Boston College Athletics
The Tailgate: Virginia Tech
September 25, 2026 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Batten down the hatches and dig in for the arrival of the Hokies.
The first three weeks of a college football season offer inexact windows into the trends on which a team is constructed. Enough statistics exist to operatively expand strengths while enhancing weaknesses or gaps on the basis of a season's overall achievement. Each team in the country is intriguing for the reason that they've put results on paper while reserving enough of a remainder on which to continue testing their margins for error.
At Boston College, those first three weeks followed curious patterns capable of building supreme confidence and situational discomfort. The holes and gaps exposed in a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati were course corrected one week later in the 28-21 win over Rutgers before Maine turned a 22-16 decision into a split formulary of what's working and what needs further analysis within the Eagles. A constant cycle is likely going to continue car washing BC as more results are compiled against the 2026 season.
Pardon the pun, but enter Virginia Tech.
"Virginia Tech is very, very good," said head coach Bill O'Brien during this week's media availabilities. "They're a good football team. I'm glad the game's at home. I think we have to do a good job of coming out and starting on a good note because they're started fast. They scored on the first six possessions against Maryland [with] five touchdowns, and Maryland fought back into that game, but it was too little, too late. So we have to come out ready to go."
Harnessing Mason McKenzie's dual threat presence is the most natural way for BC to control the game flow against the Hokies, but the Eagles are looking at Saturday as a way to enhance the remainder of its offense around his ability to make plays with his legs. Through three games this year, he's the team's leading rusher with 225 yards, and accounting for nearly 650 yards of total offense in the first two games against Cincinnati and Rutgers instantaneously transformed him into one of the ACC's most centerpiece signal callers. But the diminished 27 percent red zone touchdown rate and a 32 percent third down conversion rate requires enough change, something that O'Brien repeatedly noted over the past week.
Paving that road forward, though, doesn't require redesigning the scheme or telling McKenzie to do things outside of his comfort zone, and improvements can be made with simple execution in significant areas of the team's overall scheme. Specifically within the running game, the idea that a player like Evan Dickens can emerge over a four quarter performance is synonymous with continued improvements along the offensive line, and the downstream allowance for a runner like Bo McCormack would break the mold of the early perception that McKenzie has to move the ball with his legs on designed runs or scrambles.
"I mean, I've learned a lot," said McCormack. "Evan [Dickens] is a really good player. Being able to see him run the ball and pass protect, we watch the film together and stuff like that. Asking him what he sees and what he's looking for, I think I've learned a ton from him with his experience and him just being a really good player."
On with the preview of a very wet day in Boston:
*****
Weekly Storylines (Walter Payton Edition)
If you could go back and change things, you might not be the person you are right now.
Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin built legacies at Vanderbilt and Penn State by constructing offensive schemes around pocket passers with high completion percentages and minimal mistakes, so Ethan Grunkemeyer's emergence as an 80 percent passer without an interception through his first three weeks isn't exactly a surprise. Nor is it shocking to discover that tight end Luke Reynolds emerged as a favored target since nearly all of the best teams in Happy Valley found ways to combine quarterback-tight end combinations for high percentage throws and even higher reception numbers.
Stopping the Grunkemeyer-Reynolds duo from becoming Drew Allar and Tyler Warren or Trace McSorley and Mike Gesicki therefore relies on finding ways to blanket the underneath pass while not exposing a downfield threat. Even in good weather, the responsibility would likely fall on the underneath linebacker or a third defensive back, but this year's Hokies are able to run plays to a second underneath possession receiver by getting the ball to Que'Sean Brown, who went for 109 yards and a touchdown against VMI.
"No matter who we're playing, what time the game is, it doesn't matter for us," explained linebacker Anthony Palano. "We know what we can do. We know what we're capable of, and if we do our jobs and we execute how we know we can execute, everything's going to give us some good results."
Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It's okay to lose, but don't die without trying, without giving it your best.
The weather for Saturday has been a hot topic for the better part of four days, so a secondary conversation about the ability to run the football emerged because of a stereotype that gusting winds and downpour rains require ground-based attacks. The run game, though, likely would have become a point of emphasis if precipitation wasn't in the forecast, largely because it's the one area where the Hokies haven't totally excelled on offense.
