Tag: boston college

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Virginia Tech vs Boston College Preview and Prediction

Date & Time: Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Broadcast: ACC Network
Records: Virginia Tech (3-0), Boston College (2-1)
Betting Line: Virginia Tech -13.5 | O/U 48.5

A week ago Virginia Tech went to Maryland trying to prove that the first two weeks of the James Franklin era weren’t just the result of beating up on VMI and Old Dominion. They proved it.

Virginia Tech beat Maryland 35-26, snapped a 15-game losing streak against nonconference Power 4 opponents and improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2017. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Luke Reynolds caught 12 passes. The Hokies controlled the football for more than 36 minutes and basically spent three quarters doing exactly what good football teams are supposed to do on the road.

Now comes a completely different challenge. Virginia Tech travels to Boston College as roughly a two-touchdown favorite for its first ACC game of the season. This isn’t about proving Virginia Tech belongs anymore. This is about proving Virginia Tech can consistently beat teams it is supposed to beat. And if you’ve watched Virginia Tech football over the last decade, you know exactly why that sentence makes me nervous.

Virginia Tech Is Actually 3-0

We can officially stop qualifying everything. Virginia Tech is good. How good? I still don’t know. But this is clearly a dramatically better football team than the one we watched a year ago.

The biggest reason is Grunkemeyer. Through three games, he has completed 78.2% of his passes for 865 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has now thrown for more than 300 yards in consecutive games, becoming the first Virginia Tech quarterback to do that since Ryan Willis in 2018. Against Maryland, Grunkemeyer completed 31-of-39 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for an 18-yard touchdown. More importantly, he looked completely comfortable doing it.

Maryland pressured him. Grunkemeyer moved in the pocket. Maryland dropped defenders into coverage. He took the underneath stuff. Maryland gave him opportunities downfield. He took those too. He isn’t playing like a quarterback trying to win the game by himself. He’s playing like a quarterback who understands he doesn’t have to.

Boston College Isn’t Exactly a Pushover

Boston College is 2-1. The Eagles opened the season with a 34-15 loss at Cincinnati, then came home and beat Rutgers 28-21 before narrowly escaping Maine 22-16. Yes. Maine.

Boston College led that game 16-0 in the first quarter and then spent the remaining three quarters doing everything possible to make it interesting. The Eagles managed only six points after the first quarter. They went 4-of-12 on third down and 2-of-5 in the red zone. Quarterback Mason McKenzie threw two interceptions. That doesn’t exactly scream “team ready to beat Virginia Tech.” But there are some things here that should concern you.

McKenzie is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. Through three games, he has thrown for 648 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 225 yards. Against Rutgers, he ran 13 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Evan Dickens gives Boston College another legitimate rushing threat. He ran for 102 yards against Maine, including a 39-yard touchdown. This offense isn’t explosive enough to scare Virginia Tech simply by lining up and throwing the football all over the field. But McKenzie creates exactly the type of problem that has given Virginia Tech trouble approximately 47,000 times over the last 20 years. A mobile quarterback. Wonderful.

Ethan Grunkemeyer vs. Boston College’s Secondary

This is the matchup where Virginia Tech should have a pretty significant advantage. The Hokies are averaging 330.7 passing yards per game. Grunkemeyer has completed 78.2% of his passes. Virginia Tech has had at least nine different players catch a pass in every game this season. And then there’s Luke Reynolds.

Reynolds has 25 catches for 265 yards and four touchdowns through three games. He followed an eight-catch, 108-yard performance against Old Dominion with 12 catches for 107 yards against Maryland. At this point he isn’t just a nice piece of the offense. He’s the centerpiece of it.

Boston College’s defense is allowing 331 yards per game overall and 172 through the air, but those numbers need some context. The Eagles haven’t faced a passing offense like Virginia Tech’s. Rutgers threw for 230 yards against BC, including a 60-yard touchdown. Maine threw for 201. Virginia Tech shouldn’t need to reinvent anything here.

