2016 Boston College Eagles football team

The 2016 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College 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 were a member of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 2–6 in ACC play to finish in a tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They were invited to the Quick Lane Bowl where they defeated Maryland.

2016 Boston College Eagles football
Quick Lane Bowl champion
Quick Lane Bowl, W 36–30 vs. Maryland
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
DivisionAtlantic Division
2016 record7–6 (2–6 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorScot Loeffler (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJim Reid (1st season)
Home stadiumAlumni Stadium
(Capacity: 44,500)
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  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
    1. College Football Playoff champion
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Background

Previous season

The 2015 Boston College Eagles football team finished the season 3–9 overall and 0–8 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. That season was marked by numerous injuries and inexperience at key positions but the result was nonetheless seen as major setback in Steve Addazio’s rebuild of the program, shaking the confidence of many in the Boston College athletics community.

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 masters 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 AddazioHead Coach3Central Connecticut State (1982)
Scot LoefflerOffensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks0Michigan (1996)
Jim ReidDefensive Coordinator/Linebackers0Maine (1972)
Paul PasqualoniDefensive Line0Penn State (1971)
Justin FryeOffensive Line3Indiana (2006)
Al WashingtonSpecial Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers4Boston College (2006)
Anthony CampanileDefensive backs0Rutgers (2004)
Frank LeonardTight ends3Central Connecticut State (1981)
Brian WhiteRunning Backs2Harvard (1986)
Reference:[1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 37:30 a.m.vs. Georgia TechESPN2L 14–1740,562
September 1012:00 p.m.at UMass*ASNW 26–725,112
September 173:30 p.m.at Virginia TechESPNUL 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
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry)
ACCNL 20–2834,647
October 2912:30 p.m.at NC StateACCNW 21–1456,443
November 512:00 p.m.No. 5 Louisville
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Chestnut Hill, MA
ESPN2L 7–5230,644
November 117:30 p.m.at No. 20 Florida StateESPN2L 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 ForestACCRSNW 17–1424,866
December 262:30 p.m.vs. Maryland*ESPNW 36–3019,117
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game
  • All times are in Eastern time
Schedule Source:[2]

Game summaries

vs. Georgia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total
Yellow Jackets 7 0 0 10 17
Eagles 0 0 7 7 14

at Massachusetts

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 13 6 7 26
Minutemen 7 0 0 0 7

at Virginia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 0 0 0 0
Hokies 14 7 21 7 49

Wagner

1 2 3 4 Total
Seahawks 7 3 0 0 10
Eagles 14 14 14 0 42

Buffalo

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulls 0 3 0 0 3
Eagles 7 14 0 14 35

Clemson

1 2 3 4 Total
#3 Tigers 21 0 14 21 56
Eagles 3 0 7 0 10

Syracuse

1 2 3 4 Total
Orange 7 7 7 7 28
Eagles 3 7 7 3 20

at NC State

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 10 3 8 21
Wolfpack 0 7 7 0 14

Louisville

1 2 3 4 Total
#5 Cardinals 21 17 14 0 52
Eagles 0 0 7 0 7

at Florida State

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 0 0 7 7
#20 Seminoles 14 7 14 10 45

UConn

1 2 3 4 Total
Huskies 0 0 0 0 0
Eagles 0 10 10 10 30

at Wake Forest

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 10 0 0 7 17
Demon Deacons 0 0 14 0 14

Maryland–Quick Lane Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total
Terrapins 0 13 14 3 30
Eagles 6 23 7 0 36

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.
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