Boston College upset by mediocre Stanford in late-night showdown

Boston Faculty soccer coach Invoice O’Brien has repeatedly emphasised that the Eagles should discover ways to not lose earlier than they discover ways to win.

In Saturday’s matchup at Stanford – a sputtering program that entered 12-38 in its final 50 video games – BC confirmed it nonetheless has a noticeably lengthy strategy to go in that regard.

The Eagles turned the ball over 3 times, continued to wrestle operating the ball and stopping the run, and couldn’t convert in important moments. In consequence, they fell, 30-20, in a really winnable sport they entered as 14-point favorites.

“We’re not a great soccer group proper now,” O’Brien stated. “Print that. Write that. We’re going to work exhausting to be higher. Hopefully we enhance.”

The Eagles (1-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Convention) scored 20 factors within the second quarter and none the remainder of the sport. The Cardinal (1-2, 1-0 ACC), outscored 50-23 of their first two video games in opposition to Hawaii and BYU, displayed a killer intuition that BC lacked.

Per week after falling just short in a largely encouraging loss at Michigan State, Boston Faculty took a major step backward in opposition to Stanford. The Eagles at the moment are 1-6 on the street within the O’Brien period, in comparison with 7-1 at dwelling, and enter the bye week in want of an sudden recharge simply three weeks into the season.

“We had turnovers, missed alternatives,” stated BC huge receiver Reed Harris. “As soon as all these issues begin to pile up on high of one another, that’s going to show the tide.”

The primary half was an unpredictable sport of runs that featured a number of shifts in momentum and little or no rhythm or fluidity.

Stanford averaged 18.8 yards per completion within the first quarter and moved the ball with relative ease. The Cardinal torched a depleted BC secondary, which was with out standouts Syair Torrence and Amari Jackson, to construct a 6-0 lead by way of one on discipline targets from Emmet Kenney.

The Eagles then erupted for 17 factors in lower than six minutes to briefly seize command. Luca Lombardo drilled a 51-yard discipline objective, Dylan Lonergan discovered Turbo Richard for a 49-yard strike and Jordan McDonald scored from 2 yards out to vault Boston Faculty forward.

On the verge of tacking on one other landing, the Eagles then squandered momentum with a head-scratching sequence they want to have again. The Cardinal recovered a fumble after a foul snap and scored virtually instantly, then Collin Wright added a 19-yard pick-six moments later.

The Cardinal scored 14 factors in 18 seconds, capitalizing on Lonergan’s first expensive mistake in a BC uniform. When the printed confirmed a graphic that Lonergan (30 for 44, 333 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was the primary Boston Faculty quarterback to begin a season with 9 landing passes and 0 interceptions since Anthony Brown in 2018, he threw a choose shortly thereafter.

Harris (seven catches, 141 yards) racked up 113 receiving yards within the half for the Eagles, who outgained Stanford, 313-232, in complete yards. Boston Faculty struggled to run the ball and missed tackles.

“We simply should work on eliminating unhealthy soccer and enjoying cleaner general defensively,” stated BC linebacker Owen McGowan. “We will’t have missed assignments, we are able to’t miss tackles.”

BC and Stanford entered halftime deadlocked at 20.

The Eagles had a major alternative to reclaim the lead late within the third, however Richard fumbled on fourth and objective from the 1. It was BC’s third turnover and Richard’s second goal-line fumble in as many video games.

“We had our probabilities,” O’Brien stated. “We got here away with discipline targets as a substitute of touchdowns, or we turned the ball over on the 1-yard line.”

Stanford made Boston Faculty pay for the blunder with a 75-yard run and 5-yard TD rush from Micah Ford to take a 27-20 edge by way of three. The Cardinal scored 21 factors off BC’s three turnovers.

Stanford prolonged the margin to 30-20 on a 26-yard discipline objective with 11:26 remaining, secured one other key cease, then ran out the clock with spirited normal supervisor Andrew Luck igniting the group.

O’Brien acknowledged the Eagles want to educate higher to place the gamers able to achieve success. The expertise is there, and it’s as much as the gamers and coaches to work in tandem to determine an answer so 12 months 2 of the O’Brien period doesn’t go to waste.

“There’s loads of season left,” O’Brien stated. “I’ll inform you precisely what I informed the group. All people’s received a alternative. You wish to be right here, you don’t wish to be right here. Make your alternative.”