0:00 EPISODE TIMELINE
0:35 Golfing
2:30 Hockey/basketball background
6:20 Managing playing several sports growing up
7:30 Always tall?
8:33 Playing hockey at that size
9:53 When did hockey become serious?
11:16 Which players did Dean look up to?
12:27 When did college hockey become an option?
15:34 Decision to decommit from Northeastern and go to BC
18:19 PrizePicks
19:48 Experience being scouted
22:21 Experience getting drafted
24:59 Was BC always the plan for 2024/25?
26:22 Adjustments from prep to college hockey
28:11 Handling being lower on the lineup at BC
30:23 Staying patient in development path
31:47 Bonding Bruins prospects on the BC roster
32:33 What do you wish you knew in year 1?
33:14 Thanks for watching!

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The post Dean Letourneau on Growing Up Huge & Managing Expectations | Bruins Beat appeared first on CLNS Media.

Boston College WR Zay Flowers has been shooting up draft boards and has impressed at Shrine Bowl practices thus far. With the Patriots coaching staff leading those practices, many fans are hoping they will take the local product on day two of the draft.

Just talked to Zay Flowers. He said he loves living in Boston (“maybe I could be back”). Doesn’t see himself as a scheme-specific player and believes his versatility will allow him to play anywhere. Added “I can route-run with the best of them.”

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 28, 2023

Mike Kadlick and Alex Barth of Patriots Beat both like Flowers as a prospect and can see scenarios where he ends up in New England. Ultimately though, they don’t think the Patriots will select him.

“I’ve loved Zay Flowers for the last two or three years,” said Kadlick. “He’s an elite route runner, he’s quick twitch. I saw film breakdown the other day, and he kind of reminded me of Antonio Brown. He’s a stud, he jumps off the page.”

The #Patriots will be coaching up former Boston College WR Zay Flowers at the @ShrineBowl in February ?

He has the tools to excel in the NFL. Will New England take a chance on him?@PatriotsCLNS | @NowOnAirr pic.twitter.com/pZRtgNQCcc

— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) January 19, 2023

Though Flowers has a few concerns, mainly size, the talent is clearly present on film. The issue comes from where the Patriots are picking. At #46 overall, they think that’s too premium a spot to take the 5’10 receiver if the WR room around him doesn’t get a major boost.

“If they use a second round pick on Zay Flowers, you’re really asking a lot out of him,” said Barth. “You need a quick slot receiver in Bill O’Brien’s offense, and [Flowers] can fit that, I just don’t know he’s that guy dictating coverage.”

The Patriots also have the opportunity to trade for a receiver rather than try to draft and develop a prospect, whether that’s someone like Jerry Jeudy or, less realistically, Mike Evans.

“[The Patriots] haven’t developed these guys, and it’s a copycat league,” said Kadlick. “These guys go out and trade for your AJ Brown or Tyreek Hill or Stefon Diggs. It makes too much sense.”

Barth added that if they can find a way to land Evans without giving up their second-round pick, then the Patriots are in a great spot to take Flowers. “If you can add Zay Flowers to him, now we’re cooking with gas,” he said.

Zay Flowers’ first route of the week pic.twitter.com/ToCbrdUxAp

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 29, 2023

No matter which route the Patriots go, they need a boost at receiver. The kid from Boston College could help them out, but maybe not at the price of a mid-second round selection.

The post Should The Patriots Draft Zay Flowers? appeared first on CLNS Media.

Phil Jerkovec, a redshirt junior, announced last December that he would not yet declare for the NFL draft – instead opting to come back to Chestnut Hill for another year:

Jerkovec, who transferred from Notre Dame and has dealt with injury throughout his lengthy college career, seems to finally have the stability he needs heading into his third year at BC.

The Eagles went 6-6 last year and were supposed to play in the Military Bowl against East Carolina – but the game was canceled due to COVID. I wrote a preview on the game (read HERE), and naturally picked BC to win and predicted Jerkovec would have a day.

The kid is good, and according to our exclusive gambling partners at BetOnline.ag, he’s in the conversation to be the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are their odds:

Number One Overall Pick – 2023 NFL Draft

CJ Stroud                                    +200

Bryce Young                                +250

Will Anderson                             +300

Paris Johnson                             +900

Tyler Van Dyke                          +1600

Jaxon Smith-Njigba                  +1600

Phil Jerkovec                            +1600

Spencer Rattler                          +1800

The first two names on this list, CJ Stroud (+200), and Bryce Young (+250), are the two best quarterbacks in college football. Stroud has the shortest odds to win the Heisman according to BetOnline, with +325 odds to win the trophy. Young is third at 7/1.

Young’s teammate, linebacker Will Anderson, is the first non-QB on the list with 3/1 odds to go number one. Anderson is the nucleus of the Alabama defense. He led the nation in sacks last season with 17.5 and recorded 57 solo tackles.

South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler is, shockingly, on this list. The former Oklahoma Sooner was projected to be the number 1 pick last season – but spiraled miserably with Lincoln Riley in Norman before being benched for Caleb Williams. Taking Rattler at 18/1 is charity.

I ultimately think Bryce Young at +250 is the best bet here. The Crimson Tide are due for a national championship, and he’ll be in the spotlight every week.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston sports news!

Also be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

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The post Boston College Quarterback Phil Jerkovec in Conversation to be Number One Pick in 2023 NFL Draft appeared first on CLNS Media.

The game will kick off at 2:30pm from the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, and be broadcast on ESPN.

See you soon, Annapolis! pic.twitter.com/OkrNB7I5S2

— BC Football (@BCFootball) December 5, 2021

Here are the odds for Monday’s Military bowl, thanks to our friends over at BetOnline.ag:

Odds

Spread: Boston College -3

Total: 53

Moneyline: BC -145/East Carolina +125

Storylines

Boston College had themselves an up-and-down season in 2021, going 6-6 and finishing last in the ACC’s Atlantic division. The Eagles started the season 4-0 – but after losing quarterback Phil Jurkovec to injury early in the season, finished 2-6, going 0-4 in their first four in-conference games.

Jurkovec actually returned to the starting lineup for the teams final four games, going 2-2 over that stretch. Jurkovec announced via Twitter that he will be returning to Chestnut Hill next season:

Let's go!!!!! pic.twitter.com/tteZRGEbfL

— BC Football (@BCFootball) December 6, 2021

Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers had a breakout season, leading the Eagles in catches (44), yards (746) and receiving touchdowns (5). Flowers was third in the ACC with six catches of 40+ yards.

BC coach Jeff Hafley recently agreed to a contract extension through 2026. Hafley actually started his coaching career at WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts as their running backs coach. He also had a tour in the NFL, coaching with the Buccaneers, Browns, and 49ers before making a name for himself with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2019 and signing on as the Eagles main man in 2020.

As for the East Carolina Pirates, they finished the season 7-5 and were riding a four game win streak in the American Athletic Conference before losing their season finale to #4 Cincinnati. Running back Keaton Mitchell led the charge for the Pirates this season, rushing for 1,132 yards and a dominant 6.5 yards per rush. Mitchell was the conferences second leading rusher.

Senior wide receiver Tyler Snead ranked fifth in the AAC in both receiving yards (855) and receptions (67).  He and Mitchell will a problem for BC on Monday.

Prediction/Pick

Did you think I would write about the Eagles and bet against them? Of course not. With Phil Jurkovec confirming he’ll be back in 2022 and coach Hafley signing his extension, the Eagles will want to ride into the offseason with a win – and that’s exactly what they’ll do. BC wins and covers.

Prediction: Boston College 31 – ECU 24

Side: BC -3

Total: OVER 52

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CLNSMedia for the latest up-to-date Boston sports news!

Also be sure to check out our new sports betting Twitter account @CLNSBetting for all the latest odds and content from CLNS Media.

Use code CLNS50 for 50% off your first deposit at Betonline.ag.

The post Boston College vs. East Carolina – Military Bowl Odds, Preview, & Prediction | BetOnline.ag appeared first on CLNS Media.

James Blackman’s pass to D.J. Matthews for 60 yards with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter broke a 24-24 tie and carried the Florida State Seminoles past Boston College, 38-31, Saturday on Senior Day at Alumni Stadium. Jordan Travis’ second touchdown run of the game of 66 yards put the game away with a minute remaining.

The heartbreaking loss drops BC to 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in the ACC while Florida State improves to 5-5 and concludes ACC play 4-4.

Consistently inconsistent: My @CLNSMedia video recap of a backbreaking 38-31 @BCFootball loss to Florida State Saturday at Alumni Stadium. pic.twitter.com/pP88pHPTD3

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 9, 2019

The Eagles got the game off to a promising start, marching 75 yards in 14 plays and jumping out 7-0 when Dennis Grosel found Kobay White for a 17-yard touchdown. Following a 20-yard field goal from Ricky Aguayo, the Eagles made it 14-3 when David Bailey raced 11 yards nearly untouched into the end zone with 5:12 left in the first half.

