The throwback jerseys and homecoming game were a success as the Boston College Eagles got back into the win column on Saturday.
It wasn’t the prettiest of victories, but the Boston College Eagles were able to grind out a victory at home on Saturday.
Boston College (5-2, 2-1) ran for 251 yards, the defense held Louisville to 217 total yards and overcame general sloppiness in defeating the Cardinals 38-20.
The Eagles raced out to a 14-0, scoring on the first two drives, and the rout appeared to be on.
Louisville was able to stay in the game thanks to turnovers and penalties by Boston College, leading to short fields. The Cardinals (2-5, 0-4) even led 20-14 at one point in the first half.
It was all Boston College after that.
Anthony Brown had a conservative and effective game. He was 16-22 for 179 yards and 1 touchdowns. Most of his completions were done via short passes as Boston College was able to move the ball downfield with ease for most of the game.
There was no AJ Dillon for the second-straight week as the team continued to be cautious with his injured ankle.
A smart move, considering the Eagles are on a bye next week and they had a stable of backs to replace their workhorse.
Six different players carried the ball, with David Bailey and Ben Glines each going over 100 yards. Three of the team’s five touchdowns came via the ground game.
Bailey, seeing his first extensive action of the season, is the first of three standouts selected for this game (though there were a few more than that).
David Bailey
David Bailey, a freshman running back, did carry the ball 11 times for 80 yards in the victory over Holy Cross in the season’s second game. Until the Louisville game, Bailey hadn’t carried the ball since.
He was the feature back for much of the second half on Saturday, rushing for 87 of his team-high 112 yards. Many of his yards were done between the tackles, grinding it out in chunks of four and five yards.
Bailey’s carries helped sustain long drives, including the drive in which he scored his touchdown on early in the fourth quarter. The drive lasted 13-plays and 93 yards, of which Bailey had 8 carries for 29 yards.
His power effort combined nicely with Glines, who had 17 carries and 107 yards in the game, including a 41-yard carry on the above mentioned drive. His performance was only slightly marked down thanks to a fumble in the first quarter that eventually led to Louisville’s first score.
Travis Levy
Davon Jones, Michael Walker and Jeff Smith were all players for the Boston College Eagles who were being used in a variety of ways across the three areas of a football game.
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Add the name of Travis Levy to this list.
Levy had been expected to be the main backup to Dillon in 2018. His role in this aspect has waned since the early season games, but Levy has continued to find ways to contribute.
For the second straight week, Levy recovered a block punt in the end zone for a touchdown. It was Nolan Borgersen who blocked the punt and the touchdown gave the Eagles a 21-20 lead they would never relinquish.
Levy also found ways to contribute on offense as well, coming up with a couple of third-down conversions in the second half. He finished with 4 receptions for 35 yards and also had 3 carries for 17 yards.
Wyatt Ray
Defensive end Wyatt Ray is putting together quite a senior season.
Ray wreaked havoc all afternoon on Saturday, consistently finding his way into the Louisville backfield. He ended the day with three sacks, bringing his season total to 8.5.
Paired with Zach Allen, Ray has helped the Eagles remain stingy on run defense as well. Boston College limited the Cardinals to 44 rushing yards.
Ray’s three sacks were part of seven the Eagles had on the day. Allen had one as well as the defense played outstanding all day. Outside of a pass interference call helping set up a score, the defense played as we’ve come to expect over the past few seasons.
Hamp Cheevers made his fourth interception of the season as the Eagles also kept the Louisville passing game in check.
Boston College will get a week off next week. Coming at the midseason point is perfect to get healed up before taking on the Miami Hurricanes.