By By JEFF FISHER / Niles Daily Star
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Boston College and Notre Dame have played many memorable games over the years.
Instead of arriving this season with the attention of ruining an Irish national championship season, Boston College came into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday with a 6-0 record, the No. 4 ranking and dreams of a title run itself.
Eagles' senior quarterback Matt Ryan, who's being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate, was 32-of-49 for 291 yards and threw three touchdowns, including a pair to tailback Andre Callender, as Boston College posted a 27-14 victory over the Fighting Irish.
Boston College is off to its best start since 1942, when it began 8-0, and it's highest ranking in 23 years.
"That was a big win for us," Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "To come in here to South Bend, the kids were excited about playing this football game and I think they responded, they responded real well. Charlie's (Notre Dame coach Weis) guys fought us all the way to the end.
"They (Notre Dame) have some really good young football players. They're going to get better with time. They play hard. They didn't play like a young football team at all," he added.
On the Eagles' opening possession of the game, the visitors went 73 yards in five plays, capped off by Callender's 7-yard run.
Boston College came into Saturday's match up with the third-ranked rushing defense, allowing only 49.7 yards per game. Against Notre Dame's einemic rush offense, which is ranked last at 33 yards per game, the Eagles allowed the Fighting Irish just 27 yards on 21 attempts.
Boston College stretched its lead to 13-0 in the second quarter as Callender scored his second touchdown of the night, this one from a yard out.
Things did get a little better in the second half for the Notre Dame offense.
After going three and out for the seventh time of the game, Weis made a quarterback change, going with junior signal caller Evan Sharpley.
Sharpley's appearance at the 11:25 mark of the third quarter seemed to rejuvenate the Irish.
The back up quarterback took the Irish 79 yards in seven plays, finishing with a 19-yard scoring strike to sophomore wide receive Robby Parris.
"He gave us a spark and came out and made some plays, especially in that first drive," Weis said. "He made some nice throws in the second half. But the bottom line is that I think we're hot and cold."
Just as it had the previous week in the UCLA game, Notre Dame's defense came through with a score.
Two minutes after the Fighting Irish cut it to 20-7, freshman linebacker Brian Smith picked off Ryan and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Notre Dame was charged with an excessive celebration penalty following the touchdown, which forced the Irish to kick from its own 15-yard line.
The penalty would prove costly as a big return allowed the Eagles to set up shop at the Notre Dame 44-yard line.
Despite the interception, Ryan looked un-phased as he marked Boston College those 44 yards on five plays, hooking up with Kevin Challenger from 13-yards out for the game's final score.
"We just lost to a good football team," Weis said. "You've got to take things into proper perspective. Boston College is a good football team, they're well coached, they're sound fundamentally, they've got a top-line quarterback, they've got a tough defense and they play pretty stout on special teams. That's very matter of fact."
Notre Dame (1-7) continues to face some of the nation's top programs as the USC Trojans invade Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.
B. College 6 7 14 0 – 27
N. Dame 0 0 14 0 – 14
BC – Callender, Andre 7 run (Aponavicius, Steve kick failed)
BC – Callender 1 run (Aponavicius kick)
BC – Callender 9 pass from Ryan, Matt (Aponavicius kick)
ND – Parris, Robby 19 pass from Sharpley, Evan (Walker, Brandon kick)
ND – Smith, Brian 25 interception return (Walker kick)
BC – Challenger, Kevin 13 pass from Ryan (Aponavicius kick)