5 takeaways from BC football’s ‘statement win’ over Virginia Tech
The Eagles proved they can make game-changing plays on defense.
COMMENTARY
Boston College outlasted Virginia Tech, 35-28, at Alumni Stadium on Saturday, winning its season opener and picking up a key Atlantic Coast Conference victory in the process.
The Eagles, fueled by a strong performance from quarterback Anthony Brown, flew out to a 28-14 halftime lead and held the Hokies off late. BC forced five turnovers and lost the ball just once itself, overcoming a lackluster third quarter to finish strong and preserve the win.
Here are five takeaways from a successful opening night for the Eagles.
Steve Addazio called it a statement win.
The Eagles have now won 13 of their last 16 openers, including six of seven under head coach Steve Addazio, but the bulk of those previous six games weren’t against teams of Virginia Tech’s caliber.
When BC faced ACC opponent Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, to open the season in 2016, it fell just short, 17-14, and ultimately finished the regular season 6-6.
Saturday’s result was just one stepping stone, but Addazio didn’t hesitate to call it a “statement win.” He later clarified what he meant by that, noting that the Eagles moved to 1-0, got a conference victory, and were battle-tested all in one evening.
“You know, you win an opener against a team that maybe you’re stronger than, I don’t know that sometimes that really helps you because two weeks in, three weeks in, you can get shocked at the speed of the game,” Addazio said. “Starters play a half. They come out, they’re feeling good about themselves, and then you get stung. We got stung today. I mean, that was like it was real football out there. We’re playing hard-hat football at a high, high speed.”
It meant a little extra to captain Tanner Karafa, who registered his first career interception early in the fourth quarter. The defensive lineman grew up in Ashburn, Virginia.
He said he’s been part of a lot of special openers, but he acknowledged this one carried a little extra weight personally as it came against a program that recruited him out of high school.
“Virginia Tech played a great game, and they’re tough competitors, but it’s a huge win for us, and it’s a statement win for us,” said the graduate student. “We’re going to try to take that momentum going forward. Yeah, that’s definitely the best opener I feel like I’ve been a part of.”
The Eagles proved they can make game-changing plays on defense.
BC’s defense quickly dispelled the notion that it’s too young to stymie an explosive offense. Of course, the Hokies ended up with 28 points and 442 yards, so it wasn’t a perfect effort, but the Eagles made enough key plays when they had to in order to preserve the win.
It wasn’t just that the Eagles intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles – it was that they did so at pivotal moments in crucial spots on the field.
Midway through the second quarter, with the score knotted at 14, defensive back Tate Haynes forced a fumble and Marcus Valdez recovered the ball. Brown then found Kobay White for an acrobatic 17-yard score.
Kobay White with the TOUGH catch! 💪#WeAreBC #MustSeeACC | @BCFootball @KobayWhite pic.twitter.com/lhhYvfUHDY
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) August 31, 2019
Later in the quarter, Nolan Borgersen swooped in to corral a muffed punt, and Brown took care of the rest with a smooth 28-yard touchdown trot seconds later.
Firmly in front, but not comfortably so, BC needed a stop late in the second quarter to keep a solid cushion heading into halftime. Virginia Tech quarterback Ryan Willis lofted a ball toward the end zone, and redshirt freshman Joe Sparacio leaped up and snared it with 20 seconds left for his first career pick in his first career start.
Defensive back Brandon Sebastian kept the momentum rolling on a similar play early in the third, flipping in midair and contorting his body while still holding onto the ball. Sebastian said he was in zone coverage, and he saw Willis staring at the receiver. That gave away the fact that Willis was about to release the ball, and Sebastian said he simply had to attack and finish the play.
When BC’s offense went cold in the third quarter, after a monster first half, it was momentum-shifting sequences like this that helped keep the Eagles in front.
“Huge plays,” Sebastian said. “That’s what we talk about most. When we get in the red zone, we have to stop [them]. When we get stops in the red zone, we’re high-fiving each other. The more red zone stops, we take it as a win for the defense.”
Karafa made an athletic play to reel in an interception early in the fourth. The Eagles didn’t score on the ensuing drive, but they got another stop and set up a 1-yard plunge from bulldozer David Bailey.
BC’s lone turnover came on a special play early in the fourth, when Kobay White left one short. It could have burned the Eagles, but they made sure it didn’t.
“This is a confidence builder for the defense, without a doubt,” Addazio said. “I mean, a lot of people had a lot of questions about where that would be with the youth. They’re athletic. They’re talented, and today they got a little confidence. They got a little better. We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got to keep maturing. We’ve got to keep growing.”
BC Football – live via https://t.co/PQFwstlJqq https://t.co/mRnpUNsVyb
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) August 31, 2019
Zay Flowers has a whole lot of potential.