Get Grunkemeyer comfortable early. Get Reynolds involved. Force Boston College to defend the entire width of the field. Make the Eagles decide whether they want to devote extra attention to Reynolds and create opportunities for Ayden Greene, Que’Sean Brown and everyone else. So far, nobody has really figured out how to make Grunkemeyer uncomfortable. I’m not convinced Boston College will be the first.

Please Tackle Mason McKenzie

This is probably the biggest key to the game. McKenzie is Boston College’s leading rusher with 225 yards through three games. Read that again. The quarterback is their leading rusher.

Against Rutgers, he ran for 94 yards. Against Cincinnati, he ran for 78. Against Maine, he added another 53. Some of that is designed. Some of it is scrambling. Either way, Virginia Tech has to account for him. The good news is Virginia Tech’s defensive front has generally been excellent against traditional rushing attacks.

Maryland managed only 26 rushing yards from leading rusher Harry Dalton III last week. The Terrapins basically abandoned the running game and let Malik Washington throw 43 times. The bad news is mobile quarterbacks change the math. Mylachi Williams, Cortez Harris and the rest of Virginia Tech’s front can’t get so aggressive rushing the passer that they create huge running lanes. Make McKenzie beat you from the pocket. He has thrown five interceptions in three games.

Virginia Tech’s Secondary Needs to Be Better

Here is the one thing coming out of Maryland that I don’t love. Virginia Tech gave up 359 passing yards and three touchdowns to Malik Washington. Some of that was game situation. Maryland was trailing most of the night and threw the football 43 times. Some of it was also Virginia Tech getting beat.

There were coverage breakdowns. Maryland created explosive plays. Virginia Tech didn’t consistently generate pressure with four rushers, and Washington took advantage. Boston College doesn’t have Maryland’s passing attack. McKenzie has completed just 60% of his passes and has thrown five interceptions against three touchdowns.

This should be an opportunity for the secondary to respond. Virginia Tech doesn’t need to play ultra-aggressively here. Keep McKenzie in front of you. Don’t lose contain. Make Boston College execute 10 or 12 plays to score. Eventually, I think the Eagles will make a mistake.

Virginia Tech Has to Keep Running the Football

Remember when we were worried about Virginia Tech’s running game after Old Dominion? Maryland was better. Marcellous Hawkins ran for 75 yards, and Jeffrey Overton continued to show why he’s going to have a role in this offense. Virginia Tech finished with 162.7 rushing yards per game through three weeks, which isn’t spectacular, but it’s enough when Grunkemeyer is completing nearly 80% of his passes. That’s really all Virginia Tech needs.

The Hokies don’t have to become 1999 Virginia Tech and run the football 50 times. They just need enough balance that defenses can’t completely sell out against the pass. Boston College is allowing 159 rushing yards per game. Run the ball. Make BC’s linebackers step forward. Then throw it to Luke Reynolds behind them approximately 19 times.

Key Statistical Matchups

Virginia Tech passing offense vs. Boston College pass defense

Virginia Tech is averaging 330.7 passing yards per game. Boston College is allowing 172. Something has to give. I think those BC numbers are at least partially opponent-driven. Cincinnati, Rutgers and Maine aren’t exactly lighting up the national passing statistics. Grunkemeyer is easily the best quarterback Boston College has faced.

Mason McKenzie’s legs vs. Virginia Tech’s front seven

This is the one. Virginia Tech cannot allow McKenzie to turn third-and-8 into first downs with his legs. Force him to throw from the pocket and eventually there should be turnover opportunities. Five interceptions in three games is a lot.

Turnovers

Grunkemeyer: zero interceptions.
McKenzie: five interceptions.

Virginia Tech hasn’t been perfect protecting the football overall, but the quarterback hasn’t put the ball in danger very often. Against a nearly two-touchdown underdog, don’t give them free possessions. This game becomes significantly more annoying if Virginia Tech turns the ball over twice.

