CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not much has gone well for Boston College in the second half of the season. The Eagles are 2-12 since the calendar flipped to 2026.

They will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they face Wake Forest on Wednesday evening in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The game originally was scheduled for Tuesday before it was moved due to inclement weather.

Boston College (9-18, 2-12 ACC) is at the bottom of the conference in several offensive categories, including scoring (67.7 points per game), field goal percentage (40.8) and 3-point field goals (30.3%). The Eagles shot 33.3% from the field (23 of 69) during Saturday’s 94-70 loss to SMU, getting outscored 54-34 after halftime.

“I thought their zone at the start of the second half stymied us,” Boston College head coach Earl Grant said. “We usually get excited when we see a zone, but we didn’t (against SMU). … We didn’t probe it good enough.”

Boston College’s Donald Hand Jr. (leg) did not play against SMU, missing his third straight contest. Hand has averaged 13.8 points, second on the team behind Fred Payne (15.4).

Wake Forest (14-13, 5-9) is coming off an 82-63 setback Saturday at Virginia Tech which snapped a three-game winning streak. Juke Harris led Wake Forest with 16 points in the loss. He has scored in double figures in all 27 games this season and is the No. 3 scorer in the ACC (21.1 points).

The Demon Deacons rank last among ACC teams in rebounding (32.8 per game).

“I thought we were doing a good job rebounding the ball on the glass,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “Then I think they got four offensive rebounds in the last three possessions of the first half. They kind of smelled blood in the water, and then they got 13 offensive rebounds. They had great balance and six guys in double figures in scoring. I thought they came up with the majority of the 50-50 balls that led to easy baskets.”

Eight of Boston College’s nine victories this season have come at home. Wake Forest is 2-5 on the road.

–Field Level Media

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The Reservoir near Boston College (Photo by Victoria Lyons)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – Today’s column begins with a simple question. Why is the NBA and its players singled out for the practice of “Load Management” while many other sports employ the same treatment but remain unscathed of criticism?

I think load management started with Track and Field and Boxing, to allow the athletes plenty of time to recover from prior races or bouts. I don;t think any of us have any issue with that practice, although I do remember former San Antonio Spurs and USA Basketball Dream Team center David Robinson quizzing USA champion hurdler Edwin Moses on his sparse schedule on a Dream Team bus ride returning to the Ambassador Hotel from the Barcelona ‘92 Opening Ceremonies.

The Admiral shook his head, hearing Moses didn’t compete between the Olympics and Worlds while the Spurs might face the Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal), the Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon), the Knicks (Patrick Ewing) and the Celtics (Robert Parish) within a week or two.

Taking that exchange aside, Load Management is utilized in a number of other sports besides track or boxing. In fact, it’s used in the toughest of sports – ice hockey – where your starters only play 1/3rd of a game, and share time with 3 or often 4 lines, Defense has 6 guys splitting the time. Goalkeepers need two guys to carry the load.

In baseball, starting pitchers only play every four or five days, and their catchers never play in a day game after a night game. All baseball players frequently get a day off. In the bullpen, relievers and closers rarely pitch two days in a row and the prized closers can only throw for three outs, lasting one half an inning.

In American football, the lineup of players (11) are divided into two groups, so 22 guys play instead of 11. There are offensive units and defensive units and also special teams are entirely different players to manage the load and help avoid potential injury. The teams play one game a week.

Of course, in the NBA, the great Michael Jordan swore he HAD to play, as he didn’t want to disappoint a fan who saved a ton of money and bought a ticket months before the scheduled game. MJ set very worthy barometer and played all-out nearly every single night of his career with that fan/ticket buyer in the back of his mind for motivation.

Other examples?

Thoroughbred Race Horses are load-managed with the best of ’em, so much that even the three weeks off between the Preakness and Belmont seems far too short for a Triple Crown contender.

I’m just not sure why basketball gets singled out?

Do you know why?

BC vs. ND: Your roving reporter had the pleasure to attend the Boston College vs. Notre Dame college football game on Saturday. BC’s campus was glowing, and Alumni Stadium – the place Doug Flutie built – was sold out.

It was an absolutely gorgeous New England day with a pure, postcard blue sky. When the game began, Notre Dame was a 29.5 point favorite over the hometown Eagles, but at the half, BC trailed 12-7 and was very much in the game. Then, when Boston College’s Luca Lombardo kicked a 25 yard field goal late in the third quarter, the 10-1 Notre Dame over BC fan ratio was silenced as the scoreboard read ND 12-10.

