Tag: Boston College

Saints met with 2025 draft sleeper running back from Boston College

The New Orleans Saints were one of ten teams to meet with Boston College running back Treshaun Ward at the Tropical Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints have had a few reported meetings so far this offseason with 2025 NFL draft prospects. One of the more recent meetings was with Boston College running back Treshaun Ward, who they met at the Tropical Bowl according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network.

Ward is a six-year collegiate player, with 2019 being his redshirt freshman season and 2020 being an extra season of eligibility due to Covid. Ward started out his college career with Florida State, remaining there for four seasons and accruing 27 games played, with 188 rushes for 1,241 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 12 touchdowns, and 28 receptions for 210 yards (7.5 yards per catch) with a touchdown.

He would then move on to Kansas State for a season, playing in 11 games and putting together a quality season of 124 rushes for 643 yards (5.2 YPC), 5 touchdowns, 17 receptions for 129 yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Then he would move on to spend his final season with Boston College, as he would also play in 11 games there, with 77 rushes for 406 yards (5.3 YPC) and 2 touchdowns, as well as 15 receptions for 268 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns.

He has some explosive plays here and there, and in one of his best games of the season against Michigan State, he showed that with a 36-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead. In that game he had 14 rushes for 102 yards (7.3 YPC) and a touchdown, as well as 2 receptions for 11 yards.

Ward is likely to be a mid to late day three pick, or a high-priority undrafted free agent at worst. With his capabilities on both the ground and in the receiving game, he may be worth looking at for the Saints who desperately need quality running backs behind Alvin Kamara.

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RJ Davis shows why he is THE guy for UNC basketball during OT win against Boston College

Make sure you take a moment and thank RJ Davis for today’s closer-that-expected victory.

Every team needs a closer, particularly in an intense, high-stakes sport like college basketball.

Closers are go-to stars who, when the game is on the line, can take over and lead their team to victory. Closers aren’t just in baseball – they can be in any sport.

The 2024-2025 UNC basketball team is an extremely young team, so it doesn’t have the leadership from a season ago, but UNC does have a closer: RJ Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year.

North Carolina escaped Boston College, 102-96, during overtime Saturday in large parts to Davis’ efforts. Davis scored seven of his Tar Heels-best 22 point in overtime: a 3-pointer at the top of the 3-point line, two free throws to put UNC ahead for good, then two more to help ice the win.

Davis was also perfect in the first half, making all four of his shot and free throw attempts apiece.

“I just relied a lot on my teammates – and the coaching staff did a good job setting up plays for me to execute,” Davis said. “Just be confident with my shot and trust my work. I think I did that in overtime and second half a little bit. Everyone contributed a lot. I really didn’t have to score as much because everyone was contributing. Obviously, it was just a lot of back and forth throughout the game, but I just had in my mindset that we were going to win this game and I’m going to make some big shots in overtime.”

Expanding upon North Carolina’s additional contributions, freshman Drake Powell forced a 5-second call with UNC down 18 seconds left. Seth Trimble then made the tying jumper and, with the Tar Heels leading by four later in overtime, Ven-Allen Lubin sealed the afternoon with a block-and-dunk sequence.

“Before overtime, I think Drake was huge for us,” RJ said. “We wouldn’t be in that position, going into overtime, if it wasn’t for him getting the defensive stop, forcing them into a 5-second call on the baseline. I think Seth was tremendous with attacking the rim, Ven with a huge-time block, Elliot with a nice pass to me to hit the top of the three. I could go down the line, but I think everyone just contributed well and made some big-time plays, so we were able to come out with the win.”

RJ Davis has played hero for UNC so many times in the past. He did once again on Saturday afternoon – and helped North Carolina avoid its most embarrassing loss of the season.

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RJ Davis takes over in overtime, helps UNC escape near-embarrassing loss

Saturday’s win in Chapel Hill was much closer than it needed to be. Luckily, UNC has RJ Davis.

Every basketball team needs a closer to win in clutch time. Luckily for UNC, that guy is reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.

With North Carolina and Boston College deadlocked at 91 apiece in overtime, Davis hit a 3-pointer that blew the roof off the Dean Dome. A minute later, after Donald Hand Jr. countered with a perimeter make of his own, Davis drained a pair of free throws that gave UNC the lead for good.

