American college football season
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).
Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 3 Morgan State W 45–1231,300
September 10 Clemson Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry ) W 31–1632,000–32,500 [ 1] [ 2]
September 17 at Rutgers W 42–2223,561
September 24 No. 12 West Virginia No. 19 Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA ABC L 17–2732,000 [ 3]
October 1 at Temple W 18–157,033
October 8 at Yale W 42–731,108 [ 4]
October 29 Penn State No. 19 ABC W 27–1756,605
November 5 at Army No. 16 W 34–1440,749
November 12 at Syracuse No. 13 L 10–2141,225
November 19 vs. Holy Cross No. 18 Sullivan Stadium Foxborough, MA (rivalry ) ABC W 47–738,512 [ 5]
No. 13 Alabama No. 15 Sullivan Stadium Foxborough, MA CBS W 20–1358,047 [ 6]
vs. Notre Dame No. 13 L 18–1947,071
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 7]
1983 Boston College Eagles football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
No. 12 West Virginia [ edit ]
Vs. Notre Dame (Liberty Bowl)[ edit ]
^ "Stradford carries BC past Clemson" . The Hartford Courant . September 11, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Clemson Football Media Guide - 1984" . Clemson University . 1984. p. 0. Retrieved November 10, 2023 .
^ "W. Va. Mountaineers blitz Boston College" . The Daily Advertiser . September 25, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Thomsen, Ian (October 9, 1983). "BC Scores Early and Often" . Boston Sunday Globe . Boston, Mass. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com .
^ May, Peter (November 20, 1983). "BC Pounds Holy Cross, Expects New Bowl Foe" . The Hartford Courant . Hartford, Conn. pp. D12, D16 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Turnovers turn back Tide; BC finishes with 9–2 record" . The Boston Globe . November 26, 1983. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1983 Boston College Eagles Schedule & Results" . Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved May 12, 2017 .
Venues
South End Grounds (1893–1899, 1902)
American League Baseball Grounds (1901)
Alumni Field (1915–1921, 1923, 1932–1941, 1943–1945, 1955)
Fenway Park (1914–1917, 1919–1920, 1927–1931, 1936–1945, 1953–1956)
Braves Field (1918–1927, 1944, 1946–1952)
Alumni Stadium (1957–present)
Sullivan Stadium (alternate)
Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold