Boston College Football Countdown: 68 Days to Go
By Joe Micik
As of today, just 68 days remain until the start of the 2013 football season. In other terms, that’s two months and seven days. In 67 days, you’ll find out that I’m picking BC in the season opener (oops).
Who Wears 68 Now
Nobody Ever Again
This number is retired by Boston College football. It belongs to Mike Ruth, former Outland Trophy winning defensive lineman.
Notables Who Wore 68
• Mike Ruth, NG, 1982-85. Aforementioned number retiree.
• Tom Condon, OG, 1971-73. 1973 team captain; big-time sports agent.
• Edmund Lipson, G, 1964-66. 1966 team captain.
Joe Knows BC Football
In fact, Joe Yukica would spend the next ten seasons getting to know BC football from ’68 onwards. In spite of having some very good seasons, the Eagles would not enter the Top 25 under Yukica until 1976.
So Did the Other Joe, Apparently
Long before his days of Sandusky-induced disgrace, Joe Paterno was a young head coach at Penn State, and in a win that was not vacated, his ’68 Nittany Lions shut out Boston College at Alumni Stadium, 29-0.
But Back to Our Coach Joe…
In fitting with today’s theme, Yukica ended up with 68 career wins. Only Tom O’Brien has more with 75.
And Speaking of TOB…
In Yukica’s first game as Eagles’ head coach in ’68, BC thrashed Navy, 49-15. TOB was on that Midshipmen team.
Matty Ice to Richie Gunns
In Boston College’s most recent bowl win, the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, the game-clinching score was a 68-yard touchdown strike from Matt Ryan to Rich Gunnell as BC beat Michigan State, 24-21.
Connecting
The highest single-season completion percentage for a Boston College quarterback was 68(.9)% by Mike Kruszek in 1974. Thing is, he had just 151 attempts, whereas, for example, Chase Rettig had 467 last year.