Boston College Head Coach Bill O'Brien Praises FSU Football, Doak Campbell Stadium

The Eagles have a 'purpose' ahead of their matchup with the Seminoles in Tallahassee.

Robert Malcom | Aug 28, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien talks with the media during the ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Florida State Seminoles

After a disastrous trip overseas, the Florida State Seminoles will return to the field this weekend as they take on Boston College, this time on familiar soil. As the Seminoles prepare to make their return to Doak Campbell Stadium, the Eagles have been hard at work under first-year head coach Bill O'Brien, who is no stranger to the game of football as he has been coaching since 1993 when he coached tight ends at Brown University. Since then, he has made coaching stops all over the country, including head coaching positions at Penn State and for the NFL's Houston Texans.

O'Brien spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon and shared his thoughts regarding the Labor Day matchup against Florida State, and what he thinks the Seminoles will bring to the field on Monday. He started by diving into what he saw in the loss to the Yellow Jackets.

"I think it was a back-and-forth game, I think that's two good football teams. I think Georgia Tech is very good, Florida State is good, and it was a battle, a good battle. It was a back and forth, and Georgia Tech came out on top but Florida State is very good, they fought hard and we know it's going to be a huge challenge for us going down there," O'Brien said.

Despite currently being under renovation, Doak Campbell Stadium is famously one of the greatest venues in college football. From the structure itself to the game environment it brings, and the history held within its brick walls, the stadium brings a home-field advantage like no other, and O'Brien gave some insight as to how he feels the stadium could factor into the matchup.

"Loud. Loud. They've got great fans, they have awesome fans, they've got a great band, it'll be loud. That's what it's all about, that's college football. I don't know what it [Doak Campbell Stadium] holds, probably about 90,000, maybe more," O'Brien said. "Like I said, they have a great fight song and, great tradition, I could remember going down there in 1998 when I was at Georgia Tech and we had an excellent team, coach Bowden had an excellent team, and it was like a 38-35 shootout. It was just an awesome college game, it's a great environment, and they have great traditions down there. So our guys should be excited, that's what you sign up for when you come to a place like BC, you have a great home stadium, and then you get to go play at places like Florida State, Clemson, and North Carolina, those places."

Similar to Georgia Tech, Boston College is the underdog in this matchup, and O'Brien and his Eagles are playing into that narrative.

"I think there's obviously challenges to opening up against Florida State on the road, obviously they're a really good football team, but I also think it helps the focus of the team," O'Brien said. "They have a purpose every day to try and get better, and I think that's how this team has approached it.

As many fans saw on Saturday, this is a new offense for Florida State when it comes to the players on the field. While the whole world saw the struggles that new teams face, O'Brien saw the strengths on the offensive side of the ball and had a lot of good things to say regarding what this squad of new Seminoles can bring on Saturdays.

"They have a really good offense, they have an explosive offense, they have guys that I know personally. Malik Benson and Roydell Williams- great players that were at Alabama when I was there. I think they have 17 transfers, including DJ [Uiagalalei]," O'Brien said. "DJ's a hell of a player, he's somebody I'm very familiar with from when he was at Clemson, Oregon State. Just a great athlete, a big guy, strong arm, is very smart, comes from a great family, good teammate - he's got all the qualities you're looking for in a great quarterback. Like I said, it'll be a very challenging game for us, but I'm really proud of these guys and how far they've come, and we're all looking forward to the opportunity and the game."

The week 1 matchup between the Boston College Eagles and Florida State Seminoles will take place on Monday, September 2nd, in Doak Campbell Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST and the contest will be televised on ESPN.

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