BC football finishes on winning note in regular-season finale vs. Pittsburgh

"There’s no quit in Boston College football. We don’t use that word here.”

BC quarterback Grayson James (No. 14) celebrates after running back Kye Robichaux (No. 5) plows into the end zone for a second-quarter touchdown in the Eagles' 34-23 triumph over Pittsburgh at Alumni Stadium. Barry Chin/Globe Staff

By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe

November 30, 2024

4 minutes to read

Stuck in a slump in late October, in danger of letting their season unravel entirely, members of the Boston College football team vowed to redeem themselves and finish on a winning note.

Statement victories over Syracuse and North Carolina shifted the momentum, and a 34-23 triumph over Pittsburgh on Saturday cemented what the Eagles started.

For a program searching for a breakthrough, the 2024 regular season was a major step in the right direction. The Eagles (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) still have room to grow to vault into the upper echelon of the conference in years to come. But powering past the Panthers (7-5, 3-5) — in a pivotal game they might have lost in previous seasons — showed the Eagles are trending in the right direction.

“They stuck with it,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said. “They never quit. There’s no quit in Boston College football. We don’t use that word here.”

The Eagles averaged 35 points per game during a 3-1 November and racked up six wins at home for the first time since 2009.

BC clinched its first seven-win regular season since 2018 and has a chance to secure its first eight-win season since 2009 with a bowl win.

“I’m very proud today to have a chance to possibly win eight games, which hasn’t been done in a long time,” O’Brien said. “I’m just proud to be associated with Boston College football.”

The BC defense was sharp early, consistently swarming Pittsburgh quarterback Nate Yarnell and forcing him into quick decisions. Donovan Ezeiruaku (10 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hits) and Joe Marinaro combined for a sack, which led to a punt and set up a 36-yard touchdown run from junior running back Jordan McDonald moments later.

McDonald, who has masterfully complemented starter Kye Robichaux late in the season, burst up the middle and took off. A bad snap on the extra point kept it at 6-0 — a lead the Eagles took into the second quarter after holding Pitt to 56 net total yards in the first.

BC quarterback Grayson James (No. 14) celebrates with running back Kye Robichaux (No. 5) after his gritty 2-yard touchdown run gave the Eagles a 13-0 lead in the second quarter. – Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Following another BC stop, junior quarterback Grayson James found 6-foot-5-inch deep threat Reed Harris for a 53-yard reception. Robichaux then ran it in from 2 yards out to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead with 6:35 left in the half. Robichaux, a senior, has now scored at least one touchdown in six straight games, including six in the last four contests.

Pitt answered with an 11-yard TD pass from Yarnell to Gavin Bartholomew. The Panthers had a chance to take the lead late in the half, but Neto Okpala and Ty Clemons changed the complexion in one fluid swoop.

Okpala rocked Yarnell and forced a wobbly throw. Clemons, a 6-3, 273-pound defensive lineman, intercepted the pass and rumbled 55 yards to the house with 33 seconds left in the half. Clemons celebrated with the BC students — who continued to make their presence felt, even on Thanksgiving weekend — as the Eagles snatched momentum back in an instant.

“I was screaming my head off,” Ezeiruaku said. “I think I had a headache after because I was yelling so much.”

The pick-6 was the first by a BC defensive lineman since Nick Larkin in 2007, and the return was the longest by an Eagles defensive lineman since Mathias Kiwanuka in 2004. BC, which entered Saturday tied for ninth in the nation with 15 interceptions, provided perhaps its most scintillating takeaway yet in a season full of them.

Ben Sauls connected on a 57-yard field goal as time expired for Pitt, but BC still held a 20-10 edge after a largely productive first half. James finished the half 9 for 11 for 151 yards, and the Eagles limited the Panthers to 34 net rushing yards.

Pitt chipped away in the third, as Bartholomew’s 5-yard TD reception made it 20-17 Eagles with 7:50 left in the quarter.

BC answered with an eight-play, 83-yard drive, capped by an acrobatic 28-yard TD reception by Harris on a third-and-20 heave from James.

The Eagles took their 27-17 edge into the fourth quarter and continued to make life difficult for Yarnell.

Pittsburgh went for it on fourth and 2 from its own 39 and Quintayvious Hutchins helped BC secure the stop with 11:09 remaining. James then found Lewis Bond on fourth and 5, which led to a 15-yard TD dagger from James (20 for 28, 253 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) to tight end Kamari Morales with 4:57 remaining. His six touchdown receptions matched Sean Ryan (2003) for the most by a BC tight end since 1996.

James, who has consistently improved since replacing Thomas Castellanos, continues to inject life into the offense.

“He’s been the same person since I’ve known him,” Morales said. “Calm, cool, collected.”

Konata Mumpfield added a 15-yard TD reception with 3:59 left for Pitt, but the outcome had already been decided.

The Eagles, who have had trouble putting teams away at times this season, buried the Panthers when they had the opportunity.

“That’s what Coach has always talked about, putting people away when you have the chance to,” James said.

The Eagles will find out their bowl opponent next Sunday. They’ll shift their focus soon, but for now, they’ll cherish this signature victory on Senior Day.

“The culture of this team is unmatched,” James said. “Everybody’s excited to go out there and play for each other. There’s no egos. Everybody just goes out there and wants to win for BC football.”