Boston College had every opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter but failed to convert on two 4th Down and 1 yard plays. ND countered with another touchdown to make it, 18-10.

ND broke it open when Jeremiyah Love ran 94 yards with 11:07 remaining in the game. BC could do no more. It was the strongest effort of the season by the Eagles but that effort did nothing for the “win column,” as only an opening week of the season victory over Fordham has been the winning effort.

It was an incredibly exciting event.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s getting late in the 2025 College Football season and both Indiana and Vanderbilt are legit Top 10 and College Football Playoff Bowl bound, for sure. The next thing you know, St. John’s will be ranked No. 5 or No. 6 in College Basketball. … This season, the college football playoffs feature a 12-team format where the five highest ranked Conference Champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will qualify. The four highest-ranked teams overall receive a first-round bye and are seeded 1-4, while the teams seeded 5-12 play in the first round, with higher seeds hosting the games on campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals are played in the big time bowl games. Here’s the schedule so you can plan ahead.

• First Round: December 19–20, 2025
• Quarterfinals: December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026
• Semifinals: January 8–9, 2026
• National Championship: January 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida

TIDBITS & NUGGETS:Does everyone have their complete set of NBA team #Hashtags for the 2025-26 season? If not, here they are:

If we’re going to rank a few, how about a Top 5:

1. #TakeNote for the Utah Jazz
2. #RepTheDistrict for the Wash DC Wizards
3. #FearTheDeer for the Milwaukee Bucks (longtime fave)
4. #WeTheNorth for the Toronto Raptors (Another longtime fave)
5. #LakeShow for the LA Lakers (Third longtime fave)

NBA CUP: We are all about to be overtaken by the NBA Cup and its artistic dominance of basketball courts at every NBA arena. This season, many of the courts have the same overall design and differ only in colors and the names of the team cities emblazoned at center court. Here in Boston, we long for a simple design with some parquet flooring as the main play. Not this year. Elsewhere, the red tones are just too much and do not reflect well. In other locales, such as Los Angeles, the Lakers’ gold (call it yellow) glows in the dark. Many fans like the gray motif, and Brooklyn does it well, along with Chicago, Golden State, Memphis, OKC, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio.

COSM: The late David Stern, NBA Commissioner from 1984 to 2014, had a dream of broadcasting NBA games to make every viewer in the world experience the game as though they were sitting in a courtside seat. That dream is a step closer to reality and the league announced its latest tech deal to take that small step, or giant leap – depending on how you see it.

The NBA and Cosm, an immersive technology, media, and entertainment company, announced a new long-term partnership to produce and distribute live NBA games in shared reality at Cosm’s immersive entertainment venues through 2030 and beyond. During the 2025-26 NBA season, Cosm will produce and present key national games across the league’s broadcast platforms via ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video as well as select games and events during NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals.

In February 2023, the NBA became the first-ever professional sports league to partner with Cosm ahead of the opening of the first immersive entertainment venue in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Park in July 2024. Cosm has since opened its second venue in Dallas at The Colony’s Grandscape and is slated to open three additional venues in Atlanta, Detroit, and Cleveland in 2026 and 2027. Other future locations are yet to be announced..

Last year, Cosm reimagined the way NBA fans can experience games, leveraging its innovative camera and production technology to capture and distribute live games back to its 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED domes. Cosm venues blend state-of-the-art visuals with the energy of the crowd to create an arena-like atmosphere that provides fans with a view of the game from a range of unique angles, including behind the bench and under the rim. In particular, the Los Angeles venue in Inglewood will be a marquee destination for fans during NBA All-Star activities in February 2026.

“The response from fans at Cosm domes last year demonstrated what an incredible way it is to experience an NBA game,” said Teddy Kaplan, Vice President, Head of New Media Partnerships at the NBA. “We couldn’t be more excited to extend our partnership and look forward to working in lockstep with Cosm to engage our fans as they expand their footprint to different markets across the country in the coming years.”

“The NBA took the leap to be our first league partner, and we are honored to extend the foundational partnership that started it all,” said Jeb Terry, President and CEO at Cosm. “With our shared spirit of innovation, passion for the fan experience, and belief in the power of Shared Reality, we will continue to super-serve NBA fans for many years to come, and in many more locations.”

WNBA LABOR AGREEMENT – TIMEOUT: With the expiration date of the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement upon them, the WNBA players association agreed to the extension with the league as previous talks had stalled in an attempt to strike a new deal. According to a news reports from ESPN and The Athletic, the WNBA and WNBPA reached a resolution on a 30-day extension after considering it for two days. The prior agreement expired on October 31.

