BC no longer overlooked

Boston College often gets overlooked in the ACC since the Eagles play in the same division as traditional powers Clemson and Florida State. But any team who thinks it can simply gloss over Boston College would be seriously mistaken.

The Eagles have finished no worse than second in the Atlantic Division since joining the conference in 2005, and Boston College reached the ACC Championship game in both 2007 and 2008.

2009 was supposed to be a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Frank Spaziani, but he and then-freshman quarterback Dave Shinskie defied expectations and guided the team to an 8-4 regular season record. This year the Eagles may have enough pieces in place to make another run at the conference title, boasting a miserly defense and one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC.

Shinskie, a 26-year-old sophomore who spent seven years pursuing a pro baseball career before returning to football­ last year, returns as the starting quarterback. His 2,049 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2009 were both school records for a freshman, but he also threw 14 interceptions and only completed 51.7 percent of his passes.

With standout running back Montel Harris in the fold, however, Shinskie will be handing off much more than he throws the ball. Indeed, he may not receive snaps at all when Boston College opts to run its bazooka offense—Spaziani’s version of the wildcat. Harris was second in the ACC in rushing last season with 1,457 yards and set two school records when he ripped apart N.C. State for 264 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-20 victory.

If the Eagles ever run into trouble on the offensive side of the ball they can rely on a defense that boasts sophomore linebacker Luke Kuechly, the ACC’s leading tackler last season, and senior Mark Herzlich, who received ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2008. Herzlich missed all of 2009 battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, but he fought off the disease and was cleared to play.

And if Herzlich can defeat cancer, Boston College will no doubt believe it has the ability to take down some serious ACC contenders this year.