Zay Flowers acted like he had been here before. He certainly didn’t resemble a freshman playing in his first collegiate game.
Flowers broke free for a 16-yard rush to the outside early, and that was just the beginning.
When Brown floated a perfect ball his way three minutes into the game, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound deep threat took care of the rest. He snatched the ball at the perfect moment, glided into the end zone, and spread both arms wide to celebrate.
“It felt unreal at first, but after that first run, A.B. [Anthony Brown] just told me to play my game after that, and that’s what I did,” Flowers said.
He credited Brown for picking him up if he makes a mistake and thriving as a playmaker himself. Brown quickly made it clear the admiration is mutual. The QB has known what Flowers is capable of for quite some time, and he was thrilled his newest target got to showcase his skills on a grand stage.
“It’s always nice adding new cars to the garage,” Brown said. “It’s really a blessing. The kid is very, very talented.”
While Flowers stood out with two receptions for 91 yards and three rushes for 25 yards, he wasn’t alone. The redshirt junior White racked up three receptions for 73 yards and a TD, Deerfield Academy product Hunter Long added four receptions for 53 yards, and eight different players caught at least one pass in total for the Eagles.
New offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian turned in a stellar debut, as the Eagles finished up with 432 yards and a terrific balance between their running and passing games. VT dominated possession in the third quarter – 11:50 to 3:10 – and the Eagles ended up with zero yards in the quarter, but the first, second, and fourth were all smooth offensively.
Anthony Brown is embracing his role as a leader.
While wide receivers consistently made plays around him, Brown’s consistent play in large part made their production possible. The redshirt junior was an impressive 15 for 26 with 275 yards and two TDs in the air, along with five carries for 33 yards and a score on the ground.
He showed the ability to both manage the game and deliver highlight-reel throws on the money. Thanks to some tremendous blocking from the offensive line, Brown danced to his right and delivered a strike to White for 56 yards in the first quarter.
Brown made some heroic plays, but he didn’t try to do too much. He also completed simple passes to Long and Korab Idrizi, helping the Eagles stay in front in the fourth.
“Anthony has definitely taken the next step,” Karafa said. “You could tell that during the offseason, too. I knew it was coming. He’s been a great leader for us. He obviously played great, and we needed that. He did an amazing job for us, and hopefully he’ll continue to do that. I know he will.”
Brown has talked openly about trying to become more of a leader this year. It’s something he believes is a natural progression, and he’s confident he has the pieces around him to work together in cohesion.
“It’s time for me to step up, time for me to be a leader in all areas, aspects of the game, whatever,” Brown said. “I’ll say we need a leader. We need somebody to step up, and it has to be me. We were missing that for the past two years, and right now I’m just ready to step into that role.”
Addazio praised Brown not only for his on-field play, but also for his leadership in the huddle and the locker room. He said Brown handled himself admirably and acted exactly as a veteran quarterback should.
“He’s driving the football team, and that’s what we’ve been just dying to see that come out of him,” Addazio said. “Just really making corrections, driving the team, total command, unfazed, not riding the rollercoaster of the ups and downs of the games.”
The running back corps is deep.
AJ Dillon gets the bulk of the carries and the headlines – and deservedly so – but Saturday illuminated the fact that he isn’t alone in the backfield.
The Eagles have a plethora of backs who can step in and make plays, starting with David Bailey, who racked up 12 carries for 41 yards and the TD. Earlier in the week, Bailey made it clear he’s happy to embrace whatever role he has.
“I just keep working every day and trying to get better,” he told Boston.com Wednesday morning after practice. “I’ve been trying to get my body right and be ready when my name is called.”
When Addazio rested Dillon, Bailey was ready.
“He’s a load, man,” Addazio said. “He’s a very physical, punishing runner with great hands.”
https://twitter.com/julianbenbow/status/1167933259893731332
Of course, Dillon made his presence felt as well. He was bottled up early, but it was just a matter of time before he broke free. Dillon finished with a modest 3.5 yards per carry, but he posted 81 yards and scored from 17 yards out in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
When the Eagles needed a first down to seal the win, Dillon broke free for an 11-yard gain.
He showed how dominant he can be in flashes, but BC didn’t need him to run the ball every down or even every drive. As the Eagles try to diversify and bolster their already-strong offense, the versatility they showed Saturday could go a long way.
This was just one win, but it showed how dangerous this team has the potential to be when everything is clicking.
“I’m proud of the program,” Addazio said. “This is only a beginning. It’s not an end. I don’t want to over-talk it. I think it was a great win for us to get. Now the key is we have to get better, we have to develop, and that’s what’s critical here over the next one, two, three weeks, how much better can we grow as a football team? And that’s where this is at.”
