2011 Duke Blue Devils Football: Duke vs Boston College

Boston College has replaced Duke as the worst team in the ACC. That’s something a lot of pigskin pundits viewed to be impossible to do, but the notion contains real-world heft and validity after this past weekend, a weekend that has the BC fan base up in arms about embattled head coach Frank Spaziani.

The Eagles followed up a loss at home to Northwestern and a 30-3 drubbing at UCF with a loss to the long-standing doormat program of the ACC, and things don’t look like they’ll get any better for BC in a tough ACC Atlantic. The game against UMass next week might be BC’s best chance of getting a win this year.

The game started out according to script, with BC going ahead 19-7 late in the first half on an Andre Williams touchdown run with 1:21 remaining. The Eagles made a fatal mistake by committing a person foul on the subsequent kickoff, providing Duke quarterback Sean Renfree with the ball in BC territory. Renfree completed four consecutive passes to put seven points on the board in under a minute, with a scoring pass being rifled to talented receiver Conner Vernon to cut the BC lead to 19-14 at the break.

Duke needed only a single touchdown in the second half to secure the victory, which it got on a Renfree scramble with about ten minutes to go in the game. The Blue Devils went for two to try to go up three, but the attempt failed, giving Duke the lead at 20-19.

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Boston College actually had a good opportunity to get the win on its final drive of the game. Quarterback Chase Rettig got the ball back one final time with 2:24 left in the game at the Eagles’ 21-yard line and managed to drive the ball all the way down to the Duke 5. However, BC kicker Nate Freese missed a chip-shot field goal that would have won the game with mere seconds left in the contest. The Duke sideline erupted in cheers, elated at the sight of a rare ACC victory. Spaziani could only look on in disbelief as a bad year quickly became demonstrably worse.

Renfree had a very efficient day considering the low score. He was 40-of-52 passing for 359 yards with two scores and one interception. Vernon led all receivers in yards with 116 on only 6 receptions. Donovan Varner actually led the team in receptions with 12, but had only 78 yards.

Rettig is expected to shoulder a huge load for Boston College with star running back Montel Harris out for the beginning of the season with injury, and he had his best game of the season, but it wasn’t enough. He was 17-of-33 for 247 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, but the final drive (with the missed game winning field goal attempt) was the only drive of the second half in which Rettig was able to move the Eagles into Duke’s side of the field.

Duke Blue Devils vs Boston College Eagles Football Recap