Boston College’s visit to Blacksburg, Va., last year turned out to be a low point in the football team’s history. A 49-0 loss to Virginia Tech might not have been as devastating as a 54-0 defeat against Mississippi 67 years ago (Oct. 7, 1950) or a 55-0 crushing by Colby in 1912.
But the Eagles proved they are not pushovers this season as they stayed in contention for much of the game before falling, 23-10, to the Hokies in an ACC game on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.
BC (2-4, 0-3) fell behind, 17-3, by halftime, but the Eagles’ inability to generate offense in the third quarter proved fatal. Josh Jackson passed for 322 yards for Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1), but the Hokies failed to score a touchown in the second half, settling for two Joey Slye field goals.
Slye’s 29-yard field goal made the score 20-3 with 10:44 left in the third quarter, increasing his career total to a school-record 372 points. BC stalled offensively, with five successive three-and-out possessions, before rallying.
BC’s defense held as Lukas Denis and Zach Allen stopped Jackson on fourth and goal at the 1-yard line, then Harold Landry appeared to sustain a right leg injury after a 10-yard sack, returning after missing a play.
Virginia Tech had possessions starting at the BC 46-, 35-, and 34-yard lines, scoring only on a Slye 26-yard field goal for a 23-3 advantage with 6:40 left. BC cut the deficit to 23-10 on a 25-yard scoring pass from Jeff Smith to quarterback Anthony Brown, capping a three-play, 75-yard drive covering 1 minute, 2 seconds. The Eagles made a final advance as Brown completed a 24-yard pass to Smith, then ran for 15 yards. But the drive stalled at the Virginia Tech 22-yard line with 2:17 to go.
The Eagles squandered an early chance after an Isaac Yiadom interception, Colton Lichtenberg missing a 40-yard field goal attempt with 9:48 remaining in the opening quarter.
BC took possession on the Hokies’ 25-yard line, but Anthony Brown threw an incompletion, AJ Dillon had a 2-yard gain, and Brown missed connections with Jeff Smith on third and 8.
Four plays later, Sean Savoy sped past Denis on a post pattern, catching a 53-yard scoring pass from Jackson as Virginia Tech opened the scoring. Jackson went 4 for 4 on the drive, completing passes to Cam Phillips (11 yards), Travon McMillian (13 yards), and two to Savoy.
Lichtenberg cut the deficit to 7-3 with a 32-yard field goal with 5:24 remaining, the key plays in the drive a 24-yard completion from Brown to Jon Hilliman that included a 15-yard personal foul penalty and an 11-yard run by Thadd Smith.
BC then stopped the Hokies as Ty Schwab sacked Jackson for a 9-yard loss on third and 7. But Virginia Tech gained field position and extended a drive on a 22-yard completion to tight end Eric Kumah on the first play of the second quarter. The drive stalled as Savoy lost 8 yards on first and goal, and Jackson’s third-down pass was tipped by Landry, before Slye’s 34-yard field goal upped the lead to 10-3 with 11:33 remaining in the half.
The Hokies extended their edge to 17-3 as McMillian, who had two touchdowns in last year’s meeting, scored on a 23-yard run with 6:19 remaining in the half. Virginia Tech converted three third-down situations on passes from Jackson to Kumah on a 12-play, 68-yard drive.
Kumah, who had not been an intended receiver in the opening quarter, had four receptions for 51 yards in the second quarter. BC threatened late in the half as Brown ran for 16 yards and had a 32-yard completion to Kobey White. But the drive stalled at the Hokies’ 23-yard line on a fourth-and-2 incompletion.
The Eagles have scored first only once this season, and their early failure to take the lead set the tone for the first half. Virginia Tech found the going slower than in last year’s game against the Eagles, but the Hokies’ defense had little difficulty stifling BC in the opening half.
