Game 589:  Balanced Boston College attack holds off VA Tech in ACC season opener, 35-28

Chestnut Hill, MA – In an opener between two teams vying for improvements over mediocrity a season ago, the Eagles and Hokies fought a competitive game with host Boston College maintaining ball control in the final minute to preserve a 35-28 victory.  BC QB Anthony Brown (Cliffwood, NJ) tossed two TD passes and ran for one.  Junior RB AJ Dillon carried 21 times for a score and 83 yards on the ground.  Virginia Tech’s QB Ryan Willis amassed 344 passing yards and three TDs, but BC dominated in the turnover department picking off four passes and recovering two fumbles while they lost the football once.

    The Eagles scored on their second possession driving 67 yards with Brown connecting with WR Zay Flowers (two for 91 yards) on a 33-yard TD pass.  After BC missed a FG to increase their lead, Tech responded with a 55-yard TD pass to Hezekiah Grimsley (four for 98 yards, one TD) to knot the score at the end of the first.

Eagles take off!

     In the second period, the Hokies took a 14-7 lead when Willis hit Tayvion Robinson for a 20-yard score.  The Eagles came back with a vengeance.  Mixing their play calling effectively, they drove 75 yards with Dillon running the final 17 to tie.  On Tech’s next series, Tate Haynes sacked Willis to fumble, and BC took over again at the VT 17.  On third and ten from there, Brown threw to a leaping Kobay White in the end zone along the sideline to take a 21-14 lead. 

   The Eagles next series ended with a punt, but a muff by Grimsley was recovered by DB Nolan Borgerson (Westwood, NJ) to put BC on offense at Tech’s 28.  From there on the second play, Brown dropped back and started up the left side of the field going untouched for BC’s third score in the second and a 28-14 lead.  Willis completed five passes and ran for four more yards to the BC 17 as the period wound down. However, his next pass into the end zone got picked by LB Joe Sparacio, and the Eagles held their two TD lead going into halftime.

Defenses toughen up

     Early in the third, BC thwarted another Tech pass attempt into the end zone when Willis’s 30-yarder got intercepted on a leaping catch in front of its intended receiver by S Brandon Sebastian.  The Hokies eventually scored the only TD of the period when Willis connected with James Mitchell at the 11-yard line to get back within a touchdown.  The Hokies held the Eagles to a three and out, but their next possession ended with another INT by Tanner Karafa to put the Eagles at the Hokie 41 early in the last quarter.

      A Kobay White pass attempt got picked by Tech’s Jermaine Walker on his own two.  Tech only gained a yard before punting, Dillon and David Bailey took turns running the ball with Bailey doing the honors with a one-yard TD to extend the BC lead, 35-21.  Eighteen plays later, Willis, who converted a first down with a run on fourth and one at the 13, converted a score on and 11-yard TD pass to Kaleb Smith to put the Hokes within another score once again to trail 35-28.

Could go either way

    BC recovered the ensuing onsides kick on their 38.  After Tech called two time-outs in hopes of forcing a punt to get the ball back, Dillon negated that opportunity against DC Bud Foster’s defensive unit with an 11-yard gain on third down and nine.  BC ran out the clock in the victory formation for an early 35-28 ACC victory.  “It was all over but the shouting,” as my late, former high school football coach Joe Mol used to say. 

Looking ahead

    It was a tremendous Week 1 game to attend played between two solid programs with great incentives to improve this season.  VT out-gained BC 442 yards to 432, but five more turnovers than the Eagles, several in the end zone, made the significant difference.  The Hokies have to cut back on mistakes.  Willis needs to protect the football better.  Boston College’s offense threw more effectively and more often than in the previous few years – not normal as pointed out by Guest Game Analyst Zach Rittle (PSU, class of ’15). The Eagles totaled more yards through the air than on the ground, 275 to 157.  Their O-line blocked effectively with two new guards in Soph Alec Lindstrom, whose brother played at the same position a year ago at BC and before being drafted in Round One by the Atlanta Falcons, and in Frosh Tyler Vrabel, son of HC Mike of the Tennessee Titans. 

Next!

    Both teams look ready to be competitive this season in what’s determined to be a little weaker ACC to be dominated once again by Clemson.  Both play at home this Saturday against other Virginia schools.  Tech hosts Old Dominion of Conference USA (talk about a revenge match) while BC is at Alumni Field again against The Richmond Spiders of the Colonial Athletic in the FCS. 

   Collegefootballfan.com is weighing two options before seeing Penn State (1-0) host the MAC’s Buffalo Bulls (1-0) on Saturday at 7:30 pm.  One is to see a D-3 game Friday night when No. 14 Delaware Valley heads to Union, NJ to take on the Kean Cougars of the NJAC.  On the other hand, we are tempted to consider seeing Assumption College visit Kutztown (PA) at noon in a pretty good D-2 matchup on the way to State College for our night cap.  We’re waiting for a few things to happen to make a final decision on Friday.

Extra Points: 

We’re wishing the best to our BC friend Bob “Pops” LeBlanc who couldn’t meet us at his alma mater for this game Saturday.  Pops was put on injured reserve by his doctor following surgery he held off on for a while.  We hear he should be back up for some BC action later in the season.  We’ll just let him know he left his tailgate parties in good hands with his buddy, Rick.

Our first-time GGA Zach is not only a PSU alum and fan, of course, he went on to a Sports Management degree at Temple and now works in the athletic development department at Texas State University in San Marcos.  He flew up that morning to Boston where I picked him up to go to this game to head up to a wedding the next day with my daughter Alex and St. Laurie in New Hampshire.  Zach had been to State’s game at Texas A&M the week before and is prepping for his team’s first home game this Saturday when the Bobcats play Wyoming.  He’s looking forward to that, but very busy I’m sure. Good luck to him in his new position on a Game Day!