Boston College comes into Saturday’s matchup with Florida State trying to shake off one of the roughest afternoons of the Bill O’Brien era and get back to the version of itself that had started to build some real traction.
The Eagles had just put together encouraging wins over Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech, and a third straight victory would have marked a new high point under O’Brien. Instead, BC was flattened by Duke in a 47-2 loss that sent the program backward and left linebacker Anthony Palano calling it, “It was a humbling experience, for sure,” said BC linebacker Anthony Palano. “All the guys are back, and we understand now it doesn’t matter.”
Now the Eagles are back home at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, with Florida State coming in at 3-5 and 1-4. Kickoff is set for noon, and BC is staring at a stretch run that will decide how this season gets remembered. Notre Dame and Miami are still ahead, which makes this weekend feel even bigger.
“It is definitely a must-win game,” said BC running back Bo MacCormack. “I think every game is.”
Florida State arrives with a new coach after firing Mike Norvell last Sunday. Rick Stockstill, a former FSU quarterback who spent 18 years as head coach at Middle Tennessee State and most recently worked as the Seminoles’ director of scouting, is serving as interim coach.
O’Brien said he brought the change up with his team, but he made clear BC is not spending much time trying to guess what the Seminoles will look like under Stockstill.
“Your focus is what’s on film,” he said. “What do we believe it’s going to be?
But we do have to be ready. We have to be on high alert.”
He added that the Eagles “don’t dwell” on the coaching switch, even if they’re keeping it in the back of their minds. O’Brien also pointed to Florida State’s schedule, noting the Seminoles have already battled SMU, Alabama, and No.
1 Miami in double overtime before losing each game. In his view, the record doesn’t tell the full story.
When asked whether the coaching change might give Florida State extra juice, O’Brien brushed it off.
“That’s a question for them, not for me,” he said.
BC will also have to deal with a Florida State offense missing two key pieces. Star receiver Duce Robinson, who has 24 catches for 438 yards and four touchdowns, is out for the season with an ACL injury. Reliable running back Ousmane Kromah, who has 114 carries for 609 yards and five touchdowns, is also done for the year after an ankle injury.
That likely means even more responsibility for quarterback Ashton Daniels, a dual threat who has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 1,968 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while also rushing for 375 yards and 12 scores.
“He has great arm talent, good runner,” said BC defensive back Carter Davis. “He has talented receivers around him. It’s a talented team overall.”
For Boston College, the defensive formula is pretty clear. The Eagles are 3-0 when they get to the quarterback for at least three sacks, and 1-4 when they finish with two or fewer.
They also lead the ACC with 11 interceptions, while Daniels has thrown the most picks in the conference. If BC can speed him up and force mistakes, that could swing the game.
There is one more personnel issue for the Eagles to manage. Center Michael Crounse will miss Saturday with a lower-body injury after returning to anchor the line in the win over Georgia Tech before getting hurt against Duke.
“He’s out of the boot already,” O’Brien said. “We’ll see for Notre Dame.”
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