The Eagles entered Saturday averaging 282.3 yards per game on the ground, good for best rushing attack in the ACC and fifth-best in the country, continued to show that dominance in the first half. BC had 166 yards on 37 carries in the first two quarters, including 92 yards from A.J. Dillon.

Dillon moved into second place in school history with his 19th career 100-yard game, finishing with 165 yards on a career-high 40 carries. Dillon moved into a tie for eighth place in ACC history with the 19 100-yard games, matching Tiki Barber of Virginia. Dillon is now fourth in ACC history with 4,148 yards on the ground, becoming the eighth player in conference history to pass 4,000 rushing yards for a career.

It was the first game for interim head coach Odell Haggins, who assumed duties this week for Willie Taggert, fired after last week’s 27-10 home loss to Miami.

In the first game under Haggins, the Seminoles used a combination of James Blackman and Jordan Travis at quarterback, with a mix of Wildcat thrown in. And the Eagles had their issues with each.

Blackman connected on a 74-yard “Go” route down the right sideline to Tamorrion Terry late in the second quarter that trimmed Boston College’s lead to four, 14-10.

Then, on their first possession of the second half, Travis executed the perfect RPO, outflanking several Boston College defenders, getting to the outside and tip-toeing the right sideline for a 26-yard touchdown that gave Florida State its first lead of the game with 12:24 left in the third quarter.

? https://t.co/DiMUlYXfQS

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) November 9, 2019

Florida State responded with its third consecutive TD drive late in the third when BC continued having trouble tackling. Blackman completed passes of 24 and 26 yards on consecutive plays when BC defenders either missed tackles or over pursued. Cam Akers ran right up the middle from 13 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 Florida State lead.

BC keeps getting gifts like dropped passes and then can’t take advantage. Cam Akers gashes them for TD. Not an inspired second half so far. 24-14 FSU End of 3. pic.twitter.com/etI2MQJsm9

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 9, 2019

The Eagles came back with a Aaron Boumehri field goal and a 1-yard bootleg run by Dennis Grosel that tied the game, 24-24, with 2:33 remaining. Jordan Travis ran a touchdown in from 66 yards to put FSU up, 38-24, before Grosel hit Kobay White from 20 yards out with 14 seconds remaining to make it a one-score game.

Addazio reaction to 38-31 @BCFootball loss: Bad tackling leads to bad loss. pic.twitter.com/bkCZfFmj7f

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 9, 2019

After an off week next week, Boston College finishes the regular season with games at Notre Dame (Nov. 23) and at Pittsburgh on Nov. 30.

The post A.J. Dillon (165 yards, 40 carries) can’t save Boston College in 38-31 loss to Florida State appeared first on CLNS Media.

With redshirt sophomore Dennis Grosel making his first career start in place of the injured Anthony Brown, the Eagles turned to legs of David Bailey and A.J. Dillon to run roughshod over NC State, 45-24, Saturday afternoon before an announced crowd of 30,275 at Alumni Stadium.

A.J. Dillon scorched the Wolfpack for 223 yards on 34 carries and three touchdowns while Bailey ran for 181 yards on 16 carries had touchdown runs of 54 and 48 yards in the second quarter as the Eagles evened their ACC mark at 2-2 on the season and 4-3 overall. BC finished with 429 yards on 60 attempts with five touchdowns and an average of 7.2 yards a carry, the most since 420 yards against NC State on Nov. 16, 2013.

https://youtu.be/9em6ksnuj6o

What made this all the more impressive was it came against the top-ranked run defense in the ACC and the fifth-ranked run defense in the country. The Wolfpack was allowing just 66.7 rushing yards per game on the ground. NC State entered the day allowing 400 yards rushing the entire season over six games.

https://youtu.be/1-SeVvS3abg

The Eagles dominated the Wolfpack on the ground on both sides of the ball, outgaining NC State 234-(minus-4) at the half, and 342-2 through three quarters.

All of this made life very easy on Grosel, who was just 6-of-15 for 103 yards. Grosel came on in relief of Anthony Brown on Oct. 5 in Louisville after Brown left with a season-ending knee injury. Ironically, it was against NC State in 2017 when Brown also suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Grosel managed the game well when pressured, including a key pass to the left flat on third down from his end zone that gave Grant Carlson more room to punt from the end zone.