Davis then added two more free throws, dribbled the clock out and the Tar Heels won, 102-96, against an Eagles squad still searching for their first ACC road victory.

Davis anchored North Carolina’s scoring attack with 22 points, seven of which came in overtime. Davis hit a couple free throws, drained a clutch 3-pointer, called a crucial timeout after Boston College missed a rare 3-pointer of its own, then iced the game with two more free throws.

North Carolina (13-8, 6-3 ACC) withstood a lights-out perimeter shooting performance from Boston College (9-11, 1-8), which show an unconscious 14-of-24 from deep. There was a stretch in the second half where, if the Eagles got the ball beyond the 3-point line, they were pretty much automatic.

UNC wasn’t nearly as efficient from deep, but efficient enough, making six of 16 3-point attempts. Davis and Ian Jackson, who finished with 19 points, each made two shots from deep.

The Tar Heels and Eagles both shot well from the field overall: North Carolina was 55.6 percent, while Boston College was 54.5%. UNC found a ton of success from driving the paint, outscoring Boston College 58-42.

Jackson needed to break out Saturday in the worst way, as he shot just 4-of-19 between losses to Wake Forest and Stanford. Jackson finished the Boston College game with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

Seth Trimble provided some much-needed help in the scoring column, adding 18 points. Trimble also picked up his first double-double of the season, adding 12 rebounds.

Elliot Cadeau continued his offensive ascension, scoring 13 points for his fourth-straight game in double-digits. Jalen Washington continued showcasing why he deserves to be North Carolina’s starting center, pouring in 18 points despite coming off the bench Saturday.

The Tar Heels nearly suffered an embarrassing loss – one which would have questioned the program’s direction. UNC still has plenty of issues to fix, but it needed Saturday’s win in the worst way.

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Notre Dame women’s basketball keeps up winning ways vs. Boston College

This fell under the “typical victory” category for the Irish.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is proving time and again this season that no opponent is safe. Someone might give the Irish a scare for a time, but they’ll find a way to overcome that and win. Boston College learned this the hard way in an 89-63 Irish victory.

The first quarter saw the Irish (17-2, 8-0) locked in a tight battle with the Eagles (12-9, 3-5), who found themselves with a one-point lead at the end. But the Irish took the lead on the opening possession of the second quarter and never gave it back.

Though the Eagles kept the game within striking distance for the rest of the first half, the Irish stayed on the gas pedal in the second and built their lead to the point where it was insurmountable. While there weren’t a lot of highlights that will be watched over and over, that was fine because the Irish did everything they needed to make this game a blowout by the end:

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] had a typical night, leading all players with 23 points and five steals. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] picked up two first-quarter fouls but stayed away from fouling the rest of the game en route to scoring 16 points.

[autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag], making her third start of the season, continued to show she’s all the way back from her injury with 14 points. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] came agonizingly close to a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds to go with a game-high six assists

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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 93, Boston College DE Donovan Ezeiruaku

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL draft.

Green Bay’s pass rush could use a different flavor. Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr are all power-packed pass rushers and that room could use a Clay Matthews-like player.

Enter Donovan Ezeiruaku. The Boston College edge rusher, who has familiarity with Jeff Hafley checks in at No. 93 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A three-star recruit, Ezeiruaku recorded three sacks during his freshman season in 2021. The following season he recorded 61 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. In 2023, he recorded 53 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. 

This past season, Ezeiruaku was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after he led the conference in tackles for loss (21) and sacks (16.5). 

“Ezeiruaku’s burst and explosive first step allow him to turn the corner and beat tackles on the outside track consistently,” Devin Jackson, an NFL Draft writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer said. “His dip and rip move is largely unblockable.”

Other than Abdul Carter and James Pearce Jr, Ezeiruaku arguably has the most explosive first step in this draft class. He’s a natural bender and has outstanding arc acceleration. To go along with his 16.5 sacks, Ezeiruaku recorded 61 pressures. With his quickness and hand usage, Ezeiruaku consistently pesters the quarterback. 

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“He uses his speed and athleticism to win against tackles, and his smaller frame lends to being more of a speed rusher who can employ ghost pass rush moves and use his ankle flexion to bend the corner against bigger tackles,” Jackson said. “He has a cross-chop pass rush move he can go to as well.”

