Boston College @ UMass preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2011 ) Massachusetts 17, Boston College 45

After two very difficult seasons to begin FBS play, Massachusetts plots a new course under returning head coach Mark Whipple on Saturday when it hosts its season opener against Boston College at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Whipple guided the Minutemen to a Division I-AA title in his first season at the helm in 1998 and helped the program to two other postseason appearances before the end of his tenure in 2003. He inherits a team that has gone 2-24 so far as an FBS squad.

While Massachusetts looks to take a step forward, the Eagles are hoping to build off a promising beginning under head coach Steve Addazio, who steered Boston College to its first winning season in three years in his debut last year. The Eagles said goodbye to several key seniors from that squad, including All-American running back Andre Williams. Also gone is quarterback Chase Rettig, a 46-game starter who will be replaced by Tyler Murphy, a dual threat who transferred from Florida.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPN3.com. LINE: Boston College -17

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (2013: 7-6): Sophomores Myles Willis and Tyler Rouse are expected to shoulder the load in place of Williams, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist after rumbling for 2,177 yards. Willis impressed with 5.8 yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns last year while chipping in five catches, including a 52-yarder for a score. On the defensive side, the Eagles will feature a veteran bunch led by senior strong safety Dominique Williams but will be without the services of junior linebacker Tim Joy, who is out for the year following a knee injury suffered in the preseason.

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (2013: 1-11): Blake Frohnapfel earned the starting quarterback spot in the preseason after transferring from Marshall, where he had a 77.8 completion percentage and five touchdowns in two seasons as a backup. Frohnapfel's top target will be Tajae Sharpe, who had 61 catches for 680 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore last year. Those two and a backfield that boasts some solid depth in Whipple's pro-set offense will hope to improve upon a meager attack that averaged 9.7 points in 2013, fewest in the nation.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Eagles defensive coordinator Don Brown was Whipple's defensive coordinator in 1998 and 1999 before serving as the head coach at Massachusetts from 2004-08.

2. Murphy passed for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns in six games for Florida last season before a shoulder injury caused him to miss the final three games.

3. Boston College leads the all-time series 19-5, including a 45-17 triumph at home in 2011.

PREDICTION: Boston College 28, Massachusetts 14