Boston College’s Best Chance at Salvaging Season Looming Against Banged-Up Maryland

The Boston College
football team wasn't supposed to be this bad, were they? Almost all hope is
gone for the Eagles, who welcome the Maryland Terrapins this Saturday in a
do-or-die game against an opponent with whom they have some history.

Boston College is on the
verge of being eliminated from bowl contention, sitting last in conference play
with an 0-4 record. They're 1-6 overall and have lost five straight while being outscored 88-24 in their last two defeats.

On the other side of the
ball, Maryland has already outdone their performance from a year ago in which
they won just three times. This year, they're 2-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall.
Despite the record mismatch, this game is a lot closer on paper than you may
think. The Bovada Sportsbook has set the point spread for Maryland at just
+1.5, while BC's odds are set at -1.5.

Historically, BC has a 6-3
record against Maryland, including last year's 28-17 victory at College Park.

This year, Boston College
does enter the game with some hope. It won't take much to stop the Terps from
scoring -– they have just 18 touchdowns and are last in the conference in total
offense (295.3 yards per game) and scoring offense (21.3 points per game).

Maryland has already gone
through their first two quarterbacks, losing C.J. Brown early on and his
replacement, freshman Perry Hills, due to an ACL tear. Devin Burns and Caleb
Rowe will take over under center, and look for stud wideout Stefon Diggs. The elusive receiver has 514
yards on just 27 receptions with three touchdowns, good for fourth in the ACC in
yards per reception.

For the Eagles, Andre
Williams continues to be the star on the ground. He leads the team with 534
rushing yards and four touchdowns. Still, BC is not known for its potent
offense.

This certainly isn't a
clash of the titans. Instead, it's a chance for the Eagles to get up off the
mat and try to salvage something, so perhaps when they say that this was a good "development" year, they may be able to say it with a straight face.