Boston College is always going to be seen a certain way by Notre Dame fans. The past is the past, though. This present version of Boston College’s football team is in a different category.
Bill O’Brien had a 7-6 record in his first season in Chestnut Hill, but the realities of what he inherited are hitting in year two. This is a rebuilding program. The roster made it inevitable that they would take a step back and they don’t have things in place to make any quick fixes via the transfer portal.
After beating FCS Fordham in week one, they have lost seven straight games. Some of the scores have been ugly with injuries playing a big part in that.
The team is overmatched, but it hasn’t quit. It could have gone off the rails after they were blown out in back to back games against Pitt and Clemson, but they played Louisville tough last week. They aren’t going to lay down for Notre Dame.
It might not matter, though. Bad is bad. They are 102th in F+ (combined FEI and SP+ rating) and 123rd in net EPA per play.
Offense
O’Brien has had as much experience and success calling plays than almost anyone in college football. He was the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech 24 years ago. Between now and then he’s coached Tom Brady with the New England Patriots, been the head coach at Penn State and for the Houston Texans, and helped Bryce Young win a Heisman at Alabama.
He isn’t working with the same kind of skill talent he had at Bama and a banged up offensive line that had to replace three starters from last season has struggled. They are 96th in OF+, 107th in yards per play, 103rd in points per drive, and 100th in adjusted EPA per play.
In the last four games they’ve averaged 4.4 YPP and their EPA per play vs Pitt, Clemson, and Louisville was in the 5th, 13th, and 19th percentile.
Yikes.
Expected Strengths
They’re 28th in receptions of 20+ yards and have had some success attacking down field. O’Brien does a good job with their play-action game despite BC not being able to run the football very well.
Potential Weaknesses
The offensive line is typically a strength for BC, but I mentioned the injury situation and they were already rebuilding on top of that. They are 91st in sack rate and it’s been worse over the last three weeks (130th).
The running game has been brutal for most of the season. They’re 116th in EPA per rush and 90th in rushing success rate. They are averaging only 3.3 yards per carry, which is 127th in the country.
The flashes in the passing game can’t make up for one of the least explosive running games in the country. They only have three rushes of 20+ yards in eight games. 17 rushes of 10+ yards is 134th in the country. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price had 11 rushes of 10+ yards against USC.
They don’t have the right answer at quarterback now. They made a switch in the last two games, but Grayson James isn’t a long term answer. He puts the ball in danger a lot and that’s bad news for an offense that is about to face a defense with nine interceptions in the last three games.
Personnel notes
#3 QB Grayson James
- 6-3 218
- previously at FIU
- replaced Lonergan as the starter for the UCONN game
- started 5 games last season
- 1,202 yards on 63.9% completions with 7.2 YPA, 6 TDs, and 2 INTs in ‘24
- 3 rushing TDs last season
- came off the bench to beat a 10-win Syracuse team last season
- 4.3% turnover-worthy play % was eighth highest out of P4 QBs in ‘24
- 86th in QBR this season
- looked like he was playing through an injury vs Louisville
- good athlete, can be a threat as a scrambler
- 51.1% completions, 7.4 YPA, 6 TDs vs 3 INTs this season
- 7.3% turnover-worthy play percentage is highest out of all P4 QBs
- 5 TWPs vs Louisville
- 10 of 14 13.1 YPA 2 TDs on play-action dropbacks
- accuracy an issue in the short passing game
- 23 for 105 as a runner this season
- 13 career fumbles
#9 QB Dylan Lonergan
- 6-2 211
- Alabama transfer
- only played 33 snaps before he got to BC
- won the job in camp, started 6 games
- threw for 389, 8.6 YPA, 4 TDs vs Mich St
- 5.8 YPA, 1 TD to 3 INTs in last 4 starts
- 92nd in QBR
- highly touted baseball prospect in HS
- good arm talent
- can be a tackle breaker as a runner
#10 QB Shaker Reisig
- 6-0 199
- true freshman
- made some good throws in garbage time vs Pitt
- 3 of 10 1.9 YPA, 1 INT and sacked twice on 15 dropbacks vs Clemson
#5 RB Jordan McDonald
- 6-1 211
- previously at UCF
- 307 yards rushing in last five games of ‘24
- 6.8 YPC last season
- 10 catches for 69 yards in ‘25
- 301, 4.4 YPC, 1 TD this fall
- 43 for 203 in last two games vs UCONN and Louisville
- all-state sprinter in HS
#2 RB Turbo Richard
- 5-8 207
- 278, 5.1 YPC last season
- 19 catches for 174 yards
- 430 rushing, 4.9 YPC, 5 TDs this fall
- 15 for 171 vs Cal this season
#20 RB Alex Broome
- 5-6 194
- missed all of last season due to injury
- only 7 carries for 10 yards this season
- 26 catches back in 2022
#11 WR Lewis Bond
- 5-11 188
- team captain
- 119 catches in previous two seasons
- 67 catches, 689 receiving yards in 2024
- caught 10 of 15 contested targets in ‘24
- 13 receptions of 20+ yards last season
- team leading 70 targets
- 55 for 530
- 63.4% in the slot
- slippery after the catch
- 17th ranked SR WR by Dane Brugler
- HS RB, very good after the catch
#4 WR Reed Harris
- 6-5 222
- averaged 28.6 per catch last season
- only brought in 17 of 41 targets in ‘24
- 15% drop rate was seventh worst of P4 WRs in ‘24
- 39% of targets were deep last season
- 5 receptions of 40+ in ‘24
- 8 receptions of 20+ yards in first 8 games this season
- 44.4% of his targets have been deep
- ADOT is 18.1 yards, highest out of all P4 WRs
- 24 for 390, 16.3 per catch in ‘25
- caught 10 of 17 contested targets
- all-state on both sides of the ball in HS (Montana)
- played QB in HS
#88 WR Dawson Pough
- 6-0 193
- true freshman
- 9 catches, 16.1 per reception
- only caught 1 of 5 contested targets
#21 WR VJ Wilkins
- 5-9 187
- Campbell transfer
- frosh All-American in FCS in ‘23
- 510 and 6 TDs in ‘24
- nickname is “Rocket”
- had a 55 yard reception vs Fordham
- had a 56 yard reception vs Mich St
- only two targets since then
- ran a 10.52 100m, 21.74 200m in HS
#17 TE Jeremiah Franklin
- 6-3 246
- 26 for 307 last season
- caught 80% of contested targets last season
- 145.3 passer rating when targeted in ‘24
- very good vs man coverage
- 32 for 338 this season
- 7 missed tackles forced are tied for 5th for P4 TEs
- caught only 2 of 8 contested targets this season
- 13th ranked SR TE by Dane Brugler
- also played RB and QB in HS
#85 TE Kaelan Chudzinski
- 6-3 236
- named to The Athletic’s midseason all-freshman team
- 15 for 216, 14.4 per catch
- 63.3% in the slot
- 2.7 yards per route run is highest out of all P4 TEs
- 4 of 9 on contested targets
#48 TE Zeke Moore
- 6-0 240
- FAU transfer
- primarily a blocker, 82.8% of snaps
- mostly inline
- 1 catch for 4 yards
- 12.41 100m in HS
#71 LT Jude Bowry
- 6-5 311
- missed the Cal and UCONN games with an injury
- been projected as possible 1st round pick
- 14 of 20 pressures came in 3 games last season when he was banged up
- only two sacks allowed in 321 dropbacks in ‘24
- agile mover, good punch
- very good at mirroring pass rushers
- has not played at the same level since being banged up
- allowed 5 pressures vs Clemson, left game with injury
- returned vs Louisville and still didn’t look right
#79 RT Kevin Cline
- 6-7 320
- 5th year player
- never played more than 200+ snaps in any previous season
- left game vs Louisville with an injury
- 16 pressures allowed this season
- 1st season as a starter
#58 OT Ryan Mickow
- 6-7 317
- played at both tackle spots due to injury
- 91 snaps this season
- 6 pressures allowed vs Louisville on only 29 pass blocking snaps
- all-state player at St. Thomas Aquinas in HS
#56 LG Eryx Daugherty
- 6-3 305
- starter at LG, missed last two games due to injury
- had been playing well, can move people at the POA
#55 G Robert Smith IV
- 6-3 309
- true freshman
- two starts at RG, start vs Louisville at LG
- 225 snaps this season
#73 LG Tommy Matheson
- 6-3 303
- Princeton transfer
- 2nd team All-Ivy League in ‘24
- over 1,700 snaps in his career
- started vs UCONN, only 65 total snaps this season
#65 RG Logan Taylor
- 6-6 309
- previously at UVA
- 3-year starter, made transition to guard last season
- long, 34-inch arms
- strong at the point of attack
- has a tougher time with lateral movement
- rising up draft boards with strong play this season
- played LT vs UCONN with Bowry out
- allowed 6 pressures vs Louisville, only 5 the rest of the season
#53 C Dwayne Allick
- 6-2 301
- played 411 snaps last season
- third worst PFF pass block grade out of any P4 guard in ‘24
- started first three games at center
#77 C Michael Crounse
- 6-4 317
- started the last 5 games at center
- had a rough game vs Louisville’s blitz package
- father played at ND
Key for Notre Dame
Be relentless getting after the quarterback
James is a tough kid, but he was hobbling against Louisville. They are going to put the game on his shoulders and Notre Dame has to continue to get pressure on him all day. It’s not just about getting him on the ground or getting him to put the ball in danger.
