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Three takeaways from Florida State's stunning loss to Boston College
Florida State doesn't have to worry about being snubbed from the College Football Playoff this time.
On Monday, the 10th-ranked Seminoles (0-2) dropped a must-win game disappointingly, falling 28-13 to unranked Boston College (1-0) in Tallahassee. The Eagles, led by new head coach Bill O'Brien, outplayed Florida State in all aspects of the game, and it appears they've already built an identity through their dominant rushing attack.
With that in mind, here are three key takeaways from Boston College's impressive upset victory.
The Seminoles run defense no-shows again
Florida State's inability to stop the run proved costly for the second consecutive week. After allowing 190 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per carry during last week's 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, the Seminoles let Boston College run wild on Monday. It took just three quarters for the Eagles, who finished with 263 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, to exceed Georgia Tech's Week 0 rushing total.
Running back Kye Robichaux led the way for Boston College, rushing for a team-high 85 yards while scoring two total touchdowns. Senior RB Treshaun Ward, a Kansas State transfer who spent his first four collegiate seasons at Florida State, also enjoyed a stellar performance against his former team, totaling 138 all-purpose yards and one receiving touchdown.
Additionally, the Seminoles could not limit Boston College dual-threat QB Thomas Castellanos' impact with his legs, with the 5-foot-9 junior rushing for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Even though the Seminoles' playoff hopes are essentially dead, they have an opportunity to turn their disastrous run defense around against Memphis next week. During its 40-0 win over North Alabama this past Saturday, Memphis, which saw co-starting running back Sutton Smith exit with a knee injury, rushed for a mere 59 yards on 26 attempts.
Florida State desperately needs a quarterback change
There's a reason why QB DJ Uiagalelei is at his third school in three seasons.
The former five-star recruit, who transferred from Oregon State this past offseason after beginning his career at Clemson, was abysmal in the Seminoles' Week 0 loss, throwing for just 193 yards.
Somehow, Uiagalelei was even worse against Boston College, as the redshirt senior completed 21-of-42 passes for 272 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Uiagalelei missed the mark on several wide-open throws, one of which should've resulted in a touchdown late in the second quarter to cut the Eagles' lead to five points.
Florida State hasn't been able to find a rhythm with Uiagalelei at the helm through two games. Frustrations are boiling over among Seminoles fans, considering many of Monday's spectators chanted for Seminoles HC Mike Norvell to insert redshirt freshman Brock Glenn at quarterback.
Glenn struggled mightily in limited action last season, completing 37.3% of his passes for 229 yards and two interceptions, but perhaps he can be the spark Florida State needs.
Boston College has already accomplished an important offseason goal
Speaking to reporters at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte this past July, O'Brien emphasized that he wanted the Eagles to be a "disciplined, tough, hardworking football team." While it's only been one game, Boston College looks the part of being the team O'Brien envisioned.
The Eagles were not only more physical than the Seminoles, but they also played a relatively clean game, committing just one penalty, which came on special teams.
This wasn't the case for Boston College under former HC Jeff Hafley in 2023. In addition to playing down to their competition at times last season, the Eagles were one of the most undisciplined teams in college football.
In 13 games, Boston College was penalized 85 times (the 30th-most in the nation) and notably racked up a school-record 18 penalties in last season's 31-29 Week 3 loss to Florida State.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei throws ugly interception as season goes from bad to worse
- Florida State joins unwanted list after Boston College loss
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
Paula Badosa hints at rocky relationship between ex-boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas and father, Apostolos
Having been in an on and off relationship for over two years, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas are quite familiar with each other and their families. It comes as no surprise when the Spanish WTA star appeared to be in agreement with a statement by former player Ivan Ljubicic, where the Croat urged parents of tennis stars to focus less on tennis and more on raising their kids. The high-profile couple made their relationship public in May 2023, and were seen at each other's matches. A year later, they would take to social media to announce they had split ways, only to get back together three weeks later. Known for his volatility on the court, Tsitsipas would engage in a rather heated exchange with his father Apostolos during an opening round loss against Kei Nishikori at the 2024 Canadian Open. The elder Tsitsipas was acting as Stefanos coach at that point, and the Greek star would later take shots at his father in his post-match conference. However, Tsitsipas would later reveal he had apologized to his father soon after the incident. In an interview with SDNA, Tsitsipas stated both men had a long conversation, during which they aired their grievances and the former World No.3 admitted to apologizing to his dad. Badosa co-signs statement by Ljubicic "We discussed it, from my side I had to apologize because it was a big mistake on my part," said Tsitsipas to SDNA. "We have found a new line of communication and a way to talk to each other, so that such things don't happen again and such tensions don't arise again." Ivan Ljubicic, former player who would later coach Roger Federer during the tail end of his career, would chime in on the role of tennis parents, a day after Jannik Sinner dethroned Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. "Following last night, second note to parents: your role is CRUCIAL," said Ljubicic. "Your responsibility is to build independent, responsible, strong human beings. Let the professionals do their job, make sure they have all they need. I promise that this is the best formula." Soon after Tsitsipas' interview with SDNA was published, Badosa would return to Ljubicic's post and express her support. "Soooo good ", wrote the Spanish WTA star on Twitter. Although Badosa did not mention Apostolos specifically, the elder Tsitsipas has received backlash for being overbearing towards Stefanos.
Proposed Matheson Trade Makes Little Sense for Canadiens or Maple Leafs
A recent trade pitch from Heavy.com has the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring veteran defenseman Mike Matheson from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Simon Benoit, restricted free agent Nick Robertson, and a 2028 third-round pick. While the idea might seem intriguing on paper—especially for a Toronto team looking to add offensive punch from the blue line—the numbers don’t add up terribly well. Matheson, entering the final year of his eight-year, $39 million contract, carries a $4.875 million cap hit. In this hypothetical deal, the Leafs would send out Benoit’s $1.35 million salary and the unsigned Robertson, meaning the club would be taking on over $3.5 million in additional cap obligations. As it stands, the Maple Leafs don’t have that kind of space to play with. In fact, the deal would put them roughly $675,000 over the salary cap, forcing GM Brad Treliving to make additional moves just to stay compliant. That’s a steep price for a player they don’t necessarily need. Toronto’s blue line is already deep, especially with recent additions like Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The team also has Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe, with Brandon Carlo acquired at last season’s trade deadline. Treliving has made it clear he likes the “length” and physicality of his defense corps. While Matheson would add some offensive flair—he posted 31 points in 80 games last season—he doesn’t offer enough of a game-changing upgrade to justify the cap crunch when the real need is more scoring up front. If the idea is to gain that scoring from the back end, it can only mean Toronto has run out of realistic options for their top-six forward group. Canadiens Likely Don’t Love This Trade Either The Canadiens, for their part, could benefit from shedding salary on a player they no longer really need and acquiring two young, controllable pieces. However, as one commenter on the post noted, GM Kent Hughes likes Matheson and has already said there is no rush to trade the defenseman. The Canadiens need a second-line center, and the return from Toronto doesn’t help fill that need. From Toronto’s perspective, this move feels like a forced fit. For Montreal, it removes a tradeable asset and doesn’t bring them back what they’re ideally looking for.
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