Boston College coach Steve Addazio places a fundamental emphasis on winning the season opener, which has typically been accomplished to his satisfaction against a lesser opponent.
BC rewrote the script with Saturday’s thoroughly entertaining 35-28 victory over rival Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference crossover game before 35,213 at Alumni Stadium.
BC will look to capitalize on its strong start with non-league games against Richmond and Kansas at home and on the road at Rutgers. BC resumes ACC play against Wake Forest at home on Sept. 28.
“This was a great statement win for the program and we played a heck of a football team in Virginia Tech,” said Addazio, who is 6-1 in openers. “Where I’m coming from with this is that winning the opener validates your offseason work and it gives you positive momentum.
“But winning your opener against a high-quality team, I think you get better from that. So, to me it’s a statement game because we’re 1-0, we got a conference win and we got battled tested against a real quality football team.”
BC redshirt junior Anthony Brown won the quarterback battle against Tech’s Ryan Willis, despite the extraordinary stats recorded by the Hokies’ gunslinger.
Brown completed an efficient 15-of-26 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He scored the Eagles’ fourth touchdown of the first half with an 18-yard run option dash around right tackle that made it 28-14 with 2:08 to play.
Willis riddled the Eagles bend-but-don’t break young secondary by completing 29-of-47 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns. He offset those gains by throwing three interceptions, two of which occurred in the BC end zone. BC forced five turnovers in the game, four on defense and one on punt coverage. Linebacker Joe Sparacio and cornerback Brandon Sebastian made the end zone interceptions while graduate tackle Tanner Karafa, the Eagles defensive captain, picked Willis on the Hokies 41 early in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Tate Haynes strip-sacked Willis on the Tech 28 with 7:02 to play in the second quarter that set up a 17-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Kobay White.
“It’s a huge win for us and its statement win for us,” said Karafa. “We’re going to try to take the momentum going forward and yeah, that’s definitely the best opener I feel I’ve been a part of.”
Virginia Tech’s defense found its footing in the third quarter and set up Willis with favorable field position. BC Had 356 yards of total offense in the first half and zero in the third quarter.
Willis converted twice on third and long during an 11-play, 59-yard, scoring drive that cut the Eagles lead to 28-21 with 3:09 to play. Willis completed the trip with a 10-yard touchdown pass tight end James Mitchell, his fourth completion of the drive.
The BC offense reverted to a ball control and scored on nine straight rushes. Brown opened the 56-yard, 10 play drive, with a pass to A.J. Dillon. Dillon and David Bailey took turns attacking the middle of the Hokies’ front for steady gains. Bailey finished the drive on a 1-yard dive that made it 35-21 with 7:53 to play.
Tech cut the lead to seven with an 18-play, 83-yard drive, that included two fourth down conversions. Willis completed the long haul with an 11-yard toss to split end Kaleb Smith with 2:30 remaining.
BC safety Mike Palmer recovered the onside kick and Dillon ran out the clock. Dillon, a two-time All-ACC ball carrier, finished with 81 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown.