Boston College’s first seven minutes against Pittsburgh were a mess. The rest of the afternoon was a rescue mission.
After surrendering 12 quick points - including a 75-yard touchdown on the Panthers’ first snap, a blocked punt that became a safety and another Pitt drive that ended in a field goal - the Eagles steadied themselves and flipped the game into a 27-21 win Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
BC improved to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, already topping its 2025 win total. The Panthers dropped to 5-2 and 2-2 in the league.
Quarterback Mason McKenzie powered the comeback with a career-high 295 passing yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Eagles also leaned on a defense that never allowed Pitt to reach the end zone again after that opening strike and came away with three turnovers on a day when the Panthers piled up 392 total yards but kept settling for field goals.
“On the sideline, I kept telling everyone ‘We’re good, we’re good,’” said redshirt-junior safety Carter Davis. “It was like the first 30 seconds of the game.
Thirty seconds don’t define who we are. I’m proud of the team for (turning it around) because in the past, that’s a game most likely we get blown out.”
Pitt’s first start for true freshman Corey Dailey got off to a stunning beginning when he hit Cataurus Hicks for a 75-yard touchdown just 18 seconds in. Hicks finished with five catches for 135 yards. Then came the blocked punt and the safety, followed by a Panthers march that reached the red zone but ended with Antonio Chadha’s field goal for a 12-0 lead just 7:02 into the game.
Boston College answered with its own statement drive. The Eagles went 75 yards in 14 plays and got on the board with Bo MacCormack’s 1-yard touchdown run late in the opening quarter to make it 12-7. That sequence mattered because Pitt never cashed in fully in the red zone after that, going 0-for-3 on touchdown tries and settling for Chadha field goals again despite strong rushing work from Damon Ferguson, who ran for 119 yards.
“I think (red zone defense) was a big part of the game, a huge part of the game,” O’Brien said. “It was definitely bend but don’t break, which we’re not really like that, (defensive coordinator) Ted (Roof) is a very attacking defensive coordinator.
But that was just the way it worked out, and then when they got closer, we were able to hold them to field goals. It was huge.”
That defense was led by Davis, who finished with 11 tackles and a forced fumble, along with senior KP Price, who had 10 tackles and an interception, and redshirt sophomore linebacker Anthony Palano, who posted eight tackles and a split sack. Redshirt sophomore Charlie Comella added another interception, and redshirt sophomore Demetrius Ballard had five tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Boston College held Pitt to 2-of-10 on third down.
The offense had its rough edges too, but McKenzie kept coming back. He threw an interception in the Pitt red zone after the Eagles’ first touchdown drive, yet later found Javarius Green for an 11-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half to give BC a 14-12 halftime edge.
Then came the deep shots that changed the tone of the game. McKenzie opened the third quarter by hitting Landon Wright for 69 yards, pushing BC ahead 21-12. After Pitt fought back to 21-18 late in the period, McKenzie absorbed a heavy hit while letting go of a 53-yard pass to Wright that set the Eagles up at the 1.
Evan Dickens, who finished with 58 rushing yards and a touchdown, was nearly stopped at the goal line on the next play, but McKenzie drove through him and pushed him across for the score that made it 27-18.
“He’s one of the toughest players I’ve coached,” O’Brien said of McKenzie. “That’s saying a lot because I’ve coached a lot of tough players.
He’s competitive, he has a tremendous will to win, he’s the same guy every day. … He really wants to be a part of a winning culture here and he’s going to do whatever it takes.
“I wouldn’t want any other quarterback. He does an unbelievable job for us.”
Wright was the biggest beneficiary of the downfield game plan, while Johnathan Montague Jr. added three catches for 54 yards and Green finished with five grabs for 60 yards. Wright said his speed was the difference.
“Just seeing one deep guy, I know I’m faster … I just have so much confidence in myself that I’ll make the play,” Wright said. “I’m just (using) my God-given ability to run it.
… I’m just (feeling) blessed. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity.
I knew when I got this opportunity, I was going to take it.”
“(Wright) is an explosive player,” O’Brien added. “We’ve been trying to do that with him.
… He’s a great guy to coach. Awesome energy.”
Dickens left late in the game and was helped off without being able to put weight on his leg. Even so, Boston College still finished the job, converting on its final drive to run out the clock after the defense made one last stop with Pitt threatening to take the lead in the final two minutes.
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