Grosel’s end-around 11-yard run to the right from the 2-yard line on third-and-10 extended a drive that eventually turned into 16 plays and 98 yards and ended with a Dillon 2-yard touchdown run.

Grosel also found Hunter Long on a 51-yard tight end screen with great downfield blocking from Kobay White that put the Eagles in business at the NC State 7. But a false start led to Aaron Boumerhi pulling a 38-yard attempt wide left.

DB out here slicing up the Pack D. pic.twitter.com/3zyeT0w5IU

— BC Football ? (@BCFootball) October 19, 2019

Boston College posted a pair of impressive goal line stands from the 2 yard line, one coming in the second quarter and the other in the third.

Redshirt junior linebacker Max Richardson (with 10 tackles) had a huge impact on the game. In the first quarter, he applied pressure to the legs of quarterback Bailey Hockman in the Wolfpack end zone, forcing a rushed pass that was picked off by Jason Maitre and returned eight yards for BC’s first score of the day.

Maitre’s first career INT goes for BC’s first defensive score of the season! pic.twitter.com/iOwoeTPLe4

— BC Football ? (@BCFootball) October 19, 2019

Richardson also stood up Jordan Houston at the one yard line on a second quarter red zone threat to help turn away the Wolfpack.

Bailey’s runs of 54 and 48 yards helped the Eagles take a 24-3 halftime lead. They were never threatened in the second half.

The defense stepped up again in the third quarter when the Eagles forced incompletions on third and fourth down from their own 2.

The Eagles nearly did it for a third time later in the quarter but Thayer Thomas caught a 6-yard pass from Devin Leary to give NC State its first touchdown of the game, cutting BC’s lead to 31-10.

The test gets much tougher for Grosel and the Eagles next week as they travel to South Carolina to take on No. 4 ranked and defending national champion Clemson for a Saturday game in primetime.

The post A.J. Dillon (3 TDs) & David Bailey (2 TDs) Help Boston College Run All Over NC State, 45-24 appeared first on CLNS Media.

The Kansas team, coached by former LSU coach Les Miles, came to Boston looking for redemption after scoring just seven points at home in a 12-7 loss to Coastal Carolina last Saturday. Thanks in large part to senior running back Khalil Herbert (11 carries, 187 yards, 1 TD), mission accomplished.

“Obviously, not a very good performance by us. Give a lot of credit to Les Miles and their team. I thought they got their kids to play hard, and I thought they did a great job out there,” BC coach Steve Addazio said.

https://youtu.be/LhsHLj-E09Y

“Obviously, I did not do a good enough job getting our team ready to play tonight. I’m responsible for that and it’s my job to make sure we get that fixed. We’ve got to get back on the tape, find out where our mistakes were, find out where the issues were, get them corrected and get ready to go down to New Jersey (vs. Rutgers) next week and get ready to play another game and that’s where I’m at.”

With the win, Kansas beat an ACC team on the road for the first time since 1980 and captured a road win against a Power-5 school for the first time in 49 tries. BC (2-1), which had posted wins over Virginia Tech and Richmond, will hit the road for the first time next Saturday when they travel to New Jersey and a date with Rutgers of the Big Ten.

What started as the A.J. Dillon highlight reel turned into a Friday the 13th horror feature (Harvest Moon and all) for the Eagle defense. Dillon had 79 yards on 13 carries in the first quarter and finished the first half with 128 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. He was running roughshod over the Jayhawk defense.

.@ajdillon7 can’t be stopped ? pic.twitter.com/GipOzhvqqC

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 14, 2019

Dillon’s 2-yard TD in the first quarter tied him with Andre Williams for third place on the school’s all-time list with 28 rushing touchdowns.

Then it was the Jayhawks who quickly turned the tables on a young Eagles defense that was steamrolled over the final three quarters.

Carter Stanley, who threw a pick to BC safety Medhi El Attrach on Kansas’ first possession, recovered immediately and carved up the Eagles in the first half, completing 13-of-15 for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

With Kansas trailing 17-14, Stanley took over. He vaulted to the BC 19 for a 9-yard gain and a first down. He followed that up with a gutsy head-first charge down to the BC 4.

After showing his athletic running ability, Stanley showed his touch with a fade that eluded a pair of Eagles in the end zone and wound up in the hands of Andrew Parchment with 3:41 left in the first half and somewhat amazingly Kansas was on top, 21-17.

