By Manny Navarro, Grace Raynor and Alex Andrejev The Bill O’Brien era at Boston College opened with a win as No.
Boston College put up 263 rushing yards in Monday’s 28-13 victory, led by Kye Robichaux (18 carries for 85 yards) and Treshaun Ward (12 carries for 77 yards).
Florida State, meanwhile, becomes the fourth AP Top-10 ranked team to start 0-2 in the last 10 seasons.
The others were 2022 Notre Dame, 2020 Penn State and 2017 Florida State.
Uiagalelei has missed several open receivers in his first starts including a memorable one in the end zone late in the first half against Boston College.
Boston College was projected in the preseason to finish 14th in the ACC out of 17 teams.
Boston College is historically a tough place to win, but he might be the guy to help the Eagles take the next step.
But before his one-year stint with the Wildcats, he spent four seasons at Florida State from 2019 to 2022.
With Boston College running the ball the way they did Monday night, expect this to be a strength of the Eagles moving forward.
— Raynor Required reading Five things we learned about the College Football Playoff race in Week 1 The most ‘college football’ things that happened in Week 1 College Football Playoff 2024 projections: The Athletic’s 12-team bracket (Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
By Grace Raynor, Alex Andrejev, and Manny Navarro.
The Boston College era under Bill O’Brien began with a victory as No. FSU lost 0-2 as a result.
While Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei struggled on Monday, going 21-for-42 for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception, the Eagles offensive line dominated. This is Florida State’s second defeat in as many games to begin the 2024 season; both came at the hands of unranked teams following Georgia Tech’s 24-21 victory over FSU in their season-opening match in Ireland on August 1. 24.
In Monday’s 28-13 victory, Boston College amassed 263 rushing yards, with Kye Robichaux (18 carries for 85 yards) and Treshaun Ward (12 carries for 77 yards) leading the way. Ward added a receiving touchdown and three catches for 61 yards.
QB Thomas Castellanos of the Eagles completed 10 of 16 passes for 106 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. In the victory, he added 15 rushes for 66 yards and one touchdown.
Florida State, on the other hand, starts 0–2 for the first time in the last ten seasons as the fourth AP Top-10 team. 2020 Penn State, Florida State in 2017, and Notre Dame in 2022 were the others.
After the game, FSU coach Mike Norvell apologized to the crowd and accepted responsibility for the defeat, saying he “failed in preparing the team to be able to go out and respond.” Norvell in January agreed to an eight-year extension worth more than $10 million annually. “.
“I have faith in this group,” Norvell expressed to the press. I have faith in our abilities and our ability to react, but there is undoubtedly more work to be done because what we just did does not resemble Florida State football. It’s all on me, once again. “.
What’s the issue with FSU?
Everything, to put it simply. Ten players, including three first-team All-ACC selections and six second- or third-team selections, were lost by the Seminoles to the NFL Draft from the ACC championship team from the previous season. Not many of those stars have been replaced.
Uiagalelei’s accuracy down the field has consistently been a problem, and he has been unable to step into the shoes left by Jordan Travis. In his first few starts, Uiagalelei has dropped a number of open passes, most notably one in the end zone late in the first half versus Boston College.
The quarterback is just one part of it, though. Although FSU’s offensive line has more career starts than any other offensive line in the ACC, the Seminoles haven’t created many openings for their running backs. In Monday’s loss to Georgia Tech, the Seminoles ran for 98 yards and averaged just 3 points 16 yards per carry. However, after trailing by 15 points at the half, they gave up on the run.
The Seminoles front seven, though, has been the biggest letdown. Although FSU was supposed to have one of the best defensive lines in the nation, Boston College shredded them again on Monday after ripping them for 190 yards and 5 points (28 yards per carry) in their first defeat in Dublin.
With three sacks on Monday, FSU’s pass rush output surpassed that of Georgia Tech by three. Actually, not much has gone as planned. Staff writer for college football Manny Navarro.
A major debut for Bill O’Brien.
For good reason, Florida State’s collapse will dominate the national dialogue this week. Not even in Week 2, the Seminoles have already lost their soul. But in O’Brien’s first game with the Eagles, give Boston College credit. It wasn’t until February that O’Brien took over the program, having been hired late in the coaching rotation. 9. . But Castellanos, one of the ACC’s more explosive quarterbacks, was kept by him; on Monday night, he gave the Eagles everything they could have asked for. Castellanos contributed significantly to keeping the chains moving, particularly early on, while playing within the system and never trying to do too much. With 263 yards of rushes on 52 carries, the Eagles were outstanding up top. On 16 attempts, Florida State managed just 21 yards of total yardage while running the ball.
Out of 17 teams, Boston College was ranked 14th in the ACC heading into the season. It was expected that FSU would win the conference. Those predictions were obviously incorrect, and while the Seminoles are already in disarray, the Eagles might perform better than anticipated. This is quite the splash for the start of the O’Brien era, but the Eagles have a big test against Missouri in two weeks. Though it’s traditionally been difficult to win at Boston College, he could be the one to help the Eagles advance. – Grace Raynor, staff writer for college football.
Treshaun Ward gets his opportunity.
Running back Ward, who graduated from Boston College, joined the Eagles this offseason from Kansas State. However, from 2019 to 2022, he played four seasons at Florida State prior to his one-year stay with the Wildcats. During his return to Doak Campbell Stadium on Monday, Ward made the most of his first-ever playing experience there.
At five feet ten inches and 190 pounds, he had averaged six points and four yards per carry behind a strong offensive line. Expect the Eagles to be strong going forward with Boston College running the ball the way they did on Monday night. — Raymond.
Reading requirements.
Five things that we discovered in Week 1 regarding the College Football Playoff race.
The highlights of Week 1’s “college football” action.
The Athletic’s 12-team bracket for the College Football Playoffs in 2024 is projected here.
Image courtesy of Getty Images and James Gilbert.
