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Milestones show progress for BC’s offense

Eagles QB Chase Rettig jumped from 1,960 yards last season as a sophomore to 3,065 this season, throwing for more than 300 yards three times.AP/File

RALEIGH, N.C. — What will be lost in the inevitable fallout of Boston College’s disastrous season are the numbers that quarterback Chase Rettig and receiver Alex Amidon put up and why they were able to do it.

No players have benefitted more from the system offensive coordinator Doug Martin installed.

Even after one of his uglier games of the season Saturday, a three-interception head-scratcher in a 27-10 loss to North Carolina State, Rettig reached a milestone. He found Amidon on a comeback pattern for 17 yards in the first quarter, pushing Rettig over 3,000 yards for the season. The catch gave Amidon 76 for the season, which tied Andre Callender’s school season record. The junior broke the record on a 10-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and added one more.

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Matt Ryan, Doug Flutie, and Glenn Foley are the only other quarterbacks to throw for 3,000 yards in BC history, and they were all seniors when they did it. Rettig jumped from 1,960 yards last season as a sophomore to 3,065 this season, throwing for more than 300 yards three times.

Amidon had already set the season record for receiving yards entering Saturday’s game. He finishes the year with 1,210 yards and seven touchdown catches. Completely under the radar coming into the season, Amidon went for 100 yards receiving in six games.

One of the first things Martin did when he was hired a year ago was forge a relationship with Rettig, and the offense benefited from having spring practices to learn his system. But the uncertainty surrounding coach Frank Spaziani means his staff is in jeopardy.

“That would be crazy if we went through another change [on offense],” Amidon said. “It’s been nice to have some consistency at least for one year.”

Rettig has played for three offensive coordinators, but, he said, “This is the system I’ve enjoyed the most.”

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“I’ve had the most freedom and being able to make decisions at the line of scrimmages. I just really get along with Coach Martin real well. I enjoy the offense and he’s put us in a bunch of good situations in order to be successful this year.”

Amidon went from catching 20 balls for 220 yards a year ago to becoming the primary receiver. He went into the season finale seventh in the nation in receiving yards per game (106.8).

Finishing with flourish

Despite playing just five games, Rolandan “Deuce” Finch finished the season as the Eagles’ second-leading rusher (446 yards) and had the team’s best average per carry (5.8).

He followed up a 138-yard game against Virginia Tech last weekend with 144 yards and his first touchdown of the season Saturday, ending a rocky year with a flourish.

Costly fumbles and personal issues landed Finch in Spaziani’s doghouse during the middle of the season, hitting his lowest point when he landed on the scout team. When an abdominal injury at Wake Forest ended Andre Williams’s season, Spaziani’s only choice was to give Finch another opportunity.

“Deuce is a great kid,” Spaziani said. “He’s a great kid and he’s got some talent. Maybe his eyes got opened. He’s been a different back the last three games, has he not? I would say that. He’s looked it, and he’s practiced differently. He’s done a lot of different things. It’s all a part of growing up and understanding a lot of things.”

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Almost famous

Spiffy Evans’s 25.3-yard punt return average would have led the nation but with just 11 returns he fell four shy of qualifying. N.C. State didn’t direct any punts toward him Saturday . . . In terms of third-down futility, BC met its match in N.C. State. The teams were a combined 2 of 19 on third downs at halftime, and finished 11 of 35 . . . Linebacker Steele Divitto recovered his fourth fumble of the season.


Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.