Boston College is trying to keep its early momentum rolling, and Saturday’s home date with Maine gives the Eagles a chance to stack wins while settling into the Bill O’Brien era.
The Eagles are back in Chestnut Hill, Mass., for the second stop in a three-game homestand after knocking off Rutgers 28-21 last Friday. That win came with real balance: Boston College forced four interceptions for the first time since 2023, added three sacks and got impact plays from quarterback Mason McKenzie, who hit a 78-yard touchdown pass and also scored on the ground.
O’Brien made clear the message afterward was about urgency, not celebration.
"It was a great job last Friday, but we only get 12 opportunities (to play)," O'Brien said. "Every game is vitally important to us. No game is more important than any other game."
One of the biggest defensive stories from that Rutgers win was Washington State transfer Anthony Palano, who earned Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors after snagging two fourth-quarter interceptions and finishing with nine tackles, including two for loss. Through three games, he’s the only player in the country with at least 22 tackles, two interceptions and a sack.
Palano’s production mattered even more because Boston College had already lost linebacker Bodie Kahoun to a serious injury. Kahoun was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital after a second-quarter tackle, though O’Brien said he has since returned to campus.
"He's progressing in the right direction," O'Brien said.
The Eagles may also get another piece back on offense. Sophomore running back Bo MacCormack, who sat out against Rutgers because of a shoulder issue, could be available again.
McKenzie has been central to the offense through two games, totaling 346 yards against Rutgers and ranking sixth in the ACC in total offense. He’s also been Boston College’s leading rusher while topping 220 passing yards in both games.
"He's a very competitive guy. He's very smart, very even-keeled.
He can run, and that's one of the reasons that we really liked him," O'Brien said. "He's done a great job for us."
Maine arrives in Chestnut Hill looking to steady itself after a rough stretch. The Black Bears are 1-2 and are coming off a 23-14 home loss to Merrimack last Saturday. Before that, they were hammered 55-3 at Appalachian State, giving them their second FBS game in three weeks.
Against Merrimack, Maine was held to 199 total yards and turned the ball over three times, including several missed chances deep in opposing territory.
Coach Jordan Stevens said he wants to see a cleaner showing from his team in this next FBS test.
"We expect to be better in a lot of ways," Maine coach Jordan Stevens said. "(BC) is another big challenge.
I want to see our guys perform better than we did (in our last FBS game). There's a lot to learn from that game that we can carry into this game and be better in that environment."
Quarterback Eddie Buehler has been working with a broad group of targets, completing passes to 10 different receivers against Appalachian State. He’s averaging 175.7 passing yards as a first-time starter this season.
Defensively, linebacker Sam Oppenheimer picked off his first career pass last week and is one of four CAA players averaging double-digit tackles per game.
In Other News...
Bill OBrien Pushes Back On Troubling Boston College Money Claim
Bill OBrien pushed back this week on a report from The Athletic that painted Boston Colleges football finances in a bleak light, disputing the idea that the Eagles are lagging behind the rest of the Power Four in roster spending. The BC coach said the program has received more support each year since he arrived, and he voiced confidence in new university president Father Jack Butlers willingness to back athletics as the Eagles try to keep pace in a changing college football landscape.
Even so, OBrien acknowledged that the program still faces familiar hurdles, including the absence of the kind of third-party NIL pipeline that many of BCs peers have built. He also pointed to turnover in key positions around the program, another reminder that the Eagles are still working through some structural issues even as the administration tries to show it is committed to football. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Faces An Early Test That Could Define This Team
Boston College field hockey left the weekend with a split that felt about right for where the group is right now: a 5-0 win over Maine to show its ceiling, then a 2-1 loss to No. 3 Harvard to show how thin the margin can be against elite competition. The Harvard game also gave freshman Ike Jakobsen her first collegiate goal, while senior goalie Charlotte Kramer helped keep the Eagles in it with nine saves.
Now the schedule turns sharper in a hurry, and it is exactly the kind of stretch that can tell a lot about this team. Boston College is about to open ACC play against No. 16 Louisville, then move on to face No. 20 Ohio State, a sequence that should reveal whether the Eagles can turn flashes from the weekend into something more lasting once the opponent quality stays high. [Read more 🡒]
Bill OBrien Pushes Back On A Costly BC Football Narrative
Bill OBrien pushed back this week on a report that portrayed Boston College football as the stingiest spender in the Power Four, arguing the reality around the Eagles roster investment is far different. The BC coach said the programs spending is likely in the $16 million to $20 million range, a level he framed as more in line with other ACC programs such as Wake Forest and Pittsburgh than with the low-end figure cited in the report.
OBrien also made clear that Boston College intends to keep sharing revenue with its athletes as the college sports landscape shifts again. Along with that, he voiced support for the Protect College Sports Act, the legislation aimed at putting a cap on roster spending and reining in excessive transfers, a stance that adds another layer to how BC wants to position itself in the sports next era. [Read more 🡒]