Boston College was clearly having issues keep pace with Kansas’ up-tempo offense, which kick started the Jayhawks after BC claimed an early 10-0 lead.

The Eagles responded with a drive of 73 yards in 10 plays, capped off by a perfect execution of the Philly Special from Super Bowl LII, as CJ Lewis ran around from the left flank, took the handoff and ran around to the right, where Anthony Brown leaked out wide open in the flat for an easy 12 yard touchdown. That score gave BC the lead again at 24-21 and apparent momentum before the half with just 45 seconds left in the half.

.@BCFootball WITH THE PHILLY SPECIAL ? pic.twitter.com/pybMlFCozj

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 14, 2019

But the Eagles surrendered an 82-yard run by Khalil Herbert, a gallop that featured no fewer than five blown tackles by Boston College. The run to the BC 3 set the stage for a fade pass from Carter to Parchment with five seconds left for a touchdown, and a 28-24 Kansas halftime lead.

“Backbreaker. We came back, regained momentum, went up on top, and just, you know, we’re in man coverage. We had a run blitz on. I mean, you literally could see our DB still running, he had to run off the field literally while the guys were running down the field. It was bizarro,” Addazio told me. “But we were in our run blitz, and I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened on that run blitz. When you blitz, you’ve got every gap covered, okay. Every gap’s supposed to have been covered. Apparently it was not. Somebody must not have been in a gap, okay and that was a backbreaker. And they ran the ball, you know, so we’d like to have that back for sure.”

The first drive of the second half featured more of the same for the Kansas offense and BC defense. Herbert’s 28-yard run set up a 24-yard field goal from Liam Jones and it was 31-24. The Jayhawks essentially put the game out of reach when they put together an 87-yard drive in eight plays, highlighted by a Khalil Herbert 36-yard run and a Pooka Williams run up the middle untouched for 12 yards and a touchdown. A Jones 30-yard field goal made it 41-24 Kansas with :35 left in the third quarter and sent many of the 32,848 to the exits before the fourth quarter.

BC drove to the KU 14 but came away empty when Aaron Boumerhi missed wide right from 31 yards with 11:43 remaining. Another stomach punch was an offsides on a Kansas punt with over 10 minutes left. The infraction gave Kansas a new set of downs and BC didn’t get the ball back until 7:53 remained in the game.

The final indignity was a 4th-and-1 BC had at its 48. Needing just over a yard, Dillon got the handoff and was tripped up and fell inches short of the yardage needed, giving Kansas the ball with 6:48 left. Dillon finished with 151 yards on 27 carries.

“Moving forward I think you’re going to see a hungrier team,” Dillon said.

Added Anthony Brown, “I’m going to promise you you’ll never see this again. We won’t let this turn into two (straight losses). You’re going to see a complete 360. You won’t see this same team ever again.”

https://youtu.be/3N0HHu4hwZc

The post Kansas Runs Roughshod Over Boston College, 48-24 In a Friday the 13th Horror Show appeared first on CLNS Media.

Brown, behind new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, was 12-for-20 in the first half for 258 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles piled up 356 yards of total offense in the opening 30 minutes before holding on for a win in the ACC and season opener for both schools.

Titans head coach and former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel was in attendance to watch his son Tyler start at left tackle, protecting Brown’s blind side. Vrabel and the offense line were very effective in giving the red-shirt junior time to make big play after big play in the first half.

Brown hooked up with Zay Flowers on a 33-yard pass down the right sideline on BC’s third possession for the first score of the game and season. Brown also connected with Flowers on a 58-yard pass but that drive stalled when A.J. Dillon was stopped on 4th-and-1 at the Tech 16. Another big Brown pass play, a 56-yarder to Kobay White, went for naught when Aaron Boumehri missed wide right from 38 yards.

Eagles secondary gives up 55-yard bomb from quarterback Ryan Willis to Hezekiah Grimsley to tie the score, 7-7, with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

.@ZayFlowers gets @BCFootball on the board ? pic.twitter.com/krcjwIjV3P

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 31, 2019

Tech took a 14-7 lead when Willis hit Tayvion Robinson on a 20-yard in-cut three and a half minutes into the second quarter. With momentum fully on the side of the visitors, the Eagles needed an answer. They got one when Brown engineered a 9-play, 75-yard drive, capped by A.J. Dillon’s 17-yard run to the outside, breaking an ankle tackle on his way to the end zone. The touchdown tied the game, 14-14.

