SHREVEPORT, La. — The last time quarterback Chase Rettig played in a bowl game, he was a young and inexperienced Boston College freshman going against a University of Nevada senior QB named Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick, now the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, threw for 192 yards and a touchdown to lead the Wolf Pack to a 20-13 victory over BC in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco Jan. 9, 2011.
Rettig completed 14 of 34 passes for 121 yards and had a pair of interceptions.
Now a senior, Rettig will attempt to cap his career on a much better note in his second bowl appearance in Tuesday's AdvoCare V100 Bowl against Arizona at Independence Stadium.
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"We are preparing for this game as hard as we can,'' Rettig said after Sunday's practice session at Loyola College Prep's Messmer Stadium. "For me, it is all about preparing for this last game and anything I can do to help the team win is what I'm going to accomplish. I'm just going to go as hard as I can to try to make some big plays and put us in a good position and take care of the football.''
That was Rettig's hallmark as a senior as BC adopted a power running game that featured senior running back Andre Williams, who won the Doak Walker Award after leading the nation in rushing with 2,102 yards.
Rettig threw for more than 3,000 yards and 17 TDs last season, but enters the bowl game with 1,804 passing yards this season. He seemed to set aside his personal gain for the greater good of the team.
"His might have been the most accelerated development of leadership of anyone on this football team,'' said Eagles coach Steve Addazio. "That was really wonderful to see. I really love Chase. I love who he is, I love what he stands for, it's so important for him.
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"He really lives and breathes it. He played his absolutely best ball down the homestretch of the season. I hope he has a great bowl game. He deserves it because he's been working toward that.''
Activity hour
The Eagles spent time Sunday on the bowling lanes as part of their bowl activity. Friday, after their arrival in Shreveport, they participated in "The Big Game Show,'' with several players selected to represent the maroon and gold in a "Family Feud"-style contest opposite several Arizona players. Saturday, the team toured Barksdale Air Force Base, home to the largest B-52 squadron in the nation, and competed in a NASCAR-style pit stop competition, in which a three-man crew from BC changed the tires of a real stock car against a trio from Arizona. . . . The Eagles have been designated as the home team, and will don their home maroon jerseys.
Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.