Ezeiruaku has a relentless motor and is a rangy pursuit player. According to Pro Football Focus the Boston College edge rusher recorded 42 run stops this past season. He’s not powerful at the point of attack, but his first-step quickness allows him to beat offensive linemen off the snap and meet ball carriers in the backfield. 

“Ezeiruaku is a solid, but not great run defender,” Jackson said. “He doesn’t have overwhelming pop behind his hands but can be slippery at the point of attack and shoot gaps for tackles for loss.”

Fit with the Packers

Ezeiruaku isn’t higher on this countdown due to his weight. He was listed at 241 pounds before the season and that is historically too light for Green Bay’s liking. However, it’s not out of the question that he checks in at 250 pounds at the combine and Gutekunst bends the thresholds due to Ezeiruaku’s explosiveness. 

Green Bay’s pass rush needs a shot in the arm and Ezeiruaku would provide Hafley’s defense with some much-needed juice up front.

“His motor, speed bending the corner, and closing ability make Ezeiruaku so incredibly tough to block, especially in third-down situations,” Jackson said. “If you’re drafting him, it’s to be a designated pass rusher early in his career. He brings big-time juice and was one of the most productive pass rushers of the 2025 draft-eligible players.”

The Packers pass rush was up and down during Hafley’s first season on the job. Adding a player like Ezeiruaku, who is built and moves differently than everybody else in that defensive end group, would provide Hafley with a different chess piece to deploy.

With his first-step quickness and flexibility, Ezeiruaku could focus on one thing and one thing only during his rookie campaign, and that’s to get after the quarterback, which is something he did at a high level during his time at Boston College.

Ezeiruaku plays with relentless energy and would be a solid Day 2 target for the Packers as they look to bolster their pass rush this offseason.

Notre Dame snaps losing streak with big second half vs. Boston College

Back in the win column.

(This story has been updated to add a video.)

Notre Dame had lost all four games since they began their full-time ACC schedule. With luck, the skid wouldn’t have lasted that long, but the Irish instead had to try to get back on track against Boston College. This they did to the tune of a 78-60 victory.

Up until the midway point of the second half, the Irish (8-9, 2-4) and Eagles (9-8, 1-4) were locked in a tight battle where offense was at a premium at times. All signs pointed to this game coming down to the wire. That turned out not to be the case.

With the game tied at 48, [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] scored five consecutive points, [autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag] hit two free throws, and the Eagles didn’t get much closer the rest of the way. That’s because the Irish played aggressively on offense and made often impressive stops on defense. They held a 30-12 scoring advantage over the final 10:08.

Davis was the man of the hour, throwing down four of his game-high 26 points on two impressive dunks that greatly impressed the Purcell Pavilion crowd. [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] scored 20 points and collected four steals:

Allocco scored 13 points, and [autotag]Kebba Njie[/autotag] nearly completed a double-double with 11 points and nine boards, not to mention overcoming a second-half ankle injury. Both players also had three steals.

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Notre Dame has highest-scoring game of season in win over Le Moyne

As easy a win as it gets.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

With [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] out indefinitely with an injury, Notre Dame has had to look elsewhere to find its scoring. That proved not to be a problem against Le Moyne, a program in its second season at the Division I level.

The Irish’s 91-62 victory over the Dolphins accounted for the most points they have scored in a game this season. The last time they scored at least that many points was a 99-95 win against Boston College in February 2022.

The Irish (7-5) led the Dolphins (5-9) wire-to-wire in their nonconference finale, even as they looked a little rusty at the start having not played in 11 days. But they slowly found their groove, and a 16-2 run past the midway point of the first half blew what had been a three-point game wide open. The contest was smooth sailing from there.

[autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] led all scorers with 24 points, three off his career high. Exactly half of those points came on 12-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line:

[autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag] scored 14 points, and [autotag]Logan Imes[/autotag] had 11 off the bench to go with a team-high two steals.

This game also marked the return of former Irish guard Robby Carmody to Purcell Pavilion. He scored 13 points, eight of them coming on a perfect showing from the charity stripe.

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Former Notre Dame football coach Gerry Faust dies at age 89

Rest in peace, Coach.

Sad news for longtime Notre Dame football fans broke Monday. [autotag]Gerry Faust[/autotag], who coached the Irish from 1981 to 1985, has died at age 89.

