BC hoping it's not a Temple of doom

Eagles in search of first conference win

By Michael Vega, Globe Staff, 10/11/2003

PHILADELPHIA -- They know all about the potential pitfalls of this game.

After all, Boston College's football team has been stung by Temple twice before.

The first time, in 1997, the Owls ruined Tom O'Brien's debut as BC's head coach by pinning the Eagles with a 28-21 loss. The second time, a 24-14 setback at Veterans Stadium, spoiled BC's 4-0 start in 1999.

The Eagles (3-2, 0-1 Big East) have landed in the City of Brotherly Love to face Temple (1-4, 0-0) with the intention of recording their first conference win of the season in today's 3:30 matchup against the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. After enjoying last weekend off following a 53-29 romp over Ball State Sept. 27, the Eagles will begin a crucial stretch of seven consecutive games, all with conference implications.

"I think it's important because we are back in conference and we're 0-1 in conference, and we need to get on the right side of the win column in conference," said O'Brien, whose team lost its league opener with a 33-14 setback against second-ranked Miami Sept. 20 at Alumni Stadium. "So we'd like this year to have a winning record in conference, a winning record overall, and go to a bowl game. We have to start winning now because we'll start running out of weeks fast."

Temple plays in its new digs, The Link, a gleaming 68,532-seat facility with a grass field that replaces the Owls' musty old nest at The Vet. Asked if he was happy to be done with The Vet and its horrible artificial turf, O'Brien said, "Someone asked me that on Tuesday and I told them, `No, I love The Vet,' but I lied.

"I think our kids get excited when they get to go to a pro stadium and play. With everything we hear, this is a wonderful place to play football. Hopefully, there'll be fans there and it'll be an exciting game."

The Owls, though hampered by injuries, will be brimming with a new sense of confidence after picking up their first victory of the season last week at Middle Tennessee State, 44-36. After trailing, 14-0, Temple scored 41 points in a row before staving off a furious comeback in the fourth quarter.

"It was our third week in a row on the road," said Temple coach Bobby Wallace. "We're very banged up. This is as many injuries as we've had at one time since I've been here. We can't hardly afford to lose any more players."

Temple was especially hit hard by injuries to its defensive line, going into last week's game without two starters: defensive end Mike Mendenhall (ankle) and defensive tackle Adam Fichter.

"Boston College is going to be a physical game," said Wallace, who expressed hope of getting Mendenhall back for today. "They're a very physical team and right now we're concerned about having everybody healthy."

If Temple is unable to shore up its defensive front, BC will likely lean on the Owls with its running attack, led by senior running back Derrick Knight, the nation's No. 3 rusher (145.6 yards per game). Knight paced BC's victory over Ball State by rushing 20 times for a season-high 175 yards, giving him 728 for the season.

Asked what body part benefited the most from the week off, Knight said, "Probably my back and knees, they were both pretty sore. Everywhere all around is just feeling a little bit better."

Knight, who has 2,738 career yards, needs only 22 yards to move past Mike Esposito (2,759, 1972-74) into fourth place on BC's all-time list of rushing leaders. More important, Knight needs 272 yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau, thus extending BC's streak of five seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher.

For Knight, though, those individual accomplishments pale in comparison to team objectives.

"It's definitely all about winning the last seven games in this last stretch," he said. "This is really where we break into conference play. Everything now is pretty much Big East, even Notre Dame, because they factor into the Big East bowl picture. So every game is very important and we want to win out and do what we have to do this season to go to a better bowl than last year.

"Now is the time to do it, because we really have no break," he added. "We have to come out, week in and week out, ready to win."