Boston College Football Countdown: 83 Days to Go
By Joe Micik
Down to 83 days until Boston College football now. Are you getting excited yet?
What do you mean no; it’s still a couple months away?
You shut your mouth right now and start getting excited. We’ve actually got things to get excited about, so there’s no sense in holding back.
Who Wears 83 Now
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Amidon, WR, senior
I don’t think any of us could have foreseen Amidon’s breakout year in 2012 going the way it did. Before that, in his underclassman years, Amidon was a reliable component in the Boston College passing game, but as a junior, he completely took over and put together one of the best seasons an Eagle wide receiver has ever had.
This Massachusetts native formed quite the on-field rapport with Chase Rettig, breaking the school records for receptions and receiving yards in a single season — and as you’ve seen from some of the stats in early countdown articles, there were some pretty damn good numbers he had to beat.
How good was his 2012? 78 receptions for 1,210 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging just over 100 yards per game. Nobody else on the team came close. Amidon also got named to the All-ACC first team for his efforts. If his 2013 is similar in nature, he’ll blow past Rich Gunnell’s all-time receiving record and will probably get looked at in 2014 NFL draft scouting.
Notables Who Wore 83
• Steve Aponavicius, K, 2006-09. Famed walk-on who set the BC scoring record.
• Ivan Boyd, WR, 1991-93. Made for good Heights headlines.
• Scott Gieselman, TE, 1982-85. BC Varsity Club Hall of Famer.
• Jim O’Shea, TE, 1968-70. NFL Drafted by Steelers in 1971.
• Tim Sherwin, TE, 1977-80. 1980 team captain; played for Colts and Giants in 1980s.
Setting Up Success
We all know how good the ’84 season was, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work the Eagles did in ’83. This team was 9-3, ultimately losing the Liberty Bowl to Notre Dame, 19-18. They finished ranked #19 in the AP poll. It’s also famous for a game “where the lights went out,” and we’re not talking about Super Bowl XLVII.
83 In The Air
Boston College has two passing plays for 83 yards in its history, and both still today rank amongst the longest offensive plays ever in Boston College football lore. One came in 1972 by Gary Marangi against Penn State, and the other was by Willie Hicks in 1989 against West Virginia.
Flutie Magic
Doug Flutie threw for four touchdowns twice in ’83, breaking his own personal record (and the BC record) with a six-touchdown game in his senior year.
Making the Catch
In 1983, Brian Brennan set what was at the time a school record with 66 receptions. Including Alex Amidon, four Eagles have now exceeded that mark.
This Record Got Broken, Too
Brennan also tied the mark in ’83 for receptions in a single game with 12. Three players eventually went on to tie a new record of 13.
And This One
Brennan’s single-season yardage mark of 1,149 was also set in ’83. Amidon took care of that.
This One Got Tied
Brennan sure did have a great ’83, because he also set the program record for 100-yard games in a season with six. Amidon tied it in 2012; had he gotten one more yard against Maine, it would be his.
Going The Other Way
Boston College had 83 yards worth of interception return yards against NC State in the 2012 season finale, for all the good it did them.