If Boston College fans thought they were seeing an entirely new Eagles team at Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon, it was partly because they were. The unfortunate thing is that the results were largely the same.
Less than an hour before kickoff in Chestnut Hill, ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel reported that fifth-year senior Grayson James would start at quarterback over incumbent Dylan Lonergan. Thanks to a rash of injuries, BC also installed three new players on its offensive line.
Unfortunately,
Bill O’Brien’s staff may not have many more cards to play as the Eagles’ losing streak grew to six games after a 38-23 home defeat to the UConn Huskies.
From the Eagles’ opening drive, it was clear Boston College was intent on establishing the run. Running back Turbo Richard had 19 yards on five rushing attempts, while Dawson Pough reeled in a Grayson James pass on a fourth-down conversion—the Eagles’ fifth successful fourth-down try on their 10th such attempt of the season. BC would settle for a 47-yard field goal by Luca Lombardo to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano entered the game with 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions on the season and looked just as sharp to start. The Huskies were forced into a third and short when BC was flagged twice: once for offsides and once for pass interference on cornerback C. Davis, which gave the Huskies a fresh set of downs and 15 yards.
Fagnano then found wideout Skylar Bell on UConn’s next third-down attempt, but Bell was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting. The setback did not last long. On the next play, Fagnano found redshirt sophomore tight end Juice Vereen on an easy pitch and catch for a 50-yard touchdown to put UConn up 7-3.
On the Eagles’ second drive, BC began implementing shifts in its pistol formation to open more lanes for Richard and Jordan McDonald. McDonald was particularly effective on that drive, rushing for 16 yards on three carries. On third and four deep in UConn territory, Huskies defender Cam Chadwick was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, placing the Eagles on the two-yard line.
The BC drive stalled after a stuffed run and errant pass attempt. On the 12th play, wideout Reed Harris fell as James’ pass sailed overhead. Lombardo’s second successful field goal trimmed the Huskies’ lead to 7-6.
At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles had tallied 78 rushing yards. While UConn committed four first-quarter penalties for 37 yards, it still led 7-6.
UConn’s next drive started with an ineligible man downfield penalty. On the following play, BC’s Micah Amedee was called for illegal hands to the face, advancing UConn closer to midfield. Fagnano then connected with tight end John Neider for 26 yards and Alex Honig for another 15 before rushing in from the two-yard line to extend UConn’s lead to 14-6.
After a productive first quarter, Richard was ruled questionable to return with a right shoulder injury early in the second and was later declared out. Richard entered the day with roughly 80% of BC’s rushing yards this season.
Grayson James and Jordan McDonald picked up the slack. The duo combined for over 50 rushing yards on BC’s next drive, which reached the red zone with 8:38 left in the half. The Huskies defense held firm, forcing a third-and-goal before James found true freshman tight end Kaelan Chudzinski for a touchdown. The extra point made it 14-13 Huskies. McDonald went on to rush for 93 first-half yards on 17 carries for the “new-look” Eagles offense.
UConn’s next possession began with a 40-yard pass from Fagnano to Honig, setting up a 40-yard field goal from Chris Freeman to make it 17-13.
After forcing a BC three-and-out capped by a sack of James, Fagnano again looked poised. When he wasn’t scrambling for short gains, he escaped pressure and rolled out easily. Still, UConn was forced to punt with 1:38 left in the half.
The Eagles took over at their own 38 with all three timeouts. James found Jeremiah Franklin for 16 yards, and BC used its first timeout with 0:58 remaining. After converting a key fourth-and-five, a pre-snap penalty stalled momentum. On first-and-15, James found Lewis Bond for a first down, but another false start on lineman Michael Crounse set BC back. James then fired a 39-yard touchdown to Reed Harris in tight coverage, giving BC a 20-17 lead — its first halftime lead in three weeks and its last of the day.
Despite Fagnano’s early struggles on intermediate throws, he connected on a 43-yard play-action touchdown to Neider to open the second half, putting UConn back ahead 24-20.
After a BC three-and-out, Seamus Florio’s punt pinned UConn at its own two-yard line, but the Huskies quickly escaped. Running back Cam Edwards broke loose for 10 yards, then Fagnano hit Bell for nine more. By mid-quarter, UConn had driven past midfield as BC’s defense tired.
Following an exchange of punts, BC took over on its own seven-yard line with 3:47 left in the third. That drive ended with another sack and a punt from deep in Eagles territory, setting up Fagnano’s third touchdown of the day — a short pass to Vereen to make it 31-20 and silence the home crowd.
James tried to revive the up-tempo attack early in the fourth, hitting Bond for a first down, then converting on fourth-and-seven to keep the drive alive. A 12-yard run by freshman Bo MacCormack III brought BC inside the red zone, but O’Brien opted for a Lombardo field goal instead of going for it on fourth down, cutting the deficit to 31-23 with 10:41 remaining.
When Fagnano and the Huskies offense returned, his streak without an interception loomed large. After a near pick and short run, UConn punted, giving BC the ball at its own eight. The patchwork offensive line began to unravel. McDonald battled for small gains, but with the clock running and the offense reluctant to pass, James was sacked for the fifth time.
Bell’s 38-yard catch-and-run iced the game for UConn, making it 38-23 with five minutes to play.
While BC avoided turnovers for once, its other habits — third-down failures, penalties, and defensive breakdowns — continued.
The loss cements Boston College’s season as one beyond saving. The Eagles entered the day leading the all-time series, which began in 1908, 13-1-2. It marked UConn’s first-ever win at Chestnut Hill and just its second over BC, following a 13-3 victory in East Hartford in 2022.
With their starting quarterback benched, top running back sidelined amid injuries, and two ranked opponents still ahead, Boston College’s 2025 season is quickly shaping up as one of its worst in recent memory — perhaps even worse than the 2-10 campaign of 2012.
