Scouting: Boston College @ Notre Dame
Boston College (5-2) at Notre Dame (4-2)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend IN
TV: Channel 5; Radio: WLS 890-AM
Series: Tied 9-9
Coaches: Frank Spaziani (6-2, first year at BC); Charlie Weis (33-23, fifth year at Notre Dame)
Players to watch: Sophomore RB Montel Harris warmed up for the Irish by rushing for a school-record 264 yards and 5 touchdowns in last week's 52-20 win over North Carolina State. Harris' yards are a BCS-best this season. Junior CB DeLeon Gause will honor slain Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard by exchanging his No. 9 jersey for Howard's No. 6. They faced each other in high school. Junior Mike Morrissey (Stevenson) made his first start last week at at strong-side linebacker for BC while redshirt freshman Emmett Cleary (St. Viator) started the first two games at left guard.
After last week's not-quite-heroic comeback against USC, junior QB Jimmy Clausen dropped to No. 2 nationally in passer efficiency (166.4 rating) behind Boise State's Kellen Moore. WR Golden Tate has kicked it up a notch with Michael Floyd out. He owns 17 catches for 361 yards and 3 scores in the last 2 games. Of sophomore LB Darius Fleming's 11.5 tackles, 8.5 of them have come behind the line. He's 12th nationally in TFLs per game (1.7).
The skinny: There are two distinct patterns at work here with the ACC Atlantic division leaders. Boston College has won the last six games of this rivalry - the widest margin being last year's 17-0 effort at Chestnut Hill. This year, though, the Eagles are 5-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. Notre Dame has surrendered at least 30 points in four of its last five games, though the Irish have been more susceptible to the pass than the run. Harris will test the nation's No. 63 rush defense (136.5 ypg) while Clausen tries to solve the nation's No. 49 pass-efficiency defense.