Bill O’Brien didn’t sugarcoat Boston College’s 21-14 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday, but he also made clear he liked the way his team fought through the weather and stayed in the game until the end.
After the defeat dropped BC to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play, the Eagles’ head coach pointed first to the quality of the opponent and the effort his team showed.
“Yeah, no, I think you learn a lot about your team in games like that. I think that's a good football team.
You know, I told James [Franklin] after the game [that] they got a good team. I mean, they're probably, I think they're probably a top-25 team.
So what are we? You know, we still have to eliminate some mistakes.
But I thought our guys played hard. I mean, I think our guys gave great effort, and I'm proud of the effort.”
The third-down battle was another sore spot. Boston College had a better feel in the red zone, but O’Brien said Virginia Tech dictated things when it mattered early in drives.
“Yeah, no, I think, look, I think [Virginia Tech] did a good job on third down. We expected one thing, they mixed it up on us, so we just need to, you know, do a better job on third down.
But yeah, there were some things we did well. I mean, you know, it was obviously tough conditions, and I thought the guys fought hard the whole day in those conditions.”
Defensively, BC held up for three quarters before things started to slip in the fourth. O’Brien said the Eagles were sturdy against the run early, but Virginia Tech eventually found a damaging explosive play.
“Yeah, I think that, you know, we stopped the run well for three quarters, and then they hit us on that add-on play for the long touchdown. But I think overall, yeah, I mean they hit us on the weak side a little bit, but these guys battled hard.
They were on the field and they fought hard. I thought the tackling in the fourth quarter wasn't as good as it was in the first three quarters.”
The weather also shaped what Boston College could do through the air. O’Brien said the wind was the bigger factor than the rain, and that the Eagles still tried to attack vertically when they could.
“[We] tried to make some throws there. [When we] we're going towards Yawkey, [we] felt like the wind was in our face, but still tried to make some throws.
That was the touchdown drive we hit [Dawson] Pough down at the one-yard line. But he had to drive that ball, you know?
So yeah, the wind. It was more the wind than it was the rain, and it was hard to tell.
But we felt like the wind was at our back when we were going towards Beacon, in our face going towards Yawkey.”
Still, the part that lingered most for O’Brien was the chance to close out a game Boston College led by eight points.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating. Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
Very frustrating. [I] feel bad for the guys in that locker room.
But again, we just, we’re going to go back to work tomorrow and correct some things and keep battling.”
In Other News...
Boston College Let Its ACC Opener Slip Away Late
Boston College had enough going on to feel good about for most of the afternoon at Alumni Stadium, especially with McKenzie giving the offense a steady push on the ground and KP Price setting the tone on defense. In an ACC opener that stayed tight throughout, the Eagles matched Virginia Tech score for score into the second half and had real chances to make their home field count.
But the game slipped away late when Virginia Tech found a way to finish in the final minutes, turning a tie into a road win and leaving Boston College to sort through another missed opportunity in conference play. For an Eagles team that showed it could compete, the frustration is in how close it came before the Hokies delivered the final blow. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Let A Winnable ACC Game Slip Away Late
Boston College had a chance to turn a tight ACC game into a needed road win, and for much of the night it looked like the Eagles might do just that. Mason McKenzie gave them a lift with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown, helping Boston College build an eight-point lead late as the defense put Virginia Tech in a tough spot.
The finish, though, belonged to the Hokies. Virginia Tech answered with a late surge to erase the gap, then found the decisive blow on a long touchdown run to complete the comeback and send Boston College home with a frustrating 21-14 loss, one shaped by missed chances, third-down trouble and penalties that kept the Eagles from closing it out. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Let A Winnable Night Slip Away Late
Under a steady mix of rain and wind, Boston College spent much of the night in a slog that felt built for whichever team could stay patient and avoid the big mistake. The Eagles got enough from Mason McKenzie on the ground to put themselves in position, with his rushing giving them the sort of punch they needed in a game where offense was hard to come by for either side.
But a tight, winnable game still slipped away late, the kind of loss that lingers because it was there for the taking. Virginia Tech found the decisive score in the fourth quarter and then added a two-point conversion, leaving Boston College to look back on a frustrating finish after doing so much right in the kind of conditions that usually reward grit and control. [Read more 🡒]