Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Anthony Garro
Non-Linear Growth Ready For Broadway Breakout
December 24, 2024 | Football, #ForBoston Files
The Eagles are heading to NYC with an unorthodox flexibility to an evolving offense.
Last year's Fenway Bowl victory marked the successful end to an upturn in Boston College football's recent history. The five-game winning streak and "Path" storyline were in the rearview mirror of a team that started the season with modest expectations before excelling through the middle month of the season, and the win over nationally-ranked Southern Methodist sent expectations flying through the offseason roof at a time when college football prepared to shift into a new playoff era designed to highlight conference championships.
None of the images foreshadowed the transformation that rocked BC to its core over the next month. The loss of its head coach to the NFL's Green Bay Packers opened the door to an uncertainty that lingered through the spring and summer, and remaining questions about the team's future weren't readily answered by even the most optimistic start to the 2024 regular season. The midseason floundering of an early season stronghold left many to wonder if BC could recapture its magic, but the season-ending victories left the Eagles in position to clinch an eight-win season as the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl looms over this week's Christmas holiday.
BC is entering its bowl game with heightened expectations, but the Eagles are more than a rebooted version of last year's Fenway Bowl champion because the new era and new coaching staff immersed and blended itself with an intertwined history lesson. Thanks in no small part to head coach Bill O'Brien, the Pinstripe Bowl appearance is an opportunity to showcase a new culture that built new tenets onto old axiom tentpoles.
"This team responded great to Coach O'Brien," said defensive back KP Price, "and him being here is a great thing for us. We all just bought into what he was preaching and what he was saying. We all wanted to win. We all wanted the culture around here to change by [saying] we'd keep the culture the same with more winning. That's what Coach O'Brien brought: a mentality, a winning mentality and a physical toughness mentality that we all bought into."
O'Brien's impact extended beyond the simple analytics associated with the team's overall statistical rankings. Indeed, a first glance at the on-field measuring stick comparison between the Eagles and their postseason opponent from Nebraska revealed a stark contrast in production on both sides of the ball, but the situational differences separated BC from simple overlays or any one individual statistic.
The passing offense, for example, ranks No. 105 in the nation after averaging under 200 yards per game and enters New York City at a significant disadvantage against a Nebraska team with quarterback Dylan Raiola. The pure numbers failed to favor either Thomas Castellanos or Grayson James in an offense that didn't break 300 yards passing against any one opponent, but the combined balance opposite a rushing attack that more frequently landed more than 150 yards on its more successful outings indicated the path forward for when the deep ball or an intermediate route tore apart a defensive unit.
"The more reps you get, the more consistent you become in your play on the field," explained offensive coordinator Will Lawing during his pre-bowl media appearance. "[James] certainly made strides in all aspects, and we'd like to continue to see that. As far as what's clicking, guys are making plays and are stepping up in whatever position it may be. Whether it's a receiver or tight end or offensive lineman doing some good things for us, it's a matter of everyone doing their job. I don't want to say that it clicked more than it did before, [but] some guys made some plays. We've had some explosive plays that helped us score some points."
Understanding O'Brien's role in that area is exactly why BC is on an upward trajectory as the bowl's game day draws nearer. The Eagles were most lethal when attacking defenses with long and sustained drives, and more than half of their touchdowns used seven or more plays against an opposing defense. Eleven drives lasted five minutes or longer with another eight four-plus minute drives tearing through defensive fronts, but the larger bulk of longer drives occurred during the later stages of games.
Two touchdown drives against Pittsburgh, for example, required eight plays and chewed a full-third of quarter time away from second half periods against the Panthers, and the previous game against North Carolina featured a 13-play drive that nearly touched seven minutes in the first quarter before a nine-play, 64-yard drive found the end zone over 5:48. Like both of those games, all four touchdown drives against SMU required at least eight plays, and the near-upset removed the Mustang offense from scoring frequently against a BC unit with drives lasting 5:53, 4:50, 4:10, and 5:59.
