Central Michigan @ Boston College preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 31, 2009 ) Central Michigan 10, Boston College 31

Boston College will try to find some semblance of health - and a much-needed win - before the ACC schedule picks back up when it hosts Central Michigan on Saturday. "I am very concerned right now with the amount of injuries that we have and what we just took in this game," coach Steve Addazio told reporters after last week's 34-7 loss at No. 2 Clemson, the Eagles' third straight defeat. "I don't know the extent of them right now but we are losing an incredible amount of starters."

After the Chippewas leave town, Boston College plays back-to-back ranked opponents Virginia Tech and Louisville and then visits an improved Virginia team. The Eagles were outscored 117-37 during the skid and were held to 238 total yards at Death Valley, getting outgained 342-97 on the ground. Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown was among those banged up in the loss, although Addazio indicated that his young signal-caller has been practicing this week. Central Michigan already scored one road victory against a power conference opponent - a 45-27 win at Kansas - but also fell at Syracuse and then dropped its Mid-American Conference opener last week against Miami (Ohio).

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra. LINE: Boston College -7.5

ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-2): Senior Shane Morris has completed 48.1 percent of his passes with four interceptions over the last two games as the Chippewas deal with a banged-up receiving corps. Mark Chapman has managed to avoid those issues and the senior is leading the way with 377 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while leading rusher Jonathan Ward (295 yards on the ground) ranks third on the team in catches (14) and yards through the air (159). Central Michigan will need to clean up its act after committing the game's only two turnovers in last week's loss while committing one penalty that nullified a touchdown and another that wiped out an interception by the defense.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (1-3): Brown has tossed six interceptions while completing under 50 percent of his passes during the losing streak, but the team remains committed to the process and acknowledges the strength of the recent opponents. "The sky's the limit there," Addazio told reporters. "But like any first-year quarterback, a lot of firsts that happen, he knows it. But managing big-time game atmosphere, environment, crowd, noise, stadium, everything, that was a first for him and he handled that pretty well." A battered offensive line has not helped and the Eagles will be forced again to shuffle things up in front of Brown and a rushing attack that averages 3.4 yards per carry - 12th in the ACC.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Eagles entered the week ranked 114th in FBS in third-down conversions (31.1 percent), while the Chippewas were 123rd (27.7).

2. Boston College's top two receivers - Kobay White and Jeff Smith - have combined for 29 catches with no TDs.

3. The Eagles have won each of the three previous meetings, including a 31-10 home triumph in 2009.

PREDICTION: Boston College 27, Central Michigan 20