However brief, Coach Carroll and first-year Boston College coach Frank Spaziani have a history together.

In 1982, Carroll, then the 31-year-old defensive coordinator for North Carolina State, met Spaziani, a 35-year-old defensive backs coach for Virginia, when the two programs faced off in Charlottesville. On that day, Carroll's Wolfpack topped the Cavaliers, 16-13.

After that season, Carroll went on to Pacific for one year and the NFL for 16 seasons before arriving at USC in 2001. Spaziani coached at Virginia for eight more seasons prior to five years in the Canadian Football League, before ultimately settling in at Boston College, where he's been on staff since 1997.

Carroll, now 58, said he clearly remembers the 1982 meeting and is excited to see the 62-year-old Spaziani again at the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 26.

"It'll be fun to reconnect after all these years," Carroll said.