Third down

Virginia Tech is converting more than half of its third downs this season. Boston College is converting around one-third. That matters. Virginia Tech went 12-of-18 on conversion downs against Maryland and possessed the ball for more than 36 minutes. Do that again and Boston College is going to have a very difficult time generating enough possessions to win.

The Bill O’Brien Factor

Apparently James Franklin is going to have a personal connection with every coach Virginia Tech plays this season. Franklin and Bill O’Brien were both assistants under Ralph Friedgen at Maryland in 2003 and 2004. O’Brien coached running backs. Franklin coached wide receivers. Then O’Brien became Penn State’s head coach in 2012. Franklin replaced him in 2014.

O’Brien is also legitimately a good offensive coach. He’s calling the plays for Boston College this season, and Franklin specifically praised his ability to manufacture yards through formations, leverage and numbers. That matters with a quarterback like McKenzie.

Boston College probably isn’t going to line up and physically overwhelm Virginia Tech. O’Brien is going to have to manufacture advantages. Misdirection. Quarterback runs. Screens. Play action. Anything that can make Virginia Tech hesitate for half a second.

SP+ / FPI

This is where things start looking pretty favorable for Virginia Tech. The current numbers have Virginia Tech around +12.7 in SP+ compared with Boston College at approximately -3.3.

FPI tells a similar story, with Virginia Tech around +10.3 and Boston College around -3.9. That’s a pretty substantial gap.

It also lines up almost perfectly with the betting market, which currently has Virginia Tech favored by around 13.5 points. For the first time this season, the computers, Vegas and my eyeballs all seem to be saying basically the same thing. Virginia Tech is considerably better than Boston College.

What I’m Looking For

This week is less complicated than Maryland.

Can Virginia Tech handle success?

Can the Hokies go on the road for a noon game against an inferior opponent and immediately take control?

Can the defense keep Mason McKenzie inside the pocket?

Can Virginia Tech’s secondary clean up some of the problems we saw against Maryland?

Can Grunkemeyer continue playing turnover-free football?

Can the running game continue improving?

And maybe most importantly: can Virginia Tech avoid turning this into one of those inexplicably stupid Boston College games?

Because we have seen enough of those. Virginia Tech has won the last three meetings with Boston College by scores of 42-21, 48-22 and 27-10. Keep doing that.

Betting Analysis

Virginia Tech opened around a 14-point favorite, with the line sitting around Virginia Tech -13.5 as of Tuesday morning. The total is around 48.5. That’s a big number for a road conference game. It’s also difficult for me to argue that it’s wrong.

Virginia Tech is averaging 50.7 points and 493.3 yards per game. Boston College just scored 22 points against Maine and needed a safety and two field goals to get there. The question isn’t really whether Virginia Tech is better. It’s whether the Hokies are two touchdowns better on the road. I think they probably are.

Boston College’s best path to covering is shortening the game with McKenzie and Dickens, forcing a turnover or two and turning this into an ugly noon ACC rock fight.

Virginia Tech’s path is much simpler. Don’t turn the ball over. Make McKenzie throw. Let Grunkemeyer distribute the football. If that happens, the talent difference should eventually show up.

Lean: Virginia Tech -13.5

I’d be a little more comfortable at -12.5 or -13 because winning by exactly 14 feels extremely plausible, but I think Virginia Tech is the right side.

Prediction

This game scares me considerably less than Maryland.

Boston College will have some early success with McKenzie’s legs. O’Brien will scheme up something annoying. Virginia Tech will probably commit a penalty at the worst possible time because apparently that’s just part of the experience now. But over four quarters, I don’t think Boston College has enough.

Grunkemeyer is playing too efficiently. Reynolds is becoming one of the best tight ends in college football. Virginia Tech has more weapons. The defensive front should eventually force McKenzie into obvious passing situations, and that’s where I think the turnovers show up. Boston College hangs around for a half. Virginia Tech pulls away after halftime.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Boston College 17

The Hokies move to 4-0 for the first time since 2017.

