BC/Toledo article

[BobbyBlueChip]

Disappointed, yes, but determined, too

BC to make the most of Motor City Bowl

By Michael Vega, Globe Staff, 12/26/2002

hen the season began, this was not the bowl Boston College's football team had in mind. The Eagles had much higher aspirations than the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.


There were designs on a 10-win season, the Big East title, and, perhaps, a shot at a Bowl Championship Series bowl.

But as those goals fell by the wayside one by one during BC's 8-4 campaign, it was apparent the best the Eagles could hope for was a berth in the San Francisco Bowl New Year's Eve.

However, those plans were scratched when Notre Dame was knocked out of a BCS berth in a humbling loss at Southern Cal, and Washington State crunched UCLA to clinch the Pacific-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth the Trojans had coveted. It set into motion a chain of events that got BC squeezed out of San Francisco by 9-4 Virginia Tech and dispatched to Detroit.

''I don't know if Detroit was where everyone wanted to go for Christmas, but it doesn't matter,'' said BC senior quarterback Brian St. Pierre. ''We played in Nashville last year around Christmas and it was cold there, too.''

It was certainly colder than Honolulu, where BC spent Christmas 2000. But who would have thought this trip to the Motor City would leave the Eagles longing for the Music City?

And so, instead of jetting out to the Bay Area to play in the San Francisco Bowl, BC will square off today against Toledo, the West Division champions of the Mid-American Conference, in the Motor City Bowl at 5 p.m. at Ford Field, the new indoor home of the Detroit Lions.

''Definitely, you'd rather go to San Francisco than Detroit,'' said BC junior linebacker Josh Ott. ''It's a much more attractive destination, but as a team, we're going to have fun wherever we go. It is about football and it is about being together as a team one more time and making the best of what we have. So I don't think we're going to be too disappointed about where we're going once we get there.''

It is, after all, much better than the alternative: staying home for the holidays.

''Yeah, we could be disappointed that we're not going to San Francisco, or we can be excited that we're not staying home,'' Ott said. ''I think that's the way we have to look at it, as another opportunity.''

And that's precisely how BC's departing class of fourth- and fifth-year seniors is looking upon its unprecedented fourth consecutive bowl trip. With a win over Toledo, this group of seniors could tie the 1981-84 and 1983-86 BC groups for most wins (32) in a four-year period.

''I think I speak for the rest of the seniors when I say we're very proud that we had a big part in the resurrection of this program, especially the fifth-year guys,'' St. Pierre said. ''When we came here, the gambling scandal had just happened two years previous and we were coming off a 4-7 season and times were pretty dark around here. It was pretty lean.

''We're proud of the fact we turned it around where we expect to go to bowl games every year and we're trying to win eight or nine games every year competing against really good teams.''

BC's 20-16 triumph over 16th-ranked Georgia in last year's Music City Bowl was momentous for the Eagles, snapping a 22-game losing skein against ranked opponents.

''That was a huge game,'' St. Pierre said. ''I mean, no one gave us a chance going in to beat Georgia, which was easily one of the best teams I've played against since I've been at BC. We gutted one out and we won a game that, on paper, we shouldn't have, but we did. It got us into the Top 25 for the first time in a while around here. Hopefully, if we can get our ninth win, we can jump up there again this year.''

Toledo, though, will have similar aspirations. The Rockets (9-4) will be looking to record their third consecutive 10-win season when they defend their Motor City title in their first meeting with BC.

''They're huge up front,'' said BC coach Tom O'Brien, noting the gargantuan size of Toledo's offensive line, which, from left to right tackle, goes 320, 318, 291, 319, and 353 pounds. ''They've got very good running backs, two little guys [5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound redshirt freshman Trinity Dawson and 5-8, 180-pound true freshman Astin Martin] who hide well behind those big guys and make some runs.

''Their quarterback [Brian Jones] has completed something like 70 percent of his passes [270 of 382 for 3,115 yards and 21 touchdowns], so they're doing a good job of throwing and catching the ball,'' O'Brien added. ''Nobody can stop 'em, so they'll be a great challenge for our defense. They're a good football team.''

And while Toledo's offense has averaged 36.2 points and 475.2 yards per game, its defense has been susceptible to giving up huge numbers as well: 25.2 points and 353.9 yards total offense.

''They're Temple, they're Virginia Tech,'' O'Brien said of Toledo's defense. ''They play eight-, nine-man fronts and they're always going to outnumber us in the box. There's a lot more blitzing than either Temple or Virginia Tech. We've faced similar defenses against other teams, so it's just a matter of us executing the way we did against those teams.

''We have to play our best game, because if we don't play well, we're not going to win the game.''

Which, no doubt, will leave the Eagles wishing they had stayed home for Christmas instead of going to Detroit.

