Notre Dame-Boston College: Numbers tell story in blowout win
Notre Dame isn’t likely to finish the year ranked in the top-10 because of losses to Marshall and Stanford but they’ll enter next week’s regular-season finale at USC looking every bit the part of a top-10 squad. 44-0 only partially does justice to how one-sided this affair was Saturday afternoon.
Boston College was at one time a place that prided itself on developing outstanding offensive lines and manhandling the line of scrimmage. We won’t get too deep into that in this post, but Boston College looks like an average MAC team that should be playing on Tuesday nights. As a lifetime Notre Dame fan I’ve got to say – I really hate to see it.
Sarcasm font: the author of this post does not actually hate to see it at all
There were plenty of numbers that helped tell the story in Saturday’s dominating Notre Dame win. Here are a little more than a handful of those.
3:
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) celebrates after an interception in the first quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
As in interceptions by freshman cornerback [autotag]Brandon Morrison[/autotag] on Saturday. His three interceptions are as many receptions as Boston College’s leading pass catcher (running back Zay Flowers) caught in the game. That gives Morrison five picks on the year (all at home in the month of November).
4 scores and 243 yards ago...
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) runs the ball as Boston College Eagles cornerback Jalon Williams (14) defends in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
That feels like the last time Boston College was relevant. No, not really. Well, perhaps but again, that isn’t the point of this piece.
[autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] (15 att, 122 yards, 1 TD), [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag] (11 att, 71 yards, 2 TD), and [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] (6 att, 50 yards, 1 TD) combined to run for 243 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday. A week after not being able to run the ball at all versus Navy, the run game dominated everything in it’s path. In all, Notre Dame averaged 7.4 yards each time they ran against Boston College.
5
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Emmett Moorehead (14) runs the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Marist Liufau (8) pursues in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Forced turnovers by Notre Dame on Saturday. We went over three of them is by way of Brandon Morrison’s interceptions, but this was a leveling-out type of game by a defense that struggled mightily to take the ball away in the first half of the season.
29
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
As in 29-straight regular season wins for Notre Dame over ACC opponents. That dates back to November of 2017. The win over Boston College clinches the fifth-straight year Notre Dame has pitched a perfect record in regular season games against ACC opponents.
If you’re curious, Boston College has won 17 ACC contests since the start of 2018.
25
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) acknowledges the crowd after a sack in the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
[autotag]Isaiah Foskey[/autotag] set the Notre Dame program record for career sacks by recording his 25th in blue and gold on the last play of Saturday’s blowout victory. Foskey passed Justin Tuck who held the record since 2003.
1200
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Michael Mayer (87) dives for the pylon as Boston College Eagles defensive back Josh DeBerry (21) defends in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
In the third quarter Notre Dame started a drive with a pair of quick shovel passes to [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] that with a 37-point lead seemed bizarre. Well, after the second one it was announced that Mayer, who holds the Notre Dame record for most career receiving yards by a tight end, went over 2,000 receiving yards for his career. He’s just the 13th player in Notre Dame history to reach the mark and did so in what most expect will be his final game at Notre Dame Stadium.
9
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Notre Dame Leprechaun reacts after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Boston College Eagles 44-0 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nine straight wins have been had by Notre Dame over Boston College after m 44-0 thrashing. After the series was tied overall by Boston College in 2008, Notre Dame has now taken the last nine to have an 18-9 overall series advantage.
6
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Grounds crews clear snow off the field boundary lines in the fourth quarter of the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
The six (or seven) points that weren’t by Notre Dame stand out. Not in terms of deciding the winner of Saturday’s game but instead in regards to Notre Dame hanging a 50-burger on Boston College. The Irish were stopped on 4th and 1 at the Eagles seven-yard line in the fourth quarter. I know after what we saw this year I should know better than to be greedy but we’ll gladly take this result.
35-plus
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Notre Dame Leprechaun stands in the student section as time expires on the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday, Notre Dame accomplished something for just the second time in over 130 years of competitive football. Notre Dame scored 35 or more points for the fifth-straight game, something they’ve only done once before, all the way back in 1943. If the Irish can put up 35 against USC next week it’ll be the first time in program history they get to 35 in six-straight games.