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2025 Preseason ACC Predictions

A preseason prediction for all 17 ACC teams heading into the 2025 college football season.

Projected ACC StandingsComments

12-0		Clemson looks like a complete team that could be 13-0 headed into the CFP

11-1		Expect Kevin Jennings to take a bit of a step back this year but the schedule almost assures a really strong season.

10-2		Color me a bit skeptical of Mario Cristobal and Miami but the schedule is there to be a CFP contender.

9-3		The Haynes and Haynes combo is not to be trifled with. Brent Key seems to have finally found a roster that can compete for an ACCCG berth.

9-3		Manny Diaz proved me wrong last year. With a good transfer QB and soft schedule, they will make noise this year.

8-4		Offense should be really good. Defense — who knows?

8-4		Dave Doeren is usually able to pull together a solid squad every year but will that defense hold up after all the transfers?

6-6		Too much talent to be as bad as last year. Will the new influx transfers this year work out for them? Hard to pick anything but middle of the road.

6-6		Solid additions through the portal but Brent Pry is still the head coach.

6-6		Pitt and Pat Narduzzi are trending toward becoming a perennial 6-6 team.

5-7		Bill Belichick is a football genius but he doesn’t block, tackle or run the ball.

5-7		They have a great RB and that’s pretty much it. However, that may be enough to win 5 games with that schedule.

4-8		Tough schedule and not enough talent. Not a great combination.

4-8		Fran Brown might get a reality check in year 2.

4-8		Soft schedule might help them out a lot but ultimately they have to show they have become a better team when they hit the field.

3-9		Cal football looks lost at the moment. At least they have the #Calgorithm.

3-9		Tough schedule. Transfer losses. Interim head coach and a new AD trying to make his mark. Looks like a bottom-out season for Stanford.
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Boston College vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech finally looks like they are getting back on track. Flying to the West Coast and getting a 24 point win on the road is impressive. Now they need to prove they can take care of business like that at home.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall:36th
Offense: 44th
Defense: 42nd
Special Teams: 33rd

Boston College

Overall: 49th
Offense: 67th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 48th

Offense has been a bit of a struggle for Boston College this year. QB Thomas Castellanos has looked a little banged up this year so he hasn’t been his normal dual-threat self. A fully healthy Castellanos would give Tech a lot of trouble since we know they have issues with running quarterbacks. Luckily, in this game, it seems like Castellanos is less likely to run around as he has in the past. If the Hokies are able to stop the run, it’s unlikely that BC can put up big yards through the air.

Boston College is pretty stout defensively. They are one of the better run-stopping teams the Hokies will play this season. They also need to stop DE Donovan Ezeiruaku. He is a defensive end who likes to wreak havoc in the backfield. Tech needs to try to run the ball away from him and be prepared to block him in passing situations. Like the Stanford game, this would be a good game to get the run game going with Tuten and use play action to find open receivers downfield.

Boston College has had a good year thus far and been competitive in every game they’ve played. But if you look at the two most recent games, they look like a team that’s slowing down a bit. I’m not sure if that’s because of an injured Castellanos or if the wear and tear of the season is starting to catch up with them. Either way, Tech looks like they are starting to gain momentum at the same time that BC is starting to lose it. Especially on a Thursday night at home, I like the Hokies to take care of business like they did last year against Syracuse. Get things going early and ride that momentum to victory.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 17

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2024 ACC Football Preseason Predictions

This week we are doing ACC preseason predictions from our favorite Hokie podcast and Twitter personalities. We have preseason picks from Twitter personality OXVT (@OX_VT), Brian Seigla (@seigs5052) from the Boundary Corner Podcast, and Pete B. (@petebvt) from the Two Deep Podcast. We are also joined by ACC contributors Casey (Clemson) and Dirty Bird (Miami) with their picks for the 2024 ACC football season.