"I've learned a ton of football from Coach O'Brien," said Lawing, "and it's in all areas, not just offense. I was on the defensive staff for four years before I was on offense, but the main reason why I like working with and for Coach O'Brien is because he believes in the same things that I believe in. My dad was a football coach, and growing up [taught me] about physicality, discipline, toughness and all those things - hard coaching and tough love. The ones that coached me like that, I appreciated the most, and that's the kind of coach that Coach O'Brien is. He believes what I believe in, and that's the driving force why I've enjoyed coaching for him as long as I have."
BC's offense no longer resembles the unit that ended last season under Hafley or began this season under O'Brien, but the non-linear transition required difficult decision-making at several junctures during the off-season and regular season schedule. The most obvious move changed the quarterback after the Syracuse game, but the Eagles retained the ideals fomented by staff members who remained in the coaching room after Hafley's departure. The overall scheme changed and altered with newer minds, but the newer takes allowed BC to flourish on an accelerated timeline that didn't begin in the same place where it ended.
"I was the new coach on offense," admitted Lawing. "A lot of the other guys were on staff before [me], so there were things that they were doing that I wanted to learn. We're always learning the offense that we've been a part of, and every year I've been around Coach O'Brien evolved, whether it was at the Patriots to Penn State and then Houston [with the Texans] and to Alabama and then back to the Patriots, it's ever-evolving."
To that end, O'Brien and the staff understand how the offense can't resemble any one individual game. What worked in last year's game against SMU might not have worked for this year's game, and some of what worked could be repeated against the Mustangs. What might have worked against one opponent won't work against another, but there are similarities in performances and ideals that carry over from game-to-game. The situational awareness and individualized mechanisms are what drove those individual games, and O'Brien's granular approach that once seemed like a new concept is now ingrained and augmented to the gritty and synthesized system preceding it. As it evolves, so too will BC, and for the coaches and players, that's exactly what's represented by a game against the Cornhuskers.
"There's a confidence that's been instilled in everybody," said wide receiver Lewis Bond. "Individually and as a team, he picks us up. He tells us what we can do well and what we need to improve on. For me personally, when I hear him talk about how I have a chance to play at the next level, it motivates me, and it makes me play my best game and play the best that I can at all times.
BC and Nebraska kick off the 2024 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 28, from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The game is set for a 12 p.m. start on national television on ABC with streaming coverage available through the ESPN family of Internet and mobile device apps. Due to the Patriots' game being flexed to Saturday night, fans in the Boston area can watch the game on MyTV 38 or on WMUR Channel 9 out of New Hampshire.
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None of the images foreshadowed the transformation that rocked BC to its core over the next month. The loss of its head coach to the NFL's Green Bay Packers opened the door to an uncertainty that lingered through the spring and summer, and remaining questions about the team's future weren't readily answered by even the most optimistic start to the 2024 regular season. The midseason floundering of an early season stronghold left many to wonder if BC could recapture its magic, but the season-ending victories left the Eagles in position to clinch an eight-win season as the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl looms over this week's Christmas holiday.
BC is entering its bowl game with heightened expectations, but the Eagles are more than a rebooted version of last year's Fenway Bowl champion because the new era and new coaching staff immersed and blended itself with an intertwined history lesson. Thanks in no small part to head coach Bill O'Brien, the Pinstripe Bowl appearance is an opportunity to showcase a new culture that built new tenets onto old axiom tentpoles.
"This team responded great to Coach O'Brien," said defensive back KP Price, "and him being here is a great thing for us. We all just bought into what he was preaching and what he was saying. We all wanted to win. We all wanted the culture around here to change by [saying] we'd keep the culture the same with more winning. That's what Coach O'Brien brought: a mentality, a winning mentality and a physical toughness mentality that we all bought into."
O'Brien's impact extended beyond the simple analytics associated with the team's overall statistical rankings. Indeed, a first glance at the on-field measuring stick comparison between the Eagles and their postseason opponent from Nebraska revealed a stark contrast in production on both sides of the ball, but the situational differences separated BC from simple overlays or any one individual statistic.
The passing offense, for example, ranks No. 105 in the nation after averaging under 200 yards per game and enters New York City at a significant disadvantage against a Nebraska team with quarterback Dylan Raiola. The pure numbers failed to favor either Thomas Castellanos or Grayson James in an offense that didn't break 300 yards passing against any one opponent, but the combined balance opposite a rushing attack that more frequently landed more than 150 yards on its more successful outings indicated the path forward for when the deep ball or an intermediate route tore apart a defensive unit.
