BC-Virginia Tech Recap and Analysis

BC-Virginia Tech Recap and Analysis

By Quinn Kelly

 

There have been tough losses; Georgia Tech hurt.  There have been bad losses; Colorado State circa 2014 was a huge disappointment.  There have been ugly losses; last year to Wake Forest was near torture to sit through.  But today, today was an embarrassing loss.  Going into Blacksburg and losing to the Hokies 49-0 was embarrassing in the fullest sense of the word.  This was a team that the Eagles were supposed to be relatively on par with, a team that was only favored by 5.5 points at kickoff, and they made us look like a high school football team.  Simply put, it’s time for a change.

It started with mistakes.  After forcing a three and out to begin the game, Patrick Towles completed a big third down conversion to Tommy Sweeney.  It ended up being the biggest play of the day for the offense.  The very next play, Michael Walker gave away the ball on a fumble that VT is lucky to be credited as “forced.”  After the turnover, VT would score thanks to the short field and never look back.  The Eagles would attempt to answer right back, with Myles Willis returning the kickoff the length of the field, but would be thwarted again by their own mistake, with a block in the back penalty away from the return bringing it all the way back.  That would be the last sign of offense all day for the Eagles.

Rather than go through each score for the Hokies, let’s just leave it at this: the went into the half up 21-0 thanks to some great field position due to the Eagles’ offenses inability to move the ball.  After that, it would be long drives for the Hokies that got them their remaining 28 points.

The offense could do nothing, but more alarming was the defense’s absolutely abhorrent play.  This was not the BC defense we have been used to seeing the last few years.  It was a defeated team who looked like they got down on themselves and couldn’t pick their heads back up long enough to stop Virginia Tech from doing whatever they wanted.

Boston College ran 8 plays in Virginia Tech territory.  They picked up 6 first downs and had 124 total yards of offense.  Virginia Tech lived in BC territory, picked up 25 first downs and had 476 total yards of offense, more than they had against FCS Liberty.  Mike Knoll had a career day, eclipsing BC’s first down total (6), Patrick Towles’ completion total (9), and Jon Hilliman and Tyler Rouse’s combined rushing yards total (12) with 13 punts; which, oh yeah, is a new Boston College record.

There’s really not much more to say.  This is the worst loss Boston College has suffered since 1950.  It is truly an embarrassing day to be a fan of this program.  In support for and in solidarity with this program, we will leave it ambiguous, but something needs to change.  We cannot suffer a loss like this and do nothing about it.  The question of what should surely be answered in the coming days.

Final: Virginia Tech 49-0