Boston College is trying to get its roster right in more ways than one heading into Saturday’s trip to SMU.
Head coach Bill O’Brien said Tuesday that illness is moving through the locker room, and it already kept defensive lineman Demetrius Ballard out of the Eagles’ loss to Virginia Tech last weekend. Ballard is one of BC’s top pass rushers, and O’Brien didn’t sugarcoat what the team is dealing with.
“Ballard was sick,” O’Brien said. “He had a bad flu.
… I’ll just tell you what it is. We got guys sick right now.
We’re dealing with it going through the team, so we’re trying to deal with that right now.”
O’Brien said the situation brought back memories of his time with the Houston Texans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Yeah, it reminds me, to be completely honest with you, right now reminds me of when I was in Houston and Covid hit,” O’Brien said. “We got to do a good job of making sure our team’s healthy for Saturday.”
That Saturday matchup sends the Eagles to Dallas for a conference game against No. 21 SMU, and BC’s availability picture is still murky in a few key spots.
Tight end Brady Clough, who missed last week after being one of quarterback Mason Mckenzie’s most-targeted receivers in the first two games, could be back in the mix. Defensive end Kris Jones is less certain after re-aggravating an ankle injury against Virginia Tech.
“Jones still is dealing with the ankle,” O’Brien said. “[He] was good, you know, felt good going into the game and I think within the first couple series in the game he hurt it again, so that’s what it is.”
In all, the Eagles were down 12 players against the Hokies, not counting Jones, and five of those absences were players who had started at least one game this season. Getting some of that group back would be a big lift with SMU waiting on the road.
In Other News...
Boston College Heads To SMU With A Defensive Concern Growing
Boston College heads to No. 21 SMU on Saturday carrying a few familiar personnel questions, and the latest ACC availability report only sharpened the concern on defense. The Eagles are 2-2 as they prepare for the trip to Gerald J. Ford Stadium, but the list of unavailable players includes defensive back Cameron Martinez and defensive tackle Chris Marable Jr., leaving the group short on depth before it gets a major road test.
Linebacker Bodie Kahoun remains unavailable, continuing a stretch that has forced Boston College to adjust without one of its defensive pieces. The report also listed Torrence and Clough as questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty as the Eagles try to sort out who will be available against an SMU team ranked 21st and playing at home. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Has A Mason McKenzie Problem It Must Solve Fast
Four weeks into the season, Boston Colleges offense is still searching for answers, and Mason McKenzie has become one of the clearest signs of how much the Eagles are leaning on their quarterback to keep things moving. McKenzie ranks 12th nationally in rushing attempts and is second among quarterbacks with 74 carries, a workload that reflects both his ability to create with his legs and the pressure on BC to manufacture offense any way it can. Bill OBrien has already acknowledged the need for the unit to get better, and the numbers back up the concern: the Eagles have struggled to score, complete passes and pile up yards in ACC play.
The timing is tough, too, because Southern Methodist brings a very different kind of challenge. Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs have a passing game that can stress a defense quickly, which means Boston College may need its own offense to do more than simply survive drives and hope McKenzie can extend plays. For the Eagles, the immediate question is whether they can find a more balanced answer before the season slips further away. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Fans Get A Flutie Nostalgia Hit Before A Huge SMU Test
As Boston College heads into a major early test against SMU, there is at least a little nostalgia in the air for Eagles fans who remember when Doug Flutie was the standard for football celebrity in Chestnut Hill. Flutie Flakes are making a return to Tops Markets starting Oct. 4, a small but fitting reminder of one of the programs most recognizable alumni, with proceeds going to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
The timing lands in the middle of a wider college sports conversation, too, after the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, which would create a federal framework for NIL compensation and put guardrails around conference size. For BC, the bigger immediate focus is still SMU and what the Mustangs have shown through four games on both sides of the ball, which is why the old Flutie buzz feels like a nice backdrop rather than the main event. [Read more 🡒]