2016 Boston College Eagles football team

Last updated

2016 Boston College Eagles football
Boston College Eagles wordmark.svg
Quick Lane Bowl champion
Quick Lane Bowl, W 36–30 vs. Maryland
Conference Atlantic Coast Conference
DivisionAtlantic Division
Record7–6 (2–6 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler (1st season)
Offensive scheme Multiple
Defensive coordinator Jim Reid (2nd season)
Base defense 4–3
Captains
Home stadium Alumni Stadium
Uniform
Boston eagles football unif.png
Seasons
  2015
2017  
2016 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Atlantic Division
No. 1 Clemson xy$#  7 1   14 1  
No. 21 Louisville x  7 1   9 4  
No. 8 Florida State  5 3   10 3  
NC State  3 5   7 6  
Wake Forest  3 5   7 6  
Boston College  2 6   7 6  
Syracuse  2 6   4 8  
Coastal Division
No. 16 Virginia Tech xy  6 2   10 4  
North Carolina  5 3   8 5  
No. 20 Miami (FL)  5 3   9 4  
Pittsburgh  5 3   8 5  
Georgia Tech  4 4   9 4  
Duke  1 7   4 8  
Virginia  1 7   2 10  
Championship: Clemson 42, Virginia Tech 35
  • # College Football Playoff champion
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Addazio and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They finished the season 7–6 overall and 2–6 in ACC play to tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They were invited to the Quick Lane Bowl, where they defeated Maryland.

Contents

Background

Off-season coaching changes

The one clear bright spot of the 2015 Boston College Eagles football team was the defense under third-year defensive coordinator Don Brown, under whose stewardship the Eagles led the nation in total defense and were top #10 in numerous other defensive categories. But on December 21, 2015 Jim Harbaugh hired away Brown to coach the same position for the Michigan Wolverines. On the other side of the ball offensive coordinator Todd Fitch, under whom the Eagles finished 126th in total offense and 122nd in scoring offense, was not retained by Steve Addazio.

Addazio turned to Iowa linebackers coach and former Eagles defensive coordinator under Dan Henning, Jim Reid, to take over for Brown as defensive coordinator. Addazio hired former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni as defensive line coach. Pasqualoni had coached on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL for the previous few years.

On the offensive side of the ball Addazio hired former Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler to take over the same position for the Eagles, replacing Fitch.

Off-season player losses

The defense lost three key contributors from the dominant 2015 team, with the graduation of Steven Daniels, Justin Simmons and Connor Wujciak. The offense lost fullback and tight end Louis Addazio.

Off-season player additions

Former Kentucky Wildcat starting quarterback, Patrick Towles transferred to Boston College as a graduate student, to compete with former sophomore starter Darius Wade, whose 2015 season was cut short by injury. Jimmy Lowery, a 4-year starting right tackle at Eastern Illinois transferred to Boston College as a graduate student. Lowery started all 13 games for Boston College at right tackle. Lowery was one of 4 Boston College football players to attain ACC All Academic status graduating in May 2017 with a master's degree in finance.

2016 recruiting class

Coming off a disappointing 2015 football season, Steve Addazio and the Eagles managed the 74th ranked recruiting class in the nation, ranked last in the ACC by the recruiting services.

Preseason expectations

The 2016 Boston College Eagles football team entered the season with no votes in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll. During the ACC Media Days, the ACC Sportswriters predicted Boston College to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division. College Football News predicted a 6–6 (2–6) season, good for sixth-place finish in the Atlantic Division. Athlon Sports likewise predicted the Eagles to finish sixth in the Atlantic. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) predicted Boston College to finish with 5.7–6.3 wins.

Personnel

Coaching staff

NamePositionSeasons at
Boston College
Alma mater
Steve Addazio Head coach 3 Central Connecticut State (1982)
Scot Loeffler Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 0 Michigan (1996)
Jim Reid Defensive coordinator/linebackers 0 Maine (1972)
Paul Pasqualoni Defensive line 0 Penn State (1971)
Justin Frye Offensive line 3 Indiana (2006)
Al Washington Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers 4 Boston College (2006)
Anthony Campanile Defensive backs 0 Rutgers (2004)
Frank Leonard Tight ends 3 Central Connecticut State (1981)
Brian White Running backs 2 Harvard (1986)
Reference: [1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 37:30 a.m.vs. Georgia Tech ESPN2 L 14–1740,562
September 1012:00 p.m.at UMass * ASN W 26–725,112
September 173:30 p.m.at Virginia Tech ESPNU L 0–4960,054
September 241:00 p.m. Wagner * ACCN+ W 42–1022,728
October 11:00 p.m. Buffalo *
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA
ACCN+W 35–324,203
October 77:30 p.m.No. 3 Clemson
ESPNL 10–5644,500
October 2212:30 p.m. Syracuse Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA
ACCN L 20–2834,647
October 2912:30 p.m.at NC State ACCNW 21–1456,443
November 512:00 p.m.No. 5 Louisville
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA
ESPN2 L 7–5230,644
November 117:30 p.m.at No. 20 Florida State ESPN2L 7–4573,917
November 191:00 p.m. UConn *
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA
ACCN+W 30–036,220
November 263:00 p.m.at Wake Forest ACCRSN W 17–1424,866
December 262:30 p.m.vs. Maryland * ESPN W 36–3019,117
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[2]

Game summaries

Vs. Georgia Tech

1234Total
Yellow Jackets7001017
Eagles007714

At UMass

1234Total
Eagles0136726
Minutemen70007

At Virginia Tech

1234Total
Eagles00000
Hokies14721749

Wagner

1234Total
Seahawks730010
Eagles141414042

Buffalo

1234Total
Bulls03003
Eagles71401435

Clemson

1234Total
#3 Tigers210142156
Eagles307010

Syracuse

1234Total
Orange777728
Eagles377320

At NC State

1234Total
Eagles0103821
Wolfpack077014

Louisville

1234Total
#5 Cardinals211714052
Eagles00707

At Florida State

1234Total
Eagles00077
#20 Seminoles147141045

UConn

1234Total
Huskies00000
Eagles010101030

At Wake Forest

1234Total
Eagles1000717
Demon Deacons0014014

Maryland–Quick Lane Bowl

1234Total
Terrapins01314330
Eagles6237036

2017 NFL draft

201732791 John Johnson Los Angeles Rams DB
519163 Matt Milano Buffalo Bills LB

References

  1. "Official Football Roster". Boston College Department of Athletics. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  2. "Boston College Eagles Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved February 3, 2016.