WHERE: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: NESN
ALL-TIME SERIES: BC leads, 6-3.
KEY STAT: Six, the number of sacks the Black Bears defense has through two games. That’s already half of last season’s total.
OUTLOOK: This is the Black Bears’ second game against a Football Bowl Subdivision team in three weeks, and Maine gets $400,000 from BC for playing the game. For that kind of money, the Black Bears have their hands full. Eagles quarterback Phil Jurkovec is likely the best quarterback Maine will face this season, with his top target Zay Flowers the top receiver. Jurkovec has 418 yards passing and four touchdowns in two games this season, while Flowers has 14 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Eagles are a veteran group. Kam Arnold has 17 tackles this season, while Jaylen Blackwell has two sacks for Boston College. The Eagles two losses came to Rutgers (22-21) and Virginia Tech (27-10).
After getting shut out at New Mexico, Maine’s offense finally found a rhythm in the second half of last week’s 21-18 loss to Colgate. Quarterback Joe Fagnano threw for 246 yards and a touchdown, with five completions to tight end Shawn Bowman for 73 yards. The Eagles undoubtedly will key on Bowman in coverage, making the continued improvement of receivers Montigo Moss and Zavier Scott important if the Black Bears are to find any offensive success. Coach Jordan Stevens said he is hopeful starting offensive linemen Tyrie Francois and Tyler Royal return after missing last week’s game with injuries. Linebackers Adrian Otero (14 tackles) and Brian Lee, Jr. (13 tackles) lead Maine’s defense.
OF NOTE: Maine’s last win over the Eagles came in 1915. … Maine is 3-8 all time against current ACC schools, with all three wins coming against Boston College. The Black Bears also have played Syracuse (a 41-24 loss in 2009) and Pittsburgh (a 35-29 loss in 2011). … Since the NCAA divided Division I football in 1978, BC is 32-3 against FCS (formerly I-AA) opponents. All three losses came in 1978. … Stevens, Maine’s coach, played against the Eagles as a freshman in 2006. Stevens and the Black Bears lost, 22-0. … Fagnano has thrown just one interception in his last 137 pass attempts, that coming in a Week 1 loss at New Mexico.
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