Louisville @ Boston College preview
Alumni Stadium
It’s another week, another prime-time tussle in the top-heavy ACC Atlantic Division as Louisville visits Boston College on Saturday night for their first meeting as ACC foes. But first, the Cardinals are going to have to shake off their 42-31 home loss to undefeated Florida State in which they couldn’t protect a 21-0 lead and were outscored 35-10 in the second half. “Well, I think we're going to be OK," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said during his weekly news conference. “… When you watch the video, you understand that you faced a really good team, one with probably more speed than we have all year.”
Louisville’s loss doesn’t diminish Steve Addazio’s opinion of the Cards, whom he labelled one of three most talented teams in the ACC. “They had a few injuries earlier in the season which I think hurt them, but they're at full strength coming in this week with two extra days of preparation,” the Boston College coach said at his Tuesday press conference. “So our challenge in front of us is mighty.”
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Louisville -3
ABOUT LOUISVILLE (6-3, 4-3 ACC): The Cardinals have lost two of their last three games following a 5-1 start and will wrap up conference play with Saturday’s game. But despite giving up more than 23 points and 351 total yards for the first time all season – Florida State had 42 and 574, respectively – the Louisville defense still ranks in the FBS top 10 in scoring (17.7 points allowed per game), rushing (78.7 yards per contest) and total defense (280.6). Meanwhile, the Louisville offense its hitting its stride with tailback Michael Dyer rushing for a combined 307 yards and four touchdowns over the last two games, while wide receiver DeVante Parker – who missed the first seven games with a broken foot – has caught 17 passes for 346 yards in the two contests.
ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (6-3, 3-2): The Eagles have won two straight and three of four in the ACC since a non-conference loss to Colorado State on Sept. 27 and became bowl eligible for the second year in a row with last week’s 33-31 win at Virginia Tech. Led by Tyler Murphy, the nation’s top rushing quarterback at 107.2 yards per game, Boston College ranks ninth in FBS rushing at 274.9 yards per contest. The Eagles’ defense also is formidable, ranking in the top 20 in points allowed (20.1 per game), rushing yards surrendered (88.9 ypg) and total yards allowed (312.4 ypg).
EXTRA POINTS
1. The all-time series is knotted at three wins apiece, but the two schools haven’t met since Louisville’s 52-28 home win in 1998.
2. Cardinals FS Gerod Holliman had two interceptions against the Seminoles to increase his FBS-leading total to 10 and match Anthony Floyd’s single-season school record set in 2000.
3. Murphy needs 97 yards to break former Clemson QB Woodrow Dantzler’s ACC record for single-season rushing yards (1,061 in 2001) by a quarterback.
PREDICTION: Louisville 24, Boston College 23