Stakes make it more than a friendly for BC
If he had his choice, Boston College coach Frank Spaziani would rather face someone else this afternoon. Not necessarily the team - North Carolina State, which is visiting Alumni Stadium for an ACC Atlantic Division showdown - but the coach, Tom O’Brien, Spaziani’s longtime friend and colleague.
When asked if he enjoyed facing an O’Brien-coached team, Spaziani said, “No . . . Unless it was for the national championship.’’
The stakes aren’t that high, but this meeting between the Eagles and
BC (4-2, 2-2) has to rebound from last week’s 48-14 pounding at Virginia Tech. It has to regain the confidence and swagger it started to show after back-to-back division wins over Wake Forest and Florida State.
N.C. State (3-3, 0-2) is also staggering after consecutive losses to Wake Forest (30-24) and Duke (49-28). “We’ll fight through this thing, but we need to win a football game,’’ said O’Brien, who spent 10 seasons at BC.
“That’s a good football team,’’ said Spaziani. “A really good football team. They could easily have been 6-0 right now. What happened to them the last two weeks? They ran into two quarterbacks. Riley Skinner [of Wake Forest] does that to everybody all the time . . . I looked at that [Duke] game and [Thaddeus Lewis] made some unbelievable throws. I’m not sure what anyone could have done.’’
Spaziani also isn’t sure what he’ll get from his quarterbacks this week. Dave Shinskie, the 25-year old freshman, was solid in the victories over Wake Forest and Florida State, but his third straight start was a disaster, finishing 1-of-12 passing for 4 yards and two interceptions against the Hokies. He should fare better against an N.C. State pass defense that ranks eighth in the conference (220.2 yards per game).
BC’s defense is under siege as well. Starting tackles Damik Scafe and Kaleb Ramsey are iffy with injuries, most of the linebackers are young and learning, and the secondary is banged up, which should make life easier for N.C. State’s Russell Wilson, who is tied for the ACC lead with 15 touchdown passes (with just three interceptions).
Neither team can afford a third conference loss. A win would allow BC to control its destiny in its quest to reach the ACC title game for the third consecutive season. N.C. State has yet to win an ACC game, and O’Brien knows that today’s game is crucial.
Climbing over a longtime friend is not how the coaches would have scripted this season, but that is what Spaziani and O’Brien must do after meeting 34 years ago.
A national championship is not at stake, but a division title, as well as a year of bragging rights, is very much in play.
Mark Herzlich likely won’t play a snap this season, but he was still listed yesterday among the 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. Herzlich has spent his senior season recovering from Ewing’s sarcoma and raising money for research on the rare form of cancer. Herzlich said his recovery is nearly complete. “This award is about honoring linebackers and reminding them that they have a responsibility to serve as role models and to give back to society,’’ said award namesake Dick Butkus.
N.C. State-BC
When: Today, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Alumni Stadium
TV, radio: Ch. 5, WEEI (850)
Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com. 