They've broken off big runs, but Jeffrey Overton's 200 yards on 35 carries shrinks considerably from 5.7 yards per carry to 4.4 yards per carry when his 50-yard explosive run against VMI is removed from the rest of his season. Similarly, Marcellous Hawkins has 187 yards on 40 carries but rushed for 20 yards on one carry against Old Dominion, meaning his 43 yards on 11 carries is lowered to 23 yards on 10 carries - a full yard less than his game average against the Monarchs.
"It comes down to us executing," said Palano. "We've done a lot of things and watched a lot of tape on how we can get better as a back-seven and as a [defensive] line as well, just a defense on the whole. A lot of it is on us. A lot of it comes down to doing our job and executing, so we're taking steps each day to continue to work on that and making sure that it doesn't happen.
If I'm going to get hit, why let the guy who's going to hit me get the easiest and best shot?
Boston College, meanwhile, has a running game that's currently built around a mobile quarterback, but the Eagles haven't yet realized the full potential of the two-back and three-back system touted during the preseason. That said, the 39-yard Dickens run against Maine increased his game average to 6.8 yards per carry where it previously sat around 4.5 yards per rush on his other 14 carries against the Black Bears.
Framing it in that way - that BC is adding to its average where Virginia Tech's numbers are diminished without that explosive carry - reflects how the statistics are remarkably consistent for Dickens. A running back that averaged between four and five yards per carry without the explosive number can therefore jump to six or seven yards per carry because he broke off a single big run where the inverse occurred for the Hokies and their backs, who needed the long run to salvage the averages against their first three opponents. That said, the situational statistics indicate a definite need to get more execution in the red zone and on third or fourth down.
"We definitely have to play better [in situational areas]," explained O'Brien. "There are plays to be made. I thought we had some chances at some better runs [in the red zone against Maine]. I think we can design some better plays. When you're a coach and take pride in it, you really look yourself in the mirror, but I think we're all working at it together."
*****
Question Box
How does BC protect against one of the best defenses in the nation?
Virginia Tech's blitz-heavy defensive scheme enters Saturday with the nation's best numbers in both sacks and tackles-for-loss, so preventing the bowl subdivision's top-ranked backfield attacking units from stopping BC in its tracks requires the Eagles to install some creative blocking schemes and motions from different blockers. Disguised coverages and pull blocks are likely going to emerge, and a mobile quarterback in McKenzie is usually kryptonite for edge blitzers who can't wait to get around the tackle.
Can special teams flip the field in poor conditions?
The Hokies have a long history of excelling on special teams, so getting off the field on third down is a key component to forcing long drives from bad starting spots. Already this season, Virginia Tech is fifth best in the ACC with a 31 percent opponent's success rate, and the number is approximately 10 whole percentage points better than BC. The Eagles, though, are also one of the best in the nation at getting sacks and tackles in the backfield, and they've been responsible for more explosive plays on offense with an improved passing defense that will face one of its biggest tests on Saturday.
Can you ford the river or caulk your wagon before coming to Chestnut Hill on Saturday?
Kudos to everyone who gets that reference. The 90s were awesome, and The Oregon Trail ranks to Pitfall, Mario Brothers 3 and Goldeneye on the decades-long Mt. Rushmore of video games.Â
All kidding aside, remember to leave extra time for safe travel to BC. Plan alternate routes to avoid roads that easily flood, and keep an eye on the traffic.Â
*****
Meteorology 101
It's going to rain. Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet.
*****
X Factor of the Week
If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes. -Mark Twain
BC's unique personnel groupings give O'Brien a plethora of options for attacking Saturday's game, so it's not easy to openly assume that the Eagles are just going to pound the rock. As is the case in any game, the plan is unique to an opponent and the situation, and how that evolves over four quarters is subject to the fluid play-to-play situation against an opponent.
