Notre Dame Bowled Over by Boston College, 31-29

The Irish aren’t going to a bowl game, and it’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because they can’t.

Tim Hasselbeck threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as No. 25 Boston College defeated Notre Dame, 31-29, Saturday, dropping the Irish to 5-6 and making them bowl ineligible for the first time in 13 years.

“I think we’re beat up emotionally more than anything,” said quarterback Jarious Jackson, who was a sophomore in 1996 when Notre Dame opted against playing in a bowl game despite an 8-3 record. “It hurts badly. I can’t put it into words.”

Three weeks ago, the Irish were 5-3 and shooting for a New Year’s Day appearance. But a 38-14 whipping by Tennessee and a 37-27 collapse at Pittsburgh made Saturday’s game a must-win for the Irish to have a shot at finishing 7-5.

They came close to winning, but faltered in the end.

With Boston College (8-2) leading, 31-17, the Irish rallied for two touchdowns in the final six minutes. But a missed extra-point and a failed two-point conversion pass with 3:27 left pushed Notre Dame to the brink of its first losing season since 1986.

The Irish have to win at Stanford on Saturday night to avoid that.

“I was pretty sure we were going to end the season 7-5, but the tables turned,” Jackson said. “So now the best thing for us to do is to try to be 6-6.”