The Tailgate: Duquesne

The most anticipated unveiling in recent memory at Alumni Stadium finally arrives on Saturday afternoon. A nearly seven-month build-up to game one of the Bill O'Brien era provides the introduction of a coach and team to the fanbase and student section ready to run through the stadium gates for kickoff in week two. The game also serves as the reintroduction of a coach familiar with what it means to play and coach in this region to a Boston sports landscape that has seen him on the sidelines of some of the biggest games played in New England in the last two decades. It all comes on the heels of BC opening the season with one of its biggest historical road wins in program history.

Boston College and Florida State traded very different drives ahead of the Eagles' first third down of their second offensive series. Both ended in punting situations for their respective special teams, but a dropped pass by Treshaun Ward felt very different from DJ Uiagalelei's three-and-out for the Seminoles. Now backed into a second third down conversion, quarterback Thomas Castellanos stood behind his offensive line with an opportunity to extend a drive beyond the standard first minute.

He took the snap and watched a pocket form around him ahead of a sidearm throw to receiver Jayden McGowan. The speedy, shifty receiver broke from his coverage at the first down marker as Fentrell Cypress covered the downfield route, and he now found the defensive back speeding towards him as he caught the five-yard pass to the sticks. FSU's defensive front four, meanwhile, attempted to rush Castellanos with its surge against BC's stout offensive line, but the BC quarterback remained pristine as he looked around the six-foot, three-inch frame of edge rusher Joshua Farmer.

Cypress eventually drove McGowan out of bounds after his forward progress on the catch ensured a first down, and Kye Robichaux took the next play eight yards before a forward fumble recovery moved BC into plus territory. Along the defensive line, the defeated and deflated energy compounded the woes from the Week Zero struggles against Georgia Tech, after which BC's offensive line punctuated the emotion with a dominant performance to completely eliminate and neutralize any athleticism or strength at the point of attack.

The gates were opening for a big BC day, and after the Eagles rolled to a 28-13 victory, the convoy entered its short week knowing that its bread-and-butter strength inauspiciously ensured a statement victory over the Seminoles.

"I think [the offensive line] communicated well," said head coach Bill O'Brien in his postgame remarks. "I think they knew the game plan very well, and they were very well prepared by [offensive line coach] Matt Applebaum and [offensive coordinator] WIll Lawing. The offensive staff did a really good job…and the players were able to carry out their execution, which was the key."

BC's historical success along the offensive line is steeped in several hallmark staples. It's long been known as "O-Line U" because of its ability to produce NFL-ready guards, tackles and centers, a tradition most recently felt by the graduating Christian Mahogany's matriculation to the Super Bowl-contending Detroit Lions. At least four players with significant starting experience returned to this year's BC team, but the scant details surrounding the overall scheme left the offensive line under a suspicious cloud relative to its unknown cohesion or chemistry.

Monday seemingly eradicated any of those fears after Castellanos operated with impunity, yet each individual player somehow still produced a highlight or performance worthy of a season-long standout. Left tackle Jude Bowry's return after missing time during training camp protected the blind side without any incident next to guard Dwayne Allick's ability to force block and pull from different angles, and Jack Conley added versatility to the right side of center Drew Kendall. Ozzy Trapilo held the right tackle edge to a quiet, nondescript night, and Kendall, handed options against the front four that didn't line up directly over his helmet, rotated through post-snap blocking assignments with ease and comfort.

"Every game has its own game plan," O'Brien emphasized during the week. "We try to put together a game plan based on what we believe is going to happen in any game. Some of that's playing percentages, but if you go into a game and something different happens, you have to be able to adjust. I think that's the key to any game. We practice different situations and things like that [because] we have to adapt to what we believe we're going to see. Our guys have to keep doing a good job of that."

Questions remain about BC's ability to evolve its scheme beyond last week's performance, but the high-level of production is clearly an expectation within its locker room. This week, Duquesne brings a defense that fell behind to Toledo by 25 points in the first half to face an offense that faced short rest after finding itself marooned in Florida for an extra night, but the abbreviated week paves a vision into how the team expects to deepen its mindset when the defending Northeast Conference champion arrives in Chestnut Hill for O'Brien's home opener.

Here's what to watch for when the Eagles return home to face the Dukes:

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Game Storylines (Godfather, Pt. II Edition)

Michael Corleone: I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies.

Championship subdivision programs face scholarship restrictions relative to their bowl division counterparts, but recent history and successful challenges from the former Division I-AA leveled the playing field among the top teams in their rankings. A top-ranked Montana State team already defeated New Mexico during Week Zero before the large bulk of programs scheduled their annual FCS games, but Duquesne, a team that scheduled two FBS games in its first two weeks, fell behind Toledo in the first half and couldn't quite get out of its own way in a 49-10 loss to the Rockets.

Pure numbers didn't really help the analysis. Toledo's passing attack produced 279 yards opposite a team that failed to reach 300 yards in its visit to the Glass Bowl, and the full, 284-yard output by Duquesne included two turnovers that led to a 14-point swing before the end of the first half. A Rocket touchdown to start the third quarter turned a 21-10 game into a 35-10 blowout, after which a permanent slant prevented the Dukes from crossing midfield save for one drive in the second half.

