Notre Dame's Johnson downplays BC rivalry, focuses on win (chicagotribune.com)
"But as far as a rivalry game, I don't really see it as a huge rivalry. Just because, I guess. USC is bigger, to me. That's just me personally. Michigan. Maybe some Boston College players feel like it's a big rivalry for them. Who knows. I just want to beat every team. So I really don't care. They're a good team, we play them every year, so we definitely want to continue to win."
Rivalry with Boston College may not have traditional buzz, but still plenty at stake for Irish (The Washington Post)
The rivalry may not have quite the same buzz it’s had in other years — Boston College is just 3-7 and struggling through its worst season in 13 years — but the game is still an important one for the Irish (7-3). They’ve climbed back into the Top 25 with three straight wins, and could equal last year’s victory total by beating Boston College. Though they’re likely to miss a BCS bowl for a fifth straight year, the Irish would match their best record of the last decade if they beat Boston College and Stanford, then win their bowl game — wherever it may be.
ACC Teleconference Tidbits, Nov. 17 (ACC Sports Journal)
To recap: you’ve got two private Catholic universities with strong academic reputations the both play Division I football. But one team is loaded with players that weren’t deemed good enough to play for the other school. Yep, I think that meets the rivalry requirements.
Bordner giving struggling BC offense a sudden spark (The MetroWest Daily News)
"I think when Josh comes in he's obviously a very good runner - he's powerful - but he also can throw the ball pretty well so they have to respect that," said Swigert. "We have a lot of different stuff coming out of that (wildcat) package - we had sweeps, posts, a couple of trick plays."
Bright future in Luke Kuechly’s grasp (BostonHerald.com)
"I’m going to South Bend,’’ he said yesterday. "Beyond that I don’t know a whole lot of what goes into this. You can probably tell I haven’t paid much attention to it." "It’’ is his future.
Eagles star to meet his match in ND’s Te’o (BostonHerald.com)
"He is definitely one of the best players out there right now on defense," Kuechly said of Te’o prior to yesterday’s practice. "He makes plays. He is always around the ball making plays."
The Change-of-Pace Quarterback and the Boston College Eagles (One Foot Down)
So how does Boston College use Bordner? Well, he's only seen extended action against Florida State and North Carolina State, so there's not much film to go off of. He's only thrown two passes all season, so he's a runner first and foremost. Also, his playbook is rather limited. Against FSU, he ran a few zone reads and a few designed runs. Against NC State, he ran only four different plays - the zone read and the three plays I'll highlight here.
Colin Larmond wants more balls for BC (The Boston Globe)
"I just want to contribute whatever I can,’’ said Larmond. "It’s fun to be back. I’ve done what they asked me to do. Sometimes it’s deep routes, sometimes it’s slants, sometimes it’s short.’’
ACC record in sight this week for Kuechly (ESPN ACC Blog)
Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly has 509 career tackles and needs just seven more to set an ACC record for career hits. He currently is in fourth place on the all-time ACC list behind former Clemson standout Bubba Brown (515). Considering the pace Kuechly plays at, he might set the record in the first quarter. Last week against NC State, Kuechly racked up nine of his 18 tackles in the final 13 minutes of the game.
And in that corner… The Boston College Eagles (Inside the Irish)
I have real doubts about BC’s ability to upset the Irish. Even if they force a lot of turnonvers (step 1 for beating ND), I don’t see BC scoring enough to make a difference. I think BC would need to score at least 24 to even entertain an idea of an upset. Spaz has only scored more than 24 on the road once in three years.
Notre Dame Prediction: Week 12 vs. Boston College (ESPN Notre Dame Blog)
Tommy Rees took another step in his development against Maryland, and the offense will look to establish a similar tempo this weekend. While Boston College's defense will be less forgiving of a few early errors, the Irish offense should have little trouble eventually settling into a rhythm and pace resembling last week's.
Predictions: ACC Week 12 (ESPN ACC Blog)
Notre Dame 24, Boston College 10: This will be a competitive game, and BC’s defense will be a major reason for that, but the Eagles simply aren’t as good offensively as the Irish. After a second half against NC State in which BC was held to minus-2 rushing yards, the Eagles will have a tough time keeping up with an offense that averages 33 points per game.
The picks: Week 12 (Washington Times)
Fighting Irish 35-10. The Eagles have won two of three and have avoided the fate potentially facing Maryland: A 10-loss season. That doesn't mean all is well in Chestnut Hill. Nor does it mean Boston College will fare well in South Bend against the Irish, who have won seven of eight and can beat their third straight ACC Atlantic Division opponent.