Boston College spent much of Saturday’s afternoon at Alumni Stadium digging out of a hole, then showed the kind of response that can flip a game in a hurry.
After Pittsburgh opened with a 75-yard touchdown on its first snap and pushed the Eagles into a 12-0 deficit before BC had even registered a first down, the home team steadied itself, found its rhythm and clawed back for a 27-21 victory - its first ACC win of the season.
The turnaround came after a rough opening stretch that threatened to undo everything BC had built during the bye week, especially with the program still absorbing the unexpected departure of general manager Kenyatta Watson three days earlier. Instead of folding, the Eagles answered with 21 straight points, then made the plays they needed late to close it out.
“I’m proud of the team for what happened right there,” said BC defensive back Carter Davis. “In the past, that’s a game that most likely we’d get blown out.
I’m going to be honest with you. I’m proud of how we fought.
We handled our business and came out on top.”
Davis was everywhere for Boston College, finishing with a team-high 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He was one of several Eagles who changed the game after the early setback.
Quarterback Mason McKenzie was sharp when BC needed him most, going 17 of 28 for 295 yards. He connected with Javarius Green on an 11-yard touchdown and later hit Landon Wright on a 69-yard scoring strike. Bo MacCormack III and Evan Dickens each added 1-yard touchdown runs as the Eagles’ offense settled in and kept layering on pressure.
Pittsburgh, which came in at 5-2 and 2-2 in the ACC, was without injured star quarterback Mason Heintschel but still came out flying. Freshman Corey Dailey needed just one play to set the tone, finding Cataurus Hicks for a 75-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 14:42 left in the first quarter.
BC’s situation worsened on its first offensive series, when a blocked punt led to a safety. Antonio Chadha then added a 28-yard field goal after an 11-play, 55-yard drive, and the Panthers were suddenly up 12-0 with 7:58 to go in the opening quarter.
“These guys did a really good job of being resilient,” said BC coach Bill O’Brien. “It didn’t start very well at all, right?
The first play was a touchdown. Then the blocked punt and safety.
These guys are tough. They’re resilient.
They hung in there.”
The Eagles finally broke through when MacCormack finished a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown before the quarter ended. From there, the momentum started to swing.
McKenzie was intercepted on one possession, but KP Price answered with a pick of his own, giving BC the chance to seize control before halftime. The Eagles took it, with Green hauling in an 11-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds left in the second quarter to send BC into the break ahead 14-12.
“KP could have left,” O’Brien said. “He stayed.
KP could have gone to the NFL or gone to another school. He’s a real BC guy.
He stayed loyal to this place. We owe a lot to KP.”
Boston College then opened the third quarter with a jolt, as McKenzie found Wright for a 69-yard touchdown just 46 seconds after halftime to make it 21-12. Wright’s speed was a major factor all day.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity,” Wright said. “I knew when I got this opportunity, I was going to take it.”
Pittsburgh stayed within reach thanks to Chadha, who knocked through field goals of 29 and 42 yards in the third quarter to trim the BC lead to 21-18 after three periods. But the Eagles answered again when McKenzie connected with Wright on a 53-yard pass to set up Dickens’s 1-yard touchdown run. That score made it 27-18 with 13:02 left.
Chadha added his fourth field goal, a 38-yarder, to bring the Panthers within a touchdown with 8:08 remaining. Pittsburgh got one final opening when McKenzie threw his second interception with 2:12 to go, but Charlie Comella shut the door with a pick of Dailey 1:34 left.
Comella, a Wellesley native and Xaverian product, has become one of BC’s most reliable players.
“He’s kind of a do-everything type of player, and on top of it, he’s a Boston guy,” O’Brien said. “He comes from a great family. Love Charlie.”
Boston College then bled the clock and walked off with its best win so far, improving to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The Eagles now turn to Georgia Tech with a chance to get above .500.
“We know what we can do,” Wright said. “We’re just trying to put our best foot out there and show that we can do it.”
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For a team that had been searching for something to feel good about in league play, Saturdays 27-21 win over Pittsburgh finally gave Boston College that kind of ACC result. The Eagles put together one of their sharper offensive outings of the season, with Mason McKenzie guiding the attack and a pair of receivers giving the passing game real juice against a Pittsburgh defense that had to chase the game for much of the afternoon.
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Mason McKenzie, Bo MacCormack and Landon Wright were part of the response as Boston College kept chipping back into the game and eventually took control, even after some frustrating moments near the goal line. The defense also delivered the kind of timely takeaways that turn an ugly conference game into a needed win, and the result gives BC a little momentum heading into whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]