Boston College’s backfield took a major hit last weekend, and now the Eagles are preparing to move on without Evan Dickens for the rest of the season.
Dickens suffered a knee injury in BC’s win over Pittsburgh and is expected to miss the remainder of the year, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The injury happened in the final 1:30, on a one-yard rush as the Eagles were trying to salt away the victory by moving the chains and then kneeling out the clock.
The scene was a rough one. Dickens was helped off by trainers after lying on his back for several minutes, then struggled into the blue medical tent without putting any weight on his right leg.
For Boston College, that’s a tough break. Dickens was not the team’s leading rusher through the first six games, but he had still piled up more than 400 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. His production came after a huge 2024 season at Liberty, where he ran for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns - numbers that ranked in the top five nationally and earned him Group of Five Second-Team All-American honors.
Before Liberty, the Marietta, Ga., native spent two seasons at Georgia Tech and totaled just 47 yards on 11 carries.
Dickens also gave BC a weapon in the passing game. In the Eagles’ Oct. 3 loss to SMU, he hauled in a 43-yard touchdown on a deep seam ball from Mason McKenzie, beating double coverage.
Now the Eagles have to sort through the depth chart. True sophomores Bo MacCormack III and Mekhi Dodd are next in line, while redshirt junior Nolan Ray is another option. Ray has only carried the ball four times this season and has been dealing with multiple injuries, according to head coach Bill O’Brien.
“[He] really had a significant turf toe injury that kept him out for a while, and then I think there was like an ankle or something,” O’Brien said Thursday morning. “So he's been banged up, but he's healthy and he's ready to go.”
MacCormack has 29 carries for 3.1 yards per attempt and one rushing touchdown this year. Dodd has 41 yards on five carries, averaging 8.2 yards per rush.
Asked how he plans to fill the void, O’Brien kept the answer broad.
“It could be a number of different guys back there,” O’Brien said of how he is planning to utilize the running back room with Dickens out.
In Other News...
Boston College Defense Faces Its Biggest Test Yet At Georgia Tech
Boston Colleges defense has come a long way since the rough edges of its season opener, and that turnaround has helped steady a team still looking to find its overall footing. Under first-year coordinator Ted Roof, the Eagles have become one of the ACCs more disruptive units, with KP Price and Anthony Palano helping drive a defense that has shown real life in the takeaway game and in limiting passing production.
The next challenge comes with Georgia Tech, where Boston College will be tested in a way that could tell us a lot about how real this defensive progress is. The Eagles have been good enough against the pass to keep games manageable, but the run defense still needs work, and the trip now comes with the added pressure of playing without Evan Dickens in the backfield. How Boston College handles that combination will go a long way toward showing whether the defense can carry the team through a tougher stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Faces A Bowl Push Test It Cant Afford To Flunk
Boston Colleges road trip to Georgia Tech comes at a moment when the margin for error is shrinking, and Bill OBrien is treating the Yellow Jackets like anything but a soft landing spot. The Eagles are trying to build on their recent conference win, but the matchup carries the usual ACC trap-game feel, especially with Georgia Tech showing enough talent on film to make its record a poor guide to what Boston College should expect.
A big part of that challenge starts on the perimeter and in the backfield, where Georgia Tech has playmakers who can stress a defense in different ways. Boston College will have to sort out a quarterback-driven attack while also handling a running game that may look different than it has in recent weeks, which makes the preparation tricky and the stakes obvious for a team chasing bowl eligibility. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Faces A Huge ACC Test It Desperately Needs To Pass
Boston College field hockey gets another steep ACC measuring stick this weekend as it returns home to face No. 16 California and Stanford. The Eagles are still carrying the sting of a loss to No. 10 North Carolina, a game in which senior goalkeeper Charlotte Kramer turned aside six shots to keep things competitive, and now the schedule brings two more ranked opponents to the doorstep.
The challenge only gets sharper because both visitors arrive with pieces that can stress Boston College in different ways. California brings one of the leagues most dangerous attacking options, while Stanford has leaned on strong work in goal, making this a weekend that will test the Eagles at both ends of the field and offer a clearer picture of where they stand in the ACC race. [Read more 🡒]