Week 7: Boston College at Notre Dame

Boston College and Notre Dame each have a history of ruining special seasons by the other. But there’s no reason for Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis to worry about that this week.

“Well, they’re not going to ruin our season,” Weis said, referring to his team’s 1-5 record.

Two times, most notably in 1993 when Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in the country, an unranked Boston College team has upset a Fighting Irish squad ranked in the top 10. This weekend provides Notre Dame, which routed No. 9 Boston College 54-7 in 1992, a rare opportunity to return the favor.

“We’d love very much to put a damper on their season,” Weis said. “But I think that we understand that they’re playing very, very good football and they deserve a high ranking based off of their production. We’re going to have to play a very good game to be able to win.”

Under the guidance of first-year coach Jeff Jagodzinski, the No. 4 Eagles have their highest ranking since 1984 and are off to their first 6-0 start since 1942. Boston College features balance that few teams can match — an offense led by All-ACC quarterback Matt Ryan and tailbacks Andre Callender and L.V. Whitworth, and a defense that leads the nation in interceptions (16) and ranks third in the country against the run (49.7 yards per game).

On top of all that, the Eagles now pose a threat on kick returns. Sophomore sprinter Jeff Smith, who missed the first five games of the season because of a concussion, returned to action in BC’s 55-24 victory over Bowling Green last week and promptly delivered kickoff returns of 64 yards and 47 yards. The Eagles had been No. 114 in the country in kickoff return average during Smith’s absence.

“What a difference to have him back on our kickoff returns,” Jagodzinski said. “It just goes to show you can only do so much with a scheme. You’ve got to have the players to do it.”

Weis is happy that Smith is healthy enough to play, but he’s not thrilled about the timing of his return to the field.

“He could have stayed out for a couple of more weeks,” Weis said. “That would have lifted my spirits.”

Notre Dame’s players lifted Weis’ spirits last week, getting their first victory of the season. The Fighting Irish forced seven turnovers in a 20-6 win over UCLA, snapping their school record for consecutive losses to begin a season. They feasted on the inexperience of UCLA backup quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who had not thrown a pass in a college game before last week, intercepting him four times after starter Ben Olson left the game with a knee injury late in the first quarter.

BC’s Ryan is the opposite of Bethel-Thompson in terms of experience. A senior who appears to have a bright future in the NFL ahead of him, Ryan leads the ACC in total offense (314.2 ypg) and protects the ball well enough that the Eagles are No. 7 in the nation in turnover margin.

That being the case, Notre Dame must generate some offense of its own rather than waiting for Boston College to self-destruct. That will be much easier said than done, given the way the Fighting Irish have struggled this season. Notre Dame is last in the nation in total offense (185.7 ypg), rushing (33.0 ypg) and sacks allowed (5.3 per game), and the team is second from the bottom in scoring (11.0 points per game).

The Fighting Irish are a trendy upset pick this week given the history of the series with Boston College and the fact that they won last week, but they have no business winning this game. The Eagles, who have beaten Notre Dame four consecutive times and have won three times in a row at Notre Dame Stadium, should extend both of those streaks.

Boston College by 14