THE SAUCE @ajdillon7 IS BACK ? pic.twitter.com/VGb1FrbKPw

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 31, 2019

Tate Haynes came on a corner blitz and hit Willis, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Marcus Valdez at the Hokies 28. Three plays later, on third down, Brown continued his red-hot first half with a perfect touch pass of 17 yards lofted to the left corner pylon. Kobay White adjusted to the ball and made a leaping, twisting catch and came down just inside the pylon for the go-ahead score, giving BC a 21-14 lead.

WHAT A THROW.

WHAT A CATCH. @BCFootball is back on ? pic.twitter.com/ENmONM01nP

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 31, 2019

The Eagles got another huge break when Grimsley muffed a punt with 2:23 left before the half and recovered at the Tech 28. Two plays later, Brown executed a perfect RPO and kept the ball, running off the left side untouched for a 28-yard touchdown that made it 28-14 Eagles. The Eagles posted an amazing 356 yards of total offense in the first half.

The Hokies were poised to put a score on the board before the half, marching down to the BC 17 when linebacker Joe Sparacio stepped in front of a Willis pass in the end zone with 10 seconds remaining to end the threat and send BC to the locker room with a two-touchdown lead.

Ryan Willis was driving deep into Eagles territory on a drive that started at the BC 42 when Eagles corner Brandon Sebastian when head over heels to pick off Willis in the end zone and thwart another Hokies threat.

The Hokies answered the Eagles first-half offensive dominance by dominating time of possession in the third quarter, holding the ball for 11 minutes, 50 seconds and holding the Eagles to 0 yards of offense. The only scoring came when Willis connected with tight end James Mitchell over the middle from 11 yards for a touchdown, as the Hokies converted on 3rd-and-21 and 3rd-and-9 on the drive to cut the Eagles lead to 28-21.

Following a Brown interception, the Eagles defense pinned the Hokies inside their five and forced a punt. The Eagles offense responded with a 10-play, 56-yard drive, capped by David Bailey’s 1-yard plunge with 7:53 left, putting BC up, 35-21.

https://youtu.be/5mltKkqiCQo

Virginia Tech completed a remarkable 18-play, 83-yard drive when Kaleb Smith stretched out in the end zone and caught a pass of 11 yards for a touchdown with 2:12 left. The Hokies converted a pair of fourth downs on the drive as Virginia Tech closed to within 35-28. Mike Palmer recovered the on-side kick for the Eagles.

AJ Dillon ran for 11 yards up the middle on third-and-nine to clinch the game.

The Eagles continue their season-opening 3-game homestand with a contest against FCS Richmond of the Colonial Athletic Association next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Alumni Stadium.

The post Anthony Brown Leads Boston College to 35-28 Season Opening Win Over Virginia Tech appeared first on CLNS Media.

Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey ran for three touchdowns and threw for three others to lead the No. 19 Orange to a 42-21 win over the Eagles before 34,959 at Alumni Stadium. Dungey finished the regular season with 15 rushing touchdowns, the most of any Division I quarterback in the nation. Meanwhile, it was a disappointing final home appearance for 17 Eagles on Senior Day.

Eagles head coach Steve Addazio finishes the regular season 7-5 overall (4-4 in ACC Atlantic) for the fifth time in his six seasons to date at Boston College. No. 20 Syracuse will head to a bowl with a 9-3 mark, its best season since 2001. The Orange outgained Boston College 563-356.

Addazio lost his star running back A.J. Dillon to a recurring ankle injury to start the second half and his two best defensive players in pass rushers Zach Allen and Wyatt Ray during the game as well. Dungey was able to overcome his upper body injury which put his availability in some doubt coming into the game.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3zPtLIJQMZ4%2520frameborder%3D0%2520allow%3Daccelerometer%3B%2520autoplay%3B%2520encrypted-media%3B%2520gyroscope%3B%2520picture-in-picture%2520allowfullscreen

After beating Virginia Tech on the road on Nov. 3, the Eagles were flying high, standing at 7-2, 4-1 in the ACC Atlantic and ranked 17th in the BCS rankings. But since, they lost all three games, with the 27-7 defeat to No. 2 Clemson starting their decline.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xZHqtrNr3lQ%2520frameborder%3D0%2520allow%3Daccelerometer%3B%2520autoplay%3B%2520encrypted-media%3B%2520gyroscope%3B%2520picture-in-picture%2520allowfullscreen

With a 7-5 record, Boston College is likely to do no better than a lower level bowl such as the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, First-Responder Bowl in Dallas or Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. Boston College won’t receive its official bid until Dec. 2, shortly after the four BCS playoff teams are announced.