Keep in mind, the W signed a new 11-year media deal with Versant in late September. The agreement potentially tips-off for the 2026 season and includes at least 50 WNBA games annually and portions of the WNBA Playoff and WNBA Finals games during select years. Versant, the parent company of cable networks and brands soon to be spun off from Comcast has been rapidly acquiring sports rights and diving deeper into women’s sports in particular. The latest agreement expands upon a previous broadcast package between the WNBA and Versant’s USA Network signed in 2024.

REDFORD TRIBUTE: Anyone sick of NFL football, yet? Probably not, but that’s why God invented the DVR (a.k.a. Tivo, Thank-you). Tune in or record, you’ll have a great time watching all the hits!

The Sting is a personal favorite, but The Way We Were is an amazing motion picture, often overlooked.

NOVEMBER 2 – TCM’S TRIBUTE TO ROBERT REDFORD

6:00 AM A Bridge Too Far (1977)

9:00 AM Barefoot in the Park (1967)

11:00 AM Downhill Racer (1969)

1:00 PM The Candidate (1972)

3:00 PM All the President’s Men (1976)

5:30 PM The Sting (1973)

8:00 PM Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

10:00 PM The Way We Were (1973)

12:15 AM A River Runs Through It (1992)

2:30 AM The Hot Rock (1972)

4:30 AM War Hunt (1962)

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: This will mark two weeks in a row with movie clips, as last week was a clip of The Sting. If you’ve seen the motion picture featured today and you can make it through this clip without tearing up, you are NOT human. Here’s to Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand – two of the all-time greatest.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10:00pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a compilation of interesting sports notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers. Wire Service reports are utilized within the column.

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PALO ALTO – (Wire Service Report) – Stanford’s Micah Ford rushed for a career-high 157 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown to lead his school to a 30-20 win over Boston College on Saturday night in California.

The game was the home opener for Stanford (1-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) after the Cardinal opened the season losing at Hawaii and BYU. The win was their first under interim coach Frank Reich.

Boston College (1-2, 0-1) lost despite former Alabama quarterback Dylan Lonergan passing for 333 yards while completing 30 of 44 passes with a touchdown and an interception.

Stanford gained 213 yards on the ground on 37 carries.

The Cardinal’s final possession, consisting of 12 rushing plays, took the last 7:36 off the clock. They achieved four first downs in the drive.

Toward the end of the third quarter, a 75-yard run by Ford was followed by his 5-yard scoring run.

The touchdown with 1:35 left in the third quarter put Stanford ahead 27-20.

After a three-and-out for Boston College, Ford started Stanford’s following possession with a 31-yard run.

Emmet Kenney finished the possession with a 26-yard field goal with 11:26 left.

The teams each scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and converted two field goals in the first half for a 20-20 tie at halftime.

Kenney accounted for the scoring in the first quarter with field goals of 23 and 35 yards.

Boston College scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, beginning with a 51-yard field goal by Luca Lombardo.

Lonergan’s 49-yard scoring strike to Turbo Richard was followed in the next possession with a 46-yard pass from Lonergan to Jordan McDonald that set up another touchdown.

McDonald scored on a 2-yard run following the connection with Lonergan, giving Boston College a 17-6 lead with 8:04 left in the second quarter.

Stanford scored two touchdowns in the last 1:47 of the half to take a 20-17 lead.

After Ben Gulbranson completed a 69-yard touchdown pass to Sam Roush with 1:47 remaining in the second quarter, Collin Wright returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown on Boston College’s second play of the next possession.

Boston College, starting at its 25, managed to get a last-second 31-yard field goal by Lombardo heading into halftime.

–Field Level Media

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A trio of running backs recorded touchdowns to help Nebraska hold off Boston College’s late rally for a 20-15 win in the Pinstripe Bowl on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium in New York.

New York native Rahmir Johnson scored the Cornhuskers’ opening touchdown to highlight his 60-yard performance on 10 carries. His 11-yard run on fourth-and-1 before the two-minute timeout iced the game, lifting Nebraska (7-6) to its first winning season since 2016.

Kwinten Ives also ran for a score and Emmett Johnson (team-high 68 rushing yards on 14 carries) caught one from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was 23 of 31 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception on the day.

Nebraska had a 20-2 lead before allowing its first touchdown with 6:11 left in regulation.

Boston College (7-6) forced two first-half turnovers and finished five of its first seven drives inside the opposing 35-yard line, but the Eagles went 0-for-4 on fourth downs until Turbo Richard’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska’s first two punts turned into touchdowns for the Eagles, with the second being blocked and returned to the 2-yard line ahead of a Jordan McDonald score with 4:18 remaining.

Grayson James quarterbacked the Eagles, going 25 of 40 for a season-high 296 yards. He also rushed for 22. Lewis Bond made six catches for 94 yards.

Jahmal Banks was Raiola’s leading target, making four catches for 79 yards.

After big plays went by the boards for both teams on their opening series, Raiola sent Nebraska on a 15-play, 75-yard drive to the opening touchdown four seconds into the second quarter. Following a third-down conversion in the red zone, Rahmir Johnson scored on a 4-yard run before John Hohl’s PAT made it 7-0.

After Boston College was unable to convert on Josiah Griffin’s recovery of an Emmett Johnson fumble, an ensuing fourth-down penalty gave Nebraska new life and the Cornhuskers turned it into Ives’ 2-yard score with 3:39 before halftime.

Ashton McShane’s 88-yard blocked PAT return got the Eagles on the board at 13-2, though.

Nebraska’s first drive out of halftime included two fakes from punter/holder Brian Buschini, including a successful fake field goal. On the following series, Raiola’s 13-yard pass to Emmett Johnson out of the backfield resulted in a 20-2 lead with 3:02 left in the third.

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kevin Jennings went 24-for-35 passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 SMU held off visiting Boston College 38-28 in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday in Texas.

Jennings found three different receivers for touchdowns as the Mustangs (9-1, 6-0) remained unbeaten in their first ACC season. Jordan Hudson had seven catches for 99 yards and a score.

In his first start since Thomas Castellanos was benched and entered the transfer portal, Grayson James completed 18 of 32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown for Boston College (5-5, 2-4).

Kye Robichaux rushed for two touchdowns and 90 yards on 21 carries.

Boston College got back within 31-28 after Robichaux capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown with 5:52 remaining in regulation. On its ensuing drive, though, James was sacked twice after a Jordan McDonald fourth-and-one conversion.

After the turnover on downs, Jennings found Key’Shawn Smith for a 5-yard score on fourth down to ice the game for SMU.

After Collin Rogers missed a 24-yard field goal at the end of an 11-play opening drive to the red zone, SMU forced a three-and-out and proceeded to score the first touchdown when Jennings completed a 15-yard pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. along the left side.

Boston College turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive before the teams combined to trade scores on each of the next four possessions, beginning with a Rogers 35-yard field goal late in the first.

James began to find his rhythm from there, as a 23-yard strike to Lewis Bond over the middle set up Robuchaux’s 2-yard touchdown run — capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive — with 9:49 left in the second.

Aided by a pass interference penalty on third down, the Mustangs responded with a 4-yard run by Brashard Smith to take a 17-7 lead.

James’ 13-yard strike to Kamari Morales with 1:03 left before halftime brought the Eagles within 17-14, but after both quarterbacks traded interceptions within a span of three plays, Rogers booted a 41-yard field goal as time expired.

The Eagles scored on an eight-play, 83-yard drive out of halftime as James reached the end zone on a 20-yard run, giving them their first lead at 21-20.

Halfway through the third, Jennings reversed the score again when he hit Hudson for a 38-yard touchdown and Brashard Smith added a 2-point conversion, completing a 1:53 drive.

After forcing another three-and-out, the Mustangs added Rogers’ 37-yard field goal with 4:02 left in the quarter to make it 31-21.

–Field Level Media

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos’ 42-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond with 1:28 left in regulation propelled the BC Eagles to a 23-19 win over previously unbeaten Michigan State on Saturday night in Boston. Bond finished with 102 yards on six receptions to lead the Eagles (3-1), catching the game-winning toss over two defenders’ reach and walking untouched into the end zone.

Michigan State (3-1) moved past midfield on the following drive as quarterback Aidan Chiles (17-of-35, 241 yards) completed three straight passes, but his third interception landed in Max Tucker’s hands in the back of the end zone to clinch the win for the hosts.

Treshaun Ward logged 102 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries to lead the Boston College rushing attack. Castellanos was 10-of-16 passing for 140 yards and the deciding score. It was a see-saw fourth quarter for the Eagles, as Castellanos had a 1-yard keeper stopped short of the end zone at the end of a 12-play drive.

