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Big East roundup
Big East Game of the Week
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No. 25 Boston College 31, Notre Dame 29 |
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Tim Hasselbeck threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as Boston College beat Notre Dame, dashing Irish hopes for a bowl game, and enhancing the Eagles' own postseason plans. Trailing 31-17, Notre Dame (5-6) rallied in the final six minutes with two touchdowns. But the Irish missed a tying, two-point conversion pass with 3:27 left.
The 8-2 Eagles visit second-ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday, while Syracuse visits Miami. If BC pulls the big upset, or Syracuse knocks off Miami, the Eagles could get the nod onto New Year's Day in the Gator Bowl. Otherwise, they're pretty well set for the Insight.com Bowl in Tucson on Dec. 31. Hasselbeck's 34-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Burke with 12:39 left put the Eagles (8-2) up 31-17 and assured Notre Dame of being bowl ineligible for the first time in 13 seasons.
Notre Dame was forced to go for two following the last touchdown since after they pulled to within 31-23, Jim Sanson's extra-point was tipped. |
Other Big East action
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No. 2 Virginia Tech 62, Temple 7 |
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Michael Vick could have run all the way to New Orleans. Vick, No. 2 Virginia Tech's dazzling freshman quarterback, ran for a season-high 134 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 171 yards and two more scores as the Hokies allowed Temple a brief early lead, then stormed back for 62 unanswered points. The victory clinched at least a share of the Big East championship for the Hokies (10-0, 6-0). More importantly, it bolstered their bid for a berth in the national championship game at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Virginia Tech hopes its impressive win over the Owls (2-8, 2-4) strengthens its position in the Bowl Championship Series standings, where they are second, and -- unfortunately for Temple -- Tech's poor strength-of-schedule rating encouraged the Hokies to run up a big score. The Hokies also avenged a 28-24 loss to Temple last year in Blacksburg when the Owls were a 35-point underdog.
Vick was a one-man wrecking crew, completing 7-of-10 passes for 171 yards and two long touchdowns to Andre Davis, and made two spectacular touchdown runs of 53 and 75 yards. |
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Miami 55, Rutgers 0 |
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Freshmen Ken Dorsey and Clinton Portis stepped up big as they started for the first time due to injuries. Dorsey, in place of Kenny Kelly, completed 19 of 26 passes for 194 yards and threw for two touchdowns, and Portis rushed for 133 yards and a score in place of James Jackson. Also, freshman Jarrett Payton, son of the late Walter Payton, added a career-high 87 yards on 20 attempts and also scored a touchdown. The Hurricanes (6-4, 4-1 Big East) helped themselves in their quest to reach the Gator Bowl, which has the No. 2 pick from the Big East. They play host to Syracuse next week.
Portis carried 17 times in his fourth consecutive 100-yard game for the Hurricanes, who improved to 7-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights (1-10, 1-6). Portis, filling in for injured James Jackson, set the school record for rushing yards by a freshman, breaking Jackson's 1997 mark of 595 yards. Portis has 679 yards this season.
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