Eagles look to rebound, if not soar, against Wagner
BOSTON (AP) If ever there were a game to build confidence, Boston College might have it now.
Coming off a 49-0 loss in their Atlantic Coast Conference game at Virginia Tech last week, the Eagles face Wagner (2-0), a Football Championship Division school, in their on-campus home opener Saturday.
Boston College (1-2), a Bowl Championship Subdivision school, is certainly in no position to underestimate a lower-division opponent after how it's started this season.
The Eagles enter Saturday's matchup in their first meeting with Wagner last in the ACC in total scoring (13.3 points per game) and at the bottom in total offense (262.7 yards per).
BC plays the first of two weaker opponents before it returns to ACC play, hosting No. 5 Clemson on Oct. 7.
The Eagles have lost 10 straight conference games, but coach Steve Addazio knows his team needs to gain confidence with the first of two consecutive non-conference games this week.
''There's a game to be played - go win the game,'' he said. ''That's our charge. Every game's critical.''
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Here's what to look for when the Eagles face the Seahawks:
FIND THE RUNNING GAME: Addazio is most upset by his team's inability to run consistently. Known for their commitment to the running game since Addazio took over in 2013, the Eagles are next to last in the conference, rushing for just 124.3 per game.
''That's one of the biggest things bothering me right there,'' he said. ''It's pretty easy: We're young up front and we're not handling well right now some of the things that are going on. I think we've got to do a better job of simplifying the run game.''
STREAK: BC has won 24 straight against FCS schools after losing it's first-ever, 27-0 to Massachusetts in 1978. Last year, the Eagles defeated FCS teams Maine, 24-3, and Howard, 76-0, in their first two games of the season.
CAN THEY SCORE ENOUGH?: Wagner is playing a FBS team for the sixth time. In four of the other games it's been held to single digits.
LOOK OUT: This season has already seen the most FCS upsets over FBS schools with five. ACC-member Virginia is one of those, losing to in-state rival Richmond. So that may give Wagner some added confidence for an upset.
NICE TO BE HOME: After opening the season with a ''home game'' in Ireland, a last-minute 17-14 loss to Georgia Tech in their ACC opener, the Eagles played a road game against Massachusetts - albeit just a half hour away - at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, before traveling to Virginia Tech. Wagner is the first of four straight games at Alumni Stadium. After the Seahawks, BC faces Buffalo, Clemson and, following an off week, Syracuse.
