Boston College football, Bill O’Brien open season with upset road win over No. 10 Florida State (2024)

College Sports

"These kids, since the day we walked in here ... they've given us everything that they've had. They're tough guys."

By Conor Ryan

September 2, 2024

The Bill O’Brien era is off to a very promising start at Boston College.

The Eagles opened their season with a bang on Monday night, with BC going into Tallahassee and beating No. 10 Florida State, 28-13, at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

It was a standout statement win for O’Brien and an Eagles program that has left fans waiting in anticipation for a breakthrough season and a return to glory in the ACC.

Entering Monday night, the Eagles were just 12-65 against AP Top-10 ranked opponents (5-31 on the road) — and had not posted a season-opening win against a ranked foe since 1976.

The Eagles beat FSU by dominating in the trenches — with Boston College’s offensive line and rushing attack routinely putting the Seminoles’ defense on its heels. The Eagles finished with 263 total rushing yards, while Florida State only gained 21 total yards on the ground.

“It’s really satisfying,” O’Brien told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on “SportsCenter” after the win. “These kids, since the day we walked in here — which was seven months ago — they’ve given us everything that they’ve had. They’re tough guys.

“We talked about winning it up front. BC, the tradition of offensive line and defensive lines — we won the game up front. We established a line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And I thought these guys did a great job. I’m so proud of these guys.”

With BC QB Thomas Castellanos (10-of-16, 106 yards, 2 TD / 14 carries for 73 yards, 1 TD), Kye Robichaux (19 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD), and Treshaun Ward (12 carries, 77 yards) routinely shredding FSU’s defense, the Eagles were able to orchestrate several sustained drives that ate up the game clock. Boston College finished with 39:09 of possession, with FSU only holding the ball for 20:51.

“You got to give Tommy a lot of credit,” O’Brien noted. “Tommy, he’s worked very, very hard to get to this point. Obviously, he needs to continue that work ethic throughout the season, but he’s an electric player. He’s a guy that wants the ball. He’s a winner. He’s been a winner at every level. And we’re really excited and glad he’s on our our team. That’s for sure.”

While BC handled business at the line of scrimmage on offense, the Eagles defense also made life miserable for FSU QB DJ Uiagalelei — who completed just 21 of his 42 passing attempts for 272 yards.

The Eagles also won the turnover battle, 1-0, with Max Tucker picking off Uiagalelei in the third quarter and running it back 58 yards — setting up a BC touchdown just two plays later.

Expectations were raised this season at Chestnut Hill, especially with O’Brien — who had a lengthy track record of elevated teams and programs with the Patriots, Penn State, and Houston Texans — taking the reins of the team earlier this year following the departure of head coach Jeff Hafley.

But with 68 percent of the roster intact from last year’s 7-6 squad, the Eagles were already poised to build off of some of the promise showcased in 2023.

Monday’s performance stood as a seismic step forward for an Eagles team trying to make some noise in a wide-open ACC this fall.

“Twenty-four-hour rule, right, Scott? We’re going to celebrate a little bit,” O’Brien said. “We don’t get back till 4:30 in the morning … I think it’s a pretty business-like team. We’ll find out though, right? We’ll find out. We’ve got to be that way, but we’re looking forward to it.”