Boston College spent much of Saturday afternoon fighting the elements as much as Virginia Tech, and in the end the Eagles came up short in a 21-14 loss.
A nor’easter pushed into town, and the game was played in steady rain with gusting wind that made clean offense hard to find. The first half turned into a slog.
Neither team converted a third down until under a minute remained before halftime, and points were just as scarce. Both offenses leaned heavily on the run, quarterbacks missed routine throws, and anything downfield was mostly off the table.
For Boston College, the early answer simply wasn’t there. Mason McKenzie kept the ball safe, but the passing game never settled in and the ground game had nowhere to go.
Bo MacCormack and Evan Dickens combined for eight first-half carries and only five yards, while McKenzie’s legs were the one real source of production. Even with just 50 passing yards before halftime, he was the Eagles’ most effective weapon.
Penalties only made things worse, wiping out drives that were already going nowhere.
Still, BC reached halftime down just 3-0 and very much in striking distance.
The second half opened with a dangerous spot for the Eagles after a quick three-and-out and a Virginia Tech punt return that set the Hokies up inside the BC 10. But the defense held firm and forced a field goal.
Then McKenzie answered with the kind of play Boston College needed all afternoon. After taking a hard hit on a scramble and briefly leaving the game, he came back with a 45-yard burst and then punched in the next snap for a touchdown.
Virginia Tech had a chance to extend the lead later in the third quarter after recovering a fumble inside its own 30, but Boston College’s offense gave that possession right back by going backward and leaving empty-handed. The Eagles defense then came up with another key stop, with Onye Nwosisi knifing into the backfield to help stuff a fourth-and-three at the end of a Hokies drive.
BC’s offense found the end zone again by staying with McKenzie. He kept the chains moving, connected with Dawson Pough on a 20-yard pass, and then finished the series himself on an option from the 2-yard line for his second rushing touchdown of the day.
But Virginia Tech answered with a long, grinding drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown to Marlion Jackson, and the successful 2-point conversion tied the game at 14 with eight minutes left. The Hokies then seized the lead for good when Jeffrey Overton broke free untouched for a 76-yard touchdown. Boston College went three-and-out on the next possession, and Virginia Tech ran out the clock from there.
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 🡒]
Boston College Let A Winnable ACC Game Slip Away Late
Boston College had a chance to turn a tight ACC game into a needed road win, and for much of the night it looked like the Eagles might do just that. Mason McKenzie gave them a lift with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown, helping Boston College build an eight-point lead late as the defense put Virginia Tech in a tough spot.
The finish, though, belonged to the Hokies. Virginia Tech answered with a late surge to erase the gap, then found the decisive blow on a long touchdown run to complete the comeback and send Boston College home with a frustrating 21-14 loss, one shaped by missed chances, third-down trouble and penalties that kept the Eagles from closing it out. [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 🡒]