Dylan Lonergan Executes Efficient Passing With Four Touchdowns in BC's Rout of Fordham

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Expectations for Alabama transfer quarterback Dylan Lonergan soared heading into Boston College football’s season opener against Fordham on Saturday afternoon. Soared would likely be an understatement.

Lonergan was recruited to Tuscaloosa, Ala., by the legendary Nick Saban, arguably the greatest head coach in college football history, and Bill O’Brien, the former Houston Texans head coach from 2014-20 and the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator at the time.

As a true freshman, Lonergan quickly learned he was not going to start for Alabama when Jalen Milroe was named the starter, and when he hopped into the transfer portal following his second stint with the Tide, O’Brien, who became the Eagles head coach in 2024, didn't hesitate to reach out.

Lonergan narrowed down his search to BC, North Carolina, and Georgia as a rising redshirt-sophomore before ultimately choosing to follow O’Brien to Massachusetts, over 1,000 miles north of his hometown of Snellville, Ga., in December.

The pedigree spoke for itself, but Lonergan had never started a game in his collegiate career before Saturday—O’Brien officially named Lonergan BC’s starter over redshirt-senior Grayson James on Aug. 12—which left many question marks about how he could perform on the real stage.

But with four touchdown passes and 268 yards on 26-of-34 passing through three quarters, Lonergan didn’t just silence all of the doubts about what he was capable of. He also showed expertise in areas of the game which led to O’Brien naming Lonergan the starter. His composure, non-risky decision making, and ability to deliver throws with tempo and rhythm was on display all game long.

"Dylan's the same guy every day," O'Brien said. "He's a very consistent guy. He doesn't let one bad play affect the next play. He takes hard coaching. He really appreciates his teammates. He loves Boston College."

QBs/Centers.

Lonergan breaks it down before running out. pic.twitter.com/mKYIKdN8h8
— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) August 30, 2025

The FCS-level Rams (0-1) of the Patriot League failed to reach more than 100 offensive yards until the fourth quarter, and the Eagles (1-0) continued to dominate their first opponent until the very end. James replaced Lonergan in the early stages of the final quarter and immediately orchestrated a seven-play, 84-yard touchdown drive of his own, capped off by Alex Broome’s one-yard rushing score.

Lonergan wasn’t the only player that mightily impressed in the Eagles’ 2025 season debut, which ended in BC’s favor, 66-10.

Redshirt-senior Lewis Bond, a 2024 All-ACC Honorable Mention who has led BC in receiving yards and receptions the past two seasons, caught 11 passes for 138 yards—a career high in both categories.

"I think I'm always open," Bond said.

Junior wide receiver Jaedn Skeete registered two touchdown receptions in the first half alone—one of 11 yards in the first quarter and one of 13 yards in the second—which is twice the amount of receiving touchdowns Skeete notched all of last year.

Senior linebacker Daveon Crouch, however, overpowered the Rams all the way back to the Bronx, N.Y., where the team traveled from.

Crouch manufactured one sack, one tackle for loss, six tackles (five solos), and picked off Fordham quarterback Gunnar Smith in the opening minutes of the third quarter for a 28-yard pick six.

BAM SAID GIMME THAT 🫴

📺 ACCNX x @BCFootball pic.twitter.com/GsxH0wzO7T
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) August 30, 2025

But Crouch was displeased by the fact that BC allowed the Rams to garner more than 150 yards, which he said is not up to the defense's standard.

"That's a lot of yards to me, to the defense," Crouch said. "170 yards? That's too much for our defense."

BC quickly jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Lonergan’s first touchdown pass, an 11-yard reception to running back Jordan McDonald. Despite their sleepy second-quarter performance, the Eagles officially put the nail in Fordham’s coffin in the third with four different scoring plays, including a 17-yard touchdown reception for Reed Harris, a 48-yard field goal for Luca Lombardo—the longest of his career—and a four-yard rushing touchdown for Turbo Richard.

"I mean, [you're] always nervous at the start of a game," Lonergan said. "You know, anytime I play, really. But once you get that first snap, that first hit, it just, you start rolling. You start getting into the rhythm of it."

Doesn't get much better than this 🎯 pic.twitter.com/YZf0BzTmzT
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) August 30, 2025

True freshman running back Bo MacCormack generated a two-yard rushing touchdown in the final quarter, and James finished the game with a passing line of five completions on five attempts for 190 yards and a touchdown pass.

Freshman Dawson Pough caught James' first touchdown throw of 2025 and posted 96 receiving yards on three catches.

"We back, we back," Crouch said. "That's all I kept saying today. Looking at the crowd and seeing the students, everybody, all the fans get excited for that win. We back. BC football [is] back."