The Eagles opened the game in promising fashion. Behind the rushing of A.J. Dillon and quarterback Anthony Brown, the Eagles marched to the Syracuse 16, with Brown converting a 4th-and-3 with an 11-yard run to the Orange 16. But the drive stalled and Colton Lichtenberg was wide left with a 33-yard field goal attempt.

The Orange, likewise, took their opening drive and drove to the Eagles 26. But Andre Szmyt was wide left on his 44-yard kick and it remained scoreless.

BC had their lone first half hight on the next drive. Starting at their own 26, the Eagles started to exert some will, with Dillon rushing for 17 yards to open the drive. 10 plays and 57 yards later, Brown rolled right and threw back to his left to a wide open Jake Burt in the end zone for a 3-yard score that put BC ahead, 7-0.

Boston College couldn’t stand prosperity, as on the very first Syracuse play from scrimmage, Orange QB Eric Dungey spotted a wide open Sean Riley for a 75-yard touchdown, as there were no Eagle defenders within 15 yards of the Syracuse receiver.

The game would turn on the very next play.

Syracuse kicker Sterling Hofrichter booted to Michael Walker, whose 53-yard return opened the game. Walker took the kick following the Syracuse TD at the BC 10 and raced ahead to the BC 36. He was met there by Hofrichter, who got his helmet on the ball and forced it to the ground. Hofrichter fell on the ball with his helmet and Syracuse recovered. Four plays and 36 yards later, Eric Dungey raced inside the right pylon for the go-ahead score.

Syracuse built their lead to 21-7 when Dungey ran it in from two yards for his second rushing touchdown of the half with 12:40 left in the second quarter.

BC got back within a score when Syracuse returned the favor on a blown coverage, allowing Jeff Smith to race past coverage on a 69-yard score. Both Syracuse safeties pinched close to the line of scrimmage, leaving the deep part of the field uncovered.

But BC’s defense, as it has during its recent three-game skid, looked leaky. Syracuse put together a 75-yard drive on six plays, capped by Dungey’s third rushing touchdown of the first half. BC’s defense was torched for 380 yards of total offense.

The news got worse for the Eagles to open the second half as A.J. Dillon was ruled “unlikely to return” with a recurring ankle injury that has hobbled him for most of the season.

On the very next play after dropping a potential interception on a double pass trick play, Boston College finally got the break they needed to get back within a possession when Taj-Amir Torres picked off Dungey and returned the ball 34 yards to the Syracuse 31. Two plays later, Brown found Ben Glines for a touchdown down the left sideline and it was 28-21 just 1:34 into the second half.

BROWN TO GLINES gets BC within a score again. pic.twitter.com/rgtskCnlIp

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 24, 2018

But from there, it was Syracuse stamping their imprint on the game. Dungey hit Jamal Custis from 22 yards out over Lukas Denis for a 35-21 lead.

Jamal Custis at 6-5, 213 is a big, strong receiver as he shows here on TD over Lukas Denis pic.twitter.com/7KTMJhGqgH

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 24, 2018

Then the Orange quarterback dropped a perfect pass in the right corner of the end zone to Taj Harris for a 42-21 lead with 9:07 left in the fourth.

The post Boston College Drops 3rd Straight in 42-21 Home Loss to Syracuse appeared first on CLNS Media.

After knocking out Anthony Brown on the first offensive series of the game, the No. 2 Clemson Tigers wore down No. 17 Boston College, held the Eagles to just 113 yards of total offense and prevailed 27-7 Saturday night at sold out Alumni Stadium. The game was the end of a remarkable day of festivities on campus as ESPN’s College Game Day show originated from Stokes Lawn and the pregame introductions and halftime featured extravagant pyrotechnic displays.

Star running back A.J. Dillon was held to just 39 yards on 16 carries and also appeared to be injured late in the fourth quarter, as the Tigers defense repeated their effort of 2017 when they stacked the box and eventually pulled away for a 34-7 win. BC was outgained 424-113 in total yards and gained just eight first downs all night.

