For the past two games going into Saturday’s home contest against Boston College, the football team’s defense had given up an average of 411 yards and 28.5 points.

Against Akron on Sept. 9, the unit allowed the Zips’ offense to go 67 yards with less than a minute to play and score on a one-yard, game-winning touchdown run as time expired.

In the Southern Mississippi game on Sept. 16, the defense didn’t force the Golden Eagles’ offense to punt a single time.

Coach Chuck Amato said the defense took those performances personally.

“The defense was obviously disappointed in the way they played a week ago,” Amato said. “We talked about it, and that wasn’t us.”

And for a struggling defense, Boston College’s offense could not have been a welcome sight.

Coming into the game, quarterback Matt Ryan had thrown for 891 yards and six touchdowns in just three games. He had completed almost 61 percent of his passes and led the ACC in total offense and passing yards per game.

As a team, the Eagles were averaging 400 yards and nearly 32 points a game.

But Amato said his team saw the game as an opportunity to rebound from its woes.

“They were going to show people,” Amato said. “And what an opportunity [it was] to play on national television.”

The defense surrendered just 149 passing yards and didn’t allow Ryan to complete a pass longer than 22 yards. They also held Boston College to just 15 points and forced them to punt seven times.

“They just never stopped fighting,” Amato said. “We made some plays with our [defensive backs] knocking passes down. We held them when we had to. We did things that we needed to get done.”

One of those defensive backs knocking down passes was senior cornerback A.J. Davis, who has returned to action after missing the Akron game with an injured hamstring.

But Amato said one of the best moments for the defense came late in the fourth quarter when it stopped Boston College on a fourth down play in State territory, giving the offense a chance to put together the eventual game-winning drive.

“You should’ve heard them in the huddle on that fourth down play,” Amato said. “They are getting it. That’s them.”

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Evans said he got ready to come back in the game before the play even started and that he never doubted the defense’s ability to step up in a big situation.

“The game’s never really over,” Evans said. “Especially the way our defense played all day.”

The defense, however, didn’t start the game with all its parts. Senior defensive tackle Tank Tyler, who was ejected from the Southern Mississippi game for a spitting incident with a referee, sat out part of the first half as punishment.

Amato kept his decision about Tyler’s punishment private until Thursday as a way to teach him a lesson.

“Tank knew I had to do what I did,” Amato said. “But he didn’t know until Thursday after practice because that was when I was finally asked about it. I was trying to he-haw around it because I wanted Tank to squirm. He apologized to me, his teammates and everybody else. When you get thrown out of a game, it’s embarrassing. I told him on Thursday, ‘Look, here’s the rule. You’re not going to start, and you’re not going to walk out for the coin toss.’ And he said, ‘No problem.'”

Tyler did eventually get in the game and make his presence known — recording four tackles and a sack late in the game for a nine-yard loss.

“Tank really stirred things up inside when he got in there,” Amato said. “Tank’s a good kid. They’re all good kids.”