Around ACC Spring Football: Boston College

Editor’s note: This is the first of an 11-part series looking around ACC football this spring

Boston College is the perpetual dark horse.

Tucked away far more north than any other ACC school, the Eagles tend to get less hype than the rest, but always seem to deliver when it comes to results on the field.

But in 2010, it didn’t happen.

The Eagles dropped their first four conference games in the midst of five-game losing streak from mid-September to mid-October.

Clemson’s trip to Chestnut served as their turning point as they pulled that one out along with the rest of their final five games of the regular season to earn a bowl berth.

BC is one of the few teams on Clemson’s schedule that returns a starting QB, and have the nation’s top tackler on the other side of the ball in linebacker Luke Kuechly.

But true sophomore QB Chase Rettig, much like Tajh Boyd, is learning a new system this spring under new offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers.

More on the Eagles…

Boston College

Returning Starters by Position

Offense (7)

QB: 1 (8 career starts)

RB: 1 (37 career starts)

TE: 1 (26 career starts)

WR: 2 (18 career starts)

O-line: 2 (26 career starts)

Defense (7)

D-line: 2 (17 career starts)

LB: 2 (39 career starts)

DB: 3 (32 career starts)

Kicker/Punter (2)

PK: 1 (13 career starts)

P: 1 (40 career starts)

Outgoing Starters: 8

2010 Record: 7-6 (4-4 ACC)

Offensive Leader: TB Montel Harris – The senior led the ACC in rushing yards per game last season despite missing the final two games of the regular season due to a knee injury. After two 13-yard rushing games against the Tigers previously, Harris lit up them up for 143 yards on 37 rushes and scored first career TD against Clemson with a 36-yard reception in the last years' 16-10 Eagles win.

Defensive Leader: LB Luke Kuechly – Kuechly led the nation in tackles per game with 14.1 as a first-team All-American as a sophomore. He racked up 14 tackles against the Tigers last year.

Key Issues This Spring: 1) New offense – In the offseason, BC offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill retired after the Eagles finished 109th in total offense. Eagles coach Frank Spaziani hired former Minnesota Vikings QB coach Kevin Rogers. He coached in Minnesota for five seasons after stints with Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Navy and William and Mary. There’s still some mystery as to what direction he will take the offense, which has traditionally been run-first behind a big offensive line.

2) Replacing offensive line stalwarts – The Eagles lose 121 career starts from LT Anthony Castonzo, RG Thomas Claiborne and RT Rich Lapham.

3) Finally having a QB in place – sophomore Chase Rettig seems to be the guy after winning the job midway through the 2010 season, but BC has had trouble with having a clear leader at QB going into the season lately.

More Around ACC Spring Football

Boston College

Florida State

Maryland

NC State