In other words, the weather isn't the only factor, and Mason McKenzie's versatility gives BC an automatically built-in option to attack Virginia Tech's aggressive defensive line. Even without the weather, he's proven that the short passing game is equal parts as threatening as his scrambling ability, and the development of possession-based pass catchers like Javarius Green and tight end Zeke Moore is giving McKenzie a security blanket for the underneath look. Even Dickens, who arrived at BC as a 1,000-yard rusher from Liberty with limited receptions for last year's Flames, is playing a bigger role in the short yardage receiving situation.
"You definitely have to be ready for the weather," said O'Brien. "You have to have a plan for the weather. I've been doing this a long time, and I think I've coached in everything. So snow, nor'easters, blizzards, pouring rain, ice storms - I coached in one of those lightning delays, when it was hot and 100 degrees. So we have a plan."
O'Brien's offenses historically didn't change much for bad weather games, and he memorably led the Houston Texans to wins over both the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets by maintaining consistency against deteriorating conditions. He was the quarterbacks coach for Tom Brady's evisceration of the Tennessee Titans during a freak 2009 blizzard.
His emphasis on maintaining a team's philosophy and readiness remained a huge component of each of those victories, and BC's focus ahead of Saturday's game against the Hokies is more about ensuring that Dickens and the running backs gain more space between the gaps while McKenzie continues to develop more chemistry with his receivers. Maybe the field is a little bit more slippery and the ball is a little bit more wet, but that's all part of the aforementioned plan that every coach needs to take into account.
*****
Around College Football
The SEC's rapid ascension through the top-10 of both major early season polls enters its next phase this week when undefeated Tennessee hosts top-ranked Texas in a massive game in Knoxville, though I have a feeling that "massive game in (enter an SEC school site here)" is going to be a running trend until the rankings balance their scales from having 13 undefeated teams in the top-15 of the Associated Press poll. Just under half of those teams are from the SEC, and the large bulk have head-to-head matchups akin to last week's Ole Miss win over LSU, which dropped the Tigers down three spots in the Associated Press poll and four slots in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Vols are actually the sixth place team among those SEC clubs, so what happens between the lines of these conference games are eventually going to jumble the rankings. This week alone, No. 2 Georgia hosts Oklahoma in a mid-afternoon slate featuring the fourth-ranked Rebels in a road game at No. 21 Florida, and No. 10-ranked LSU hosts No. 23 Texas A&M during a primetime schedule featuring No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State and unranked South Carolina at No. 8 Alabama.
The Big Ten, meanwhile, avoided some glancing blows to one of its heaviest hitters after No. 12 Southern California snuck by Rutgers with a 42-35 win. Returning back to the West Coast, the Trojans host No. 20 Oregon at night as part of a conference schedule featuring No. 7 Ohio State's noon kickoff against Illinois and No. 13 Penn State's dinnertime start against Wisconsin. No. 5 Indiana is set to kick off on Friday night against Northwestern in a sneaky game against a team that most recently torched Colorado, 41-7.
Over in the Big 12, No. 15 Utah travels to Iowa State at 3:30 p.m. with a notable game between Kansas State and Cincinnati at 7 p.m., and TCU - which as an upcoming game against top-10 BYU - heads to Central Florida after rebounding from its opening game loss to North Carolina with wins over Grambling and Arkansas State.
On the homefront, No. 16 Louisville's seven-spot jump after beating SMU is a precursor to a noon start against Wake Forest, and a late night kickoff between Stanford and Georgia Tech highlights the league-based games outside of BC-Virginia Tech and a late night Friday kickoff between Clemson and Cal. Those who are watching Miami's trend through the college football rankings can watch the No. 6 Hurricanes battle Central Michigan at 6:30 p.m. before settling into Appalachian State's road trip to NC State.
Other notable games on Saturday feature No. 3 Notre Dame's trip to Purdue and a Big Ten game between Nebraska and Michigan State. UMass, meanwhile, is heading to Sacramento State for the longest trip in the Mid-American Conference, and Air Force heads to Nevada as part of the late night schedule. Insomniacs don't have a game in Honolulu this week, but an 11 p.m. start between Minnesota and Washington bookends the ACC game on the Farm.
