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November 23, 2006
Eagles ready for Hurricanes
Boston College meets Miami for Thanksgiving
The No. 18 Boston College Eagles (9-2) play against the Miami Hurricanes (5-6) on Thanksgiving Day. The Eagles are looking for their 10th victory, heading to Florida full of momentum from a 38-16 thumping of Maryland. The Eagles are tied with Wake Forest at 5-2, but the Deacons hold the tie-breaker, so BC needs a win and a Wake Forest loss to claim the division title and a spot in the ACC Championship game.
The Hurricanes are in a deep rut. At 5-6 overall, and 2-5 in conference play, they have lost their last four games. But a win will salvage their season and allow Miami a bowl berth for the ninth straight year. Miami has won 14 straight and 22-of-25 meetings overall with BC. Divine intervention played a part for BC the last time they beat Miami 22 years ago; Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan gave the Eagles a 47-45 victory. The Hurricanes may need a godsend themselves to save their season this time.
Boston College is listed as a 4-point favorite at BetJamaica, with the total set at 37.5. Boston College is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games against a team with a losing record. The Hurricanes are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog.
The Eagles manufactured 373 yards of total offense against Maryland. Quarterback Matt Ryan has completed 62 percent of his passes, for 2,351 yards with 14 TDs and seven interceptions. Kevin Challenger (43 catches, 488 yards) and Tony Gonzalez (36 catches, 422 yards) provide two solid options for Ryan. Each receiver has five TDs. The potent BC defense scored three times against Maryland. Junior linebacker Jolonn Dunbar scored twice and earned himself National Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Eagles’ defensive unit has limited opponents to 14.8 ppg, shutting the rush down to 92.3 ppg.
The Hurricanes’ offense has averaged just 19.7 ppg this year. Kyle Wright’s broken thumb opened the door for sophomore QB Kirby Freeman; he has completed 55 percent of passes, for 419 yards with four TDs and four interceptions. Miami has scored just 30 points total and not more than 14 in each of their last three games. Miami’s defense is allowing just 15.2 ppg and rank eighth in the country in total offense at 257.5 yards per game. All-American safety Brandon Meriweather leads the team in tackles (76).
The Eagles are bowl eligible for the eighth straight year, but have their sights set on a BCS bid. To reach the higher goal, they first need to beat a struggling team on the road. All signs point to a Boston College victory. With a little help from Maryland, the Eagles may be able to soar even higher.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 pm ET at the Orange Bowl, with ESPN handling the coverage.
25038 - Copyright 2006, BetJamaica.com, The Player's Paradise
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