Treadmillhorse (@treadmillhorse)OX_VT
(@OX_VT)		Brian Seigla
(@seig5052)

11-1
11-1
11-1

10-2
10-2
10-2

10-2
9-3
9-3

9-3
8-4
9-3

9-3
9-3
8-4

9-3
8-4
8-4

8-4
8-4
8-4

8-4
8-4
7-5

6-6
8-4
7-5

5-7
7-5
6-6

5-7
6-6
6-6

5-7
6-6
6-6

5-7
4-8
5-7

4-8
5-7
5-7

4-8
5-7
5-7

3-9
4-8
3-9

3-9
3-9
3-9
ACC OPOYCam Ward, MiamiPreston Stone, SMUKyron Drones, Virginia Tech
ACC DPOYBarrett Carter, ClemsonAshton Gillotte, LouisvilleBarrett Carter, Clemson
ACC CoachDave Doeren, NC StateRhett Lashlee, SMUBrent Pry, Virginia Tech
Champ GameClemson / Florida StateClemson / SMUClemson / Florida State
ChampionClemsonClemsonFlorida State
Pete B.
(@petebvt)		Casey
(@FromSluggo)		DIRTY BIRD
(@dirtyyybird)

10-2
11-1
11-1

9-3
10-2
10-2

9-3
10-2
8-4

9-3
9-3
8-4

9-3
9-3
8-4

9-3
9-3
8-4

7-5
8-4
7-5

7-5
8-4
7-5

7-5
7-5
7-5

6-6
7-5
6-6

6-6
6-6
6-6

6-6
6-6
5-7

5-7
5-7
4-8

4-8
3-9
4-8

4-8
3-9
4-8

4-8
3-9
3-9

4-8
2-10
3-9
ACC OPOYKyron Drones, Virginia TechPhil Mafah, ClemsonCam Ward, Miami
ACC DPOYFrancisco Mauigoa, MiamiAshton Gillotte, LouisvilleRueben Bain, Miami
ACC CoachBrent Pry, Virginia TechBrent Pry, Virginia TechBrent Pry, Virginia Tech
Champ GameFlorida State / Virginia TechClemson / Florida StateMiami / Virginia Tech
ChampionFlorida StateClemsonMiami

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Boston College vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

That game against Louisville was a BEATDOWN. The Hokies were outclassed on offense, defense and special teams. It’s disappointing to have a no-show in such a big game but the goal for this season was always to make a bowl game. And that’s what the Hokies should focus on in these next three games.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 66th
Offense: 88th
Defense: 43rd
Special Teams: 17th

Boston College

Overall: 78th
Offense: 78th
Defense: 64th
Special Teams: 93rd


The key to stopping Boston College is to stop their run game. This year they are nearly a lock to rush for 200 yards every time out. They have a two-man offense with Thomas Castellanos and Kye Robichaux. The Hokies need to sellout to stop the run in this game. They should consider mixing in run blitzes to get the BC offense off-schedule. This is a game where if you get beat through the air, so be it. But don’t let them beat you on the ground.

The formula for Virginia Tech on offense is the same as Boston College. Tech needs to run the ball. This needs to be the Drones-Tuten show. Keep running read option and make the BC defense stop it. The goal needs to be to show a lot of motion and misdirection to keep the defense from keying in on one rusher. It may be a good idea to get Jaylin Lane involved in a couple of jet sweeps or reverses too.

What worries me most about this game is BC’s ability to get yards on the ground, no matter who they are playing. Virginia Tech has to show up ready to fill gaps in the run game and shut that down. If Tech plays like they have in the rest of their road games this season, it’s going to be a long day. They need to show that their run stopping abilities can travel on the road with them. A noon start at BC also has snoozer written all over it. The Hokies need to BYOE (bring your own energy) and be ready to play from the opening whistle. I’m going to go with Tech in this game. They can play better than they did against Louisville and it sounds like BC’s top two rushers might be a little banged up going into this game.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 24

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2023 ACC Football Preseason Predictions

This week we are doing ACC preseason predictions from our favorite Hokie podcast and Twitter personalities. We are joined by @OX_VT, @PeteBVT from the Two Deep Podcast, Brian Seigla from the Boundary Corner Podcast, Dan (@Visionary_SZN) from the Tales from the Terrordome Podcast, @DriftVT from the @VT4L Podcast and Hokie Pharmacist from Main Street Pharmacy with their picks for the 2023 ACC football season.

