5 things to keep in mind when BC football takes on Virginia Saturday

In last year's meeting, Thomas Castellanos threw two touchdown passes to help the Eagles defeat Virginia, 27-24. Barry Chin/Globe Staff

By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe

October 3, 2024

4 minutes to read

The Boston College football team’s Week 5 win over Western Kentucky was far from pristine, but ultimately the Eagles did enough to keep momentum on their side.

Next up is Virginia, Saturday at noon, on the road. A victory would give the Eagles (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) their first 5-1 start since 2008 and first 2-0 ACC start since 2007.

Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who missed last Saturday’s game with an injury, practiced fully Tuesday and moved around with no noticeable restrictions. Coach Bill O’Brien didn’t commit to Castellanos or Grayson James as the starter against the Cavaliers (3-1, 1-0).

“I think he’s doing all right,” O’Brien said. “I thought he showed up ready to go today and had a decent practice. Grayson will be ready to go. We have two guys that can play, no doubt about it.”

Here are five trends to monitor as the Eagles enter the heart of ACC play.

1. Sluggish starts

BC has started slowly each of the past two games. The Eagles trailed Michigan State, 13-6, at halftime, and Western Kentucky, 14-3, at halftime.

O’Brien said they have to adjust faster schematically. He said there’s no excuse, no finger-pointing, and that it ultimately falls on him. At the same time, he believes adjusting a few elements could pay dividends.

“Get a better crowd in there earlier, get the music earlier better,” O’Brien said. “There was like a song with a violin. We’re getting ready to play a football game. So I’m going to take charge of that pregame music at BC. Let’s get the fans in there a little bit earlier and, most importantly, let’s get our team bringing more juice and being ready to go right from the start.”

Tight end Jeremiah Franklin said the coaches have emphasized warming up with purpose so the first drive isn’t the first time they’re getting hit that day.

Defensive end George Rooks said the Eagles are a hard-hitting team, so they need to find that energy from the start.

“Last game, we didn’t come out as fast as we wanted to,” Rooks said. “This game, we will.”

2. Strong surges

The flip side is that BC has responded convincingly in each of the last two games. The Eagles outscored the Spartans, 17-6, after halftime, then the Hilltoppers, 14-3, to steal a 21-20 win.

O’Brien credited the players and coaches for making halftime tweaks.

“Most of the time it’s just about getting everyone on the same page,” running back Kye Robichaux said.

A strong second half allowed defensive back Victor Nelson and his BC teammates to walk off victorious against Western Kentucky last week.

The defense has allowed just 26 total points in the second half, compared with 53 in the first. That includes 6 points against Michigan State and 3 against Western Kentucky.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have the third-best run defense grade (93.5) in the nation. They also have the third-best scoring defense in the ACC, with a knack for wearing teams down with their depth and relentlessness.

Against the Hilltoppers, Kam Arnold’s interception and Donovan Ezeiruaku’s strip-sack paved the way for a comeback.

“Coming out of halftime, we make those adjustments and go out there and execute our game plan,” linebacker Daveon Crouch said.

3. Ezeiruaku’s brilliance

Ezeiruaku, a senior defensive end who’s emerging as a national star, leads all FBS players with 8 sacks. He’s third in FBS and first in the ACC in tackles for loss (9½) and first nationally in tackles among defensive linemen (33).

He’s starting to generate significant buzz among scouts, many of whom peg him as a potential first- or second-round NFL draft pick. Whether he’s doing damage himself or setting others up to make plays, Ezeiruaku has been the MVP on defense so far.

“We just need to keep on feeding off his energy,” Rooks said.

Ezeiruaku recorded 14 tackles (4 for loss) and 3 sacks against the Hilltoppers. Without his heroics, there’s a good chance the Eagles would have lost.

Franklin, who sometimes goes up against Ezeiruaku in practice, said the most difficult part of blocking him is that he knows what the opposing player is doing before it happens.

“It’s hard to get him just with one person,” Franklin said. “Honestly, I just pray that I get some help.”

4. Depth at wide receiver

Castellanos and James have the luxury of throwing to a variety of talented pass-catchers.

Eleven Eagles have caught a pass this season, four have at least 120 receiving yards, and five have two touchdowns.

“We have a lot of good guys in that room,” O’Brien said. “We have to do as good a job as we can as coaches of spreading the ball around and making sure they understand how valuable each one of them are.”

5. The big picture

BC already has earned an Associated Press top 25 ranking for the first time since 2018. Reaching eight-plus wins for the first time since 2009 is an attainable goal.

ACC teams are a combined 52-25 this season, so it won’t be easy. At the same time, it’s clear the Eagles have the ingredients.

“Coach [Bill] Parcells says you are what your record says you are,” O’Brien said. “Whatever that means, you guys determine that. What I try to do is get better every day.”