In FCS, Harvard heads to Brown to open Ivy League play with a Friday night game at Pawtucket's beautiful Centreville Bank Stadium. On Saturday, Holy Cross heads to Lafayette with New Haven traveling north to play Merrimack, and in the lower divisions, Mass Maritime hosts Plymouth State with its No. 1-ranked rushing team averaging north of 500 yards per game on the ground taking on a rushing defense that's surrendered 160 yards per game.
*****
Dan's Non-Sports Observation of the Week
About a month ago, my kids received one of those washable marker toys that allows them to doodle on toy ponies before cleaning them off and starting over, and the markers became more frequently used on their hands and fingers over the occasional color-hued unicorn. None of that stopped one of them from tossing a couple of markers and a toy into the washing machine when I wasn't looking, so folding laundry the other day really took me by surprise when my white shirt and tan golf shirts developed strange and foreign green and pink shades.
Sure enough, I handled it like any well-adjusted and mild mannered human being and laughed it off, and there is no actual way that you believe what you just read. Nope, I instead used salty language and blamed my wife for mixing colored shirts with white shirts as I tossed the ruined laundry into the trash barrel.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I found the ponies and markers in the pocket of my golf shorts with the realization that I'd taken them from the kids as I drove them to school.Â
I'll have you know that my wife's beautiful bouquet of flowers came with an "I'm sorry" card, and I think she really enjoyed that bottle of wine. More than a decade into this marriage thing, and I'm still throwing downfield into triple coverage for no apparent reason.
*****
Pregame Quote and Final Thought
Let it rain.
Let it rain.
Let it rain, rain, rain.
-Cream, "Let It Rain"
Batten down the hatches, square away for the elements, dig in and get ready for a football game that'll land on the list of most memorable meetings between Boston College and Virginia Tech, regardless of its outcome. I always love a good bad-weather game (that makes sense, I promise), and I personally can't wait to walk into Alumni Stadium to enjoy some old school elements.
Boston College and Virginia Tech kick off on Saturday at 12 p.m., from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television coverage is available on ACC Network with streaming through the ESPN family of Internet and mobile devices for cable subscribers with access to the network. Legendary ACC broadcaster Wes Durham is on the call for Saturday with former Pitt and USC quarterback Max Browne handling analyst duties, and former Florida State volleyball standout Madison Fitzpatrick on the sidelines.
At Boston College, those first three weeks followed curious patterns capable of building supreme confidence and situational discomfort. The holes and gaps exposed in a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati were course corrected one week later in the 28-21 win over Rutgers before Maine turned a 22-16 decision into a split formulary of what's working and what needs further analysis within the Eagles. A constant cycle is likely going to continue car washing BC as more results are compiled against the 2026 season.
Pardon the pun, but enter Virginia Tech.
"Virginia Tech is very, very good," said head coach Bill O'Brien during this week's media availabilities. "They're a good football team. I'm glad the game's at home. I think we have to do a good job of coming out and starting on a good note because they're started fast. They scored on the first six possessions against Maryland [with] five touchdowns, and Maryland fought back into that game, but it was too little, too late. So we have to come out ready to go."
Harnessing Mason McKenzie's dual threat presence is the most natural way for BC to control the game flow against the Hokies, but the Eagles are looking at Saturday as a way to enhance the remainder of its offense around his ability to make plays with his legs. Through three games this year, he's the team's leading rusher with 225 yards, and accounting for nearly 650 yards of total offense in the first two games against Cincinnati and Rutgers instantaneously transformed him into one of the ACC's most centerpiece signal callers. But the diminished 27 percent red zone touchdown rate and a 32 percent third down conversion rate requires enough change, something that O'Brien repeatedly noted over the past week.
Paving that road forward, though, doesn't require redesigning the scheme or telling McKenzie to do things outside of his comfort zone, and improvements can be made with simple execution in significant areas of the team's overall scheme. Specifically within the running game, the idea that a player like Evan Dickens can emerge over a four quarter performance is synonymous with continued improvements along the offensive line, and the downstream allowance for a runner like Bo McCormack would break the mold of the early perception that McKenzie has to move the ball with his legs on designed runs or scrambles.
