At his introductory information convention again in February, Mike Vrabel detailed a easy however necessary aim for his first season as Patriots head coach: His crew wanted to be “adequate to make the most of unhealthy soccer.”
Up the street in Chestnut Hill, a former New England coach is preaching an identical message.
Invoice O’Brien, whose maiden season at Boston School was derailed by a string of crippling late-game errors, is making “get rid of unhealthy soccer” a high precedence as he enters 12 months 2 with the Eagles. BC opens its season at 2 p.m. Saturday in opposition to Fordham at Alumni Stadium.
“(We had) an excessive amount of unhealthy soccer final yr in key video games,” O’Brien, the ex-Patriots offensive coordinator, stated throughout coaching camp. “We had been in video games with very, superb groups, and people groups took benefit of our unhealthy soccer. We didn’t make the most of their unhealthy soccer relative to these losses. So we have now to play cleaner. We’ve received loads of good gamers on this program — each child is a good child — and we will do that, however we have now to get rid of unhealthy soccer. That’s one thing we proceed to harp on.”
Total, O’Brien’s first BC crew performed a lot cleaner soccer than its 2023 predecessor. After rating 86th nationally in penalties per recreation and turnover margin beneath former head coach Jeff Hafley, the Eagles vaulted to twelfth (first within the ACC) and tied for nineteenth (third within the ACC), respectively. They minimize their interception complete in half and had been aggressive in all 13 of their video games.
However in too many vital moments, that composure cracked.
There was the fourth-quarter interception and drive-extending fourth-down penalty that sank their Week 2 upset bid at Missouri. The late-game meltdown in opposition to Virginia, with BC going INT, turnover on downs, INT on its remaining three drives. Shedding two fumbles contained in the 20-yard line and committing three pre-snap penalties in opposition to Virginia Tech. Gaining 70 complete yards on their remaining six possessions in an October nosedive versus Louisville. The fourth-quarter miscues that foiled one other would-be upset in opposition to eventual School Soccer Playoff qualifier SMU.
Of their consecutive losses to UVA, Va. Tech and Louisville — a skid that torpedoed the Eagles’ shot at native and nationwide relevance following an encouraging 4-1 begin — O’Brien’s troops had been outscored 46-0 within the fourth quarter.
The top consequence: one other characteristically unremarkable season for a program that hasn’t risen above mediocrity since most of its present gamers had been toddlers.
BC gained precisely seven video games for the eighth time within the final 15 years and went a fair .500 in opposition to ACC opponents for the eighth time within the final 15 years. The Eagles haven’t gained eight-plus video games nor topped .500 in convention play since 2009. The final time they completed a season ranked within the AP Prime 25 was 2007, Matt Ryan’s remaining yr at The Heights.
“(We’d like) much less penalties and fewer turnovers. These two issues will get you beat,” offensive coordinator Will Lawing stated. “We put loads of emphasis on that, making an attempt to get right down to zero each follow. That’s the aim. Clear soccer will win you video games, and particularly in vital factors of the season in sure video games. We actually should get rid of pre-snap penalties, the dumb stuff, and deal with the soccer.”
O’Brien and Lawing are hoping a change at quarterback can assist on this effort.
Alabama switch Dylan Lonergan beat out incumbent Grayson James for the beginning job in camp, giving BC a promising new passer with an SEC pedigree. Lonergan is a former four-star participant whom O’Brien recruited throughout his time as Alabama’s OC, however he has little or no collegiate expertise, having served as a backup behind Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson throughout his two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Listed at 6-foot-2, 211 kilos, the redshirt sophomore tried simply eight complete passes for the Crimson Tide, all in blowouts.
Regardless of his restricted motion, O’Brien stated Lonergan has “a fantastic really feel for the sport,” “a very good arm” and “was a little bit bit forward of Grayson” as a passer this summer time. He was named the starter on Aug. 12.
“He has made loads of strides since he received right here within the spring, selecting up the offense, getting round his teammates and getting on the identical web page with these guys,” stated Lawing, who’s labored beneath O’Brien yearly since 2013, together with one season because the Patriots’ tight ends coach in 2023. “He’s actually proven some management potential, too. I’m enthusiastic about that. He’s carried out every part we’ve requested him to do, and he’s doing a fantastic job.”
