BC has surrendered the second-most points among all Power Four teams. (Paul Criado / Heights Staff)
Heading into Saturday night’s matchup, not many expected Boston College football to hang with No. 19 Louisville. ESPN analytics gave Louisville a 93 percent chance of winning, and the Cardinals were favored by over 25 points just moments before kickoff.
Despite lopsided pregame predictions, the Eagles used lengthy drives and second-half turnovers to keep themselves in a one-score game for much of the night.
In the end, a late rushing touchdown from Keyjuan Brown put Louisville (6–1, 3–1 Atlantic Coast) up 38–24 over BC (1–7, 0–5), laying any upset chances to rest.
Here are some observations from the Eagles’ loss at Louisville:
BC’s Big Play Defense:
Coming into Saturday’s game, the Eagles’ defense knew they would have their hands full. The Cardinals were coming off a statement win at then-No. 2 Miami. The spirited victory was led by their star trio on offense: quarterback Miller Moss, running back Isaac Brown, and wide receiver Chris Bell.
The Eagles were able to limit the explosive production of Moss and Bell—the wide receiver finished with 49 receiving yards—but struggled to contain the shifty sophomore running back who entered the night guns blazing.
Isaac Brown had a legendary performance for the Cardinals, taking 14 touches for a career-high 205 rushing yards along with a touchdown.
Isaac Brown had a number of home run plays throughout the game that flipped the script.
On the Cardinals’ first offensive snap of the game, Brown took the handoff 73 yards before being tracked down at the goal line.
Just before halftime, Isaac Brown found a seam again, taking the carry 62 yards for a touchdown and giving the Cardinals a two-score advantage ahead of the intermission.
Louisville’s strong running performance continued late into the fourth quarter when it closed out the game. Sophomore running back Keyjuan Brown’s 67-yard rushing touchdown extended the lead to 14, putting any Eagles’ comeback opportunity to bed.
Every time it looked like the BC defense found momentum against Moss and the Cardinals’ vaunted passing attack, Isaac Brown and the ground game were able to give their offense a second dimension, completely shifting control of the game.
BC Ball Control:
It was clear after the first quarter what BC’s plan for victory was. The Eagles were hoping to keep the clock moving and lengthen possessions to keep Louisville’s explosive offense off the field.
The plan worked well for much of the first half. The Eagles took the opening drive of the game 15 plays for over eight minutes, before settling for a field goal. The Eagles possessed the ball for 13:13 of the opening 15 minutes.
During the second half, the time of possession evened out slightly due to the turnovers from both sides. When the game came to a close, the Eagles still held more than a 10-minute advantage over the Cardinals.
A major part of possessing the ball was the Eagles’ running game. For the second week in a row, Jordan McDonald got the large share of the touches. The 6-foot-1, 211-lb back used his frame to weave through the line, taking 19 carries for 80 rushing yards.
Before last week’s game against UConn, McDonald hadn’t surpassed six carries in a game. Over the last two Saturdays, the senior running back has averaged 21.5 rushes a game.
In the passing game, quarterback Grayson James made his second start of the 2025 campaign. Outside of some turnover struggles in the second half, James looked comfortable in his role for much of the game.
In the first half, James emphasized running the ball, whether it was extending broken passing plays or designed quarterback runs.
In the air, James tallied 244 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also found six different targets multiple times.
One of James’ favorite targets throughout the night was tight end Kaelan Chudzinski. The true freshman hauled in four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown—his second in two weeks.
Despite limping late in the game, James was able to find Chudzinski and other receivers like Lewis Bond, Jeremiah Franklin, and Reed Harris to extend drives and keep the Eagles within striking distance.
If the Eagles can diversify their passing attack in the games to come, they can put defenses on their heels and potentially make some noise against future ranked opponents.