Photo by: Joe Sullivan
The Replay: North Carolina
November 24, 2024 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Line up the pins, BC's going bowling.
Saturday's football weather was drawn up perfectly for an ultimate Boston College performance.
The New England region isn't known for drought conditions through the autumn months. The vast majority of dry conditions exist during the hot summer months and are more likely to arise when the sunshine blasts the shoreline with infernal heatwaves. Fall months more specifically average higher precipitation by nearly a full inch over July and August, and ebbing conditions into December allows for rain to transition to snow when cold darkness replaces the longer, hotter daylight hours.
Even as droughts increased in regularity over the past 20 years, fall remained resolute to enforce cold and raw conditions on heartier locals. Nothing touched 2024's extended dryness, and nothing certainly bred the higher intensity of the region's recent bout with brush fires. It simply didn't exist, so even the most exuberant native in Massachusetts had to admit that the cold rain's arrival on Thursday was, in a word, necessary.
The state simply needed to flood its fields with any type of moisture after conditions worsened. Yet it was rarely expected that the rain and wind was somehow further required for Boston College's football program to forge its identity. Two games remained when the soaking conditions arrived, and on Saturday, the diehard Massachusetts weather pushed the Eagles into bowl eligibility when a new era found its groove in a 41-21 win over North Carolina.
"I'm very proud of these players [and] this coaching staff," said head coach Bill O'Brien. "We have a long way to go, but from the moment we walked into the building, the players really bought into what we were talking about. It hasn't been perfect, don't get me wrong. We're 6-5, but these kids have really worked hard for us. So I'm very happy for them."
Finding a sixth win wasn't always guaranteed for a BC team that underwent a reinvention and renovation in the aftermath of its win over Syracuse. Replacing a quarterback arguably remained the biggest conversation piece even after Grayson James started last week's game at Southern Methodist, but every unit changed its approach over the past two weeks.Â
Injuries to key personnel forced O'Brien's hand in some ways, but overhauling the entire BC identity shifted the the Eagles specifically for Saturday's win over the Tar Heels. Nearly every facet tilted away from UNC, and the score would have been much, much worse for the team if it hadn't scored two touchdowns in the closing fourth quarter minutes. It was essentially a 41-7 game that added a couple of fantasy football-type week savers, a drubbing that sent the Eagles clear into the postseason with one week remaining.
"We got things going early," said James. "We played our brand of football, and we had a game plan going into [the game] that we were able to execute. It was good for us to get things rolling, and we were firing on all cylinders after that."
From a surface level, BC's performance outclassed North Carolina one week after the Tar Heels gashed through Wake Forest's run defense. The 250 yards from last week's win evaporated into 36 yards on the ground during a game in which the Eagles outgained their opponent by a clear 2:1 margin. Three different rushers scored for BC, and the 228 yards solely on the ground outgained the entire UNC offense by a 228-212 aggregate that helped further alleviate pressure on the passing game. James would finish with 192 yards on 18-of-27 passing attempts with a touchdown pass to Reed Harris, but the striking contrast between Kye Robichaux's 93 yards on 23 carries and Jordan McDonald's 52 yards on 10 carries drew a line directly to quarterback Jacolby Criswell's ability to barely clear 50 percent passing.
The two-time transfer finished with 176 yards but was one bad pass above the waterline at 16-for-30 passing. He threw three interceptions, but he also received little help from Omarion Hampton, who slipped to 53 yards on 11 carries after breaking 100 yards in eight of his previous nine games.
"This is the most fun I've had playing football in a while," admitted James. "It makes it a lot more fun when you can win. We're going bowling now, but we have another game at the end of the year. I know all of the guys are looking forward to that. Myself, personally, I've never been to a bowl game, so getting that opportunity is sweet."
Yet what BC accomplished ran significantly deeper than the epidermis atop the team's six-win season because getting to this point where a neutral site game and its spoils is a reality was one piece of a larger-sized puzzle. On so many fronts, the season appeared to level set itself at its heights and lows, but the drama involved extended beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
What began with Jeff Hafley's shock resignation to return to the National Football League as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers quickly skyrocketed into the excitement surrounding O'Brien's hire. The assembly of a coaching staff littered with holdovers and new names sent BC scurrying to learn a new system while attempting to rebase its past success while the question marks and unknowns lingered through spring practice and training camp.
Nobody knew what to expect from BC ahead of the 2024 season, and the needle moved all over the place after the Eagles beat Florida State to regain national footing as a ranked team before unraveling some progress with the first loss to Missouri. Wins looked more forced against better opponents like Western Kentucky before losses cratered October. A quarterback switch after a win signaled uncertainty that eventually landed on a bedrock foundation for the future.
Few seasons matched the overall drama associated with this particular year. One game remains along with an opportunity to break the all-encompassing seven-win glass ceiling. Pittsburgh is on the horizon, as is the bowl destination, and conversation and selections can now ramp into gear while attention remains focused on that last matchup in the 12-week series of single-game seasons.
"It's great to be bowl eligible," reinforced O'Brien. "There's no doubt about it. It gives you extra practices, which is very important for younger players on the team, but I do think it's important to note that we have another regular season game that's very, very important. It's an ACC game against a really good Pitt team that's well-coached. [Pat Narduzzi] is one of the best coaches in the country, so we've got to come back and get ready for that [even though] I am very proud of these guys to be bowl eligible."
