Boston College football blew out Fordham 66–10 on Saturday afternoon, starting the second year of the Bill O’Brien era on a high note. 

Here are some observations from Week 1:

Receiving and Rushing 

Dylan Lonergan didn’t work alone in his 268-yard, four-touchdown performance. His receiving core looked strong in the Eagles’ opener, and the players that were supposed to make a difference this season certainly made their mark in Saturday’s 66–10 win. 

Lonergan and Lewis Bond found each other early, as the redshirt senior ended the game with 138 receiving yards on 11 receptions. He has 134 career catches as BC heads into Week 2, only 66 off Zay Flowers’ all-time BC record, 200. Fellow wide receiver Reed Harris looked solid, too, even though he only caught two balls for 23 yards.  

As expected, senior Jeremiah Franklin led the tight end room, catching two crucial balls as the Eagles finished off the first half with a touchdown drive. 

Perhaps an emerging key piece of BC’s offense, sophomore Jaedn Skeete caught a couple of touchdown passes as Lonergan found him wide open twice in the first half, and Jordan McDonald looked good on the opening touchdown drive, when Lonergan hit him on a route and he ran it in for six. 

In short, the passing game looked fluid on Saturday. Sound the horns—the Eagles are ranked first in the nation in passing yards per game heading into Week 2. But while the receiving core played as expected against a lesser opponent, BC’s run game was underwhelming. 

Sophomore Turbo Richard took the majority of the snaps, but at times, it looked like the Eagles needed to switch things up. Richard is listed at 5-foot-8, and there are definitely questions as to how he will fare against bigger rush defenses. He was not as effective as BC probably would have liked, averaging just three yards per carry on 16 attempts. 

At 6-foot-1, McDonald could be poised to get more touches going forward to add some size at the running back position. 

No rusher besides Richard ran the ball more than six times, and the Eagles’ longest rush of the day came when backup quarterback Grayson James ran nine yards in garbage time. 

O’Brien has rarely been one for flowery language, and his comments on Sunday’s run game were no different. He did not seem too negative, but made it clear that ground yards would be a focal point in practice ahead of the team’s trip to Lansing, Mich., this weekend. 

The Word on Lonergan

Lonergan missed practice on Tuesday. O’Brien said he needed some extra treatment, but would be healthy to play against Michigan State. 

If Lonergan is not at 100 percent, the Eagles’ run game becomes an even bigger factor for them to stay in the win column. 

It’s also a question of how Lonergan will fare if he is a little banged up, in a tough opposing stadium, in just his second start. The combination of those factors is not necessarily promising. 

Despite appearing steady and composed overall, Lonergan did not look completely calm for the entirety of the Eagles’ Week 1 win. It’s no surprise, since few quarterbacks would be in their first-ever college start. There were a few rushed or inaccurate balls, which could happen more often this week if he’s a little extra wary of getting hit. 

But assuming how Lonergan will feel this weekend is of little use. O’Brien said he’d be ready to go, and as of now, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be. Now, it’s up to the offensive line and the running back room to protect Lonergan and make his job a little easier, especially in Michigan State’s tough home environment. 

How’s the Defense Looking?

To put it into a few words, pretty good. 

Senior Daveon Crouch, known by his nickname “Bam,” had himself a game on Saturday. He racked up five solo tackles, a sack, and a pick-six. KP Price looked good, too, as his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame came in handy for five tackles. 

Although their games weren’t as flashy as Crouch’s, Carter Davis, Omar Thornton, and Omarion Davis also proved themselves. Thornton swarmed ball carriers, recording two tackles for losses, while Davis recorded a sack for a loss of 12 yards. 

The first time the Eagles’ defense took the field was not good by any means. They gave up an 18-yard pass from Gunnar Smith on the very first play, then let him rush for nine yards on the next snap. Smith rushed for five yards a few plays later, just far enough to get his team into field-goal range. It was a long field goal—46 yards, to be exact—but the beginning of the drive showed lapses that could be far more unforgiving against a different opponent. 

To BC’s credit, it quickly shaped up after that drive, and didn’t allow another Fordham score until the fourth quarter, once the game was far out of reach. The Eagles only allowed 63 rushing yards on Saturday as Smith threw for 152. The ability to make defensive adjustments quickly and effectively deserves credit. 

As for how BC’s defense will fare against its next opponent: 

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles was not extremely impressive in the Spartans’ season-opening win over Western Michigan, throwing for 155 yards. 

The pass game is not what the Eagles should be most worried about, though—it’s on the ground that the Spartans could cause some trouble. Makhi Frazier ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries last week, and Brandon Tullis dumped in 52 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. 

Those stats might seem a little scary for BC fans. To be clear, though, Michigan State did not look at all unstoppable last week. The Spartans’ offense could not score after halftime, defeating Western Michigan 23–6. 

If BC’s defense applies some pressure to Chiles, stays steady against the run, and maybe even forces a turnover or two, it’s done its job.