Following the turnover, Michigan State’s 18-play, 89-yard march resulted in a Jonathan Kim 27-yard field goal with 4:12 left. Kim kicked field goals of 41, 26, 51 and 27 yards for the Spartans, who were seeking their first 4-0 start since 2021.

Ky’ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 61 yards on 15 carries, while Jake Velling caught six passes for 77 yards.

Boston College scored 10 points off turnovers to turn around a 13-6 halftime deficit in less than three minutes early in the third quarter. After Carter Davis forced Lynch-Adams to fumble the opening kickoff of the second half, Luca Lombardo’s 39-yard field goal made it 13-9.

Amari Jackson intercepted a Chiles deep ball on the ensuing series, and Ward then ran 36 yards up the sideline for a go-ahead score only 2:38 into the third.

After Chiles missed a wide-open Montorie Foster Jr., Kim nailed an impressive 51-yard field goal to conclude an 8-play drive and tie the game at 16-all.

In the opening quarter, Michigan State forced a 3-and-out to begin the game and then capped a 9-play drive with Kim’s 41-yard kick. Ward rushed four times and made a 4th-and-4 catch out of the backfield to help set up Richard’s 11-yard score on a run to the left with 12:24 left in the first half.

Converting on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that spanned 6:08, the Eagles’ lead was 6-3 as Lombardo missed the point-after attempt after a high snap.

The Spartans responded with a 75-yard drive, scoring on a Chiles 1-yard run at 8:10 of the second. Foster’s 40-yard catch over the middle preceded the touchdown.

Kim’s 26-yarder extended the Michigan State lead with 20 seconds left before halftime.

-Field Level Media

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BC Eagles Host Spartans for ’24 Red Bandana Game

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Unbeaten Michigan State visits Boston College for the programs’ first meeting since 2007 on Saturday at Chestnut Hill.

Playing its annual Red Bandana Game in honor of Boston College alum and Sept. 11, 2001, hero Welles Crowther, the Eagles (2-1) look to bounce back from last weekend’s 27-21 loss at then-No. 6 Missouri — the first setback under new head coach Bill O’Brien.

“For us to be able to go out there and play a game in honor of (Crowther) is a big deal,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Boston College to show off who we are. This is who we are.”

Thomas Castellanos threw three touchdowns against the Tigers and ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with nine on the season. The Eagles led 14-3 before giving up 24 unanswered points.

“We’re never going to accept losing at Boston College, but these guys fought hard,” O’Brien said. “I think if we can do a better job stopping the run, that’s going to lead to more success for us in the future.”

With last week’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M, Michigan State (3-0) has won three straight games under a first-year coach in Jonathan Smith for the first time since Mark Dantonio in 2007.

The Spartans have seen both Aidan Chiles and Tommy Schuster make an impact at quarterback, with the latter debuting with his new team last week — 8-of-10 passing for 97 yards — after transferring from North Dakota.

Chiles threw for 173 yards and a touchdown, following up a 363-yard performance in a 27-24 win at Maryland on Sept. 7.

“We’ve got total confidence (Schuster would) be ready to go out there,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, just like we’re dealing with injuries at different spots, he needs to be ready, and he will be.”

A new Spartan has recently been added to the injury list in offensive lineman Gavin Broscious.

“You probably won’t see him the rest of the year which is unfortunate,” Smith said. “Again, these yearly ones (hurt) because he’d been working really hard.”

Boston College has a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 24-21 win in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. The QB matchup in that game featured Matt Ryan against Michigan State counterpart Brian Hoyer.

–Field Level Media

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COLUMBIA – No. 6 Missouri reached rarified air this week. The Tigers, after all, haven’t been ranked this high in the Associated Press poll since 2013.

And the Tigers (2-0) will have a chance to validate that standing when they host No. 24 Boston College (2-0) on Saturday in Missouri.

Meanwhile, the Eagles upset then-No. 10 Florida State 28-13 on the road in head coach Bill O’Brien’s Boston College debut. Then they handled Duquesne 56-0 at home, which vaulted them into the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2018 season.

“I think it’s great for BC, but really that’s not our focus at all,” O’Brien said. “It’s really about one day at time, really trying to get better.”

Missouri has rolled up 1,007 yards in its blowout victories while emptying the bench in both games.

Quarterback Brady Cook is 48-of-67 passing for 456 yards and a touchdown, and he has rushed for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri alternates running backs Nate Noel (121 yards, two touchdowns on 23 carries) and Marcus Carroll (97 yards, one touchdown, 18 carries).

Preseason all-America wide receiver Luther Burden III has been quiet, catching seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 21 yards and a TD in two games. He was limited by illness against Buffalo.

Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. became Cook’s main target while catching 13 passes for 149 yards against the Bulls.

“Quarterback Brady Cook — very, very good player, can throw and run, two really good running backs and very, very good at wide receiver,” O’Brien said of the upcoming opponent. “At least three or four of them can play in the NFL. So we have a big challenge ahead of us, big, big challenge.”

While Missouri was unable to connect on deep passes during the first two weeks, coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t concerned.

“You’d rather be on ‘SportsCenter’ for that rather than for three yards and a cloud of dust or five-yard hitches,” he said. “But the reality of what we’re figuring out is that teams don’t really want to give up explosive plays versus our wide receiver corps. So, we have to be willing to make them defend us in a different manner.”

The Tigers could once again be without tight end Brett Norfleet, who suffered a shoulder injury in the opener and sat out Week 2. Guard Cam’Ron Johnson could return after sitting out the Buffalo game following an injury in practice.

Drinkwitz also wants to see his offense cut down on the offensive penalties. The Tigers had 17 in two games.

“Alignment penalties are embarrassing and that’s on me as head coach,” Drinkwitz said. “The holding penalties. We’ve got to learn to let go. When the ball is out-leveraged, just when a defender is broken away, we cannot continue to engage with the jersey of the defender. There were three of those that were clear calls, easy calls that are something that we have to correct.”

Boston College’s dual-threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos has completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 340 yards and six touchdowns. He has run for 81 yards and a TD.

The Eagles have rushed for 569 yards and five touchdowns in two games, led by Treshaun Ward (132 yards on 20 carries), Kyle Robichaux (112 yards, 25 carries) and Turbo Richard (102 yards on 19 carries).

Offensive tackle Logan Taylor returned to action after missing the first game and helped the unit dominate against Duquesne.

“Great to have him back,” O’Brien said. “Tough guy, big guy, athletic guy, very important to have him back. He’s my type of guy.”

–Field Level Media

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SAINT PAUL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A pair of storied programs, Boston College and Denver, face off for the NCAA men’s hockey championship Saturday evening in Minnesota. Boston College (34-5-1) is the top overall seed and is seeking its first title since 2012. Denver (31-9-3) is going for its second title in three years and its record 10th title overall.

The stakes could not be higher, and players on both sides could not be more determined.

“Anytime someone commits to Boston College, it’s to win championships,” Eagles forward Cutter Gauthier said. “And we have an opportunity for that on Saturday.”

The same is true for Denver, which has won three straight games by a single goal.

“We’re just extremely confident,” Pioneers goaltender Matt Davis said, “and feel battle-tested.”

Boston College is coming off a dominant 4-0 win over Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday night. Will Smith scored two goals, Gauthier added another goal and Gabe Perreault finished the scoring to send the Eagles to the title game.

Gauthier leads the nation with 38 goals, which also is tied for the most in a single season in Boston College history. David Emma (1989-90) and Scott Harlow (1985-86) also enjoyed 38-goal seasons for the Eagles, and Gauthier has a chance to break the record Saturday.

Smith has 25 goals after his two-goal performance Thursday. The Massachusetts native watched the Eagles’ 2012 title run as a child and now has a chance to bring another championship trophy to Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“(If you had) told me as a kid, this would be kind of crazy,” Smith said. “I remember the days I was watching Johnny Gaudreau in the same Frozen Four. So it’s a dream come true. It would be unbelievable to get that trophy just like he did.”

Denver is coming off three consecutive 2-1 victories, two of which required overtime. The Pioneers outlasted Boston University for a 2-1 overtime win on Thursday in the first Frozen Four matchup.

Davis turned aside 33 of 34 shots for Denver, and Tristan Broz provided the winning goal with 8:51 remaining in the extra session.

Broz said he and his teammates never lost their cool in high-pressure situations.

“Just like Coach (David) Carle said, these 2-1 games can go either way,” Broz said. “There’s bounces that happen throughout the game, and you just have to stick with it and keep playing because those bounces happen. But you’re still in a tight hockey game.”

Both teams enter the final matchup on a hot streak.

Boston College is riding a 15-game winning streak. Its last loss took place Feb. 5 against Boston University in the city’s famous “Beanpot” tournament.

Meanwhile, Denver is 13-1-1 in its past 15 games.

The teams met Oct. 21, when Denver notched a 4-3 road win over Boston College. Carter King scored a power-play goal in the third period to lift the Pioneers.

