Upon Further Review: Boston College 66, Fordham 10

The anticipation was high going into the second year of the Bill O’Brien era in Chestnut Hill. 

Although last year came with its struggles, Boston College notched seven regular season wins for the first time since 2018 and became bowl eligible. 

Now with a new quarterback at the helm, multiple starters returning, and a 25-member recruiting class, the Eagles had an opportunity to help show O’Brien’s vision for the program and they did just that this weekend in their 66-10 rout of Fordham.

Player of the Game: Although multiple players had big performances on Saturday, the player of the game was quarterback Dylan Lonergan. In his first start of his collegiate career and first in a BC uniform, Lonergan went 26-of-34 for 268 yards and four touchdowns. 

Play of the Game: The play of the game on Saturday was linebacker Daveon “Bam” Crouch’s pick six in the opening seconds of the third quarter. Crouch intercepted Fordham quarterback Gunnar Smith and returned the ball 28 yards for the score. 

Stat of the Game: Quarterback Grayson James, who entered in the second half of the game, had a perfect performance. James went 5-of-5 for 190 yards and one touchdown.

10 Things You May Not Have Noticed…

1] Career First: Linebacker Daveon “Bam” Crouch’s pick six in in the third quarter marked his first interception and first touchdown of his career.

2] Career Best: Crouch was not the only player that had a career moment this weekend. Wide receiver Lewis Bond had a career-high in receptions with 11 and yards with 138. It was also his third career game with over 100 receiving yards. 

3] Good Turnout: Boston College’s season opener had 41,221 people in attendance at Alumni Stadium.

4] Special Teams Moving in Right Direction: Boston College’s special teams unit struggled mightily in 2024. On Saturday, the group impressed with punter Shamus Florio, a Yale transfer, recording four punts for 188 yards which included a 63-yarder and one pinned inside the red zone. Charlie Comella also had a blocked punt. 

5] Who Was Out: QB Shaker Reisig was warming up with Lonergan and James prior to the game, but is dealing with an injury and did not play. Other players that did not dress out are defensive tackle Owen Stoudmire, linebacker Palaie Faoa, and wide receiver Cedric Lott Jr. All were seen on the sideline during warmups. 

6] Freshman Stepping Up: Multiple players made big plays on Saturday including a couple of newcomers. Most notably, running back Bo MacCormack III tallied three rush attempts for nine yards and 37 kickoff return yards. Wide receiver Dawson Pough also scored a touchdown and notched 96 yards on three receptions. 

7] Scored 60+ Points For First Time In Over Half Decade: Boston College’s 66 points marked the first time the program has surpassed 60 points in a game since 2018. The Eagles scored 62 against Holy Cross on Sept. 8, 2018. 

8] ACC Leaders: Although just one game in, Boston College is sitting at the top of some stats in the ACC. At the moment, the Eagles ranked No. 1 in the conference in completions, completion percentage, yards, average yards per play, and average yards per game. Additionally, Bond ranks No. 1 in receiving yards. 

9] Perfect in Red Zone: Out of the seven chances the Eagles had in the red zone, they scored all seven times. 

10] Everyone Involved in Defense: In total, 23 players recorded at least one tackle in Saturday’s game while 15 had multiple. Crouch led the group with six total tackles.