Boston College comes back to Alumni Stadium on Saturday looking to steady itself against a Pitt team that has already stacked up five wins and opened ACC play at 2-1. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET in Chestnut Hill, with the game airing on ESPN2 and radio coverage on WEEI 93.7 FM.
The Eagles enter at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference, but there are a few numbers that show this group has been making some noise on defense. Boston College has forced eight turnovers through five games - six interceptions and two fumble recoveries - good for fourth in the ACC. The secondary has also been difficult to crack, giving up 164.6 passing yards per game, which ranks second in the league and inside the national top 20.
That defensive edge showed up again in the last game at SMU, where Boston College held the Mustangs to 218 total yards. SMU had been averaging 479 yards per game across its previous four contests this season, so that was a major drop-off from what it had been putting on film.
The Eagles also flashed some playmaking pressure there, with Demetrius Ballard recording his third sack of the 2026 sea with a nine-yard loss in the third quarter and Kemori Dixon notching his second career sack on a 14-yard loss in the second quarter. Dixon’s first sack came last season against Georgia Tech on November 15, 2025.
Individually, Boston College has gotten strong production from a few key defenders. Anthony Palano is tied for fifth in the ACC with 43 tackles and tied for sixth with two interceptions.
KP Price leads the conference with 25 solo tackles, while Charlie Comella has delivered a pair of career-best seven-tackle performances in back-to-back weeks against Virginia Tech and at SMU. His seven stops against SMU led the team.
There has been similar production on the offensive side from quarterback Mason McKenzie, whose legs have been a major part of Boston College’s attack. After five games, his 437 rushing yards are the most by any quarterback in the ACC and sixth-most in the league regardless of position.
He also ranks sixth in the conference in rushing yards per game at 87.4 and seventh in total offense at 280.4. Against SMU, McKenzie connected with Evan Dickens on a 43-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, giving Dickens his first receiving score of the season and McKenzie his fourth passing touchdown of 2026.
Boston College also got firsts from a couple of other pieces in that game. Tight end Danny Edgehille made his first career catch count, hauling in a six-yard touchdown from McKenzie in the fourth quarter. And Luca Lombardo matched his career long with a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter, doing it after previously drilling one from the same distance against California on September 27, 2025.
Saturday’s broadcast team on ESPN2 will feature Anish Shroff and Jay Walker, with Morgan Uber reporting from the sideline. On the radio side, coverage begins 30 minutes before kickoff, with Jon Meterparel handling play-by-play alongside former BC linebacker Pete Cronan and Scott Mutryn on the sideline.
In Other News...
Boston College Faces A Dangerous Pitt Test It Cannot Afford To Waste
Boston College comes out of its Week 6 bye with a tricky home assignment, welcoming Pittsburgh in the 33rd all-time meeting between the programs. It is the kind of game that can shape the feel of a season after a break, especially with the Eagles returning to action against a conference opponent that still has enough talent to make things uncomfortable even after a recent stumble.
Pitt is trying to regroup after a loss to North Carolina, and the Panthers will have to do it without a starter at the sports most important position. That shifts even more attention to the supporting cast on both sides of the ball, where players such as Cataurus Hicks, Carson Kent, Damon Ferguson Jr., Cruce Brookins, Braylan Lovelace and Jaeden Moore become the names Boston College has to account for as it tries to protect its home field. [Read more 🡒]
BC Has One Huge Recruiting Decision Still Hanging Over This Week
Boston College picked up a pair of fall exhibition wins over Hofstra, taking both games by the same 5-3 score, and the program also had a familiar face making noise far from Chestnut Hill. Former Eagle Sal Frelick was part of the Milwaukee Brewers' 7-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, another reminder of how much BC talent keeps showing up on bigger stages.
The more immediate attention for Eagles fans, though, is on the recruiting front, where basketball target Josiah Nance is nearing a decision. His announcement is expected on Oct. 14, and with BC still chasing a major addition for the future, the program has at least one important date circled as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Showed Off Something Fans Needed To See Early
Boston Colleges only home fall ball date of the season gave fans a useful early look at how this group can win games. In a doubleheader against Hofstra, the Eagles jumped out quickly in both contests and kept the tone firmly on their side, leaning on contributions throughout the lineup and on the mound to stay ahead when the Pride tried to make things interesting.
Ty Mainolfi, Luke Gallo and Danny Surowiec were among the names that stood out offensively, while Brady Miller, Brayden Ryan, Champ Davis, Matt Kouser and Kyle Kipp all helped handle the pitching side of the day. For a team still in the early stages of building its fall identity, the bigger takeaway was simple enough: Boston College showed it can score first, hold a lead and finish off a doubleheader with enough poise to leave a solid impression. [Read more 🡒]