Boston College (5-3, 2-2) victories haven't always been pretty. Far from it. Three of their five wins have come by a combined nine points. But the Eagles have found ways to hunker down when the game is on the line. They are finishing off opponents with an Earth-moving ground attack on defense (often bent, hardly breaking) and are coming up with opportune plays on defense when the game is on the line.
The Eagles are one win from becoming bowl eligible, with the final four games of the season providing a true test. Boston College is two wins away from a guaranteed winning season and three wins away from their first eight-victory season since going 9-5 in the 2009 season. Four more wins and...well, let's settle on taking it one game at a time and let a punishing ground game do the talking.
Run, run, and run the rock
The 2023 season for the Boston College Eagles has seen the revival of a storied rushing attack. Through eight games, the ground game has accounted for over 1700 yards and 17 touchdowns. This is the same program that struggled to gain even three yards a carry (2.1, to be exact) in 2022.
This success starts up front, where a steady and healthy offensive line has done serious damage. Their collective play has paved the way for Boston College to rush for 214.5 yards per game, tops in the ACC and 10th-best in the country.
The unit has also allowed only eight sacks and they have mostly figured out the penalties that hampered the Eagles during their 1-3 start.
Boston College has used a balanced effort in the backfield, with the depth of the running back room coming into play often through eight games.
Rising up the depth chart has been transfer Kye Robichaux. Robichaux was thrust into action early, with injuries to Patrick Garwo III and Alex Broome. After a quiet spell at the beginning of this winning streak, Robichaux has risen mightily in the last two games.
Both these games were 100+ yard efforts for the junior, totaling 277 yards on 44 carries, with four touchdowns to his credit.
Overall, Robichaux leads the running backs with 495 yards and six touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry.
Garwo has been in and out of the lineup, appearing in five games. When he's been healthy, Garwo is seeing the success seen two years ago. The graduate has 270 yards and a touchdown this season.
Broome is also coming along in recent weeks and has 204 yards rushing, coming off an 80-yard effort against the Connecticut Huskies.
The running backs have been great but the player with the most rushing yards is quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Castellanos jumped in during week one and hasn't relinquished the starting position yet. He's put the Eagles on his back at times and leads the team with 673 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Castellanos has provided an added dimension to this offense, allowing the passing game to thrive in moments, with adequate room to improve.
Boston College's passing game
The Eagles have a true dual threat with Castellanos and helped Boston College to be much improved on offense in '23. The sophomore quarterback continues to grow as a passer and displayed improved pocket presence (out of necessity) in the second half against the Huskies.
A completion percentage of 58.5 can be better, with Castellanos missing on a couple throws each game. But there have been plenty of dropped passes by his teammates, helping contribute to frustration, especially at times when the team is driving and ultimately stalls out.
Castellanos has passed for 1549 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with seven interceptions.
Castellanos has found opportunities to spread the ball around, too. Lewis Bond has slowed in recent weeks, with only eight catches over the last three games. On the season, he leads the team with 31 catches, 437 yards, and five touchdowns.
More opportunities for others have been part of Bond's dip but so, too, has the neck injury to Ryan O'Keefe. With O'Keefe out, opponents have placed more focus on stopping Bond.
O'Keefe was injured on September 30 in a victory over Virginia. The transfer had just begun to find a rhythm with the Eagles and has 23 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown.
Joe Griffin has been steady in '23 with 21 receptions, 261 yards, and a score, while Jaden Williams has been the deep threat for the Eagles. Though Williams has only nine receptions, the speedy junior is averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.
In the victory over Georgia Tech, Castellanos and the Eagles made a concerted effort to get tight ends George Takacs and Jeremiah Franklin involved. That took a backseat against UConn with Takacs missing the game. Combined, the two have only 11 catches so far this season.
Plenty of receivers have been seeing action but the next big thing could be ready to breakout in freshman Jaedn Skeete. Skeete played in his second game of the season against the Huskies, hauling in four passes for 61 yards. It will be interesting to see if Skeete's appearances end at four games, keeping his freshman status in check, or if he plays out the season and brings to the table another talented player to add to the passing game mix.
Powered by the rushing attack, Boston College's offense is doing enough to win games and is buoyed by defense finding the right time to make huge stops.
Veteran players bringing leadership
By no means spectacular or excellent, the defense has been better during the four-game winning streak than unsteady performances during the 1-3 start.
Defense against the rush could be better, and there is still a propensity for giving up the big play, but Boston College has buckled down when needed.
And improving. Constantly improving.
The Eagles give up 28.4 points per game (a number skewed from allowing 56 against Louisville). Opponents rush for 164.5 yards per game and pass for 199.8. The total yards allowed per game currently ranks 58th in the FBS.
One of the reasons for success for the Eagles is holding opponents to 39.6 percent on third-down conversions. Ten sacks and nine turnovers leave a little something to be desired but when Boston College does get a notch in one of these categories, it's perfect timing to end a game or something great happens.
A top line of defensive players is led by four veterans of the unit. Defensive back Elijah Jones has three of the team's four interceptions. Jones is a constant presence in the secondary and is among the best in the nation in pass breakups.
Vinny DePalma leads the team in tackles with 58 and fellow linebacker Kam Arnold is third with 38. Toss in Donovan Ezeiruaku (34 tackles, two sacks) and the Eagles have a veteran presence in each area on the defensive side of the ball.
Ezeiruaku has plenty of help up front, including Neto Okpala and Shitta Sillah. Both have two sacks and Okpala has four quarterback hits and a forced fumble to his credit.
John Pupel has also been a welcome addition to the top tier of the defense, checking in with 50 tackles and three tackles for loss. Amari Jackson, after a solid close to 2022, has built upon that and is growing closer to being a star with each game.
Tightening things up is a must for this already steady defense. Signs are already there and now it's simply about playing four good quarters each game for the next four weeks.
Final four games
Rarely is anything a given in college football games. Yes, there are matchups easier to determine than others, but even then, games find ways to surprise.
Boston College has a road ahead in which they could go 4-0 or 0-4 or anywhere in-between. Hopes are they can (and should) go at least 2-2 to finish the regular season with a 7-5 record.
First up is a game at Syracuse (4-4, 0-4), who enters the game on a four-game losing streak. The Orange scored only 34 points during this slump. Two of their opponents have been ranked, however, with their last three opponents carrying a combined 18-6 record. This includes a 41-3 thrashing at the hands of Florida State.
A home game with Virginia Tech is on November 11, followed by a Thursday trip to Pittsburgh. The Panthers have struggled to a 2-6 record but they do own a 38-21 victory over Louisville. After a 1-4 start, Pittsburgh benched former Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
The Eagles wrap up the regular season hosting the Miami Hurricanes on 11/24. The Hurricanes currently sit at 6-2, with a loss to Georgia Tech earlier this year.
No easy stretch but as seen this season, Boston College has found ways to win those close games they've almost become accustomed to losing the last few years. In 2023, things are bouncing more Boston College's way. And with a powerful running game and veteran defensive players, a winning season could very well be in the cards.
Image credit: Flickr
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