Three Takeaways From Boston College Football's Win Over No. 10 Florida State
The Boston College Eagles football team had a statement win, defeating the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles 28-13 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., on Monday night.
The team looked improved and had solid performances on both sides of the ball.
Here were three takeaways from the victory.
Depth on Offense
The Boston College offense can be explosive, especially when being led by a dual-threat quarterback. It’s the depth with the offensive weapons, however, that really stuck out in Monday night’s game. In total, the Eagles had five different rushers (including the Reed Harris fumble recovery) and seven different receivers. Most notably, running backs Treshaun Ward and Kye Robichaux had big time receptions. The duo caught two passing touchdowns and Ward led the receiver group in receptions (three) and yards (61). The mixture of both rushers and receivers mixing on the offense could make this team a threat down the stretch.
Lack of Penalties
One of the biggest specifics talked about throughout the entirety of fall camp was reducing penalties, specifically on the offensive line. In 2023, the Eagles tallied 85 penalties for 717 yards, averaged 6.54 penalties per game and 55.15 penalty yards per game. During the team’s contest against the Seminoles last year, Boston College tallied 18 penalties for 131 yards. Now, nearly one year later, the group only had one penalty, a catch interference call on defensive back Jalon Williams during a punt in the third quarter. Although just one game in, the team looked to be very poised and together when it comes to penalties.
Special Teams Still Needs Some Work
The offense and defense both looked well improved on Monday night. There is still one area that needs a little more work, however, and that is special teams. The unit had a few miscues throughout the night. The first was in the first quarter when the Eagles had to punt and were attempting to pin the Seminoles deep in their own territory, but a misstep caused it to be called a touchback. The second was a messed up punt attempt by Sam Candotti in the second quarter that only traveled 20 yards and out of bounds which not only gave the Seminoles good field positioning, but also resulted in three points. The third was the catch interference penalty in the third quarter. Obviously, none of these were catastrophic or game-altering, but if O’Brien wants his team to be known as a “disciplined, tough, hardworking football team that plays good in critical situations,” those types of mistakes need to be fixed before it becomes game changing.
KIM RANKIN