Treadmillhorse (@treadmillhorse)
12-0
10-2
10-2
8-4
8-4
8-4
7-5
7-5
6-6
6-6
5-7
5-7
3-9
2-10
ACC Offensive Player of the YearDrake Maye
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJeremiah Trotter Jr.
ACC Coach of the YearPat Narduzzi
ACC Title Winner
OX_VT (@OX_VT)
10-2
9-3
9-3
9-3
8-4
8-4
8-4
7-5
6-6
6-6
5-7
4-8
4-8
2-10
ACC Offensive Player of the YearBrennan Armstrong
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJeremiah Trotter Jr.
ACC Coach of the YearBrent Pry
ACC Title Winner
Pete B. (@PeteBVT)
from the Two Deep Podcast
11-1
11-1
8-4
8-4
8-4
7-5
7-5
7-5
7-5
6-6
6-6
5-7
4-8
2-10
ACC Offensive Player of the YearWill Shipley
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJared Verse
ACC Coach of the YearMike Norvell
ACC Title Winner
Brian Seigla (@Seig5052)
from the Boundary Corner Podcast
12-0
10-2
9-3
9-3
8-4
8-4
7-5
7-5
7-5
6-6
5-7
4-8
4-8
2-10

ACC Offensive Player of the YearDrake Maye
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJared Verse
ACC Coach of the YearMike Norvell
ACC Title Winner
Dan (@Visionary_SZN)
from the Tales from the TerrorDome Podcast
10-2
9-3
9-3
8-4
8-4
7-5
7-5
7-5
6-6
6-6
5-7
4-8
3-9
2-10

ACC Offensive Player of the YearBrennan Armstrong
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJared Verse
ACC Coach of the YearMike Norvell
ACC Title Winner
@DriftVT
from the @VT4L Podcast
11-1
9-3
9-3
8-4
7-5
7-5
7-5
6-6
6-6
6-6
6-6
4-8
3-9
2-10

ACC Offensive Player of the YearJordan Travis
ACC Defensive Player of the YearJeremiah Trotter Jr.
ACC Coach of the YearMario Cristobal
ACC Title Winner
Hokie Pharmacist (@HokiePharmacist) *
12-0*
12-0
10-2
9-3
9-3
9-3
8-4
8-4
7-5
5-7
5-7
4-8
4-8
0-12

ACC Offensive Player of the YearGrant Wells*
ACC Defensive Player of the YearDrake Maye*
ACC Coach of the YearDave Clawson
ACC Title Winner

* See the full Hokie Pharmacist Twitter thread here:

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Boston College vs Virginia Tech Preview and Prediction

Brent Pry’s first game as head coach did not go as planned. It’s frustrating but it was a weird football game. Turnovers, penalties, and some questionable penalty calls. I’m not making excuses but the stats say Virginia Tech should have won that game more often than not. Either way, the Hokies have some things to cleanup and that starts this week.

SP+ Rankings

Virginia Tech

Overall: 69th
Offense: 100th
Defense: 35th
Special Teams: 43rd

Boston College

Overall: 76th
Offense: 108th
Defense: 43rd
Special Teams: 106th

As bad as the Hokies losing to ODU was, Boston College didn’t exactly have a great week either. They dropped their first game to Rutgers after accumulating only 29 yards rushing. Phil Jurkovec also threw for 2 interceptions. The Hokies are going to need to keep Boston College one-dimensional again this week. They will also have to stop Jurkovec’s favorite target, Zay Flowers. Doesn’t is feel like he has been at Boston College for the last ten years? He’s a talented wide receiver and one that will look to do some damage on Saturday. If the rain in the forecast holds, that may slow down BC’s passing offense.