While Clemson’s road survival Saturday may not have left No. 1 Alabama shaking in their boots, they did manage to do enough to likely stay in the runner-up spot when the rankings are released on Monday. They also clinch the Atlantic Division title in the ACC and a berth in the ACC Championship Game Dec. 1 in Charlotte, N.C. Clemson came in averaging 55 points in its previous four wins, including last week’s 77-16 romp over Louisville. Saturday’s 20-point win was actually Clemson’s third-closest game of the season.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OWeXH4GTutQ%2520frameborder%3D0%2520allow%3Daccelerometer%3B%2520autoplay%3B%2520encrypted-media%3B%2520gyroscope%3B%2520picture-in-picture%2520allowfullscreen

EAGLE LIGHT SHOW: @BCFootball finally takes the field for their biggest game in years and the pyrotechnics were up to the task: pic.twitter.com/wYrFbLb39c

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 11, 2018

Boston College suffered its first home loss of the season in six tries, with one remaining on Nov. 24 against No. 13 Syracuse. The Eagles are now 7-3 and 4-2 in the ACC, with a road game next week at Florida State and a regular season finale against the Orange.

The first half featured several bizarre plays and one game-changing injury. Boston College showed early on that they could hang with the No. 2 team in the country.

After Trevor Lawrence connected on a 41-yard pass down the left side to Travis Etienne down to the BC 18, the Eagles red zone defense stiffened and held the Tigers to a 30-yard Greg Huegel field goal and a 3-0 lead.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8juUCThut7Q%2520frameborder%3D0%2520allow%3Daccelerometer%3B%2520autoplay%3B%2520encrypted-media%3B%2520gyroscope%3B%2520picture-in-picture%2520allowfullscreen

Boston College tried everything conceivable to catch the No. 2 Tigers off guard, including coming out in no huddle and hurry-up formations.

But on BC’s first possession of the game, they lost their starting quarterback for the game when All-Amercian defensive lineman Christian Wilkins broke through on third down, pressured and landed on Anthony Brown. He was hunched over on his knees for several minutes as training staff tended to him. He was ruled out with an unspecified injury as EJ Perry from Andover took over at quarterback.

Boston College’s first sellout crowd since the Notre Dame game in 2017 was rewarded with an electrifying 74-yard punt return from Michael Walker that gave BC its only lead of the first half, 7-3.

But Clemson responded with its only touchdown drive of the first half, and needed a 4th-down conversion to complete it. Facing a 4th-and-goal from the BC 2, Trevor Lawrence threw a pass to his wide open tight end Milan Richard in the back of the end zone.

BC’s defense was the star of the show for most of the first half. Despite being outgained 260-24 in the first half, the Eagles held the Tigers to 3-of-9 on third down and just 1-of-3 in the red zone.

Perry was held to 3-of-5 for 17 yards. And following his first completion of the night for 17 yards to Kobay White, the next snap sailed through Perry’s hands for a loss of 32 yards back to the BC 26. BC would eventually lose seven more yards and face a 4th-and-49 from their 19. On the punt, BC caught a huge break when Amari Rogers called for a fair catch at the Clemson 44. Taj-Amir Torres appeared to clearly interfere with Rogers’ ability to catch the ball but the ball was muffed and Rogers recovered the ball at the Clemson 42.

But BC could do nothing with the momentum, as they were called for holding on the first play from scrimmage after the muff. BC punted away and gave Clemson the ball at their 10. They drove down the field to the BC 42 but poor clock management allowed the Eagles to get off the field without allowing another point and head to the locker room down just 13-7 despite Clemson holding an overwhelming advantage in nearly every category.

BC went 3-and-out to start the second half and Clemson needed just three plays to march 64 yards for its second touchdown. Travis Etienne opened the drive with a rush of 25 yards. The key play was a Lawrence-to-Hunter Renfrow connection of 33 yards to the BC 6. On the next play, Lawrence ran into the end zone untouched for a touchdown and a 20-7 Clemson lead with 12:12 left in the third quarter.

Watch him scoot!

The punt return for TD by Rodgers was Clemson’s first since Ray-Ray McCloud returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown against NC State on Nov. 4, 2017https://t.co/L3LcOUi84A

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 11, 2018

With BC struggling to find any rhythm on offense, Clemson salted the game away with an Amari Rodgers punt return of 58 yards for a touchdown and a 27-7 lead with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter.

The post Boston College Loses QB Anthony Brown Early, Falls To Clemson 27-7 appeared first on CLNS Media.