DALLAS (FWAA) The Boston College Eagles dominated No. 9 USC with a ground attack, pounding out 452 rushing yards in a 37-31 win before a packed Alumni Stadium. The Eagles' comeback from an early 17-6 deficit earned them the Football Writers Association of America National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 13.
The announcement came exclusively on SiriusXM Radio's "College Sports Today," hosted by Mark Packer and Houston Nutt.
Quarterback Tyler Murphy ran for a career-high 191 yards on only 13 carries, the last of which went 66 yards into the end zone to put the Eagles ahead, 37-24, with 3:30 left. BC rolled up 506 total yards, the second time its gone over the 500-yard mark this season. The Eagles (2-1) also held the Trojans to just 20 rushing yards only a week after giving up 303 to Pittsburgh.
"We sacked them. We harassed them. We played relentlessly on defense, Boston College head coach Steve Addazio said after the game. "That·s a good football team. This is the first win over a top-10 opponent in 10 years. We played hard. Anybody who was at the game would say that this team just wouldn·t back down. We just kept coming and kept playing. I·m most proud of that."
The win snapped a 12-game losing streak against ranked teams dating back to 2008. The last time BC beat a top-10 team was at No. 4 Notre Dame, 14-7, in 2002.
Other FWAA National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 13 included:
East Carolina (2-1): Shane Carden·s one-yard run with 16 seconds left in regulation sealed the Pirates· 28-21 road win over No. 17 Virginia Tech. ECU led 21-0 in the first quarter, but saw Virginia Tech rally to tie the game with 1:20 to play. Carden then led a three-play, 65-yard drive for the winning score and the Pirates· first win at Virginia Tech since 1991.
Iowa State (1-2): The Cyclones earned their first win of the season, 20-17, at rival Iowa when Cole Netten nailed a 42-yard field goal with two seconds left. Netten, who hit a career-long 47-yarder earlier in the game, missed his first shot at the game-winner but got another chance when Iowa called timeout just before the snap. It was Iowa State's second straight win at Iowa.
Virginia (2-1): The Cavaliers ended an 11-gaame Atlantic Coast Conference losing streak with a dramatic 23-21 upset over No. 21 Louisville. After giving up a 20-7 lead as the fourth quarter began, Virginia took advantage of Louisville's fumbled punt and kicked a game-winning 42-yard field goal with 3:42 left. It was Virginia's first win over a ranked team since a 14-13 win at Florida State in 2011.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2014 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National Team of the Week.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.