He’s been pressured on 43.4% of his dropbacks and he’s only completing 32.4% of his passes for 4.8 YPA when pressured. No Power 4 quarterback has a worse PFF grade when under pressure than James and no one has a higher turnover-worthy play percentage.
Defense
Defensive coordinator Tim Lewis made a big impact last season with their defense improving from 94th in DF+ (combined FEI and SP+ ranking) all the way to 45th.
A lot of it had to do with a greatly improved pass rush (131st to 55th in sack rate last season) and the amount of pressure he used to impact quarterbacks. They ran five man pressures on 27.8% of opposing dropbacks (14th most in the country). They also were 20th in EPA per rush and 10th in rushing success rate.
The defense is what largely carried them to seven wins in 2024. It’s been a different story this fall. They haven’t been able to replace some key personnel and the front six is nowhere close to what it was.
They’re 117th in DF+, 131st in YPP, 127th in points per drive, and 123rd in adjusted EPA per play. They’ve allowed an average of 492 yards per game over their last four games and the matchup doesn’t get any easier for them this week.
Expected Strengths
There really isn’t any category that I could label as a strength. They have some guys who could start for most teams in the ACC, but the gap between a few of those players and the rest on the defense is very large.
Potential Weaknesses
The run defense has fallen off a cliff. They’re 121st in PFF run defense grades. Louisville’s Isaac Brown ran for 205 against them last week and the Cardinals ran for 319 as a team. They are 97th in EPA per rush. The 5.1 YPC they’re giving up against FBS competition ranks 116th.
It really starts up front where they are undersized across the board. They only have one legit pass rusher as well, which is why they have dropped to 106th in sack rate and have only six sacks in the last six games.
Oh, they also give up a ton of explosives in the passing game. They’re 101st in pass plays of 20+ yards against. They are 101st in EPA per dropback and are allowing 8.2 YPA vs FBS competition.
It hasn’t helped that they have to play so many young guys on defense. They have played five true freshmen who have mostly been forced into action due to injuries.
LB Daveon Crouch is a team captain who has missed most of the season with an injury and won’t be back. Their best DT has only played three games this season. They have three regulars in the secondary who have missed multiple games as well.
It’s just been difficult in every aspect for them. They’re 94th in 3rd down defense vs FBS competition and have allowed conversions on 8 of 13 4th down attempts.
Personnel notes
#15 Edge Quintayvious Hutchins
- 6-3 240
- team captain
- 7.5 havoc plays, 25 total pressures in ‘24
- 18 pressures in final five games
- 20% win rate versus true pass sets last season
- better vs pass than run
- played TE briefly at BC
- 3 TFLs, 4 total havoc plays in ‘25
- leads team with 20 pressures
- 31.9% win rate vs TPS this season
#17 Edge Edwin Kolenge
- 6-3 252
- solid player vs run
- good motor as a pass rusher
- 12 pressures this season
#41 Edge Favor Bate
- 6-1 249
- Merrimack transfer
- 3 TFLs in 9 games last season
- 1 sack and two passes batted down in ‘25
- flashes of twitch as a pass rusher
- below average vs the run
#56 Edge E'Lla Boykin
- 6-3 241
- Barton College (D-II) transfer
- all-conference as frosh last season
- decent twitch, but really raw
#88 DT Sedarius McConnell
- 6-3 279
- previously at Illinois
- leads team with 6.5 TFLs
- very little production before this season
- 3-Tech, solid vs the run
#52 DT Chris Marable Jr.