The Hokies offense had a multitude of issues on Friday. They took penalties. They turned the ball over. And the passing game did not look in sync at all. Those all appear correctable but one week isn’t a lot of time. My biggest concern last week was the wide receivers not finding any separation. This offense will not work with only running backs and tight ends. Outside of an injured Kaleb Smith someone else is going to need to step up. Unfortunately, this offense doesn’t have a ton of time to figure it out. This will need to be a learn-on-the-job moment for the Hokies young wide receivers. Grant Wells needs more targets to throw to.

One positive on Friday was that the running game worked pretty well. Keshawn King ran for over 100 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. If he can handle the load, the Hokies would be wise to feed him the football on Saturday. Boston College gave up 212 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns to Rutgers on the ground. The Hokies need to pound the rock while they figure out their issues in the pass game. Grant Wells also looked pretty good passing out of play action last week. A strong running game benefits the passing game. This offense would be wise to establish the run early and often.

The Hokies aren’t as bad as they looked on Friday. They still have a lot to clean up but there were the signs of what could be areas of strength. The defense looked very good. The run game looked good. The issues were penalties and turnovers. If the Hokies can clean those up and continue to play stout defense, they should be in good shape. A return to Lane Stadium comes at a good time against a beatable Boston College team. But first the Hokies need to show that they’ve cleaned up some of their issues from last week. If not, it could be a long season. Hammer the under.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 24, Boston College 20

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Boston College Q&A with AJ Black from Eagle Insider

This week we are joined by AJ Black from Eagle Insider.

Tell us about yourself and your podcast.

My name is AJ Black and I’m the publisher for Eagle Insider, part of the 247 Sports Network. I am also the host of Locked on Boston College, the only daily BC podcast out there and you can listen to that on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tell us about your team this year. What are your expectations for Boston College this season?

Before Saturday’s game, I was pretty high on my expectations about the direction of the Eagles. I thought that their offensive line would be problematic, but had some faith that even with five new guys they would be serviceable and that would be enough to keep them competitive. Well, after Saturday’s loss to Rutgers, we got a first hand glance at how wrong I was. BC’s line was okay in the first half in pass protection, but once Rutgers dialed up the heat they fell apart in the second half, and the offense went with it. This is a major problem for the Eagles, and one I don’t see them fixing any time soon. 

What are your thoughts on the annual rivalry series with Virginia Tech being discontinued?

Given the three teams that Boston College ended up with, I’m fine with it. I was a student at BC during the ’07 and ’08 ACC Championship games and look back fondly to Matt Ryan’s heroics in Blacksburg, but I think the “rivalry” has run it’s course. Talking to multiple Tech fans and writers, there isn’t much juice left in it, so for BC getting three teams (Pitt, Syracuse and Miami) that they have history with is a fair trade off. 

How do you view the Virginia Tech program?

Love the hire of Brent Pry, and think he was a perfect fit for the culture and history that VT has put together. That being said, it probably will be a few years to get everything in order after a disastrous run with Justin Fuente. But if he’s given time, I think he will have the Hokies back to where they were under Frank Beamer in a few years. 

What are your thoughts on coming to Lane Stadium to play a night game?

Funny you ask this. On my podcast before the season and before the game time was announced, I had BC as a favorite in this game. But when I heard it was a night game, my expectations changed. Lane is a different animal at night, and ESPECIALLY given how BC’s offensive line has been playing, I think this is a perfect situations for the Hokies.

What are your expectations for the Virginia Tech game?

A bit of a mess? A low scoring affair, with mistakes on both sides. 

What’s your prediction for the game?

Given what I saw last week out of the Eagles, and the fact that VT lost to Old Dominion so they are going to be riled up at home and at night, going to go with VT winning this 24-14.