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The New England region isn't known for drought conditions through the autumn months. The vast majority of dry conditions exist during the hot summer months and are more likely to arise when the sunshine blasts the shoreline with infernal heatwaves. Fall months more specifically average higher precipitation by nearly a full inch over July and August, and ebbing conditions into December allows for rain to transition to snow when cold darkness replaces the longer, hotter daylight hours.
Even as droughts increased in regularity over the past 20 years, fall remained resolute to enforce cold and raw conditions on heartier locals. Nothing touched 2024's extended dryness, and nothing certainly bred the higher intensity of the region's recent bout with brush fires. It simply didn't exist, so even the most exuberant native in Massachusetts had to admit that the cold rain's arrival on Thursday was, in a word, necessary.
The state simply needed to flood its fields with any type of moisture after conditions worsened. Yet it was rarely expected that the rain and wind was somehow further required for Boston College's football program to forge its identity. Two games remained when the soaking conditions arrived, and on Saturday, the diehard Massachusetts weather pushed the Eagles into bowl eligibility when a new era found its groove in a 41-21 win over North Carolina.
"I'm very proud of these players [and] this coaching staff," said head coach Bill O'Brien. "We have a long way to go, but from the moment we walked into the building, the players really bought into what we were talking about. It hasn't been perfect, don't get me wrong. We're 6-5, but these kids have really worked hard for us. So I'm very happy for them."
Finding a sixth win wasn't always guaranteed for a BC team that underwent a reinvention and renovation in the aftermath of its win over Syracuse. Replacing a quarterback arguably remained the biggest conversation piece even after Grayson James started last week's game at Southern Methodist, but every unit changed its approach over the past two weeks.Â
Injuries to key personnel forced O'Brien's hand in some ways, but overhauling the entire BC identity shifted the the Eagles specifically for Saturday's win over the Tar Heels. Nearly every facet tilted away from UNC, and the score would have been much, much worse for the team if it hadn't scored two touchdowns in the closing fourth quarter minutes. It was essentially a 41-7 game that added a couple of fantasy football-type week savers, a drubbing that sent the Eagles clear into the postseason with one week remaining.
"We got things going early," said James. "We played our brand of football, and we had a game plan going into [the game] that we were able to execute. It was good for us to get things rolling, and we were firing on all cylinders after that."
From a surface level, BC's performance outclassed North Carolina one week after the Tar Heels gashed through Wake Forest's run defense. The 250 yards from last week's win evaporated into 36 yards on the ground during a game in which the Eagles outgained their opponent by a clear 2:1 margin. Three different rushers scored for BC, and the 228 yards solely on the ground outgained the entire UNC offense by a 228-212 aggregate that helped further alleviate pressure on the passing game. James would finish with 192 yards on 18-of-27 passing attempts with a touchdown pass to Reed Harris, but the striking contrast between Kye Robichaux's 93 yards on 23 carries and Jordan McDonald's 52 yards on 10 carries drew a line directly to quarterback Jacolby Criswell's ability to barely clear 50 percent passing.
The two-time transfer finished with 176 yards but was one bad pass above the waterline at 16-for-30 passing. He threw three interceptions, but he also received little help from Omarion Hampton, who slipped to 53 yards on 11 carries after breaking 100 yards in eight of his previous nine games.
"This is the most fun I've had playing football in a while," admitted James. "It makes it a lot more fun when you can win. We're going bowling now, but we have another game at the end of the year. I know all of the guys are looking forward to that. Myself, personally, I've never been to a bowl game, so getting that opportunity is sweet."
Yet what BC accomplished ran significantly deeper than the epidermis atop the team's six-win season because getting to this point where a neutral site game and its spoils is a reality was one piece of a larger-sized puzzle. On so many fronts, the season appeared to level set itself at its heights and lows, but the drama involved extended beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
What began with Jeff Hafley's shock resignation to return to the National Football League as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers quickly skyrocketed into the excitement surrounding O'Brien's hire. The assembly of a coaching staff littered with holdovers and new names sent BC scurrying to learn a new system while attempting to rebase its past success while the question marks and unknowns lingered through spring practice and training camp.
Nobody knew what to expect from BC ahead of the 2024 season, and the needle moved all over the place after the Eagles beat Florida State to regain national footing as a ranked team before unraveling some progress with the first loss to Missouri. Wins looked more forced against better opponents like Western Kentucky before losses cratered October. A quarterback switch after a win signaled uncertainty that eventually landed on a bedrock foundation for the future.
Few seasons matched the overall drama associated with this particular year. One game remains along with an opportunity to break the all-encompassing seven-win glass ceiling. Pittsburgh is on the horizon, as is the bowl destination, and conversation and selections can now ramp into gear while attention remains focused on that last matchup in the 12-week series of single-game seasons.
"It's great to be bowl eligible," reinforced O'Brien. "There's no doubt about it. It gives you extra practices, which is very important for younger players on the team, but I do think it's important to note that we have another regular season game that's very, very important. It's an ACC game against a really good Pitt team that's well-coached. [Pat Narduzzi] is one of the best coaches in the country, so we've got to come back and get ready for that [even though] I am very proud of these guys to be bowl eligible."
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Players Mentioned
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/ FootballFrom the Desk of Blake James | Ep. 2
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Wednesday, September 17
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