Boston College Athletics
The Replay: Rutgers
September 13, 2026 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Explosiveness created synergy in BC's first win of the season.
Facing 3rd-and-6 from his own 22-yard line, Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie escaped pressure and rolled to his right while keeping his eyes downfield. He looked into the secondary, and as he peered at wide receiver Dawson Pough, he saw, well, nothing else. Not a single Rutgers defensive back was anywhere near the play. No deep safety, no single man coverage, no linebacker marooned in zone coverage against a tertiary option…not even an official was near the sophomore wideout.Â
McKenzie could barely believe it, but he didn't allow himself time to ask questions before uncorking a rainbow pass towards Pough's general direction. The perfect pitch-and-catch, he noted, as Pough ran the remainder of a 78-yard touchdown that was the longest BC scoring play in 11 years.
In McKenzie's mind, it was the kind of play BC struggled to produce in its season-opening loss to Cincinnati. Three quarters into the Rutgers game, it jolted Alumni Stadium into delirium as part of a 28-21 win that likewise sent resurgence through the excitement surrounding an emotional night for the Eagles.
"This team believes that they can win," said head coach Bill O'Brien in his postgame remarks. "They were frustrated from last week. The coaching staff was frustrated. We had a good week [in practice]. It was a short week but a good week, so we were able to turn the page really fast…We knew Rutgers was going to come in and play tough after having lost their first game. And they did. Greg [Schiano] does a great job. I've known him for many, many years. He's a great football coach, and they came in and played really hard."
McKenzie's deep score to Pough bookended an earlier 53-yard pass to Landon Wright while capping a night that formally showcased his dual-threat capability. He accounted for two touchdowns after outsprinting the Rutgers defense to a pylon in the first half, and his 94 yards narrowly missed a 100-yard rushing game after averaging 7.2 yards over 13 carries. A passing attack that fell under scrutiny after struggling with protections and communication against the Bearcats jumped forward for 252 yards with three additional explosive or big plays, but the motion and movement away from the pocket later helped him run for six different carries of 10 yards or more.
"Coach O'Brien didn't want to run me a crazy amount," admitted McKenzie, "but there are times where I can make plays with my legs in the passing game as well. I think, in the passing game, there are things I can improve upon, but we'll get that right in the next coming weeks, and we're just excited to keep it going."
BC ultimately finished with 402 yards by averaging 6.6 yards per play because of the explosiveness between the 347 yards produced by its main offensive weapon. Like McKenzie, Evan Dickens ran a 19-yard touchdown for the first score of the game after the Eagles held Rutgers to a turnover on downs, and the Scarlet Knight offense spent much of its night under duress with confusing schemes and coverages designed to send quarterback AJ Surace into a poor decision-making process.
He'd eventually throw four interceptions, each of which ended extended drives lasting greater than five plays. His first quarter pick to Charlie Comella was especially egregious after Rutgers lost the football on the ill-timed four-and-out on the first drive, and its resulting short touchdown drive handed BC a 14-0 lead. Later in the game, a third quarter drive that elapsed 11 plays and 55 yards ended with a pick thrown to Carter Davis, and a later pick by Anthony Palano on a fourth down conversion attempt in BC's red zone all but ended the game by leading directly to the 78-yard touchdown pass.
"Coach Roof is a mastermind," said linebacker Anthony Palano. "I've been saying that since I got here. I believe in everything Coach Roof is about, and I don't take anything he says to me lightly. So when he gives us a game plan, no matter how complex or simple it might look, I believe in it and trust him. Then it comes down to us going out and executing."
Even with BC's own miscues, the game illustrated the inherent danger of allowing the Eagles to gain a rhythm between their units. Surace's three touchdowns, for example, included two scores to KJ Duff, who finished the game by going 8-for-12 on targets with 137 yards receiving, but the Scarlet Knights failed to score at critical intervals during the game. They posted their first touchdown after the Dickens fumble and immediately regained possession with their first interception, but they went four-and-out when Palano stuffed a tush-push modifier at the nine-yard line. Later on, the second Palano interception ended a drive that began when Rutgers picked McKenzie at midfield, after which the offense converted a 1st-and-25 situation for a game-ending stick movement.
"I think in the second half, we had to do a better job," said O'Brien. "We turned it over, and we were moving the ball on that one drive [before running back Evan Dickens fumbled]. We had a three-and-out, and we fumbled after a six-yard gain. Then we threw an interception. Then we had another. We have to clean all of that up.
"[But] you come in here on Sunday when everyone is in a good mood," he explained. "Everybody'll be fired up to watch the tape, and there's just nothing like it. Winning is winning. It's a big deal, and this program can win. It's won in the past, and while I know last year wasn't a great year record-wise, we were in a lot of close games…We have to understand that margin of error. We barely won that margin of error [against Rutgers], but that's why we won. If we can really understand how to take care of the ball to win that margin of error, we can win games, and we have to keep doing it."