"I mean, I've learned a lot," said McCormack. "Evan [Dickens] is a really good player. Being able to see him run the ball and pass protect, we watch the film together and stuff like that. Asking him what he sees and what he's looking for, I think I've learned a ton from him with his experience and him just being a really good player."
On with the preview of a very wet day in Boston:
*****
Weekly Storylines (Walter Payton Edition)
If you could go back and change things, you might not be the person you are right now.
Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin built legacies at Vanderbilt and Penn State by constructing offensive schemes around pocket passers with high completion percentages and minimal mistakes, so Ethan Grunkemeyer's emergence as an 80 percent passer without an interception through his first three weeks isn't exactly a surprise. Nor is it shocking to discover that tight end Luke Reynolds emerged as a favored target since nearly all of the best teams in Happy Valley found ways to combine quarterback-tight end combinations for high percentage throws and even higher reception numbers.
Stopping the Grunkemeyer-Reynolds duo from becoming Drew Allar and Tyler Warren or Trace McSorley and Mike Gesicki therefore relies on finding ways to blanket the underneath pass while not exposing a downfield threat. Even in good weather, the responsibility would likely fall on the underneath linebacker or a third defensive back, but this year's Hokies are able to run plays to a second underneath possession receiver by getting the ball to Que'Sean Brown, who went for 109 yards and a touchdown against VMI.
"No matter who we're playing, what time the game is, it doesn't matter for us," explained linebacker Anthony Palano. "We know what we can do. We know what we're capable of, and if we do our jobs and we execute how we know we can execute, everything's going to give us some good results."
Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It's okay to lose, but don't die without trying, without giving it your best.
The weather for Saturday has been a hot topic for the better part of four days, so a secondary conversation about the ability to run the football emerged because of a stereotype that gusting winds and downpour rains require ground-based attacks. The run game, though, likely would have become a point of emphasis if precipitation wasn't in the forecast, largely because it's the one area where the Hokies haven't totally excelled on offense.
They've broken off big runs, but Jeffrey Overton's 200 yards on 35 carries shrinks considerably from 5.7 yards per carry to 4.4 yards per carry when his 50-yard explosive run against VMI is removed from the rest of his season. Similarly, Marcellous Hawkins has 187 yards on 40 carries but rushed for 20 yards on one carry against Old Dominion, meaning his 43 yards on 11 carries is lowered to 23 yards on 10 carries - a full yard less than his game average against the Monarchs.
"It comes down to us executing," said Palano. "We've done a lot of things and watched a lot of tape on how we can get better as a back-seven and as a [defensive] line as well, just a defense on the whole. A lot of it is on us. A lot of it comes down to doing our job and executing, so we're taking steps each day to continue to work on that and making sure that it doesn't happen.
If I'm going to get hit, why let the guy who's going to hit me get the easiest and best shot?
Boston College, meanwhile, has a running game that's currently built around a mobile quarterback, but the Eagles haven't yet realized the full potential of the two-back and three-back system touted during the preseason. That said, the 39-yard Dickens run against Maine increased his game average to 6.8 yards per carry where it previously sat around 4.5 yards per rush on his other 14 carries against the Black Bears.
Framing it in that way - that BC is adding to its average where Virginia Tech's numbers are diminished without that explosive carry - reflects how the statistics are remarkably consistent for Dickens. A running back that averaged between four and five yards per carry without the explosive number can therefore jump to six or seven yards per carry because he broke off a single big run where the inverse occurred for the Hokies and their backs, who needed the long run to salvage the averages against their first three opponents. That said, the situational statistics indicate a definite need to get more execution in the red zone and on third or fourth down.
"We definitely have to play better [in situational areas]," explained O'Brien. "There are plays to be made. I thought we had some chances at some better runs [in the red zone against Maine]. I think we can design some better plays. When you're a coach and take pride in it, you really look yourself in the mirror, but I think we're all working at it together."
*****
Question Box
How does BC protect against one of the best defenses in the nation?
