BC vs. Notre Dame

That took an early seven points off the board.

But that’s been the case this season, with quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford, running backs coach Autry Denson and defensive line coach Keith Gilmore guiding their units to success through these first 10 games.

The series: Notre Dame is 13-9 all-time against Boston College, including the last four in a row.

Two plays later, Kizer hit Carlisle for a 10-yard score to make it 10-0.

Notre Dame had to recover an onsides kick with 53 seconds remaining to secure the win after Boston College’s Jeff Smith drove the Eagles 86 yards in nine plays to draw the Eagles within a field goal with under a minute left. While the game was in Boston College’s backyard, it was a mostly Irish partisan crowd.

Boston College leads the FBS in total defense while holding opponents to an average of just 237 yards per game.

Although the century-old ballpark is just a few T stops from Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus, Notre Dame was officially the home team as part of the “Shamrock Series” – an effort to stay in touch with out-of-town alumni. But John Johnson intercepted Kizer’s pass in the end zone. Notre Dame made it 16-3 in the third quarter when Kizer connected with Brown from 12 yards out on a jump ball in the corner of the end zone, right in front of the visitor’s dugout on what is usually the third-base line. Tight end Nic Weishar (concussion) practiced this week and is expected to play. While he rushed for 289 yards combined in those two games, he had eight carries for 19 yards and a fumble through two-plus quarters Saturday night. Against a Boston College defense that is allowing only 14.4 points per game, reaching at least 22 again isn’t a given.

1 This year’s Notre Dame team is attempting to become the first in school history to score a minimum of 22 points in its first 11 games.

Hunter Jr.is in his junior year, and has caught 21 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns this season.