Boston College had Virginia Tech right where it wanted it late in the fourth quarter Saturday, but the Eagles couldn’t close the door.
BC built an eight-point cushion with 11 minutes left, only to watch the Hokies storm back for a 21-14 ACC win in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Virginia Tech improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Boston College dropped to 2-2 and 0-1 in the ACC.
The turning point came after BC’s defense had given the offense a chance to put the game away. Instead, the Eagles went three-and-out on their next possession, and Virginia Tech answered with a quick strike to tie it.
Ethan Grunkemeyer found Jackson for a 14-yard touchdown, and Jeffrey Overturn Jr. powered in the two-point conversion to make it 14-14. Overturn finished with 190 rushing yards and a score on 24 carries.
Boston College then gave the ball right back after coughing it up on the following drive. Virginia Tech needed just one play to make the Eagles pay, as Overturn ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run that slammed the door.
The game started as a defensive slog. BC opened by forcing a three-and-out, then marched from its own 43 to the Virginia Tech 28 before stalling on fourth-and-9. Rather than try a field goal, the Eagles went for it, and Mason McKenzie’s scramble came up seven yards short of the line to gain.
Neither team found the end zone for the rest of the first quarter or most of the second. The first points didn’t arrive until there were 16 seconds left before halftime, when John Love drilled a 45-yard field goal to put Virginia Tech ahead 3-0.
Even with that deficit, the numbers were tight at the break. The teams were even at 117 total yards apiece, and BC held a 16:32 to 13:28 edge in time of possession.
But the Eagles also had more penalties, more yards lost on those flags, and were shut out on third down, going 0-for-7. They were 1-for-2 on fourth down.
BC’s first drive of the second half didn’t give any hint of the burst that was coming. The Eagles went three-and-out, then watched Virginia Tech flip field position in a hurry. Bryce LaFollette’s punt was fielded by Que’Sean Brown, who darted through the coverage for a 50-yard return that set the Hokies up at the BC 10.
The defense limited the damage from there, forcing Virginia Tech to settle for another field goal and a 6-0 lead with 11:58 left in the third quarter.
Then McKenzie changed the game with his legs.
After completing just his seventh pass of the day for 19 yards to Javarius Green, and after back-to-back runs picked up 10 more, McKenzie broke free on 3rd-and-4 for a 45-yard scramble to the Virginia Tech 5. That run pushed him past 2,000 career rushing yards, and he scored on the next snap for his second rushing touchdown of the season. The extra point put BC in front 7-6 with 9:52 left in the quarter.
Boston College’s defense kept that lead intact with two huge stops. Max Tucker forced a fumble from Marcellous Hawkins Jr. on a long third down and recovered it at the Virginia Tech 22. The Eagles couldn’t capitalize and had to punt, but Tucker came through again moments later, stopping Brown one yard past the line on 4th-and-4 at the BC 34 to force another turnover on downs.
BC turned that into a touchdown drive in just nine plays. McKenzie finished it himself from two yards out after a 20-yard completion to Dawson Pough, and the Eagles pushed the lead to 14-6.
Virginia Tech wasn’t done, though. The Hokies pieced together an 11-play, 80-yard drive that got a lift from a defensive-holding call on 4th-and-2 at the BC 40, which moved the ball to the Eagles’ 30. Three plays later, Grunkemeyer dropped a pass into the back of the end zone to Jackson over Charlie Comella, and Overturn ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 with 8:05 remaining.
From there, Virginia Tech finished the job. Overturn’s 76-yard burst on the next drive sealed it and handed the Hokies the road win. McKenzie finished with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
In Other News...
Boston College Let Its ACC Opener Slip Away Late
Boston College had enough going on to feel good about for most of the afternoon at Alumni Stadium, especially with McKenzie giving the offense a steady push on the ground and KP Price setting the tone on defense. In an ACC opener that stayed tight throughout, the Eagles matched Virginia Tech score for score into the second half and had real chances to make their home field count.
But the game slipped away late when Virginia Tech found a way to finish in the final minutes, turning a tie into a road win and leaving Boston College to sort through another missed opportunity in conference play. For an Eagles team that showed it could compete, the frustration is in how close it came before the Hokies delivered the final blow. [Read more 🡒]
Bill OBrien Zeroed In On What Cost BC Late
Bill OBrien came away from Boston Colleges 21-14 loss to Virginia Tech with a familiar mix of frustration and perspective. The Eagles stayed in a game that was shaped by tough conditions and an opponent that made life difficult on third down, and OBrien said afterward that his team fought hard enough to keep the result from getting away early. He also noted the weather made the passing game a challenge, which only added to the grind of trying to move the ball and sustain drives.
Still, the late stretch left the BC coach focused on what the Eagles did not do well enough to close it out. OBrien said the defenses performance changed in the fourth quarter and pointed to issues that cost his team a chance to finish with an eight-point lead, a swing that loomed large in a one-score game. The message afterward was less about excuses than about urgency, with OBrien stressing that the next step is turning a competitive effort into a cleaner finish. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Let A Winnable Night Slip Away Late
Under a steady mix of rain and wind, Boston College spent much of the night in a slog that felt built for whichever team could stay patient and avoid the big mistake. The Eagles got enough from Mason McKenzie on the ground to put themselves in position, with his rushing giving them the sort of punch they needed in a game where offense was hard to come by for either side.
But a tight, winnable game still slipped away late, the kind of loss that lingers because it was there for the taking. Virginia Tech found the decisive score in the fourth quarter and then added a two-point conversion, leaving Boston College to look back on a frustrating finish after doing so much right in the kind of conditions that usually reward grit and control. [Read more 🡒]