Boston College switches QBs, with Grayson James to replace Thomas Castellanos

BOSTON >> Boston College is making a change at quarterback, with coach Bill O’Brien saying on Tuesday that Grayson James will start against No. 14 SMU on Saturday in place of Thomas Castellanos.

James transferred from FIU this year and has played in two games for the Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), leading them to a comeback victory over Western Kentucky when Castellanos was injured.

James also replaced Castellanos in the third quarter of last week’s game against Syracuse, completing 5 of 6 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 37-31 victory.

Free-falling Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The moves come with the Bears (4-5) mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense in a free fall after an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that changes were coming in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England at Soldier Field, though he wasn’t ready yet to announce them. He said the decision on whether to retain his offensive coordinator would be “mine alone.”

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said Tuesday in a statement. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.

Waldron lasted just nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was let go after two seasons. Getsy was subsequently hired as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator and fired in November.

Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Gaudreau brothers

SALEM, N.J. >> The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they were cycling on a rural New Jersey road briefly appeared in court Tuesday, where the judge extended the window for prosecutors to seek an indictment.

The brief hearing, in which the judge granted prosecutors 30 additional days in which to seek formal charges in the Gaudreaus’ Aug. 29 deaths, marked the first time the Gaudreau family and the 44-year-old defendant, Sean M. Higgins, faced one another in court. Previously, Higgins appeared at hearings via video from behind bars.

Authorities say Higgins, who is from Woodstown, in southwestern New Jersey, was impaired after he drank five or six beers on the day he drove into the brothers’ bicycles, and that he has a history of road rage and aggressive driving.

Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were killed near their childhood home in South Jersey on the eve of their sister’s wedding. The family, including their father, Guy Gaudreau, declined to comment on the case Tuesday at the Salem County Courthouse.

— The Associated Press