Key Takeaways from Boston College’s 21-14 Loss to Virginia Tech

After Mason McKenzie ran in a pair of touchdowns, Boston College looked to pick up a third consecutive win and open up their ACC slate with a victory over a Virginia Tech squad knocking on the door of a ranking.

Instead, the Eagles defense finally wore down after an impressive first three quarters as Boston College fell by a final score of 21-14. Take a look into four key takeaways from the game, including the positive and negative, as the Eagles shift their attention to SMU.

Ineffective Early Downs Doomed the Eagles on Third Down

Boston College converted just two of their 13 third down attempts against the Hokies, but the problems started well before the failures to convert. The Eagles found themselves in too many third and long situations, with nearly half of the third down situations being longer than 10 yards and all but three being further than six yards.

The Eagles were effective when they kept third downs manageable, converting two of the three from within six yards for a total of 52 yards. Both Boston College touchdowns were set up off of third and shorts, the first coming a play before Mason McKenzie scrambled for 45 yards to pick up a first and goal at the VT5. Later, he would get the job done again by taking off running, picking up seven on a 3rd-and-1 before later running in his second touchdown to cap off the drive.

When Boston College was backed up, the Eagles needed to get out of their comfort zone and battle the torrential rain and wind. On plays needing six or more, Bill O’Brien tried to dial up a pass nine times, with little success.

The only time it proved productive was on the very first opportunity, with McKenzie picking up twelve on 4th-and-13 before the Eagles picked up the fourth and short. After that play, Boston College went 0-of-9 and netted a loss of ten yards. These third down attempts included six incompletions, two sacks, and only one positive play, which still left Boston College 13 yards short of a first down.

Mason McKenzie’s Legs Could save Boston College

After all the talk coming into the year about if the transfer from Saginaw Valley State could adapt and grow into a serviceable ACC quarterback, one aspect of McKenzie’s game was the lone bright spot for the Boston College offense.

As a team, the Eagles totaled just 261 yards but the redshirt junior exceeded that mark by himself, accounting for 290 total yards on 111 pass yards and 179 sack-adjusted rush yards. Considering the environment he had to deal with, McKenzie put up an acceptable performance through the air, going 11-of-23 for 111 yards and most importantly no interceptions, but it was his running game that ignited the Eagle offense in the second half.

The quarterback averaged over seven yards on a mix of designed runs and scrambles, recording a pair of touchdowns and not putting the ball on the turf. The biggest stretch came shortly after he was forced out of the game for a play with a potential shoulder injury, scrambling forty five yards down to the five on his first snap back before taking it into the end zone himself on the next play.

With a passing game that has been lethargic through the first third of the season, McKenzie splitting the blame with an offensive line that has struggled in pass protection, and receivers who have been unable to get open downfield, McKenzie being a dynamic runner could keep the Eagles above water while the rest of the offense develops. If he and head coach Bill O’Brien can find a way to use his legs to open up the short passing game, it could pay dividends late in the year.

Anthony Palano is Turning Into One of the ACC’s Best Linebackers

After being named Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week the last time Boston College faced an FBS opponent, Antony Palano turned in another standout performance to lead the defense against Virginia Tech. The former Washington State and South Dakota State linebacker has found a home on the Heights as his production has also contributed in him becoming one of the leaders of the defense.

The linebacker recorded six tackles, one for a tackle for a loss, one quarterback hurry and was credited with a pass breakup on Saturday with his impact reaching far beyond the box score. His performance in the third quarter helped the BC defense keep the Hokies out of the end zone as the Eagles allowed just two field goals through the first three quarters.

In that quarter, Palano made three crucial plays, breaking up a pass on second and long that led to a turnover on the following third down attempt and making a pair of tackles at the line of scrimmage on back to back first downs that slowed Virginia Tech’s march down field.

While the defense wilted in the fourth quarter, Palano consistently turning in impactful performances will help the defense as a whole keep the Eagles in games while the offense struggles and win games if the offense can pick up its scoring.

Path to a Bowl Game Gets A Lot Tougher After Dropping to 2-2

With Boston College leading in the second half, the Eagles looked poised to make it three straight wins and get halfway to bowl eligibility. Boston College would have needed to just go 3-5 the rest of the way, potentially 2-6 if a wave of opt-outs hit similar to last year, but now must go 4-4 to secure a bowl game after falling well short a year ago.

Remaining on the schedule is five teams receiving votes in the latest AP Poll- three in the top 25; No. 22 SMU next week in Dallas, No. 3 Notre Dame in South Bend on Nov. 14, and No. 6 Miami on Nov. 28 in Coral Gables to end the season. The remaining games, a road trip to Georgia Tech, home games against Syracuse and Florida State, are winnable but certainly won’t be easy ones for the Eagles.

Making the path to four more wins hard to find for Boston College. Had the Eagles closed out the game against Virginia Tech, they would not need to beat a team that’s received votes if they find a way to win against Georgia Tech, Syracuse, and Florida State but now will need to go 3-for-3 and steal one more game to get to the six win mark.

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