L-R: Peter Berube ’17, Megan Kelly, Zeynep Barakat ’99, Mary-Lou Kiley MSW’77, Bryan Boulton, Bruce Fram, Ann Marie Jasse ’80, Paige Berube ’13, Mary Berube ’80 P’13 P’17, Ray Berube ’78 P’13 P’17, Rebecca Wade ’89 P’23, Patrick Wade P’23, Bill McDonald ’68, Dennis Monahan ’82, and Carole Monahan ’82.
More than a dozen San Diego Eagles, family, and friends spent a “Day at the Races” yesterday at the Del Mar Race Track.
In addition to viewing the horses, and occasionally wagering on their success, participants enjoyed food and beverages at the Turf Club’s tables. Here’s a view from those tables.
Virginia Tech players interact with BC fans following one of their six touchdowns. Photo by Barry Chin, Boston Globe.
Most of you can, though you wouldn’t want to, think back to when BC football was 1-3 starting this season: ineffective on defense, inconsistent on offense, desultory overall. Yeah, well that was the team that showed up yesterday and basically allowed Virginia Tech to move up and down the Alumni Stadium field and win 48-22.
The Hokies gained 600 yards total offense, 363 yards rushing. It was almost a complete turnaround from what the Eagles had done in Syracuse the week before, when they had dominated the Orange. VaTech, however, came into the game not as a dominating team, but with a 4-5 record and losses to Rutgers and Marshall.
BC’s first play, a pass after receiving the opening kickoff, was intercepted and led to a 27-yard field goal and a 3-0 VaTech lead. The Eagles’ long bright spot of the game followed. An eight-play drive, featuring a 36-yard run by Alex Broome, ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Broome and BC’s only lead of the game.
From close to the end of the first quarter to nearly halfway into the third quarter, the Hokies scored 35 straight points to move ahead 38-7. Game over. The Eagles scored two more inconsequential touchdowns: an eight-yard pass from QB Thomas Castellanos to Jaedn Skeete and a one-yard rush by Xavier Coleman with 3:13 remaining.
“We got humbled today,” said Castellanos. “We were too worried about what the future may look like. We got too complacent.”
VaTech quarterback Kyrone Drones was the much better dual-threat quarterback on the field. He ran for 135 yards net on 20 carries, including a 59-yard run. He was 12 of 17 passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hokies overall averaged 8.3 yards per play. In the first half alone, they outgained the Eagles 340-138 yards and led 31-7 at the half.
“Gosh, we missed a lot of tackles, which is not how we played these last five weeks,” Coach Jeff Hafley said. “We’ve got to take a look at why.”
BC had entered the game ninth in the country in team rushing yards, averaging 211.2 yards a game. They gained only 124 yards on the ground yesterday. Castellanos, who had led all quarterbacks in rushing, gained 46 net yards on 11 carries.
Highlights (9:40)
With their five-game winning streak over, the Eagles fell to 6-4, 3-3 in conference. This was their last regular season game on a Saturday. They next play Pitt at 4 pm this Thursday and meet Miami the morning after Thanksgiving.
Eagles celebrate interception of Syracuse pass attempt by redshirt freshman CJ Clinkscales #26 (another Georgia kid). The first quarter turnover led to BC’s first score, a 24-yard field goal.
For the second game in a row, Boston College dominated its opponent statistically, but failed to be effective offensively. The Eagles’ 17-10 win over Syracuse last night was pretty ugly, but it was BC’s fifth straight win and their sixth win of the season makes them eligible for a post-season bowl game.
After allowing a Syracuse field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 10-10, BC seemed to wear down the Syracuse defense in the closing stanza. With just under six minutes left in the game, the Eagles had the ball on their 29. Eleven plays and three-and-a-half minutes later, QB Thomas Castellanos ran seven yards for the touchdown that put BC ahead. On Syracuse’s next play, DB Cole Batson, a redshirt sophomore from San Clemente, Calif., intercepted the pass attempt. The Eagles gained a first down and once again, BC was able to close out the game with a couple of kneel-downs.
As has been frustratingly consistent this season, the Eagles opened lackadaisically. Ahead 3-0 with 4:55 to go in the first quarter, BC’s last possession of the quarter was a three-and-out. Starting on the BC 33, Syracuse ran for 32 yards into BC territory and, two plays later, scored a touchdown on a 27-yard run.
BC had the ball for 21 plays in the opening quarter, a healthy pace, but gained only 67 yards. Syracuse had only 14 plays, but gained 96 yards, with the two long runs accounting for most of that total.
With less than nine minutes to go in the first half, the Eagles had their longest drive of the game, and perhaps the season. Getting the ball on their 20, BC moved 80 yards in 18 plays, using just under eight minutes, to score on a two-yard pass by Castellanos to FB Owen McGowan. It was McGowan’s first career reception. The drive included two fourth-down conversions. The Eagles lead the ACC in converting 73 percent of fourth-down conversions this season.
With a productive second quarter, BC expanded its statistical dominance. The Eagles had 48 plays in the first half for 170 yards, while holding the Orange to 25 plays and 119 yards. In first downs, BC led 10 to 4, holding Syracuse to no first downs in the second quarter. The Eagles held the ball for 21 minutes, 48 seconds in the first half, allowing the Orange to have the ball for only two minutes, 17 seconds in the second quarter.
The third quarter featured mainly punts by both teams, except for a 56-yard run by Syracuse to the BC 20 at the end of the quarter. That led to the score-tying Orange field goal at the beginning of the final quarter.
BC finished the game with 98 offensive plays, a very prolific total, for 350 yards, only 3.7 yards per play, an anemic result. Syracuse ran only 47 plays, fewer than half of BC’s total, gaining 246 yards, a 5.2 yards per play average. The Orange outgained the Eagles on the ground, 209 to 185. Syracuse gained only 37 yards passing. The Eagles lost two fumbles, but intercepted four Orange passes.
Castellanos once again led the team in both passing and rushing yards. He was 20 of 37 passing for 165 yards, for one touchdown and with no interceptions. (It should be noted, however, that, if Syracuse’s defensive backs could catch the ball better, Castellanos might thrown a few interceptions at least. Orange defenders dropped several BC passes.) Castellanos also ran for a net 87 yards on 22 carries. Kye Robichaux added 70 yards rushing.
Eagle RB Andre Hines Jr., a redshirt junior, carried the ball twice to set up Castellanos’s winning touchdown and three straight times on BC’s closing possession, gaining a first down and allowing the closing kneel-downs. Hines rushed five times for 32 yards, leading the team in average yards per carry. Noteworthy because those five carries were his first in three-plus years on the team.
“I gave him the game ball in there. He had tears in his eyes. Guys picked him up. That’s a moment he’ll never forget,” Coach Jeff Hafley said. “That’s college football. That’s why you stick it out. That’s why you don’t leave, so you have moments like this.”