“That was a long time ago,” Boston College coach Greg Brown said. “We’ve improved a lot. But that was a really fun hockey game.

“It was back and forth. It was two good teams both making a lot of plays.”

–Field Level Media

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James introduced Bill O’Brien as the (Gregory P. Barber ’69 and Family) Head Coach of the BC football program. O’Brien was met by the school community and held his introductory news conference inside the Yawkey Athletics Center.

Boston College head football coach Bill O’Brien announced his complete coaching staff for the 2024 season. O’Brien, who was hired Feb. 9, and the Eagles start spring ball Monday, March 11 following Boston College’s spring break.

O’Brien’s first staff at Boston College features two coaches he has spent significant time with throughout his career, including the Eagles’ new strength and conditioning coach. O’Brien also retained four assistant coaches from BC’s 2023 coaching staff and promoted one more from within the program. Additionally, the staff has one BC grad and another assistant in his second stint on the Heights.

Returning to lead the offensive line for a fourth season is Matt Applebaum. He held that same position from 2020-21 and after a one-year stint in the NFL, found his way back to the Heights as offensive line coach for an improved unit in 2023. The BC o-line paved the way for the second-ranked rushing attack in the ACC in 2023 at 198.8 yards per game, while allowing just 1.46 sacks per game. During his time at BC, Applebaum has overseen the development of first-round pick and All-American Zion Johnson, top-prospect Christian Mahogany in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and All-American Alec Lindstrom. Between stretches with the Eagles, he was the offensive line coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Applebaum graduated from Connecticut in 2007 and was a two-year starter on the offensive-line for the Huskies.

Secondary coach Ray Brown comes to Boston College from Washington State, where he was the cornerbacks coach 2022-23. Washington State’s 2022 defense ranked third in the Pac-12 at 22.9 points per game and contributed to a seven-win regular season. Prior to WSU, Brown served as the cornerbacks coach at Utah State (2021) and Troy (2019-20). He was also the defensive backs coach at Abilene Christian (2016-18) following graduate assistant posts in the Pac-12 at Arizona State (2014-15) and Washington State (2013). He is a 2009 graduate of East Central (Okla.) University, where he played cornerback from 2006-08 and began his coaching career as running backs coach from 2010-11.

Beginning a second stint on the Heights is defensive line coach Jeff Comissiong, who previously worked at BC from 2007-12 in the same role. He joined Cornell in 2021 and served three seasons as the linebackers coach for the Big Red. Comissiong spent one season at Hampton University following a seven-year run at Old Dominion from 2013-19. At ODU, he worked with a defense that led Conference USA in regular season sacks in 2018 and coached Oshane Ximines, the most decorated player in school history. Ximines, a 2019 third-round pick of the New York Giants, twice earned All-Conference first-team honors and was ODU’s first-ever invitee to the Senior Bowl. In his first spell with the Eagles, Comissiong tutored three All-ACC picks, including first-round pick B.J. Raji and second-rounder Ron Brace. He is a 1997 graduate of Maine, where he played for the Black Bears from 1991-94.

Local product Jonathan DiBiaso was promoted by O’Brien to quarterbacks coach after spending the 2023 season as an offensive analyst, working closely with the BC quarterbacks, including 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher Thomas Castellanos. DiBiaso got his start in coaching at BC as a graduate assistant from 2018-20. He then moved on to Vanderbilt (2021) as an offensive analyst and worked one season at Pittsburgh (2022) in a graduate assistant role. DiBiaso, who played high school football at Everett for his father John DiBiaso, played two seasons at Dartmouth (2013-14) and two seasons at Tufts (2015-16), earning his degree from Tufts in 2018.

Running backs coach Savon Huggins returns for his third season in that role and fourth overall at Boston College. The Eagles rushed for 2,584 yards in 2023 with BC running backs averaging 4.71 yards per carry. Kye Robichaux ranked seventh in the league at 70.9 yards per game; totaling 780 yards, eight touchdowns and a 4.79 yards per carry average. Huggins arrived at BC in 2021 as a recruiting advisor, while also working directly with the Eagles’ running backs, including All-ACC second-team selection and 1,000-yard rusher Pat Garwo III. HUggins got his start in coaching at Somerville (N.J.) High School, gained experience as an intern with the Miami Dolphins and broke into the college ranks at Buffalo in 2020. He played running back at Rutgers and graduated in 2015.

