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1983 Boston College Eagles football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1983

| team = Boston College Eagles

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Independent

| CoachRank = 20

| APRank = 19

| record = 9–3

| head_coach = Jack Bicknell

| hc_year = 3rd

| off_coach =

| oc_year =

| off_scheme =

| def_coach = Seymour "Red" Kelin

| dc_year = 3rd

| def_scheme =

| captain = Bob Biestek

| captain2 = Brian Brennan

| captain3 = Steve DeOssie

| stadium = Alumni Stadium
Sullivan Stadium

| champion = Eastern champion

| bowl = Liberty Bowl

| bowl_result = L 18–19 vs. Notre Dame

}}

{{1983 Major eastern college football independents records}}

{{1983 NCAA Division I-A independents football records}}

The 1983 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Eagles were led by third-year head coach Jack Bicknell, and played their home games at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and Sullivan Stadium (later known as Foxboro Stadium) in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Junior quarterback Doug Flutie threw for over 2,700 yards and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, leading Boston College to their first ranked finish in 41 years. They met their rivals, Notre Dame, in the 1983 Liberty Bowl.

Boston College finished the season ranked No. 19 in the final AP Poll, and captured the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (emblematic of the 'Eastern championship' in Division I FBS).

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1983

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 3

| w/l = w

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1983|team=Morgan State Bears|title=Morgan State}}

| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium

| site_cityst = Chestnut Hill, MA

| score = 45–12

| attend = 31,300

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-boston-college-trashes-bears/166498938/|newspaper=The State|title=Boston College trashes Bears|date=September 4, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 10

| w/l = w

| opponent = Clemson

| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium

| site_cityst = Chestnut Hill, MA

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 31–16

| attend = 32,000–32,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-stradford-carries-bc-pa/139861547/|work=The Hartford Courant|title=Stradford carries BC past Clemson|date=September 11, 1983|accessdate=January 29, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Clemson Football Media Guide - 1984 |url=https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/fball_media/48/ |publisher=Clemson University |date=1984 |page=0 |access-date=November 10, 2023 }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 17

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Rutgers

| site_stadium = Giants Stadium

| site_cityst = East Rutherford, NJ

| score = 42–22

| attend = 23,561

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/staten-island-advance-bc-wallops-rutgers/166499057/|newspaper=Staten Island Advance|title=BC wallops Rutgers, 42–22|date=September 18, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 24

| w/l = l

| rank = 19

| opponent = West Virginia

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium

| site_cityst = Chestnut Hill, MA

| score = 17–27

| tv = ABC

| attend = 32,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-w-va-mountaineers/139842095/|work=The Daily Advertiser|title=W. Va. Mountaineers blitz Boston College|date=September 25, 1983|accessdate=January 29, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 1

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Temple

| site_stadium = Franklin Field

| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA

| score = 18–15

| attend = 7,033

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/courier-post-flutie-pitches-in-as-bost/166499200/|newspaper=Courier-Post|title=Flutie 'pitches in' as Boston College turns back Temple|date=October 2, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 8

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Yale

| site_stadium = Yale Bowl

| site_cityst = New Haven, CT

| score = 42–7

| attend = 31,108

| source = {{cite news |title=BC Scores Early and Often |first=Ian |last=Thomsen |date=October 9, 1983 |page=51 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57043921/1983-yale-bc/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 29

| w/l = w

| rank = 19

| opponent = Penn State

| site_stadium = Sullivan Stadium

| site_cityst = Foxborough, MA

| score = 27–17

| tv = ABC

| attend = 56,605

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-day-the-surgeon-bcs-flutie-operate/166499326/|newspaper=The Day|title=The surgeon; BC's Flutie operates on Penn State, 27–17|date=October 30, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 5

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 16

| opponent = Army

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 34–14

| attend = 40,749

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-no-16-bc-rips-arm/166499460/|newspaper=The Reporter Dispatch|title=No. 16 BC rips Army, 34–14|date=November 6, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 12

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 13

| opponent = Syracuse

| site_stadium = Carrier Dome

| site_cityst = Syracuse, NY

| score = 10–21

| attend = 41,225

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-syracuse-derails-bc-21/166499614/|newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe|title=Syracuse derails BC, 21–10|date=November 13, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 19

| w/l = w

| neutral = y

| rank = 18

| opponent = Holy Cross

| site_stadium = Sullivan Stadium

| site_cityst = Foxborough, MA

| gamename = rivalry

| tv = ABC

| score = 47–7

| attend = 38,512

| source = {{cite news |title=BC Pounds Holy Cross, Expects New Bowl Foe |first=Peter |last=May |date=November 20, 1983 |pages=D12, D16 |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57054276/1983-holy-cross-bc/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|November 25|Friday}}

| w/l = w

| rank = 15

| opponent = Alabama

| opprank = 13

| site_stadium = Sullivan Stadium

| site_cityst = Foxborough, MA

| tv = CBS

| score = 20–13

| attend = 58,047

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71537201/turnovers-turn-back-tide-bc-finishes/|work=The Boston Globe|title=Turnovers turn back Tide; BC finishes with 9–2 record|date=November 26, 1983|accessdate=February 19, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|December 29|Thursday}}

| w/l = l

| neutral = y

| rank = 13

| opponent = Notre Dame

| site_stadium = Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Memphis, TN

| gamename = Liberty Bowl, Holy War

| score = 18–19

| attend = 47,071

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-nd-1983/161714687/|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal|title=Irish stew Eagles in B-r-r-r Bowl|date=December 30, 1983|access-date=February 23, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/boston-college/1983-schedule.html |title=1983 Boston College Eagles Schedule & Results |work=Sports-Reference.com |access-date=May 12, 2017}}

Roster

{{American football roster/Header

| year = 1983

| team = Boston College Eagles

| teamcolors = f

| offensive_players =

{{American football roster/Player|num=13|class=Sr|first=Brian|last=Brennan|pos=WR|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=32|class=Jr|first=Jim|last=Browne|pos=RB|link=y|dab=Jim Browne (American football)}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=22|class=Jr|first=Doug|last=Flutie|pos=QB|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=79|class=Jr|first=Mark|last=MacDonald|pos=OL|link=y|dab=Mark MacDonald (American football)}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=20|class=Jr|first=Gerard|last=Phelan|pos=WR|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=23|class=Fr|first=Troy|last=Stradford|pos=RB|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=3|class=Jr|first=Chris|last=Tripucka|pos=WR|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=|class=Fr|first=Darren|last=Twombly|pos=C|link=y}}

| defensive_players=

{{American football roster/Player|num=68|class=So|first=Mike|last=Ruth|pos=NG|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=81|class=So|first=Andy|last=Hemmer|pos=LB|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=17|class=Jr|first=Tony|last=Thurman|pos=DB|link=y}}

| special_teams_players=

}}

{{American football roster/Footer

| head_coach = *Jack Bicknell

| asst_coach =

| accessdate= 2018-11-17

}}

Game summaries

=No. 12 West Virginia=

{{see also|1983 West Virginia Mountaineers football team}}

{{Clear}}

=No. 13 Alabama=

{{see also|1983 Alabama Crimson Tide football team}}

{{Clear}}

=Vs. Notre Dame (Liberty Bowl)=

{{main|1983 Liberty Bowl}}

{{see also|1983 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team}}

{{Clear}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Boston College Eagles football navbox}}

Boston College

Category:Boston College Eagles football seasons

Category:Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy seasons

Boston College Eagles football

Boston College Eagles football

{{Boston-sport-stub}}

{{collegefootball-1983-season-stub}}

{{Massachusetts-sport-team-stub}}