Will Boston College Get Rushing Attack Going Against Stanford: The Extra Point
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In Boston College's first two games against Fordham and Michigan State, the passing offense led by QB Dylan Lonergan has been impressive. Lonergan won ACC Player of the Week after his impressive 390 yard, four touchdown performance against the Spartans, becoming the first Boston College QB to throw for eight touchdown and zero interceptions through two games since 2018.
🏆 ACC POTW: QB — Dylan Lonergan
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 9, 2025
💥 34/45, 390 yards, 4 TDs vs Michigan State
💥 Most BC completions since 2020 (34)
💥 8 TDs, 0 INTs through 2 games — first since 2018@BCFootball | @BCEagles | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/aXmOg8p9Ed
While much of the praise has rightfully been thrown at the passing attack and Lonergan, the other side of BC's offense needs to be talked about: the rushing attack. The Eagles gained just 67 yards on the ground against Michigan State, with Lonergan throwing 45 passes throughout the double-overtime affair.
Turbo Richard ran the ball a total of 13 times, rushing for 55 yards which was good for 4.2 YPC. Richard also caught BC's first touchdown on a wheel route out of the backfield.
The rest of the Eagles' runs were not so productive. Backup running back Jordan McDonald ran for just 12 yards on five carries, good for only 2.4 YPC. The Eagles tried three designed runs for star WR Lewis Bond, with those going for a total of two yards. As a team, BC gained just 2.7 YPC.
In the team's opening blowout 66-10 win over Fordham, the Eagles rushed for just 97 yards on 39 carries, good for 2.5 YPC. Richard went for 48 yards on 16 carries. With the Eagles' struggles on the ground noted, let's take a look at the Stanford rushing defense.
In the Cardinal's opening matchup, a 23-20 loss against Hawaii, it was former BC running back Cam Barfield who showed out on the ground. The Hawaii RB ran for 45 yards on just six carries, averaging 7.5 YPC. BC will look to take a page out of their former player's book and dominate the Cardinal with the run.
Against BYU, Stanford allowed starting RB LJ Martin to gain 110 yards on 18 carries. Suffice it to say, the Cardinal are ripe for the taking on the ground. If the Eagles want to alleviate some of the pressure on their star QB, they have to get their two-headed rushing attack going as early as possible.
Stanford seems like a prime candidate to kickstart their development and get Richard and McDonald some positive gains. Getting big gains on first and second down will only help Lonergan and the passing offense, allowing them to take more shots downfield.
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Brendan Mogan is studying communication and journalism at Boston College. He has worked as a staff writer for The Heights, the independent student newspaper, since spring 2023. There, he has covered women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, and more. Brendan works as a writer in the USA Basketball Writing Program, covering its youth teams in tournaments such as the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup. He joined Boston College Eagles On SI in 2025.