It is hardly unusual to see a Superfan decked out in gold on game day. But for Saturday’s matchup against Florida State, Boston College fans weren’t wearing it in support of the team — it was in support of the fight against cancer waged by one of their own.

The BC Eagles bent but did not break against the Seminoles, and won the game on a fourth quarter 42-yard touchdown run by Montel Harris. Players on both sides of the ball were inspired by one of their own — linebacker Mark Herzlich.

Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma last spring, causing to miss out on what would have been his senior year for playing for Boston College. After a summer of treatment, Herzlich returned to campus, taking classes and serving as a sort of assistant coach on BC’s sideline, cheering his teammates as only he can.

“This whole day was about him and he deserves it,” senior linebacker Mike McLaughlin of Woburn, Mass. said following the game. “And obviously it lifted our team to victory.”

BC guts out 28-21 victory over FSU [Boston Score]

“It’s been a way for me to kind of stay with the team,” Herzlich said of his stint as an assistant coach. “Coaching is different — you’ve been coached your whole life so you sort of know what to do.”

Around Alumni Stadium, many fans wore Herzlich’s No. 94 in some fashion. Members of the student body participated in a gold out — wearing gold t-shirts with the words “Beat Cancer” on them. The proceeds of those shirts will help in the fight against cancer.

“It was a big honor. Great for the school, great for supporting the fight (against) cancer,” Herzlich said. “The students did a great job. It was pouring rain and they came out there and swarmed campus. So it was really supportive.”

Since the early days of high battle against the cancer, Herzlich has envisioned his end goal as leading his team through the tunnel and onto the field at Alumni Stadium. Not in a BC sweat suit, but in full pads and his No. 94 jersey. Herzlich received news this week which may signal he is closer to realizing that goal.

“I talked to the doctor, they got the MRIs all looked at. The tumor has shrunk so much that it wasn’t even visible on the MRI anymore. It was gone from leg,” Herzlich said.

The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year hopes to return to action next year, playing out his senior year as he had planned all along. If it comes to fruition, it will be a remarkable comeback. One that will go down in BC lore right beside Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan at the Orange Bowl in 1984.

“Just his courage in facing the cancer end of it, and then to be able to continue through that and be strong, go out on the field and be just one of the guys like he wants to be, and be treated as a member of the team — phenomenal amount of will power, courage, strength and just setting a great example for the other kids. It’s amazing,” Flutie said.

After a long day of attention toward his battle with cancer, which included a spot on ESPN’s nationally televised College Game Day program, Herzlich pushed his team to victory from the sideline. And as the clock ticked down to zero, the linebacker-turned-assistant coach hugged his head coach, Frank Spaziani. There could not have been a better conclusion to this day.

When the game was tied 21-21 in the fourth quarter, you didn’t really think BC was going to lose, did you?

Relinquishing a 21-3 halftime lead, the Boston College Eagles were faced with the possibility of trailing 24-21 with seven minutes in regulation, but Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 37-yard field goal wide right.

The Eagles managed to march down the field under the direction of true freshman quarterback Dave Shinskie, 25, to take a 28-21 lead on a Montel Harris 42-yard touchdown run. Harris rushed for 179 yards on 26 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

BC made a solid defensive stand in its own end of the field, forcing a turnover on downs with just over two minutes to play. From there the Eagles milked the clock by running the ball, and walked off the field with a spirited win.

Linebacker Mark Herzlich, who is not playing in what would be his senior season due to being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, has roamed the sidelines for the Eagles this season. As things got tight for BC in the second half, he delivered encouragement to the very teammates who have helped lift him up in his fight against cancer.

Herzlich was asked by ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe what he told his teammates during that second half, and he said he told them not to give up.

“Don’t quit, that’s the biggest thing — don’t quit,” Herzlich told Rowe, saying he was just returning the favor. “They lift me up. The reason why I’m so strong — able to do this — is because of them.”

BC improved to (4-1, 2-1 ACC) with the win and next plays at No. 6 Virginia Tech.

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich’s battle with Ewing’s sarcoma is profiled in this video, as well as the support he has gained along the way.

ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi put this piece together, and it includes a trip with Herzlich to a chemotherapy treatment. It’s worth a few minutes of your day. Just witnessing Herzlich’s positive attitude makes me believe we’ll see No. 94 terrorizing ACC opponents next fall.

By now you should know the story of BC senior linebacker Mark Herzlich, who is fighting Ewing’s Sarcoma. It’s time to visit HerzNation.com. The site does not belong to Herzlich, but is a nice homage to BC’s defensive leader.

There, you can purchase anything from t-shirts to sweatshirts, to hats and mugs. Check out the products. The site says all profits will go toward cancer research in Herzlich’s name. Although, a particular foundation has yet to be named.

Herlzich is on the sidelines for BC, where you can see him yelling to his teammates on the field during games. He is battling to make a return to action in 2010, playing out his senior season.

To put his career in perspective, Herzlich was the most dominant linebacker in college football in 2008. Patriots fans may remember Sunday’s game against the Jets, where New England’s linebackers proved fairly incapable in coverage. Well, Herzlich intercepted 6 passes in 2008 — a number rarely reached by a linebacker. He also made 110 tackles. His promise as a football player made his diagnosis all-the-more sad for sports fans. But his fight against the cancer, and determination to return to the field can only bring a smile to one’s face.

What was to be his senior season at Boston College is not. Linebacker Mark Herzlich returned to campus on Saturday after spending the summer in treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma.

The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year — one of the best linebackers in all of College football — was diagnosed with the rare form of bone cancer last spring, but has fought the disease tooth and nail.

Happy to be back on campus, Herzlich will attend practices and travel with the team, while taking classes and continuing his treatment.

“I’m feeling great, to be honest. I’m finally back in school with my guys,” Herzlich told NECN’s Carolyn Manno. “Basically, I’ll be a regular player except for once we step on the turf — I’ll be a coach and help as much as I can with technique and getting guys ready.”

Sometimes in professional sports, management will ask an injured player to stay away from the team for fear that his presence will be a distraction. Herzlich, the team’s defensive leader, is anything but.

“It’s real positive. He’s just a great kid to have around the team, and I’m sure it affects the players like it affects me,” head coach Frank Spaziani said.

“You have to have positive thoughts throughout the whole thing,” Herzlich said. “One of those thoughts is running out of the tunnel with all the guys suited up, ready to go. And that image has been in my head kind of every time I lay my head down on the pillow to go to bed at night. And that’s what gets me through.”

Herzlich hopes that positive thought becomes reality next season.

NECN’s Carolyn Manno reports on this story in the embedded video player atop this post.