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Boston College Preview and Prediction

Virginia Tech’s loss to North Carolina was disappointing but not necessarily unexpected. UNC looked like the better team. But that game did raise a couple of questions. Could the Hokies have won if Hendon Hooker had started? What if the Hokies had their full roster of defensive players? What happens if Khalil Herbert gets more than two carries in the first half? The reality is that the Hokies got outplayed on defensive side of the ball. You don’t need to analyze it more than that. Anybody watching could see that.

SP+ Rankings

Boston College is a sneaky good team. This is the type of team if you aren’t ready for what they are bringing, they can get you. On offense, it’s a two-man show with Phil Jurkovec and Zay Flowers. There about as good a QB-WR combo as there is in the ACC. Boston College ranks 7th in the nation in passing offense. And Zay Flowers ranks 4th in the nation in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He’s a talented player who you can expect to be playing on Sundays. The Hokies need to put Waller on Flowers to keep him in check. The good news is that BC is one of the worst rushing teams in the country. So if you can keep them from beating you through the air, they won’t beat you on the ground.

Defensively, they are solid all around. Not great but not bad either. This defense has kept BC in every game this year — including the North Carolina game. They should present some problems to a Hokies offense that has been moving the ball at will against everybody they’ve played this year. If the Hokies can stick to the balanced attack they’ve shown in the first three weeks, they should be in good shape against Boston College. It will be important to establish the run game with Khalil Herbert to open up the passing game over the top. The Hokies will need some contributions from their top receiving threats to move the ball against this defense. Tre Turner and James Mitchell need to have big games.

The Hokies are double-digit favorites going into this one, but the matchup looks closer than that on paper. The Hokies were obliterated in the run game against North Carolina. Will that happen against BC? Probably not. But they need to show that they have corrected a couple of things on that side of the ball. Next, can the Hokies stop the potent Jurkovec-Flowers combo? If Tech can get their full complement of defensive backs on the field, the Hokies stand a good chance of winning their fair share of those matchups. My biggest concern is Virginia Tech being able to stop the run. If the Hokies can show they can do that, they have a very good chance to win. But if Boston College is rushing for 5+ yards per carry, the odds don’t seem nearly as good. Put me down as thinking the Hokies bounce back this week defensively and have another good offensive performance.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 38, Boston College 28

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Boston College Preview and Prediction

The Hokies get started trying to bounce back from their first losing season since 1992. First up is Boston College. The Eagles have regularly given the Hokies trouble with a tough defense and strong running game. This year should be no different but this is a different looking Eagles team that the Hokies faced last season.

On offense, the Eagles return star running back AJ Dillon. Dillon is a player to watch and key to the Boston College offense. He is the type of runner who is difficult to bring down and is a threat to take it the distance if he gets some space or breaks a tackle. The Hokies young defensive line needs to bottle him up if they hope to slow down this offense. The best gameplan against the Eagles would be to stop the run and force Anthony Brown and his receivers beat the Hokies through the air. Tech will need to be prepared to stop the run sideline-to-sideline as the Eagles like to get their wide receivers involved in the running game.

On defense, the Eagles are breaking in some new starters. Only four starters from last year’s squad return. If the Hokies are to have success, they will need to challenge Boston College’s young secondary. This is an inexperienced group that the Hokies should be able to exploit with their senior quarterback and talented weapons on the outside. The Hokies need to hit on some big plays in the passing game.

Boston College had one of the least efficient special teams in the country last season. The Hokies should prepare to make some plays on special teams to take advantage of this matchup. This is particularly true in the first game of the season where special teams are normally not in mid-season form. There are some yards and field position to be had in the return game.

The Hokies have a talent advantage in this matchup. Boston College is normally a hard nosed team that is a tough out but the Hokies should have the horses to take care of business in this matchup. The key for Tech will be to not turn the ball over and the defensive line will have to keep AJ Dillon in check. If the defensive line is ineffective at containing the run, it could be a long day (see the Pitt game last year). This is a matchup where the Hokies have more weapons on offense and a defense that has played more snaps together than the guys on the other side. I see this as a lower-scoring game where we will see a couple gaffes on both sides but ultimately the Hokies come out on top.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 24Â