Boston College Football Countdown: 88 Days to Go
By Joe Micik
There are now 88 days remaining until the official start of the 2013 Boston College Eagles football season against the Villanova Wildcats. If this were a basketball matchup, there would be interest beyond Chestnut Hill; still, it’s an opening day football game, and we’re excited, which is all that matters.
Who Wears 88 Now
Mike Giacone, TE, sophomore
Giacone, a true sophomore who played in seven games last year, made his BC debut in Week 2 against Maine. He accumulated no statistics and had his redshirt year burned to play all of 29 snaps (3.5% of offensive plays in 2012 season).
Nevertheless, with the departure of Chris Pantale, there’s a realistic chance that this is your new featured tight end, and at the very least, he will get a lot more playing time. As of last season, he was a little lighter than Pantale and even more than that vs. CJ Parsons, another leading candidate to be the primary tight end; if he adds some size during the offseason, this receiving tight end could quickly become an offensive weapon for the Eagles.
Notables Who Wore 88
• Ivan Caesar, OLB, 1987-90. Ex-NFL player; passed away in 2008.
• Frank Grywalski, DL, 1962-64. Defensive line starter in 1964.
• Russell Joyner, DE, 1978-82. 1982 team captain; ex-NFL player; businessman.
• Jordon McMichael, TE, 2008-10. 50-yard touchdown catch the highlight of his BC career.
The 1988 Eagles
Things did not go well for the 1988 Boston College football team, putting together a disappointing 3-8 record. About the only thing that is notable about them is the fact that they played a game in Ireland against Army on November 19 — the Eagles won the Emerald Isle Classic, 38-24. It would be their only win away from Alumni Stadium that year.
(The Other Team) Pounding the Rock
Boston College gave up more rushing first downs in 1988 than any other year in history, allowing 138 of them — that is, until 2012. Last season, the Eagles set the new record with 143.
Flag on the Play
The 1988 Boston College Eagles boast the most penalized game in program history. In their contest against Tennessee on November 5, they took 17 penalties for 165 yards, both of which are still records today.
And In Further Bad News…
The 1988 Eagles can also claim the second-most explosive offensive game ever — for the other team. West Virginia dropped 59 points on the Eagles on October 22.
’88 was a great year if you were playing BC, that’s for sure.