Motor City Bowl


Who: Boston College vs. Toledo

When: 5 p.m.

Where: Ford Field, Detroit

TV & radio: ESPN, WEEI (850)

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Ward eyes fitting finale
MAC loss fuels Motor City drive, UT senior says

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


Tom Ward is anxious to play another football game - one that will be his final game as a Rocket. The University of Toledo senior needs to get out on the synthetic grass of Detroit?s new Ford Field and hit somebody - quick.

In today?s Motor City Bowl against Boston College, the linebacker from Defiance hopes to end his career with a win, and wipe away the bitter taste left by UT?s 49-45 loss to Marshall in the Mid-American Conference championship game almost three weeks ago.

"You don?t forget about a game like that, but you have to use it to motivate you and not let it distract you," Ward said. "When you lose a game and times get tough, that fires you up even more. We?re focused on Boston College right now, but there?s no question we go into this game with a little more fire since we were not successful in the MAC championship game."

The Rockets (9-4) surpassed the expectations of many just by reaching the conference title game, but Ward said he felt the team had the ability to repeat its accomplishments of 2001, when Toledo was the champion of the MAC and the Motor City Bowl. Despite losing some very skilled players, UT was able to reload.

Ward said guys who might have been question marks in some people?s eyes in August turned out to be solid and reliable players by October.

"There was a great effort in the off-season to get ready for this year, and we all knew that everybody had to step up their game to make up for the players we lost on both sides of the ball," he said.

"Young guys who hadn?t played before came in and performed, and more guys had to make plays - and that?s something we did well this year."

Ward credits both the young players on the Toledo team, and the veterans who were able to shepherd them through the preparations and the necessary performances that make up a championship season.

"It didn?t surprise me that we were able to get back to the Motor City Bowl, because I knew the talent was there from watching this team in practice," Ward said.

"I was impressed with the way the new guys stepped in and did what we needed them to do. I think the senior leadership was a factor, too. When you are a younger player, there is no substitute for getting a strong example set for you. The coaches can get on you and push you, but it is your teammates - especially the leaders on the team and the seniors - who really control how fast guys come along."

Ward sees Boston College as a formidable final opponent.

"I?ve watched all their games on tape, and I?m excited to play this kind of opponent," he said. "They are a good running team and a good passing team. They present a big challenge to our team and to us linebackers. We?re excited to play them."

Ward, a first-team all-MAC choice this past season when he and fellow UT linebacker David Gardner were both so honored, led the conference with 162 tackles. Ward?s 379 career tackles rank him 11th all-time at Toledo.

"I owe a lot of that to my teammates," he said. "We?ve got a lot of playmakers on the defensive side, so teams can?t focus on one guy and try and double him all of the time, and that has made the difference. We had fun playing together, and we usually get the job done, too."

Ward, who finished third in the voting for the MAC defensive player of the year this season, had 22 tackles in a win over Ball State in October - the third game of his career with 20-plus tackles. As a junior he was second-team All-MAC and was second in the conference with 129 tackles. He expects a physical matchup with BC.

"They don?t do a lot to try and fool you," he said. "The battle is going to be won in the trenches, like it is in most big games. They?re going to come at you and play some smash-mouth football - and we like that approach. We anticipate a heck of a game."

Ward said he feels like the experience from last year?s Motor City Bowl trip will be an advantage for the Rockets as they face the Eagles.

"I feel like this team will be even more focused than we were last year," he said. "We?ve been through the whole bowl experience, so we can still enjoy it without being kind of overwhelmed by it. A big plus for this team this year has been our ability to kind of focus on that next opponent and what they do, and block everything else out."

The bowl game was moved from the aging Pontiac Silverdome to bright and shiny Ford Field, and Ward said he can think of no better setting for his final game in a Toledo uniform.

"It?s a thrill to play in an NFL stadium, but to play in a brand new Ford Field, a place where there will be a Super Bowl in the next few years - on national TV - it doesn?t get any better for a college football player," he said.

"In a game like this, you really don?t need it, but it does give you a big jolt since you?re playing there. That?s what you work out for and why you practice so hard - you want to play in big games and in big situations. This is as big as it gets."

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

DETROIT -- Officially, Toledo has one goal for the Motor City Bowl today -- to beat Boston College.

Unofficially, there is more riding on the game than just a victory or loss.

Toledo wants to put on a good showing and hopes to make a good impression on ESPN and on the important base of recruits across Michigan.

Talk about multitasking for the holidays.

"It's really important for us to look good, to show what Toledo is about, there's no doubt about that," senior wide receiver Carl Ford of Monroe said. "You don't get many chances to have the spotlight shining on just you. Boston College is a good team that people know about, so if we can beat them, people will respect us more.

