Quarterback
Carlyle Holiday didn't play bad. He made some nice plays and looked sharp at the beginning of the game starting 5 for 7 for 57 yards. He spread the ball around as well. I think the injury in the first half shook him up a little bit and may have affected him the rest of the game, but overall Carlyle played well enough to get the win. Pat Dillingham however came in and played flat out horrible. His attempt to get rid of the ball as opposed to taking the sack resulted in the winning points for Boston College (I know there was a lot of football left after that, but if he doesn't make that play, the score is tied at 7-7 at the end). Dillingham's passes were also wobbly and not sharp at all. If Chris Olsen or Brady Quinn is not the backup next year to Holiday, I will be very surprised.
Grade: C (Holiday B, Dillingham D)

Runningbacks
Not much needs to be explained here. There is absolutely NO reason for the fumbles. Most of them came from no contact. One could be blamed on Holiday b/c it was an awkward handoff, but the ball was still right there for the back. There were fumbles deep inside Boston College territory that were killers. After fumbling the ball away, Gerome Sapp made a beautiful interception, only to have the offense give the ball right back. Ryan Grant went over 100 yards again, but those yards didn't do much good since the offense only scored 7 points.
Grade: F

Wide Receivers
Rhema McKnight really stepped up and made a great catch on a fourth down late in the game. He hadn't made a catch since week onbut had a nice game and shows a lot of promise. By next season he could be a dangerous weapon on this offense. Maurice Stovall shows all the physical tools, but also shows his lack of experience. He will be a great receiver for ND before he leaves. He made a hell of a catch for Notre Dame's only score, but needs to adjust to the ball better when its in the air. Arnaz Battle turned in another solid performance with 6 catches for 86 yards. Omar Jenkins made a fine catch on what was a touchdown that the referee ruled incomplete when it was clear he not only had 1 foot in bounds but 2 feet along with half of his body. That was a very costly call that should have gone ND's way.

Offensive Line
Notre Dame moved the ball well and the holes were there for the running backs. Holiday had time to pass most of the day. The line did its job. Its not there fault that there were so many fumbles and its not their fault that Dilligham didn't get rid of the ball sooner or take the sack when BC came with an all out blitz. The big problem with the line was 3rd and 4th and short. Notre Dame's 3rd down offense was not good all day and when Notre Dame needed to run the ball and get a first down in short yardage, they couldn't.
Grade: C

Defensive Line
The loss of Cedric Hilliard was definitely felt as Boston College ran the ball very well. Derrick Knight had 129 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Hilliard has clogged running lanes all year and his presence would definitely had made a difference. Greg Pauly played well, but Hilliard has been a beast up the middle all year. The line contributed with 3 of the Irish's 4 sacks (Campbell, Budinscak, and Ryan Roberts). Ryan Roberts spent a little extra time at the play like a champion sign coming out of halftime and I feel bad for him and the rest of the seniors who have no eligibility left, but the season isn't over.
Grade: B-

Linebackers
Courtney Watson was his normal excellent self. He is a hell of a linebacker, and has a 5th year of eligibility left and could be a VERY special player next year. Brandon Hoyte got some playing time and continues to impress. He has a lot of talent and will be a great linebacker for the Irish. The linebackers in general played well along with the rest of the defense. Boston College moved the ball on Notre Dame at times, but the Notre Dame defense definitely outplayed the BC offense.
Grade: B

Secondary
Shane Walton left everything on the field. He uncharacteristically dropped an INT that the BC receiver ended up grabbing on their lone touchdown drive. Gerome Sapp made an outstanding play to give the offense the ball deep in BC territory only to have the offense literally hand the ball back to BC. Sapp played a great game as did the rest of the secondary. Walton will be playing on Sunday's next year as should Sapp.
Grade: B+

Special Teams
There was no excuse for the botched field goal. Then the penalty on Walton's great return. Special teams and turnovers were what keyed Notre Dame most of the year but killed them against Boston College. One bright spot was Joey Hildbold who was HUGE. He pinned Boston College inside the 20 3 out of 4 times while averaging 40 yards a punt. If there is a better punter in the NCAA, I'd like to see him.
Grade: C

Overall
This was a game Notre Dame should have won. Unlike all year when they found a way to win, they found a way to lose this week. There's no excuse for the fumbles. This game is almost a carbon copy of the Pitt game with the roles reversed. Notre Dame outplayed Boston College and moved the ball up and down on them but came away with NO points in 5 red zone attempts - that is also inexcusable. The offense wasn't that bad - the turnovers is what killed Notre Dame. The offense played well outside of the turnovers. With knowing what was on the line here and with who the opponent was, I was very shocked and very disappointed with the performance on Saturday.
Grade: D