Boston College defeats Louisville 38-20 on home coming weekend

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Boston College defeats Louisville 38-20

Head Coach Steve Addazio called it a “BC win”. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage which helped the Eagles to produce a running attack that featured two 100 yards backs. The defense held the Louisville ground attack to less than 50 yards for the game. An average of 1.5 yards a rush. A contributing moment from the Eagles special teams was a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown. All in all, a good homecoming day at the Heights, as Boston College (5-2, 2-1 in the ACC) defeated the Louisville Cardinals ( 2-5, and 0-4) 38-20.

For the Eagles, third down had become a problem over the past three weeks. BC had given up 26-of-41 third-down conversions, while the offense was 14-for-34 themselves. It was a point of emphasis in practice this week.

Something else for the Eagles was absent for the second week in a row. Star running back, A.J. Dillon was out with a high-1ankle sprain. Addazio is hopeful that with a bye week on the way for his team, Dillon will make his return to the Eagles offense when they play next at home vs Miami.

In the meantime, the running game looked and performed just fine as the BC running attack produced. Ben Glines and true freshman David Bailey (28 carries for 112 yards and a score) both finished with hundred yards days. Each also contributed a touchdown apiece. The Eagles offense gained over 400 yards for the game, including 251 yards on the ground.

The defense was not too shabby either ending the day with seven sacks. They pressure Cardinals quarterbacks all day long with blitz packages that were very effective.

Pressure on the Louisville QB and @Raywyatt5 brings him down to force a three-and-out!#WeAreBC🦅 pic.twitter.com/zKHh8i026r

— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) October 13, 2018

Boston College jumped out to a 14-0 lead as the Eagles scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the game. On the first drive, Eagles quarterback Anthony Brown (16- 27, 179 yards, one touchdown) hit Hunter Long for a 26-yard touchdown pass. For Long, it was his second TD catch of the season.

7-0 Eagles.

After a Cardinal punt, the Eagles were at it again. This time using a little trickery as the key play in the scoring drive. A flea-flicker completion from Brown to Michael Walker covered 42 yards and set up Glines (17 rushes 107 yards, and a touchdown) for a 26-yard touchdown run. With nine minutes left in the first quarter, Boston College was up by two scores.

As quickly as BC took the lead, they gave it back. Back to back turnovers helped Louisville to get back into the contest. A Glines fumble recovered by Dorian Ethridge set Louisville up deep in Eagles territory. It would pay off for their first score of the game as running back Malik Cunningham took it in from a yard out to put the Cardinals on the board. The extra point was blocked.

14- 6 Boston College.

On the ensuing kickoff, Walker fumbled the football and Cardinals special team member Quen Head pounced on it. A Few plays later, Louisville was back in the end zone thanks to a three-yard run by Hassan Hall. The extra point was good, the Cardinals down one 14-13.

End of the 1st: BC 14, UL 13

📺 https://t.co/vThaWCGd3i (@NESN)
📻 https://t.co/myn8KkDreD pic.twitter.com/he4eSAngw8

— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) October 13, 2018

In the second quarter, the Cardinals took their first lead of the afternoon. Quarterback, Jawon Pass, found Blanton Creque for a three-yard score and Louisville was now in front 20-13 with nine and a half minutes left before halftime. The drive covered nine plays and went 73 yards.

Special teams over the first half of the season have been a problem for Boston College. On Saturday, it was a strength. The Eagles defense was able to pin Louisville deep in their own end of the field. It forced a punt that was blocked by Nolan Borgersen and recovered in the end zone by Travis Levy. It gave the Eagles back the lead at 21-20.

🎥 Borgersen up the middle with the block and Levy with the recovery in the end zone to give BC the lead!#WeAreBC🦅 pic.twitter.com/bgSWmJlPDM

— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) October 13, 2018

They would add to their advantage, on a 38 yard FG, by Colton Lichtenberg with four seconds left in the half. It sent Boston College off to the locker room up 24-20.

The third quarter was quiet as neither team did much with the football.. The best chance either team had was an Eagles march deep into Louisville’s end of the field with the help of Bailey. The true freshman was eating up chunks of yardages in the second half. He became a nice change of pace to Glines. The Cardinals defense was still engaged, as they would stop BC’s running attack for the moment on a fourth and one. A handoff to Bailey was stuffed by the front seven of the Cardinals defense. We headed to the fourth, with the Eagles still up by four.

Boston College put the game away in the final period of play. First, Bailey finished off his terrific second-half showing by taking the ball over the goal line from a yard out. The score was Bailey’s second of the season.

31-20 Boston College.

Later in the quarter, Jeff Smith took a handoff from Brown and scooted five yards around the left side into the left corner of the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the year. The key play in this drive also came from the ground game. Glines took the ball and went right down the sideline for a 41 yard gain. That put him over the hundred yard barrier for the second time this season. The touchdown gave BC the final margin of victory 38-20.

Addazio praised his offensive line after the game saying they played “tough up front”. These thoughts were echoed by Brown as well who also said this team has a “ton of confidence vs Miami”.

On defense, Zack Allen was asked about comments made by the Cardinals team calling BC “a slow team”. Allen thought his team and the defensive unit did a great job of proving that to be wrong.

Boston College now has a week off to get healthy for their next opponent the Miami Hurricanes. The Coach thinks Dillon could be back for that game which would be huge for the team. What is also is big for this group is being one win away from being bowl eligibility again.

The Miami game is set for Friday night, October 26, at 7 pm.