If the untested Lonergan struggles, the Eagles may flip again to James, who posted strong numbers after leapfrogging former starter Thomas Castellanos halfway by means of final season (that transfer prompted Castellanos to right away go away the crew; he’s now QB1 at Florida State). The 6-foot-3, 218-pound redshirt senior accomplished 63.9% of his passes for 1,202 yards and 6 touchdowns with two picks in 2024, and BC went 4-2 with him behind heart, together with a win over Syracuse that he entered after halftime.
Surrounding Lonergan might be high receivers Lewis Bond, Reed Harris and Jaedn Skeete; a gifted tight finish room headlined by senior Jeremiah Franklin and one other Bama switch, Ty Lockwood; and a retooled backfield, with Turbo Richard, Jordan McDonald and Alex Broome shifting up the depth chart following the departures of Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward.
Of that group, solely Bond topped 500 yards from scrimmage final season, catching 67 passes for 689 yards and three touchdowns to guide the Eagles in receiving for the second straight yr. Harris, a 6-foot-4 big-play risk, tallied 486 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on simply 17 catches.
“There’s much more (wideout) depth, which actually helps,” Lawing stated.
Richard and McDonald had been depth choices behind lead backs Robichaux and Ward final season, whereas Broome is again within the combine after lacking all of 2024 with a torn ACL. True freshman Bo MacCormack, who set the all-time Massachusetts highschool dashing report at Buckingham Browne & Nichols, additionally may contribute on offense and within the return recreation.
Up entrance, BC might be trusting an offensive line that misplaced three starters to the NFL. Its D-line skilled much more turnover, together with the lack of All-American edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, a second-round decide by Dallas who accounted for greater than half of BC’s 31 sacks final season. Returning D-end Quintayvious Hutchins was a distant second with 3 1/2 sacks.
The Eagles ought to profit from extra continuity on the again finish, as their secondary stays principally intact from final season. Safeties KP Value, Omar Thornton and Carter Davis; cornerbacks Syair Torrence, Amari Jackson and Max Tucker; and nickel Cameron Martinez headline that group, with Torrence wanting primed for a bigger position after principally enjoying on particular groups as a freshman.
Talking of particular groups, that’s one space that should enhance for BC to satisfy O’Brien’s “no unhealthy soccer” mandate. Final yr’s crew ranked 128th in web punting and tried an FBS-low 5 complete area objectives, making three of them.
Since O’Brien trusted neither his field-goal operation nor his punting unit, solely seven FBS groups went for it on fourth down extra typically than the Eagles — and all of them transformed at a better charge than BC’s lackluster 44.4%. In its season-ending 20-15 loss to Nebraska within the Pinstripe Bowl, BC missed a area aim and had 4 turnovers on downs, together with one on fourth-and-14 and one other on fourth-and-7.
These margins matter for each crew, however particularly one like Boston School that doesn’t boast an elite offense (tied for 67th in scoring in 2024) or a suffocating protection (T-53rd). BC misplaced only one recreation by greater than 10 factors final season (42-21 at Virginia Tech) and was inside a landing within the fourth quarter in all six of its losses.
O’Brien and particular groups coordinator Matt Thurin pressured the necessity for extra consistency from kickers Liam Connor and Luca Lombardo, who each are again this season. They’re optimistic, although, about their new course at punter after what Thurin referred to as a “heck of a battle” this summer time between grad switch Shamus Florio and freshman Andy Quinn, a 6-foot-4 rugby convert from Eire.
This new assortment of Eagles will look to navigate a schedule that’s favorable by means of September, then punishingly troublesome from mid-October on.
Following Saturday’s opener in opposition to FCS Fordham, they’ll journey to Michigan State earlier than dealing with Stanford (away) and Cal (house), who ranked fifteenth and seventeenth within the ACC’s preseason media ballot, respectively. Then, after an Oct. 4 go to to Pitt, they’ll enter a six-week gauntlet that options matchups in opposition to 4 of the highest 5 groups within the preseason ACC rankings — vs. Clemson on Oct. 11, at Louisville on Oct. 25, vs. SMU on Nov. 8 and vs. Georgia Tech on Nov. 15 — plus a house date with longtime rival and 2024 nationwide runner-up Notre Dame on Nov. 1.
Clemson is ranked fourth within the preseason AP Prime 25, with the Preventing Irish — who haven’t performed at Alumni Stadium since 2020 and haven’t carried out so with followers current since 2017 — shut behind at No. 6. BC’s common season concludes at Syracuse on Nov. 29.
One convention foe not on the Eagles’ 2025 schedule: North Carolina. An O’Brien vs. Invoice Belichick showdown may solely happen if BC and UNC each attain the ACC Championship.