Virginia Tech's blitz-heavy defensive scheme enters Saturday with the nation's best numbers in both sacks and tackles-for-loss, so preventing the bowl subdivision's top-ranked backfield attacking units from stopping BC in its tracks requires the Eagles to install some creative blocking schemes and motions from different blockers. Disguised coverages and pull blocks are likely going to emerge, and a mobile quarterback in McKenzie is usually kryptonite for edge blitzers who can't wait to get around the tackle.
Can special teams flip the field in poor conditions?
The Hokies have a long history of excelling on special teams, so getting off the field on third down is a key component to forcing long drives from bad starting spots. Already this season, Virginia Tech is fifth best in the ACC with a 31 percent opponent's success rate, and the number is approximately 10 whole percentage points better than BC. The Eagles, though, are also one of the best in the nation at getting sacks and tackles in the backfield, and they've been responsible for more explosive plays on offense with an improved passing defense that will face one of its biggest tests on Saturday.
Can you ford the river or caulk your wagon before coming to Chestnut Hill on Saturday?
Kudos to everyone who gets that reference. The 90s were awesome, and The Oregon Trail ranks to Pitfall, Mario Brothers 3 and Goldeneye on the decades-long Mt. Rushmore of video games.Â
All kidding aside, remember to leave extra time for safe travel to BC. Plan alternate routes to avoid roads that easily flood, and keep an eye on the traffic.Â
*****
Meteorology 101
It's going to rain. Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet.
*****
X Factor of the Week
If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes. -Mark Twain
BC's unique personnel groupings give O'Brien a plethora of options for attacking Saturday's game, so it's not easy to openly assume that the Eagles are just going to pound the rock. As is the case in any game, the plan is unique to an opponent and the situation, and how that evolves over four quarters is subject to the fluid play-to-play situation against an opponent.
In other words, the weather isn't the only factor, and Mason McKenzie's versatility gives BC an automatically built-in option to attack Virginia Tech's aggressive defensive line. Even without the weather, he's proven that the short passing game is equal parts as threatening as his scrambling ability, and the development of possession-based pass catchers like Javarius Green and tight end Zeke Moore is giving McKenzie a security blanket for the underneath look. Even Dickens, who arrived at BC as a 1,000-yard rusher from Liberty with limited receptions for last year's Flames, is playing a bigger role in the short yardage receiving situation.
"You definitely have to be ready for the weather," said O'Brien. "You have to have a plan for the weather. I've been doing this a long time, and I think I've coached in everything. So snow, nor'easters, blizzards, pouring rain, ice storms - I coached in one of those lightning delays, when it was hot and 100 degrees. So we have a plan."
O'Brien's offenses historically didn't change much for bad weather games, and he memorably led the Houston Texans to wins over both the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets by maintaining consistency against deteriorating conditions. He was the quarterbacks coach for Tom Brady's evisceration of the Tennessee Titans during a freak 2009 blizzard.
His emphasis on maintaining a team's philosophy and readiness remained a huge component of each of those victories, and BC's focus ahead of Saturday's game against the Hokies is more about ensuring that Dickens and the running backs gain more space between the gaps while McKenzie continues to develop more chemistry with his receivers. Maybe the field is a little bit more slippery and the ball is a little bit more wet, but that's all part of the aforementioned plan that every coach needs to take into account.
*****
Around College Football
The SEC's rapid ascension through the top-10 of both major early season polls enters its next phase this week when undefeated Tennessee hosts top-ranked Texas in a massive game in Knoxville, though I have a feeling that "massive game in (enter an SEC school site here)" is going to be a running trend until the rankings balance their scales from having 13 undefeated teams in the top-15 of the Associated Press poll. Just under half of those teams are from the SEC, and the large bulk have head-to-head matchups akin to last week's Ole Miss win over LSU, which dropped the Tigers down three spots in the Associated Press poll and four slots in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Vols are actually the sixth place team among those SEC clubs, so what happens between the lines of these conference games are eventually going to jumble the rankings. This week alone, No. 2 Georgia hosts Oklahoma in a mid-afternoon slate featuring the fourth-ranked Rebels in a road game at No. 21 Florida, and No. 10-ranked LSU hosts No. 23 Texas A&M during a primetime schedule featuring No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State and unranked South Carolina at No. 8 Alabama.