"People know where Toledo is. We want them to understand we're a really good team, and we earn respect."

Of the Rockets' 101-man roster, 22 percent hails from Michigan. Getting the best recruits out of Metro Detroit and Grand Rapids is a priority.

The recruiting game is challenging, especially due to the competition of Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan and other programs on the prowl in the same talent pool.

Toledo's coaching staff spends a lot of time in Michigan, trying to solidify the school's presence as a major player.

"We view Michigan, especially the Detroit area, are one of the most important areas for us to recruit from," Coach Tom Amstutz said.

"We get great kids year-in and year-out from those areas. It's a very tough. We have to prove and show these kids and their parents why Toledo is the place for them. Getting an extra boost from ESPN or getting to play in Detroit is huge. It's like free advertising for us.

"The key is, we have to make sure we do something positive with it. We want to show who we are, at our best."

Toledo's recruiting sales pitch is relatively simple.

The coaches emphasize education, having fun playing football and show the list of big-time teams the Rockets have played competitively or beaten.

Toledo has played Minnesota, Nevada-Las Vegas, Penn State, Syracuse and Ohio State over the past five seasons.

"We want the players to know what they will be getting into here. We don't lie," offensive coordinator Rob Spence said. "I want the players to feel part of the team the day they come here.

"We're a close team, and we look for players that are talented and will fit into our philosophies."

Freshman tailback Astin Martin, a Grand Rapids native, said the best way for Toledo to sell itself is familiarity.

"The more I got to know about Toledo, the more I liked it," Martin said. "I think it's a matter of people getting to find out about what we do, how we do it and why we win a lot.

"I think we're all excited, especially the guys from Michigan, to come home to Ford Field and play in a bowl game. We want to do well in front of our friends and family, it's personal like that. We hope the recruits notice that too. We have pride being from Michigan."

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Boston College is wary of upset-minded Toledo

Eagles study up on MAC tradition

By Jim Spadafore / The Detroit News

Related reports
Offensive linemen rocket Toledo
Amstutz feels excitement
Complete Motor City Bowl preview


Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery


DETROIT -- Boston College competes in the Big East Conference with top-ranked Miami, which is bound for the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Toledo is in the smaller Mid-American Conference.

But if anyone believes Toledo has a small chance of beating Boston College today in the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field, they had better talk to Eagles Coach Tom O'Brien. He knows all about the MAC football tradition and its long list of upsets.

And the Rockets would like nothing better than to pull another upset for their school and the MAC.

"I grew up in Cincinnati and I know about the upsets by Miami of Ohio and Toledo," O'Brien said. "And I know a MAC team likes nothing better than to get these upsets. Now I have to convince my players we're playing a top-notch team. I already know that."

His players seem to know the MAC.

"I know about Central Michigan beating Michigan State two years in a row and Toledo winning at Penn State," wide receiver Jamal Burke said. "I watched Toledo almost beat Marshall with Bryon Leftwich earlier this month. You can't overlook the Mid-American Conference."

The Rockets also have the geographical edge, and Detroit -- with snow on the ground the day after Christmas -- isn't exactly Hawaii, where the Eagles played two years ago in the Aloha Bowl (a 31-17 victory over Arizona State).

"We're playing indoors, so weather won't be a factor," O'Brien said. "Our kids wanted to play in a bowl game. We've been to Tucson, Nashville and Hawaii. Nothing compares to Hawaii.

"But we're from Boston, and it's not warm now there, either. If we want to go to a bowl in warm weather, we better get to a BCS bowl."

The Eagles feature senior quarterback Brian St. Pierre and junior running back Derrick Knight. St. Pierre is No. 3 in B.C. in career passing yards with 5,495. This season, he has completed 212 of 372 passes for 2,641 yards and 17 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions. Knight has rushed for 1,367 yards, fourth-best in B.C. history.

But the Rockets can move the ball, too. In their last two games, against Bowling Green and Marshall, they averaged 43.5 points. Quarterback Brian Jones set a school season record with 3,115 passing yards, completing 270 of 382 passes with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Wide receiver Donta' Greene has a school career record 176 catches and Carl Ford (Monroe) set a school season record with 900 receiving yards on 69 catches, including eight for touchdowns.

Toledo Coach Tom Amstutz said he knows his team probably has to play its best game of the season to have a chance to win, but that it looks forward to these types of games.

"Boston College is outstanding and I think how they won at Notre Dame, which was unbeaten at the time," Amstutz said. "They're just a good solid all-around football team, and it'll be a great challenge for us."

Is it a problem that the Rockets are a four-point underdog?

"No, I'm surprised that's all it is," Amstutz said.

But it really won't surprise the nation if a MAC team pulls another upset.