Football Opens Season at Boston College
GAME INFORMATION
Date / Time: Sat., Sept. 1, 2012 / 3:35 p.m. EDT
Site: Chestnut Hill, Mass. / Alumni Stadium (44,000)
TV: ABC/ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen; Analyst: Danny Kanell; Sideline: Maria Taylor
Local Radio: 560 WQAM
Play-by-Play: Joe Zagacki; Analyst: Don Bailey Jr.; Sideline: Josh Darrow
Spanish Radio: Caracol 1260 AM
Play-by-Play: TBA; Analyst: TBA
National Radio: Compass Media Networks
Play-by-Play: Gregg Daniels; Analyst: Tony Hill
Student Radio: 90.5 FM WVUM
Broadcasters: Kyle Sielaff and Alex Schwartz
Satellite Radio: Sirius 91, XM 91 (BC broadcast)
Series: Miami leads, 23-5
Miami: Miami leads 16-2
Chestnut Hill: Miami leads, 7-3
First Meeting: 1947 — L, 7-18
Last Meeting: 2011 — L, 17-24
Streak: BC, 2 wins
Last Miami Win: 2006 (17-14) in Miami
STORY LINES
* For the second consecutive season, the Miami Hurricanes will open on the road at an Atlantic Coast Conference rival. Year two of the Al Golden era begins Saturday at Boston College (3:35 p.m. EDT, ABC/ESPN2).
* In the first season under Golden, the Hurricanes finished 6-6 overall with a 3-5 ACC record.
* Miami is 56-29-1 all-time in season openers, winning three of its last four.
* Saturday will mark the 29th series meeting with Miami holding a 23-5 advantage over Boston College.
* Boston College and Miami are meeting in the season opener for only the second time. In 1993, then-No. 4 Miami defeated then-No. 20 Boston College 23-7 in Chestnut Hill.
* Miami is making its first trip to Chestnut Hill since 2007 — a 28-14 Hurricanes loss.
* Miami is 7-3 against Boston College in Chestnut Hill; the last Hurricanes win at Boston College was an 18-7 triumph in 2001 (Miami was ranked No. 1 in the nation).
* Junior QB Stephen Morris was appointed the starting signal-caller following the Miami Hurricanes’ first fall scrimmage in August. Morris has five career starts under his belt, posting a 2-3 record as a starter.
* Nearly of 70 of Miami’s 2012 roster hails from Florida (67 players), including 21 that hail from Miami-Dade County.
NATIONAL TELEVISION COVERAGE
* Saturday’s 2012 season opener at ACC rival Boston College will be televised nationally on ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Danny Kanell (color analyst) and Maria Taylor (sideline reporter) will serve as the talent for the ESPN telecast.
SEASON OPENERS
* Miami is 56-29-1 all-time in season openers, winning three of its last four. Since 1983, Miami is 22-7 in season openers and at one point won nine straight openers (1996-2004).
* After losing back-to-back season openers to Florida State in 2005 and 2006, the Hurricanes had won four straight openers until a 2011 loss at Maryland.
BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES HISTORY
* Saturday will mark the 29th series meeting with Miami holding a 23-5 advantage over Boston College.
* Boston College and Miami are meeting in the season opener for only the second time. In 1993, then-No. 4 Miami defeated then-No. 20 Boston College 23-7 in Chestnut Hill.
* Miami is making its first trip to Chestnut Hill since 2007 — a 28-14 Hurricanes loss.
* Miami is 7-3 against Boston College in Chestnut Hill; the last Hurricanes win at Boston College was an 18-7 triumph in 2001 (Miami was ranked No. 1 in the nation).
SERIES NOTES: Miami has won 15 of the last 17 games dating back to 1985 … Miami is 13-2 against Boston College in conference games (BIG EAST / ACC) … In 2007 meeting in Chestnut Hill, Boston College ended its 15-game losing streak to the Hurricanes and earned a berth in the ACC title game … The 2007 win was BC’s first over Miami since the 1984 “Hail Flutie” pass that ended one of the greatest games in college football history.
ROAD OPENERS
* For the second consecutive season, Miami will be opening its schedule on the road. The Hurricanes have lost two of their last three season openers on the road — 2005 at Florida State and 2011 at Maryland. Miami won at Florida State in 2009.
* Miami is 15-12 when opening the season on the road and 2-0 when opening at a neutral site.
ACC OPENERS
* The Miami Hurricanes are 4-4 all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference openers, having lost its previous ACC opener in 2011 — a 32-24 loss at Maryland, the first game of the Al Golden era.
* Miami is 2-3 when opening the season against an ACC foe.
A WIN BY MIAMI WOULD…
* Be the Hurricanes’ first season-opening victory since 2010
* Be the Hurricanes’ first win at Boston College since 2001
* Improve its record to 5-4 in ACC openers
* Improve its record to 16-12 when opening the season on the road
* Improve its record to 24-5 against Boston College
* Improve its record to 57-29-1 in season openers
* Improve its record to 23-7 in season openers since 1983
FOUR CANES NAMED TO SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST
* Four Miami Hurricanes are among 312 seniors named to the 2013 Senior Bowl Watch List, the nation’s premier all-star game announced August 23. Senior RB Mike James, DB Brandon McGee, DT Darius Smith and S Vaughn Telemaque represent the Hurricanes on the Senior Bowl’s inaugural watch list.
* The top 100 seniors in the nation will be invited to participate in the 2013 Senior Bowl, which is set for Sat., Jan. 26 at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement for a player to earn a Senior Bowl invitation.
* The SEC led all conferences with 71 players on the list. The Big Ten had the second-highest amount of honorees with 46, followed by the ACC with 43.
MORRIS TABBED THE STARTER FOR BC GAME
* Junior QB Stephen Morris was appointed the starting signal-caller following the Miami Hurricanes’ first fall scrimmage in August. Morris has five career starts under his belt, posting a 2-3 record as a starter.
* Morris’ career-first start came as a true freshman in 2010 against Maryland, a 26-20 Hurricanes win. Morris then won his second start the following week a Georgia Tech (26-10). He started the Hurricanes’ final two regular-season games in 2010 against Virginia Tech and USF.
* Morris’ lone start in 2011 was in the season opener at Maryland, a 32-24 Hurricanes defeat.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
* More than half of the Miami Hurricanes’ 2012 roster are freshmen and sophomores. All-told, Miami’s roster includes 42 freshmen — 34 true freshmen and eight redshirt freshmen — and 22 sophomores (11 redshirt sophomores).
DEPARTED PLAYERS
* Gone from Miami’s program are 25 seniors from the class of 2011 — all of which graduated. The senior class was also honored with the Jack Harding Team Most Outstanding Player Award. The 2011 senior class included All-ACC performers Sean Spence (LB) and Tyler Horn (OL) as well as record-setting QB Jacory Harris.
* Additionally, five Hurricanes forwent their senior seasons and entered into the 2012 NFL Draft — junior DL Marcus Forston, junior RB Lamar Miller, junior WR Tommy Streeter, junior DL Olivier Vernon and junior OL Brandon Washington.