Will Lawing joins BC as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach after a season as the New England Patriots tight end coach in 2023. Lawing and O’Brien have coached together since 2013 beginning when Lawing was a graduate assistant at Penn State in 2013 during the second year of O’Brien’s two-year stint as head coach of the Nittany Lions. The two continued to work together with the Houston Texans, where Lawing served in roles of defensive quality control (2014-16), offensive assistant (2017-18) and tight ends coach (2019-20). Lawing returned to the college game as an offensive analyst at Alabama from 2021-22. As a player, he was a walk-on at North Carolina and a member of the Tar Heels squad from 2004-07.

Defensive coordinator Tim Lewis arrives at Boston College with 34 years of coaching experience and seven years as a NFL defensive coordinator. Lewis, a first-round pick as a cornerback at Pittsburgh, has spent 25 years in professional football. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator from 1995-1999, which included an AFC Championship, and New York Giants defensive coordinator from 2004-06 under former BC head coach Tom Coughlin; twice reaching the playoffs with the Giants. Most recently, he was the co-defensive coordinator of the Arlington Renegades in the United Football League. As a coordinator or secondary coach, he coached six players to All-Pro status in the NFL, including Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan and two-time All-Pro selection Carnell Lake. As a player, Lewis spent four years with the Green Bay Packers from 1983-86.

Boston College graduate Dan O’Brien ’05 returns to his alma mater as the Eagles’ linebackers coach. The son of former BC head coach Tom O’Brien, he was a student assistant as an undergraduate. O’Brien most recently coached for three seasons at Southern Miss, beginning as the safeties coach from 2021-22 before assuming the defensive coordinator role in 2023. He spent the two previous seasons at Georgia (2019-20) in defensive quality control after working five years at Navy (2014-18). Upon graduation from BC, O’Brien got his start as a scouting assistant intern for Bill Belichick’s staff in New England in 2005 and later worked as a defensive analyst and graduate assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama.

Matt Thurin was retained as Boston College’s special teams coordinator and will be the longest tenured member of the staff heading into his fifth year at BC. He has coached special teams and safeties in his time with the Eagles. His special teams unit blocked two kicks in 2023 and did not allow a blocked kick or punt on the season. He oversaw the development of kicker Liam Connor, who ascended to placekicker in 2023 after serving as the kickoff specialist as a freshman in 2022. Connor went 11-for-14 on field goals, including three makes of 45 yards. Thurin previously spent five seasons at Ohio State (2015-19) in defensive quality control.

Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt returns for a third season with the Eagles. He oversaw the evolution of All-ACC, All-American and first-round pick Zay Flowers in his first season on the Heights in 2022 and has led the development of Lewis Bond. In 2023, Bond was one of just six receivers in the ACC to catch 50 or more passes for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns. Wyatt spent his four previous seasons at UCF (2018-21) as the wide receivers coach and worked with future Eagle Ryan O’Keefe, who set the Knights’ record for receptions in a season at 84. Overall, Wyatt has 34 years of coaching experience, including stints as the offensive coordinator at Kansas (2000 and 2010) and Texas (2013). He transferred to Kansas State, where he played two seasons and earned his degree in 1989.

Craig Fitzgerlad worked with O’Brien at both Penn State and with the Houston Texans. He takes over as the Eagles’ director of football performance. A tight end and 1996 graduate of Maryland as a player, he has been a head strength coach across collegiate and professional football every year since 2005, beginning with five years at Harvard (2005-09). Fitzgerald left South Carolina (2009-11) to work with O’Brien at Penn State (2023-13) and continued the partnership with the Texans (2014-17). He then moved on to Tennessee (2018-19) before accepting the head strength and conditioning job with the New York Giants (2020-23). He was recently hired as the director of football performance at Florida in December, but arrived on the Heights immediately following the announcement of O’Brien’s appointment.

BC also brought in Berj Najarian as chief of staff. Najarian spent the last 24 seasons in Foxborough as the director of football/head coach administration with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. He was a part of six Super Bowl Championships during his time in New England.

2024 Boston College Football Coaching Staff
Bill O’Brien, Head Coach
Matt Applebaum*, Offensive Line
Ray Brown, Secondary
Jeff Comissiong, Defensive Line
Jonathan DiBiaso*^, Quarterbacks
Savon Huggins*, Running Backs
Will Lawing, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
Tim Lewis, Defensive Coordinator
Dan O’Brien, Linebackers
Matt Thurin*, Special Teams Coordinator
Darrell Wyatt*, Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers
Craig Fitzgerald, Director of Football Performance
Berj Najarian, Chief of Staff
*-Returned from 2023 Staff
*^-Returned from 2023 Staff in a New Role

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