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McKenzie could barely believe it, but he didn't allow himself time to ask questions before uncorking a rainbow pass towards Pough's general direction. The perfect pitch-and-catch, he noted, as Pough ran the remainder of a 78-yard touchdown that was the longest BC scoring play in 11 years.
In McKenzie's mind, it was the kind of play BC struggled to produce in its season-opening loss to Cincinnati. Three quarters into the Rutgers game, it jolted Alumni Stadium into delirium as part of a 28-21 win that likewise sent resurgence through the excitement surrounding an emotional night for the Eagles.
"This team believes that they can win," said head coach Bill O'Brien in his postgame remarks. "They were frustrated from last week. The coaching staff was frustrated. We had a good week [in practice]. It was a short week but a good week, so we were able to turn the page really fast…We knew Rutgers was going to come in and play tough after having lost their first game. And they did. Greg [Schiano] does a great job. I've known him for many, many years. He's a great football coach, and they came in and played really hard."
McKenzie's deep score to Pough bookended an earlier 53-yard pass to Landon Wright while capping a night that formally showcased his dual-threat capability. He accounted for two touchdowns after outsprinting the Rutgers defense to a pylon in the first half, and his 94 yards narrowly missed a 100-yard rushing game after averaging 7.2 yards over 13 carries. A passing attack that fell under scrutiny after struggling with protections and communication against the Bearcats jumped forward for 252 yards with three additional explosive or big plays, but the motion and movement away from the pocket later helped him run for six different carries of 10 yards or more.
"Coach O'Brien didn't want to run me a crazy amount," admitted McKenzie, "but there are times where I can make plays with my legs in the passing game as well. I think, in the passing game, there are things I can improve upon, but we'll get that right in the next coming weeks, and we're just excited to keep it going."
BC ultimately finished with 402 yards by averaging 6.6 yards per play because of the explosiveness between the 347 yards produced by its main offensive weapon. Like McKenzie, Evan Dickens ran a 19-yard touchdown for the first score of the game after the Eagles held Rutgers to a turnover on downs, and the Scarlet Knight offense spent much of its night under duress with confusing schemes and coverages designed to send quarterback AJ Surace into a poor decision-making process.
He'd eventually throw four interceptions, each of which ended extended drives lasting greater than five plays. His first quarter pick to Charlie Comella was especially egregious after Rutgers lost the football on the ill-timed four-and-out on the first drive, and its resulting short touchdown drive handed BC a 14-0 lead. Later in the game, a third quarter drive that elapsed 11 plays and 55 yards ended with a pick thrown to Carter Davis, and a later pick by Anthony Palano on a fourth down conversion attempt in BC's red zone all but ended the game by leading directly to the 78-yard touchdown pass.
"Coach Roof is a mastermind," said linebacker Anthony Palano. "I've been saying that since I got here. I believe in everything Coach Roof is about, and I don't take anything he says to me lightly. So when he gives us a game plan, no matter how complex or simple it might look, I believe in it and trust him. Then it comes down to us going out and executing."
Even with BC's own miscues, the game illustrated the inherent danger of allowing the Eagles to gain a rhythm between their units. Surace's three touchdowns, for example, included two scores to KJ Duff, who finished the game by going 8-for-12 on targets with 137 yards receiving, but the Scarlet Knights failed to score at critical intervals during the game. They posted their first touchdown after the Dickens fumble and immediately regained possession with their first interception, but they went four-and-out when Palano stuffed a tush-push modifier at the nine-yard line. Later on, the second Palano interception ended a drive that began when Rutgers picked McKenzie at midfield, after which the offense converted a 1st-and-25 situation for a game-ending stick movement.
"I think in the second half, we had to do a better job," said O'Brien. "We turned it over, and we were moving the ball on that one drive [before running back Evan Dickens fumbled]. We had a three-and-out, and we fumbled after a six-yard gain. Then we threw an interception. Then we had another. We have to clean all of that up.
"[But] you come in here on Sunday when everyone is in a good mood," he explained. "Everybody'll be fired up to watch the tape, and there's just nothing like it. Winning is winning. It's a big deal, and this program can win. It's won in the past, and while I know last year wasn't a great year record-wise, we were in a lot of close games…We have to understand that margin of error. We barely won that margin of error [against Rutgers], but that's why we won. If we can really understand how to take care of the ball to win that margin of error, we can win games, and we have to keep doing it."
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Players Mentioned
DB
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DB
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RB
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QB
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LB
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WR
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WR
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