By The Numbers: Side-By-Side Comparison – Miami Vs. Boston College
Going into the regular-season finale, the Hurricanes and Eagles remain outside the AP and Coaches Poll after losses last week. Miami lost to Louisville 38-31, and BC lost 24-17 to Pitt.
Both teams can guarantee a winning season with a victory on Friday.
Series History
Before joining the ACC, the two programs were once BIG EAST foes.
Boston College and Miami were conference opponents in the Big East from 1991-2003, with the Hurricanes winning all 12 contests. Since joining the ACC, BC leads the series 3-2.
Boston College has won three of the last four matchups in 2007; Miami last won in Chestnut Hill, Mass., in September 2012, a 41-32 win.
The Hurricanes carry an 8-4 advantage in games played on the road in the series. Miami won 15 in a row overall over BC from 1985 through 2006.
Stats
Miami
The Hurricanes rank No. 28 in FBS in total defense (326.8 yards per game), No. 8 in FBS in team sacks (3.00), No. 13 in FBS in tackles for loss per game (7.3), and No. 25 in first downs on defense (191).
The Canes are one of just 30 teams in all of FBS, allowing fewer than 330.0 yards per game in 2023.
The Hurricanes allowed the Seminoles to record just 57 net rushing yards on Nov. 11, their fifth time holding their opponent to 60 or fewer net rushing yards this season. At the time, it was tied for the most such games in the FBS this season, along with only two other teams: Air Force and Nebraska.
Miami had held its opponents under 100 rushing yards in its first five games of the season – a streak that ended at North Carolina on Oct. 14. It was the Hurricanes’ longest such streak to begin a year since 2006.
Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa ranks No. 15 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC with an average of 1.4 tackles for loss per contest this year; he leads the Hurricanes with 15 tackles for loss this season. He also is tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks and has one interception and two forced fumbles.
One of the biggest reasons for Miami’s strong defense in 2023 has been the dominance of freshman DL Rueben Bain, Jr., who was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second straight week on Oct. 30.
Bain leads Miami in sacks (6.5) and is tied for sixth in the ACC in the category.
Bain was named ACC DL of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week on Oct. 23. He was named a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist on Oct. 31.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bain is credited with 41 quarterback pressures; only 33 players in all of FBS have been credited with at least 40 pressures.
Safety Kamren Kinchens became only the 12th player in Miami Football history to reach double-digit interceptions for a career when he recorded a pick in Miami’s 20-6 loss at NC State in Raleigh on Nov. 4.
He had his 11th career interception last time out vs. Louisville; he is one of only eight active FBS players with at least ten career interceptions and is the only junior to crack the list – all seven others are seniors.
Kinchens is the first Hurricane since the iconic Sean Taylor (2001-03) to record at least ten picks in a career. Taylor finished his career with 14. Before Taylor reached ten, Ed Reed, who had 21 interceptions (Miami record) from 1998-2001, was the last player to reach the plateau.
Miami is No. 26 in FBS in yards per play at 6.46. Against FBS competition, UM is one of 36 in the nation, averaging 6.0 yards per play (6.1). Miami ranked No. 104 in FBS last season in yards per play.
Miami ranks No. 16 in FBS and No. 2 in the ACC in completion percentage (65.0), and No. 32 in FBS and No. 5 in ACC in total offense (432.9). Miami averages 65+ more yards per offense game compared to last year’s average (367.1).
In games involving only FBS teams across the country, the Hurricanes rank No. 22 in the nation in the fourth quarter, scoring 8.4 points per game in 2023. Through its first two games in wins over Texas A&M and Miami (OH), Miami outscored its opponents by a 31-7 margin in the final frame.
Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo was recognized as ACC Receiver of the Week after another impressive performance vs. Louisville, where he compiled a career-high 193 yards on eight catches.
Restrepo’s performance last week against the Cardinals moved into third place in single-season receptions with 68. Restrepo trails only Charleston Rambo (79, 2021) and Leonard Hankerson (72, 2010) in the category.
UM is one of just 11 FBS teams to have three players with 500 receiving yards.
Wide receiver Jacolby George totaled 313 yards in his first two seasons (2021, 2022) but has 762 yards in 2023 – second-most on UM and third-most in the ACC. He also leads Miami in touchdown receptions (7) this year. George is one of five players in the ACC to have at least seven touchdown catches entering Week 13.
Running back Mark Fletcher delivered another dominant outing last time out vs. Louisville: 17 carries, 126 yards and 2 TDs
Andy Borregales has tallied 54 career field goals on 64 attempts (84.4%), which ranks him as the fifth-most accurate among those with 50 attempts.
Though he has only had 18 returns in his 11 games, WR Brashard Smith has made them count, ranking second in the nation in kickoff return average, averaging 30.2 yards per return so far this year.
Boston College
BC is moving the ball at 390.7 yards per game after averaging 310.3 in 2022.
The Eagles have surpassed 400 yards of offense in five games, surpassing last season’s total of three.
BC posted a season-high 563 yards at Georgia Tech (10/21). The run game is up from 63.2 yards (last in FBS, last in ACC) to 198.1 yards (17th, 2nd) per game this year.
BC ran for a season-high 321 yards at Army (10/7) for its third of four 200-yard games this year. The Eagles twice went over 100 yards in 2022 and have gone over 100 in each game this season.
Thomas Castellanos ranks 40th in the country and fourth in the ACC with 256.5 yards of total offense per game. His 2,822 yards of total offense are the 10th most in a single season in BC history.
The Eagles are 26-for-35 (74.3%) on fourth-down conversions. BC has converted a fourth-down attempt in all 11 games, two or more in nine, and a season-high four vs. FSU (9/16). Boston College’s 26 fourth-down conversions are the country’s highest, and its success rate ranks eighth.
The BC defense has held opponents under their season average on third-down attempts in seven games this season. Opponents were just 16-for-53 on third down during BC’s five-game win streak. BC held Florida State (9/16) to 1-for-9 on third down.
Wide receiver Lewis Bond leads BC in receptions (42), receiving yards (565) and touchdowns (6).
Castellanos and Kye Robichaux have each recorded a pair of 100-yard, two-touchdown rushing games. Only 11 Power 5 players have recorded two or more games with 100-plus rushing yards and two-plus touchdowns. Castellanos and Robichaux are the only teammates to have done so two or more times. They both reached the feat at Georgia Tech (10/21).
In his first start and first full game back since a week-four injury at Louisville (9/23), Robichaux produced a career-high 165 rushing yards with two touchdowns at Georgia Tech (10/21). He totaled 219 all-purpose yards, adding 54 receiving yards on three catches, and was rewarded as the ACC Running Back of the Week.
Vinny DePalma is first on the team in tackles with 76. With a ten-tackle game at Syracuse (11/3), DePalma surpassed 250 career tackles in his career.
Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku leads BC with 14.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Stats are as of November 23, 2023
Boston College Athletics and Miami Athletics contributed to this report.