"We had to obviously watch the game that they played against Toledo," O'Brien said. "Our coaches got off the flight, got on the bus, and went back to work. That's football. That's the season. That's the love of the game. That's why you coach. It'll be a grind all week."

The two-for-one opportunity robbed Duquesne of a more manageable deficit at halftime, and the score-swing on Darrius Perrantes' interception with eight seconds remaining in the second quarter ultimately made an 11-point game unreachable. He had, though, found base levels of success against Toledo largely by utilizing receiver John Erby, and his ability to avoid contact and sacks prevented last year's No. 11 defense from reaching its 2.79 sacks per game average.

"They're a good team," defensive back Max Tucker said. "They like to throw the ball, so we have to get ready to play a lot of good coverage. We're going to prepare like we did last week, and we have to go play some good defense."

Vito Corleone: Do me this favor. I won't forget it. Ask your friends in the neighborhood about me. They'll tell you I know how to return a favor.

BC succeeded in getting five pass breakups against the Florida State offense on Monday night, but much of the ability to contain receivers stemmed from the Eagles' ability to pressure quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. The team that was one of the worst FBS teams at getting into the backfield in 2023 created three sacks and four tackles-for-loss by largely shoving through the Seminoles' front line. A rebirth of sorts occurred for ends Donovan Ezeiruaku and Neto Okpala, but the coverages sent players like defensive tackle George Rooks into fadebacks while Sione Hala shot gaps through the confusion.

"They key to our [pass coverage] is if we have guys who can play man-to-man and can tackle, tough guys who can communicate," O'Brien said. "You have to make a lot of communication, and we did a good job of that for most of the night. There were a couple of plays that we didn't communicate well that we kind of got lucky on, so we have to get better. I'm just happy with those guys, and I like the way they played."

The fact that pass breakups nearly equaled the number of backfield takedowns wasn't an accident given BC's success against the FSU offense, but the overall question now becomes about how the Eagles deepen the scheme as they prepare for a longer haul. Their ability to cover or generate pressure needs to change on a weekly basis, and Duquesne's pass-success mentality is very obviously a challenge.

Perrantes, on the other hand, won a statistical championship last season when he finished the season with the most yards per completion among quarterbacks at either the FBS or FCS level. He was more than two yards better than the next-closest competitor from either subdivision and finished the year as one of the FCS leaders in both touchdown passes and yards per attempt.

Hyman Roth: Michael, We're bigger than U.S. Steel.

BC's win over Florida State vaulted the Eagles straight into the national college football conversation because of its primetime slot on Monday night. Labor Day Weekend and the last absence of the NFL likewise left a void for the national football conversation until Tuesday morning, and the three-day gap from Saturday's full-day slate meant old news that finally dissipated into the social media ether made BC the only show in town aside from Major League Baseball's playoff race.

Attention sprung from every corner of every media universe, and even contrarian radio hosts acknowledged BC's potential. That said, Boston and national media is notoriously fickle, and O'Brien understands how attention can shift on a dime if BC isn't careful to carry its water over the coming weeks.

"We need to fill the stadium for every single home game," O'Brien said. "That's what it's all about. College football is all about the spirit, the student body, the fans, the band - that really helps the players. They feed off that energy, so hopefully we can get a good crowd here on Saturday."

BC dropped the last two home games of its 2023 season and hasn't won a home game since beating UConn, 21-14, on October 28. The vast majority of the team's overall success last year came on the road with the wins over Army, Georgia Tech and Syracuse during the infamous "path," and even the 2022 win over nationally-ranked NC State was played along Tobacco Road.

That makes Saturday the most hotly anticipated homecoming since the sell-out crowd watched BC score an overtime victory over Missouri on September 25, 2021. It's definitely the most-desired FCS game since Mark Herzlich returned to BC's lineup against Weber State at the start of the 2010 season.

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Question Box

How will the yellow Superfan shirts look in the midday sun?

I don't remember when BC went away from the yellow Superfan shirts, but their imminent return conjures memories of the gold wave stretching from the end zone through the corner of the student section in Alumni Stadium. Playing in front of that packed sideline is a huge lift for the home side and forces an opponent into the cramped field with the sea of yellow backdrop is a threat that once overtook UMass' home field advantage in a Gillette Stadium end zone.

What's this week's Game of the Week?

No. 3 Texas heads to No. 10 Michigan to play the defending national champions in a clear headlining event, but the noon start ensures the rest of college football has an opportunity to set itself abuzz with marquee matchups across its daily slate.

No. 16 Oklahoma State, for example, hosts Arkansas in a second noon start, and No. 23 Georgia Tech heads to Syracuse as the first of three games on the ACC Network. A Charlotte-based game between No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 NC State is in a more national position with the 7:30 p.m. start on ABC, and No. 15 Oklahoma hosts Houston in an underrated game based in the old Big 8 and SWC conferences for us old-timers.

