It was heartbreak on the Heights Saturday night, as No. 16 Georgia Tech slammed the door on the hopes of one final home win with a last-minute, game-winning field goal.
While the results of its senior day game were undoubtedly devastating, Boston College football (1–10, 0–7 Atlantic Coast) showed a valiant effort against the Yellow Jackets (9–1, 6–1), even holding an 11-point advantage at the third quarter’s conclusion.
This cushion inevitably proved insufficient, though, as Georgia Tech stormed back with a 19-point fourth quarter to seal their 36–34 win over BC, handing the Eagles their 10th-straight loss.
Here are some observations from BC’s defeat against the Yellow Jackets:
Offensive Onslaught
Though it was evident from the combined 70 points scored in the game, Saturday’s matchup between the Eagles and Yellow Jackets saw them caught in a high-scoring back-and-forth battle.
In all phases of the game, the two offenses virtually scored at will, enjoying success both on the ground and in the air.
Between the two field generals, sophomore quarterback Dylan Lonergan held his own against Georgia Tech’s seasoned starter Haynes King, with both throwing for over 360 yards, though King was marginally more efficient in his throws.
It was a similar story on the ground, as both teams averaged over 6 yards per carry on the day and, combined, scored five rushing touchdowns, two of which came through 40-plus yard runs.
Saturday also proved to be a day for record-breaking, as wide receiver Lewis Bond broke the single-season (70) and career receptions (201) records for the Eagles, surpassing Zay Flowers in both.
Averaging just 100.9 rushing yards per game this season, good for bottom-10 in the country, the Eagles nearly doubled that average against Georgia Tech, with sophomore running back Turbo Richard accounting for 141 yards alone.
Despite BC’s best efforts in keeping pace with one of the top offenses in the country, the Yellow Jackets ultimately proved too prolific and edged out a victory in the waning seconds of Saturday’s game.
Late Game Breakdowns
In a trend that has plagued the Eagles all season, the defense struggled to maintain their efforts across all four quarters.
Though neither defense was particularly strong in the matchup, BC had been effective in limiting Georgia Tech’s ability to put points on the board, allowing only 17 through the first three frames.
In the fourth quarter alone, the Eagles gave up 266 total yards and seemingly had no answer for Georgia Tech’s offensive playcalling, highlighting the continued problem of BC’s inflexibility with respect to their defensive responses.
Despite the 16-point run to begin the quarter, the Yellow Jackets still found themselves down one point with less than five minutes remaining in the game, as Richard’s 43-yard touchdown run had restored the Eagles’ lead.
Tasked with making one final stop to complete the upset, the BC defense was ultimately unsuccessful, as Georgia Tech marched 68 yards down the field to kick a go-ahead field goal with 11 seconds remaining.
This proved to be the dagger, and the Eagles watched as their efforts in an almost-perfect game vanished right in front of their eyes.
