 Senior safety Jamie Silva will be one of the key players to lead the Eagles to victory.
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After losing Saturday's ACC championship game 30-16 at the hands of Virginia Tech, and missing out on a bid to the Orange Bowl, the Boston College Eagles will be playing in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 28. It will be their school-record, ninth-consecutive bowl appearance. BC also has won seven consecutive bowls- the longest current streak in the NCAA.
Despite having the second-best record in the ACC this year and currently being the second-ranked ACC team in the BCS, the Eagles were passed over by the more prestigious Chick-fil-A and Gator Bowls, respectively.
Although the Eagles did not achieve their goal of winning the ACC championship, head coach Jeff Jagodzinski is still pleased to be attending a bowl game in Orlando. "There's not many teams in the country that have 10 wins," Jagodzinski said. "You get to play a conference that you don't get to play a lot. Our guys are very excited to play a good Michigan State team."
After winning their first eight games and vaulting to the No. 2 ranking in the country, the Eagles lost three of their last five games against ACC foes and is currently ranked No. 14 in the BCS standings.
Their opponent, the Michigan State Spartans, are making their first bowl appearance since the 2003 season, after three consecutive losing seasons. The Spartans are coming off two impressive wins against Big Ten powers Penn State and Purdue to salvage a season that promisingly began at 4-0, leaving Michigan State with a 7-5 record entering the bowl season.
In the Penn State win, which made them bowl eligible, Michigan State made a tremendous comeback in the second half. Down 24-7 in the third quarter, MSU quarterback Brian Hoyer threw three second-half touchdown passes, and Jehuu Caulcrick ran the ball in from one yard out with 4:08 to play in the game, giving the Spartans a 35-31 lead that they would not relinquish. Caulcrick ranks fourth in the NCAA in rushing touchdowns, with 21.
Despite having a losing conference record in the Big Ten, at 3-5, the physical Spartans proved their resilience and strong will throughout the season, playing close games against tough teams all year. MSU played three ranked teams this season: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 9 Wisconsin, and No. 12 Michigan, and lost each game by a touchdown or less.
2008 Woodie Awards