Those of us on the late side have the opportunity to watch Mississippi State play Arizona State at 10:30 p.m., while Oregon State begins its swing through the Mountain West Conference with a matchup at San Diego State.

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Meteorology 101

I was a little too excited to grab my sweatpants and hoodies out of the attic after overnight temperatures dipped under 50 degrees earlier this week. It was an incredible experience to throw a sweatshirt unironically on my body after watching BC play its first game in the 90 degree humidity of the Florida Panhandle, and I'm beyond elated to kick off September with a few nights of tremendous sleeping weather.

Saturday won't quite feature apple picking weather, but fans heading to Alumni Stadium for the first home game know how to dress for mid-70s and the occasional early evening dip into cooler temperatures. It's sweatshirt and shorts weather for those of us who lather sunscreen during the day and let the cool air temper our sweaty brows as the sun goes down.

Chestnut Hill isn't quite going to hit the 60-degree mark before the game ends, but anyone heading out for dinner or a postgame meet-up should ready themselves for a breezy evening full of New England goodness.

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BC-Duquesne X Factor

Complacency, or the lack thereof

Duquesne is a phenomenal program that rebuilt a winning tradition after the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference folded its football conference into the Northeast Conference in 2008. Head coach Jerry Schmitt is approaching 150 career wins after leading the Dukes to their sixth outright league championship last year, and though the team hasn't recorded a win in the FCS postseason tournament, it holds a 2021 win over an FBS-level Ohio program.

Complacency can't sneak into the equation for BC after the shortened week grew even shorter due to travel woes returning home from Tallahassee. It's totally reasonable to expect a win over an FCS opponent that lost to a transitional Stonehill team before being blown out by Youngstown State in the postseason, but that doesn't mean the workload becomes any less required in the three days between FSU and Duquesne.

Five power conference teams hold losses to FCS teams in the post-Covid era, and BC nearly joined them last season after requiring a last-minute stop to defeat Holy Cross in a game delayed nearly two hours by a lightning storm over New England. All of those teams were, in a word, powers at the FCS level, but hubris in football is often punished before it's ever rewarded with a dominating victory.

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Dan's Non-Football Observation of the Week

I executed one of the biggest mistakes of my married life when I attempted to convince my wife to buy frozen meatballs.

My wife grew up in an old school Italian household where a frozen sauce is readily available in the freezer and everyone has their own way of whipping them together. The argument is that everyone has their own way of doing it, and that way is, naturally, the right way.

Anyways, that container of old sauce inevitably recycles into the new sauce with leftovers getting sent into the freezer for the next sauce, so the sauce itself has remnants dating back to an older sauce that's been neutralized by the amount of spice, garlic and pork that's available in the house. Multiple meats wind up in the new sauce, which in turn cook into the meatballs, which in turn points back to my wife, an amazing cook in her own right.

Mrs. Rubin makes the best meatballs in her family (pro tip: don't tell your mother-in-law. I made that mistake too), but my kids ate the last batch of meatballs before I had a chance to replenish our meat chest with the appropriate mix of ground veal, ground beef and ground pork. We also didn't have that old sauce available because an incident during a late-August Sunday dinner resulted in a burned tomato gravy getting the heave-ho into the trash. She was pretty mad about that to the degree that my "hey it happens" comment didn't really help patch anything over.

Into this void stepped a man with no plan for dinner. My older daughter had hand surgery on Tuesday and specifically requested meatballs and pasta for her first approved dinner after being anesthetized, but we didn't have sauce or meatballs readily available. I also didn't have canned tomato sauce, pork chops or ground meat anywhere in my house, so at about noon, I called my wife, who was at the supermarket, with a fateful request:

"Hey, can you get a jar of spaghetti sauce and a bag of frozen meatballs so we can make that for dinner tonight?"

(Click).

We didn't speak for three hours.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

Make sure everybody in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes.

It's hard to win football games in the current college climate, so BC can't go into this game expecting to pad its stats or candidacy for some top-25 ranking that doesn't exist. Simply put, the Eagles have to win, but handling their business for a second straight game is a fair expectation at a time when optimism is soaring. The sense that swagger is returning to Chestnut Hill is a very real rising tide that can lift any boat, but the players still have to row in unison to avoid any threat of a capsized afternoon.

Boston College hosts Duquesne in its 2024 home opener on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Kick-off is slated for 3:30 p.m. with ESPN's ACC Network Extra holding the digital broadcast on its family of Internet and mobile device apps. Play-by-duties will be handled by former BC personality and current voice of the New Jersey Devils Bill Spaulding with ESPNU Recruiting Coordinator and longtime analyst Craig Haubert handling color commentary duties.

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Players Mentioned

Dwayne Allick

Jude Bowry

Jack Conley

Donovan Ezeiruaku

Sione Hala

Drew Kendall

Christian Mahogany

Jayden McGowan

Neto Okpala

Kye Robichaux

George Rooks

Ozzy Trapilo

Max Tucker

Treshaun Ward