Boston College came into the game with a plan of controlling the clock and preventing the Louisville offense from finding rhythm. Unfortunately, you don’t need rhythm when it just takes one play per drive
to get into the redzone. Despite the Eagles dominating the first half time of possession (24 to 6 minutes), an implosion with under 2 minutes to go was just about all she wrote in this one. The Eagles fought hard, particularly on defense, to to make it a one-score game late, but Louisville finished off the night as they began, with a 60+ yard run.
The Eagles came out with a 15 play drive, mixing in runs from Jordan McDonald and Grayson James and short passes to keep the chains moving. That drive ended with a 38-yard field goal from Luca Lombardo for the early league. 15 plays marked the longest drive for BC in the O’Brien era.
But it took just one play for all-star running back Isaac Brown to set UofL up for the lead. His 70+ yard run set up Miller Moss on a QB sneak. Brown would lead the team with 205 yards rushing on just 14 carries. The Eagles still stuck to their script though with another methodical drive. James found the freshman tight end Kaelan Chudzinski for a 24 yard pass to get BC into the redzone. James then found Bond for his first score of the year and give the Eagles the lead again. Chudzinski would lead the team with 80 yards receiving, while Bond led the team with six receptions.
The much maligned BC defense came out with a little more fire after that, forcing quick punts on the next two possessions. But the offense couldn’t strike gold twice, and came up short going for it on fourth down in no-man’s land both times. KP Price recovered fumble on the latter, but the pass was ruled incomplete and Louisville capitalized on their second life to take the next play 38 yards and into the redzone. With under two minutes to go, Moss scampered untouched into the endzone from nine yards out. James and the BC offense took just 31 seconds off the clock and were giving it right back. This time, Brown got himself all the way into the endzone from 61 yards out. It took just a single play. Not to be outdone, BC gave Louisville one more chance to put points on the board before half, but Louisville hit the uprights on 52 yard field goal attempt. The Eagles trailed 21-10 at halftime.
Just when it may have seemed the life was sucked out of the Eagles, the BC defense came out of the half and forced a fumble on Brown, recovered by Isaiah Farris. James found Chudzinksi for a score to make it 21-17 and the script was flipped. Louisville’s offense began to unwind, and just like the first half, BC’s defense held strong and forced quick punts. Midway through the third quarter, Bond was stripped of the ball in BC territory. Although the Louisville recover was blown dead by an errant whistle, Moss found his receiver Caullin Lacy for the score shortly thereafter.
Both teams then looked to be playing a game of Simon-Says. First, Eagles lineman Chris Marable tipped a pass right into the hands of KP Price to give BC a chance to keep themselves in the game. But James saw his pass similarly tipped into the hands of a Cardinals lineman. With neither team able to capitalize on their opponent’s mistake, they tried to give them another chance. The BC defense came away with their third turnover of the half when freshman DB TJ Green strip-sacked Moss, recovered by Price. James proceeded to sail a pass over the head of his receiver.
Louisville played things safe this time and hit a field goal to extend the lead 31-17. The Eagles could and should have followed suit as they began to shy away from the successes of the running game in the second half.
Now with 8 minutes to go there was no time for that. James found another wind despite being hobbled and marched the team down the field in under two minutes. Converting on fourth and 10 to his tight end Jeremiah Franklin, he then found Franklin again for a 21-yard score to make it 31-24.
BC’s defense, playing its best game in several weeks, won the offense the ball back with Green again making a huge tackle. With 4:30 to go and all three timeouts, O’Brien’s team had a chance to pull of the upset. James completed two passes to get them close to midfield, but then starting at 4th and 8 from their own 44, O’Brien curiously elected to punt, believing his defense could make a play one more time. His belief in his team is admirable, given the way they had been playing that half, but it was a white flag to anyone watching this season. Louisville picked up the first down, and even when a penalty gave BC a second chance, Cards running back Keyjuan Brown broke loose on a 67 yard score.
BC returns home to face Notre Dame next Saturday.
