PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) Boston College and Rutgers will try to get back on track when they meet for the first time in 15 years.
Both are coming off bad losses heading into Saturday’s game at SHI Stadium.
Rutgers (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) was overwhelmed 30-0 two weeks ago against now-No. 18 Iowa. The Scarlet Knights opened the season with a win over Massachusetts.
The Eagles (2-1, 0-1 ACC) started 2-0, with a conference win against Virginia Tech. Things changed last Friday when they were stopped 48-24 by Kansas, a program known as one of the worst Power Five teams.
The Scarlet Knights were 1-11 last season, and coach Chris Ash is 8-30 overall record.
”We’re just trying to get better every day. That’s our focus is just to keep improving,” Ash said. ”Our last game out, we didn’t play the way our team is capable of playing and we’re just trying to get back to that, that’s it.”
Despite his team’s deflating loss, Boston College coach Steve Addazio likes the way it regrouped this week.
”I was very, very excited about our team, their mindset, their approach. I thought they came in with the right look, really focused on fixing issues,” said Addazio, who has a 40-39 record in six-plus seasons. ”We had a heck of a day (Sunday), took a real step forward, and I’m very, very excited about playing Rutgers, getting on the road, and really just getting back on the field.”
RIVALRY RENEWED
Rutgers and Boston College were founding member of the Big East Football Conference, meeting in the inaugural league game at Rutgers Stadium on Aug. 31, 1991. The former conference rivals have met 27 times with BC holding a 19-6-1 advantage, winning the last game 21-10 in 2004. Boston College joined the ACC in 2005, while Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014.
ROADTRIP
The game is the first road game of the season for Boston College.
”We have a schedule, what our Friday looks like, what our Saturday morning looks like, based on what time we play and what time we go on the road,” Addazio said. ”So we follow that, and it’s pretty standard what everyone else does. Nothing different.”
RUTGERS QB QUESTIONS
Graduate transfer McLane Carter is ”day-to-day” from a concussion suffered against Iowa and won’t start. Sophomore Art Sitkowski will play in his place. Carter is 27 of 47 for 368 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Sitkowski was 4 of 11 with an interception against the Hawkeyes. He started last season, but lost the job to McLane in training camp.
BIG LOSS
The Eagles were a 21-point favorite before losing to Kansas by 24 points – the Jayhawks’ first road victory over a Power 5 opponent since 2008. The defeat was an eye-opener for the program, which had visions of climbing into the upper tier of the ACC after opening the season with a victory over Virginia Tech.
”There’s a whole lot of football to be played,” Addazio said. ”That was Game 3 of the season. You’re in this for the long haul. … Sometimes there are peaks and valleys along the way. Without a doubt, there was a valley there on Friday night.”
DILLON POWER
BC’s AJ Dillon was the ACC running back of the week after rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries against Kansas. He has 318 yards for the season and is on his way to a third straight 1,000-yard season.
”Every game you can always do better,” he said. ”I’m sure there are plays that I could do better. There are things I definitely could have improved on.”
Dillon’s next rushing touchdown will be the 29th of his career and move him into fourth on the school’s all-time list (Keith Barnette, 34). Dillon is sixth all time with 3,015 rushing yards; Mike Cloud is fifth (3,597).
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AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed to this report.
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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
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