Bucke, Eagles Ready To Kick Off Season College Football

Doug Flutie put Boston College football on the map in the 1980s. Now the Eagles are back in the national spotlight following victories over Notre Dame the past two seasons.

“I think Boston College already had a certain amount of national stature because it is one of only two Catholic schools in the country competing in I-A football,” coach Dan Henning said Thursday. “But to beat Notre Dame on the field will give anybody a boost in prestige and recognition.”

The Eagles will try to increase that recognition Aug. 27 when they meet Ohio State in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.

“Right now, I couldn’t give you an assessment of Ohio State any more than they can assess us,” Henning said in a telephone conference call to promote the game. “You don’t know what is going to happen. A team has a different flavor at the start of every college season. Last year, they were tough, they were big and they had outstanding receivers.”

Ohio State coach John Cooper praised Boston College, which went 7-4-1 last year and beat Kansas State in the Aloha Bowl.

“If you don’t have respect for Boston College, you just have to put on last year’s tapes,” Cooper said. “I am very, very much impressed with Boston College. Those games we looked at were extremely physical. They are a big, strong football team. No doubt they would match up favorably with teams in our conference.”

Although Cooper is wary of possible injuries, he feels the game can only help the Buckeyes, who finished 9-4 last season after losing to Alabama in the Citrus Bowl.

“I don’t see anything negative,” he said. “You get extra practice time and get to play on national TV. It is the only game in town. You treat it like a bowl game.”

Although Boston College lost 1,000-yard rusher David Green and three tight ends to graduation, the Eagles expect to have another potent rushing attack.

“Our running game was successful last year because we had a big, stout offensive line,” Henning said. “Sometimes people ganged up on us and tried to stop the run, but we were still pretty successful. You must be able to run the ball to win championships.”

Junior Mark Hartsell returns as BC’s starting quarterback.

“Mark has a work ethic that can’t be beat,” Henning said. “All the intangibles are there to go to the next level. But it depends on how hard you work. Some guys have it and some don’t.”

Henning said it’s dangerous to read too much into the first game of the season.

“West Virginia got crushed by Nebraska last year (in the Kickoff Classic),” Henning said, “and they ended up having a pretty good football team. You can’t always tell from the first football game.”

After interviewing with LSU following last season, Cooper agreed to a new long-term deal with Ohio State.

“I always felt secure, and I always felt we were going to win … but having the new contract, and the security and peace of mind that comes with it, is certainly good to have,” Cooper said.