California beats Boston College 28-24 on late score

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA — In a contest that was equal parts thrilling football and heartbreaking drama, the Boston College Eagles suffered a gut-wrenching 28-24 defeat to the California Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Alumni Stadium. The Eagles (1-3, 0-2 ACC) came out firing, but a late-game surge by the Golden Bears (4-1, 1-0 ACC) and a final, fateful interception delivered a crushing blow to BC in their ACC home opener.

The game marked only the second all-time meeting between the two schools, with California evening the series that was last played back in 1996. For the Bears, it was a successful beginning to their league schedule.

An Explosive Start for Boston College

The atmosphere was electric, and the Eagles immediately fed off it. After the Golden Bears won the toss and deferred, the BC offense marched down the field with impressive efficiency. Quarterback Dylan Lonergan orchestrated a 12-play, 84-yard drive, converting 6-of-8 passes for 65 yards before capping the drive himself with a 7-yard touchdown run off the right tackle. The Eagles took a quick 7-0 lead with 8:56 left in the first quarter.

The defense quickly generated another spark. On California’s first possession, QB Jefron-Keewe Sagapolutele’s pass over the middle was intercepted by safety Omar Thornton—his first of the season. Two plays later, running back Turbo Richards showcased the power and burst the BC run game has been desperate for, breaking free off right tackle for a 27-yard touchdown run.

Before the halfway mark of the first quarter, the Eagles had stunned the undefeated Bears, leading 14-0. The 14 points were notable as they marked the first points allowed by the stingy California defense all season.

Bears Claw Back to Even the Score

California quickly settled down, establishing its running game on its next drive. A methodical 11-play, 75-yard drive—featuring nine rushing plays—was finished by a 1-yard plunge from LJ Johnson to cut the deficit to 14-7.

The Bears carried that momentum into the second quarter. Sagapolutele found his rhythm, going a perfect 7-for-7 for 50 yards on a drive that ate over nine minutes off the clock. Aided by two Eagles penalties, the Bears eventually punched it in on a 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jacob De Jesus, who had 5 catches to that point. With 3:41 left in the half, the score was tied at 14-14.

Just before halftime, the Eagles clawed back the lead. Kicker Luca Lombardo connected on a clutch 52-yard field goal to end a 12-play drive, sending BC into the locker room with a slim 17-14 advantage. Lonergan finished the half 12-of-21 for 96 yards, while Sagapolutele was nearly flawless at 9-of-10 for 91 yards, though with the costly early interception. The Eagles were particularly pleased with their improved rushing game, tallying 62 yards on the ground in the first half.

Fourth Quarter Fury and Series-Defining Plays

The third quarter proved to be a defensive stalemate, ending scoreless. But the fourth quarter was a chaotic sequence of momentum swings.

The Eagles’ defense delivered a monumental stop on the first play of the fourth quarter, stuffing a California 4th-and-1 attempt from the BC 2-yard line. However, the ensuing relief was short-lived. Lonergan’s pass was intercepted by CB Hazekiah Masses, who returned it 22 yards to the BC 2-yard line. Bears running back Kendrick Raphael took it in on the next play, giving California its first lead of the day, 21-17, with 13:47 to play.

The Eagles’ response was immediate and explosive. On the very next possession, Turbo Richards broke through the line and streaked 71 yards down the left sideline for his second touchdown of the day. The run not only put BC back ahead, 24-21, with 13:35 remaining, but it also pushed the team’s rushing total over 100 yards for the first time this season. Richards himself finished the moment with 159 yards, en route to his first 100-yard game of the year.

The defense provided another critical stop later in the quarter, denying a QB keeper on fourth down at the BC 28-yard line, giving the Eagles the ball back with 8:11 left to play.

Heartbreak at the Goal Line

After California’s defense forced a punt, the Bears began their final march from their own 12-yard line with 4:48 on the clock. The drive was given new life by a pass interference call on 4th-and-11. On the very next play, Sagapolutele (22-of-34, 254 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) connected with Mason Minn behind the secondary for a stunning 51-yard touchdown pass. Minn raced down the right sideline to give the Golden Bears the decisive 28-24 lead with just 1:30 left in the game.

With one last chance, Lonergan led a desperate, final drive. He connected twice with tight end Kaelan Chudzinski, and a clutch 4th-and-11 catch by Lewis Bond (7 receptions, 77 yards) kept the Eagles alive. With 23 seconds left, Lonergan found Reed Harris for a 26-yard gain down to the California 5-yard line.

Facing second-and-goal from the 5, Lonergan attempted a quick pass, but never saw linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who intercepted the pass at the goal line. Ferrelli returned it to the 2-yard line, allowing the Golden Bears to kneel out the clock for the road victory.

Post-Game Reflection

Despite the loss, head coach Bill O’Brien focused on positives, noting the strong play of the offensive line (178 rushing yards total) and moments of good execution by the defense.

“We have things to work out,” O’Brien stated.

Running back Turbo Richards echoed the sentiment of missed opportunities, saying the team “needs to eliminate the small things” and focus on clean football. Defensive leader Bryce Steele was more direct: “We need to learn how to stop beating ourselves. We need to learn how to take care of ourselves before we can beat someone else.”

The Eagles will now regroup and get back to work on Sunday, preparing for an ACC road game next Saturday afternoon against Pittsburgh.