Over his five seasons in South Bend, Faust accumulated a record of 30-26-1, good for a .535 winning percentage. Under his leadership, the Irish won the 1983 Liberty Bowl over Doug Flutie and Boston College. The following year, they lost the 1984 Aloha Bowl to SMU in its last game before it was handed the death penalty a few years later.

A disappointing 1985 season in which the Irish went 5-6 prompted Faust to announce that he would resign after the final game against a Miami team coached by Jimmy Johnson. The Irish lost that game, 58-7, and the university would go on to hire [autotag]Lou Holtz[/autotag] as Faust’s successor.

After his Irish tenure ended, Faust went to coach at Akron, where he did so for nine seasons and compiling a 43-53-3 record. But he never lost his love for the Irish no matter how much time passed:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Faust family during this difficult time.

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Start time announced for UNC’s final 2024 road football game

The UNC football season sure is winding down quick. North Carolina now knows its final road kickoff time.

You have every reason to be optimistic about how the North Carolina Tar Heels are playing football right now.

UNC (5-4, 2-3 ACC) has consecutive wins in its back pocket, dominating both Virginia and Florida State on the road. North Carolina broke its 4-game losing streak with a 41-14 thumping of the Cavaliers, then continued to play exceptional football when it overwhelmed the Seminoles, 35-11.

The Tar Heels next match up with Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. under the lights at Kenan Stadium, then ship up to Boston College on Nov. 23 for their road finale.

UNC just learned the start time for its clash with the Eagles (5-4, 2-3 ACC), as both teams will kick off at 12 p.m. ET next weekend.

North Carolina hasn’t played Boston College since 2020, when North Carolina won an extremely-close, 26-22 battle in the infamous COVID season. Sam Howell led the Tar Heel offense in that win, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPTc-sPtna/

UNC and the Eagles are in very similar positions ahead of their Nov. 23 matchup, with a win by either squad possibly clinching bowl eligibility. That is, of course, if North Carolina doesn’t beat Wake Forest Saturday and Boston College loses at SMU.

Both programs are tied at 5-4 overall, 2-3 in the ACC and arguably better than their records show.

The Tar Heels started with three straight wins, lost four straight, then won their past two. The Eagles started unranked, briefly climbed into the AP Poll after victories at then-ranked FSU and against Duquesne, plus are now back in the win column after breaking a 3-game slide against Syracuse.

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Upsets highlight ACC football early kickoff games in Week 6

It’s looking more and more like it’s Clemson vs. Miami for the ACC after Louisville fell to SMU on Saturday.

This story was updated to add new information. 

It’s looking more and more like a two-team race in the ACC between the Clemson Tigers and Miami Hurricanes.

The 22nd-ranked Louisville Cardinals, the league’s only other ranked team in Week 6, fell at home to the SMU Mustangs, 34-27, Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.

SMU (5-1) started hot and got out to a 24-13 lead at halftime. Louisville came to life in the second half but a critical stop by the Mustangs’ defense on 4th and 1 from the SMU 19-yard line early in the fourth quarter allowed SMU to take over on downs.

The Mustangs then drove 89 yards on 11 plays, highlighted by a 19-yard run by Brashard Smith that included a fumble that was initially awarded to Louisville but which was overturned on video review. Four plays later, LJ Johnson Jr. carried it into the end-zone from a yard out for a 34-27 SMU lead with 6:39 to play.

RELATED: What channel is Clemson vs Florida State on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 6 game

Tyler Slough was picked off in the end-zone on fourth down on the Cardinals’ next drive with 2:30 to play. SMU got two first downs to run out the clock for their seventh straight road victory dating back to last year.

Elsewhere in the early slate of ACC action, the NC State Wolfpack fell 34-30 to Wake Forest in Raleigh, giving Dave Doeren’s team three losses to fall to 3-3.

Boston College fell 24-14 in Charlottesville to the Virginia Cavaliers. Bill O’Brien’s Eagles fell to 4-2 while the Hoos improved to 4-1.

Clemson (3-1) takes on the Florida State Seminoles (1-4) at 7 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN.

RELATED: Staff score predictions for Clemson-Florida State Week 6 matchup

Following Clemson-Florida State, Miami (5-0) faces the California Golden Bears (3-1) beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET in Berkeley on ESPN.