The Big Ten, meanwhile, avoided some glancing blows to one of its heaviest hitters after No. 12 Southern California snuck by Rutgers with a 42-35 win. Returning back to the West Coast, the Trojans host No. 20 Oregon at night as part of a conference schedule featuring No. 7 Ohio State's noon kickoff against Illinois and No. 13 Penn State's dinnertime start against Wisconsin. No. 5 Indiana is set to kick off on Friday night against Northwestern in a sneaky game against a team that most recently torched Colorado, 41-7.
Over in the Big 12, No. 15 Utah travels to Iowa State at 3:30 p.m. with a notable game between Kansas State and Cincinnati at 7 p.m., and TCU - which as an upcoming game against top-10 BYU - heads to Central Florida after rebounding from its opening game loss to North Carolina with wins over Grambling and Arkansas State.
On the homefront, No. 16 Louisville's seven-spot jump after beating SMU is a precursor to a noon start against Wake Forest, and a late night kickoff between Stanford and Georgia Tech highlights the league-based games outside of BC-Virginia Tech and a late night Friday kickoff between Clemson and Cal. Those who are watching Miami's trend through the college football rankings can watch the No. 6 Hurricanes battle Central Michigan at 6:30 p.m. before settling into Appalachian State's road trip to NC State.
Other notable games on Saturday feature No. 3 Notre Dame's trip to Purdue and a Big Ten game between Nebraska and Michigan State. UMass, meanwhile, is heading to Sacramento State for the longest trip in the Mid-American Conference, and Air Force heads to Nevada as part of the late night schedule. Insomniacs don't have a game in Honolulu this week, but an 11 p.m. start between Minnesota and Washington bookends the ACC game on the Farm.
In FCS, Harvard heads to Brown to open Ivy League play with a Friday night game at Pawtucket's beautiful Centreville Bank Stadium. On Saturday, Holy Cross heads to Lafayette with New Haven traveling north to play Merrimack, and in the lower divisions, Mass Maritime hosts Plymouth State with its No. 1-ranked rushing team averaging north of 500 yards per game on the ground taking on a rushing defense that's surrendered 160 yards per game.
*****
Dan's Non-Sports Observation of the Week
About a month ago, my kids received one of those washable marker toys that allows them to doodle on toy ponies before cleaning them off and starting over, and the markers became more frequently used on their hands and fingers over the occasional color-hued unicorn. None of that stopped one of them from tossing a couple of markers and a toy into the washing machine when I wasn't looking, so folding laundry the other day really took me by surprise when my white shirt and tan golf shirts developed strange and foreign green and pink shades.
Sure enough, I handled it like any well-adjusted and mild mannered human being and laughed it off, and there is no actual way that you believe what you just read. Nope, I instead used salty language and blamed my wife for mixing colored shirts with white shirts as I tossed the ruined laundry into the trash barrel.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I found the ponies and markers in the pocket of my golf shorts with the realization that I'd taken them from the kids as I drove them to school.Â
I'll have you know that my wife's beautiful bouquet of flowers came with an "I'm sorry" card, and I think she really enjoyed that bottle of wine. More than a decade into this marriage thing, and I'm still throwing downfield into triple coverage for no apparent reason.
*****
Pregame Quote and Final Thought
Let it rain.
Let it rain.
Let it rain, rain, rain.
-Cream, "Let It Rain"
Batten down the hatches, square away for the elements, dig in and get ready for a football game that'll land on the list of most memorable meetings between Boston College and Virginia Tech, regardless of its outcome. I always love a good bad-weather game (that makes sense, I promise), and I personally can't wait to walk into Alumni Stadium to enjoy some old school elements.
Boston College and Virginia Tech kick off on Saturday at 12 p.m., from Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television coverage is available on ACC Network with streaming through the ESPN family of Internet and mobile devices for cable subscribers with access to the network. Legendary ACC broadcaster Wes Durham is on the call for Saturday with former Pitt and USC quarterback Max Browne handling analyst duties, and former Florida State volleyball standout Madison Fitzpatrick on the sidelines.
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/ FootballWednesday, October 07
Wednesday, October 07
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