Boston College doesn’t have much margin for error when Virginia Tech comes to town Saturday, and the Eagles know it.
After last weekend’s flat 22-16 win over Maine, BC heads into a noon home matchup with the unbeaten Hokies carrying a clear message: the execution has to be cleaner, sharper, and far more complete if the Eagles want a shot at pulling the upset. Virginia Tech arrives at 3-0 and has rolled up 152 points while allowing just 50, the kind of start that makes the Hokies look like real ACC contenders.
“We know this is a big challenge,” said coach Bill O’Brien. “That’s why these guys came to Boston College, to play in games like this.”
BC is a 14-point underdog, and the weather could add another wrinkle. A potential nor’easter hangs over the game, which means the Eagles may have to deal with wind, rain, and whatever else shows up. That’s part of the assignment, according to running back Bo MacCormack.
“Part of football is embracing whatever the weather is,” said running back Bo MacCormack. “Whatever it is, we’re just excited to play.”
O’Brien said he’s seen just about every kind of weather game imaginable.
“I think I’ve coached in everything, right?” he said.
“Snow, rain, nor’easters, blizzards, pouring rain, ice storms, coached in one of those, lightning delays, hot, 100 degrees. We’ll have a plan.”
The simplest version of the challenge is this: keep Virginia Tech from turning the game into a track meet. The Hokies have scored 106 of their 152 points in the first half, so BC can’t afford to let the game get away early.
If it stays ugly and low-scoring, the Eagles have a path. If not, the afternoon could get long in a hurry.
The battle in the trenches will matter just as much. Virginia Tech brings the ACC’s top sack total with 14, and Aycen Stevens, Kaleb Spencer, Cortez Harris, and Mylachi Williams all have at least three. O’Brien didn’t sugarcoat the matchup.
“I would say, just watching them, that they have several guys on defense that will play in the NFL,” O’Brien said. “It’s a big challenge for us.
We’ve had a good week of practice. We’ve just got to go out there and give it everything we’ve got.”
BC’s offensive line has been uneven so far, and a strong showing there would change the tone of the game quickly.
The Eagles also need to keep leaning on what has become a real strength: creating turnovers and getting after the quarterback. BC leads the ACC with six interceptions, already matching last year’s total, and the defense is tied for third in the league with eight sacks after finishing last a season ago with 17.
“It’s something that we’ve always believed in, no matter who we’re playing,” said linebacker Anthony Palano. “We know what we can do. We know what we’re capable of.”
Palano has been all over the field. He’s third in the nation with 34 tackles and is the only player with at least 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 1 sack. Safety KP Price has two interceptions of his own, and defensive end Demetrius Ballard leads the team with two sacks.
That task gets tougher against Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who has completed 78.2 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. For BC, the formula doesn’t change: make him uncomfortable and force the Hokies to work for everything.
There’s also a familiar local name on the other side. Westford native Luke Reynolds, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end, has 265 receiving yards and four touchdowns for Virginia Tech. Reynolds, who played at Lawrence Academy, Cheshire Academy, and Penn State before joining the Hokies, is drawing attention as a potential NFL draft pick.
“He quite obviously is great in the passing game, but the reason why he’s going to be a great NFL player is because he blocks,” O’Brien said. “He’s a massive challenge for us, no doubt.”
And after Boston College came up short on two fourth-and-1 tries in the red zone against Maine, the staff has spent extra time this week making sure the team is ready if that same situation comes up again.
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