Eagle in the endzone! BC team celebrates first of five touchdowns in yesterday’s game against Georgia Tech.

This one may have been more painful than any other loss by BC this season. On Jay McGillis Memorial Senior Day, the last home game, leading by 11 points over #16 Georgia Tech late in the third quarter, regaining the lead with four minutes to go, the Eagles watched the Yellow Jackets kick a field goal with 11 seconds remaining to win, 36-34.

That stung.

BC’s offense was proficient, something like it showed in the opening 66-point performance against Fordham and something like many thought it might be throughout the season. The Eagles gained 537 yard in total offense, 362 passing and 175 on the ground. They were two-of-two on fourth-down conversions and scored four touchdowns on four possessions in the red zone.

Just as BC’s offensive performance may have exposed some deficiencies in Georgia Tech’s defense, the Yellow Jackets ripped open the Eagles’ defense for 628 yards, the most by a BC opponent so far this year. Passing yardage (371 yards) was only nine yards more than that of the Eagles, but the Jackets also ran for 257 yards.

Georgia Tech scored a touchdown with 4:59 left in the opening period and the Eagles matched it early in the second period. The teams repeated the exchange to finish the first half tied at 14. BC’s second TD culminated a 10-play, 93-yard drive, the Eagles’ longest of the season.

Performing in a manner opposite to nearly all previous games this season, BC scored two touchdowns in the third quarter, opening up an 11-point lead over the Jackets, 28-17. Returning to form in the final quarter, the Eagles gave up a field goal and two touchdowns to fall behind 33-28 with 6:14 to go.

But the BC offense came back. After being sacked for the first time in the game, BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan faced a third-and-19 on the Eagles’ 16-yard line. He threw to TE Jeremiah Franklin for a 30-yard gain and then to WR Lewis Bond for another 11 yards. Next play, RB Turbo Richard ran up the middle for 43 yards and a touchdown.

Ahead 34-33, BC went for two, but Lonergan’s pass, tipped by a GT defender, went through the hands of TE Kaelan Chudzinski. That unsuccessful effort meant a lot, as the Jackets took the kickoff, went 69 yards on 13 plays, and kicked the winning field goal.

Lonergan played the whole game at quarterback, completing 26-of-40 passes for 362 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Bond caught the most passes, eight for 106 yards, while WR Reed Harris caught five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Chudzinski had one TD reception among his four catches and Franklin also had four catches.

With his 201st reception late in the first half, Bond broke Zay Flowers’ BC record for career receptions and later broke the season reception record jointly held by Flowers and Alex Amidon. 

Richard ran the ball 11 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. RB Jordan McDonald had nine carries for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Highlights (11:14)

BC falls to 1-10, 0-7 in the ACC. After a bye week, the Eagles conclude their season in Syracuse on November 29.