Boston College Uses 17-Point Third Quarter to Beat Virginia, 27-24

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Boston College (2-3, 1-2) closed the first month of the season at home vs. the Virginia Cavaliers (0-5, 0-2). It was an important game for both teams in the league standings. The Eagles have had the upper hand in this series with six wins in seven outings. The last time the two programs met was in 2020. This is the second straight season that BC has started 1-3, and the fifth time since 2011. Virginia on the other hand is starting 0-4 for the first time since 1982. The Cavaliers were looking to snap a seven-game losing streak that dates back to last year. Four of the seven losses have come against conference foes.

Heading into this contest, Eagles QB Thomas Castellanos was ranked 24th in the country with 66 points. He came into the game with 11 touchdowns, eight in the air, and three on the ground. The offense ranks 62nd in the nation in total offense with 401.8 yards a game. They have surpassed 400 yards in their last three games. They were up against a Virginia defense that was allowing 418.5 yards a game, which was 109th in the country. Virginia freshman QB Anthony Colandrea is averaging 311 yards a game through the air in his last three games, all starts. He came into the game ranked second in the ACC in yards per completion (14.65) and third in yards per pass attempt (9.05). The Eagles’ defense. which was 68th in the country in pass defense (228 yards), had their hands full.

Boston College won the toss and decided to defer to the second half so Virginia got the ball to start the game. The game was on at Alumni Stadium. In a bit of a surprise, Tony Muskett started at quarterback. He is returning after being injured in the season opener late in the fourth quarter at Tennessee. It did not take long for Muskett to get back in the groove. He took the Cavaliers down the field to pay dirt. Muskett was 4-of-5 on the drive which was 10 plays long. He found his receivers through the air. Two completions to Malachi Fields and one to Malik Washington (30 straight games with a catch). The touchdown came on a 5-yard pass to a wide-open Mike Hollins (3rd of the season) to outraced BC defenders to the end zone. It was 7-0 Virginia with 10:25 left in the quarter. After an exchange of punts, BC started their second drive at the Cavaliers’ 38-yard line following a 25-yard punt return by Lewis Bond. The drive went nowhere as the Cavaliers defense came up with an interception of Castellanos by Dre Walker, his first of the season. The quarter would end with Virginia up 7-0. The Eagles run game was slow to get going for only three yards on five carries.

Boston College started the second quarter with the ball and on a bit of a drive. That drive was also stopped by the second interception of the day from Castellanos, this time Josh Ahern did the honors and returned it 17 yards to the Eagles 37-yard line. The Cavaliers turned that turnover into their second TD of the game. Muskett hit two big passes. First, a 14-yard pass to Fields on the left side. Then, an 18-yard strike to Washington in the right corner of the end zone, 14-0 Virginia with 12:11 to play in the half. For Washington, the catch was his fourth TD of the year. The Eagles had worked to get back in this one. With 1:32 left in the half, the offense started to get some traction. They got help with two pass interference calls, and a 34-yard completion to Bond who broke two tackles down the right sideline to get to the Cavaliers’ 6-yard line. Two plays later, Pat Garwo bullied his way into the end zone from two yards out and BC was on the board at 14-7 with 47 seconds left in the half. For Garwo, the TD was his first of the year. Virginia got the ball back, and instead of running out the clock, the Cavaliers went down the field in 41 seconds. The six-play, 80-yard drive was finished by a Muskett to Fields TD pass in the back right of the end zone. For Fields, it was his first TD catch of the season. Virginia went to the locker room with a 21-7 lead.

Virginia finished the half with 267 yards of total offense. 218 of those yards through the air. Muskett was 16-of-21, with three touchdowns in his return to the lineup. BC could only muster 120 yards themselves with two big turnovers from Castellanos. Boston College got the ball to start the third quarter. BC kept the ball on the ground and moved the ball into Cavaliers territory. The drive would stall, and the Eagles would settle for a 42-yard FG by Liam Connor. With 9:47 left in the third, it was now 21-10 Virginia. After a Virginia punt, BC was back in scoring mode. A penalty for kick interference helped get it started. A handoff to Alex Boome who went off right tackle down the sideline for 39-yards. It set up a Castellanos to Joseph Griffin TD pass of four yards and the Eagles were back to within four at 21-17. The Eagles defense came up with their first turnover of the game. Muskett was picked off by Elijah Jones, his first of the year. That turnover would result in points on the ninth play of the drive when Castellanos hit Bond on the right side and he outraced everyone into the endzone for a 34-yard touchdown, his fifth of the year. For the first time all day, the Eagles had the lead at 24-21, scoring 17 unanswered points in the quarter.

With the lead starting the fourth quarter, the Eagles defense needed stops if they were to pick up win number one in the league. A scary moment early in the fourth as BC wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe collided with Cavalier defensive back Malcolm Greene in the left flat. Greene would be able to walk off and into the Virginia locker room. However, O’Keefe would need to be carted off the field on a stretcher. After that moment passed. The Eagles running game committed the third turnover of the game. Garwo fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Virginia’s CB Sam Westfall, his first recovery of the year. With eleven minutes left Virginia had a chance to retake the lead. Although that led to nothing, the Cavaliers defense came up with their fourth turnover of the game. A pass caught by Griffin over the middle was fumbled and recovered by FS Jonas Sanker The fumble was caused by Coen King. The result of that turnover was a 44-yard FG by Will Bettridge to tie the game at 24-24 with 7:10 to play.

The Eagles moved the ball down the field, running the ball nine times. They successfully went for it on a fourth and short. The drive ended with a 42-yard FG by Connor. With 2:11 left BC had a 27-24 lead. With one timeout left, Virginia started at their own 28-yard line. The Boston College defense came up with a much-needed stop as a fourth-down pass by Muskett was incomplete. The Eagles ran out the clock and picked up their first league win and first against an FBS school 27-24 over Virginia.

After the game head coach Jeff Haffley had no update on Ryan O’Keefe. He thought his defense “was in control from the second quarter, except for the hail mary at the end of the first half.” He really liked that his defense gave up only 38 total yards in the second half. However, he was not all pleased with the four turnovers for the game. WR Lewis Bond, who had his first 100-yard receiving day as an Eagle (7 catches for 104 yards and 1TD), believes this is a good offense, and thinks he is tough to bring down one-on-one. On Saturday, Bond had 88 yards after the catch to make his point. QB Thomas Castellanos (16-of-26, 183 yards 2TD, 2 INT, 16 carries for 78 yards) thought the second-half running game opened up passing lanes for him to throw through.

Next week Boston College is on the road with a noon time game on Saturday at Army.