- 6-2 305
- Wake Forest transfer
- only 48 snaps at Wake
- starting nose in recent weeks
- not a starting level player for most P4 teams
#55 DT Kwan Williams
- 6-2 318
- missed multiple games due to injury this season
- only TFL came against Fordham
- nose tackle, space eater
- not disruptive
#59 DT Micah Amedee
- 6-2 282
- true freshman
- 90 snaps this season
#90 DT Ty Clemons
- 6-3 288
- missed last two games due to injury
- rotation 3T with decent pass rush
- missed 40% of his tackling opportunities
#33 LB Owen McGowan
- 6-0 236
- team captain
- 258 snaps last season
- missed the spring with an injury
- 4 TFLs this season, 1st season as starter
- 3rd lowest PFF grade for P4 LBs this season
#42 LB Kemori Dixon
- 6-1 230
- redshirt last season, injured during the spring
- first game of the season vs Louisville, 20 snaps
#8 LB Bryce Steele
- 6-1 224
- missed entire 2023 season due to injury
- came back for 4 game redshirt last year
- had a tough game vs UCONN
- 9 tackles in lone start of the season vs Cal
#2 S KP Price
- 6-1 200
- led team in tackles in ‘24, 9 havoc plays
- versatile, can play multiple positions in the secondary
- leading tackler, best player on their defense
- 2 INTs, 5 total havoc plays
- strong tackler, better box player than deep
- good blitzer, 6 pressures
#0 S Omar Thornton
- 5-11 201
- started 3 games as true frosh in ‘24
- 3.5 TFLs last season
- 11 tackles and a sack vs MSU this season
- 10 total havoc plays, 6 TFLs
- 16 missed tackles, 21.9% missed tackle rate
#7 S/CB Carter Davis
- 6-1 190
- 3 INTs, 3 forced fumbles, 10 total havoc plays in ‘24
- 14th best coverage grade out of returning P4 safeties from last season
- 3 havoc plays this season
- consistent tackler
- started last three games at outside CB
- allowing 139.3 NFL passer rating in coverage this season
#27 S Omarion Davis
- 5-11 188
- true freshman
- 11.21 100m in HS
- started vs Clemson, 127 snaps this season
- not ready for primetime, but forced to play him
- missed some tackles and assignments
#18 S Marcus Upton
- 5-11 199
- true freshman
- 81 snaps, all in the last four games
- averaged 20 ppg as SR in basketball
#3 CB Max Tucker
- 5-11 191
- 2 INTs in ‘24
- 76.0 NFL passer rating when targeted last season
- 1 INT, 3 total havoc plays in ‘25
- lost his starting job
#16 CB Isaiah Farris
- 5-11 174
- two starts this season
- 21-yard punt return vs UCONN
- 3 PBUs
- 5 missed tackles in the last 3 games
- gave up 3 for 91 vs UCONN, 2 TDs
#14 CB Ashton Cunningham
- 5-9 165
- true freshman
- state champ in 60m, 10.61 100m
- 3 PBUs
- gave up 7 for 125 with 2 TDs vs Pitt and Clemson
#29 Nickel Cameron Martinez
- 5-10 188
- previously at Ohio St
- struggled as the nickel at OSU
- only 4 games this season, 1 PBU
- allowed 72% completions as starting nickel for BC last season
- dual-threat QB in HS
#30 Nickel TJ Green
- 5-10 176
- true freshman
- 10.71 100m
- showed good potential, 4 havoc plays in 6 games
- first career start at Louisville, had a sack
Key for Notre Dame
Get the passing game back in rhythm
I think it’s fair to assume that BC will try and load the box to not have Love and Price go off against them. That should turn into opportunities for CJ Carr and the passing game to have favorable matchups.
The USC game was the first true struggle for Carr all season and this should be a game where he can bounce back and the Irish can put up numbers through the air.
Special Teams
They’re ranked 56th in SF+.
Kicker Luca Lombardo has been a bright spot for them this fall. He’s a perfect 11 for 11.
They blocked a punt in week one against Fordham and put a lot of pressure on that day, but haven’t made a huge splash outside of that. A mix at punt returner have combined for four returns of 20+ yards this season, but no one dynamic has really emerged there.
#99 K Luca Lombardo
- 5-11 175
- 11 of 11 on FGs this year
- long of 52
#28 P Shamus Florio
- 6-3 205
- Yale transfer
- 41.1 per punt, 39.8 net
- 25% of his punts returned
#25 K Andy Quinn
- kickoff specialist
- true freshman
- 22.2% of his kicks have been returned
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