petting zoos and puppies for students to play with. There is also free coffee in the dining halls and libraries during exams.
Notable alumni include Doug Flutie, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, Leonard Nimoy, Doug Flutie, Matt Ryan, Ed McMahon, Amy Poehler, and Doug Flutie.
The game
Saturday afternoon will mark the 29th meeting between Notre Dame and Boston College. The series stands with a 19-9 ND advantage all-time. The Irish are 9-5 all-time in home games against the Eagles, and has won ten consecutive matches. The current Irish streak started in 2009.
The teams play for the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, a crystal trophy presented by the Notre Dame Club of Boston. The base of the trophy is inscribed with results dating back to the series' inception in 1975. The trophy is named after the Hall of Fame coach who served as the head coach at Boston College from 1939-40 and Notre Dame from 1941-43 and again from 1946-53.
The Irish are favored by 29.5 and the over/under on the game is 52.5. The forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 30’s, but at least it will be raining. The Irish have won twelve consecutive games in November, and Marcus Freeman is 15-2 in the month.
With weather that can best be described as a circle of hell that Dante's editors cut from his rough draft, the Irish will start slowly, suffering from the inevitable “Hurricane Hangover,” however they will win convincingly, solidify their spot in the CFP ratings. FYI, the committee is incompetent.
All will not be lost on BC, however. The return flight to Boston will feature The Lion King, offer cheesy pasta for the postgame meal, and have Boston Terrier puppies named Brady and Doug to provide comfort. Free coffee will also be available.
Those are your Thursday Tidbits - Boston College
Stay thirsty, my friends.
Go Otters and Go Irish!
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