"The more reps you get, the more consistent you become in your play on the field," explained offensive coordinator Will Lawing during his pre-bowl media appearance. "[James] certainly made strides in all aspects, and we'd like to continue to see that. As far as what's clicking, guys are making plays and are stepping up in whatever position it may be. Whether it's a receiver or tight end or offensive lineman doing some good things for us, it's a matter of everyone doing their job. I don't want to say that it clicked more than it did before, [but] some guys made some plays. We've had some explosive plays that helped us score some points."
Understanding O'Brien's role in that area is exactly why BC is on an upward trajectory as the bowl's game day draws nearer. The Eagles were most lethal when attacking defenses with long and sustained drives, and more than half of their touchdowns used seven or more plays against an opposing defense. Eleven drives lasted five minutes or longer with another eight four-plus minute drives tearing through defensive fronts, but the larger bulk of longer drives occurred during the later stages of games.
Two touchdown drives against Pittsburgh, for example, required eight plays and chewed a full-third of quarter time away from second half periods against the Panthers, and the previous game against North Carolina featured a 13-play drive that nearly touched seven minutes in the first quarter before a nine-play, 64-yard drive found the end zone over 5:48. Like both of those games, all four touchdown drives against SMU required at least eight plays, and the near-upset removed the Mustang offense from scoring frequently against a BC unit with drives lasting 5:53, 4:50, 4:10, and 5:59.
"I've learned a ton of football from Coach O'Brien," said Lawing, "and it's in all areas, not just offense. I was on the defensive staff for four years before I was on offense, but the main reason why I like working with and for Coach O'Brien is because he believes in the same things that I believe in. My dad was a football coach, and growing up [taught me] about physicality, discipline, toughness and all those things - hard coaching and tough love. The ones that coached me like that, I appreciated the most, and that's the kind of coach that Coach O'Brien is. He believes what I believe in, and that's the driving force why I've enjoyed coaching for him as long as I have."
BC's offense no longer resembles the unit that ended last season under Hafley or began this season under O'Brien, but the non-linear transition required difficult decision-making at several junctures during the off-season and regular season schedule. The most obvious move changed the quarterback after the Syracuse game, but the Eagles retained the ideals fomented by staff members who remained in the coaching room after Hafley's departure. The overall scheme changed and altered with newer minds, but the newer takes allowed BC to flourish on an accelerated timeline that didn't begin in the same place where it ended.
"I was the new coach on offense," admitted Lawing. "A lot of the other guys were on staff before [me], so there were things that they were doing that I wanted to learn. We're always learning the offense that we've been a part of, and every year I've been around Coach O'Brien evolved, whether it was at the Patriots to Penn State and then Houston [with the Texans] and to Alabama and then back to the Patriots, it's ever-evolving."
To that end, O'Brien and the staff understand how the offense can't resemble any one individual game. What worked in last year's game against SMU might not have worked for this year's game, and some of what worked could be repeated against the Mustangs. What might have worked against one opponent won't work against another, but there are similarities in performances and ideals that carry over from game-to-game. The situational awareness and individualized mechanisms are what drove those individual games, and O'Brien's granular approach that once seemed like a new concept is now ingrained and augmented to the gritty and synthesized system preceding it. As it evolves, so too will BC, and for the coaches and players, that's exactly what's represented by a game against the Cornhuskers.
"There's a confidence that's been instilled in everybody," said wide receiver Lewis Bond. "Individually and as a team, he picks us up. He tells us what we can do well and what we need to improve on. For me personally, when I hear him talk about how I have a chance to play at the next level, it motivates me, and it makes me play my best game and play the best that I can at all times.
BC and Nebraska kick off the 2024 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 28, from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The game is set for a 12 p.m. start on national television on ABC with streaming coverage available through the ESPN family of Internet and mobile device apps. Due to the Patriots' game being flexed to Saturday night, fans in the Boston area can watch the game on MyTV 38 or on WMUR Channel 9 out of New Hampshire.
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