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BC Football: O’Brien opens season with upset win over No. 10 FSU

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BC Football: O’Brien opens season with upset win over No. 10 FSU

College sports

“These kids, from the day we got here… they gave us everything they had. They’re tough.”

BC Football: O’Brien opens season with upset win over No. 10 FSU

Thomas Castellanos and the Eagles ran all over FSU on Monday. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley)

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

The Eagles opened their season in style Monday night, with BC traveling to Tallahassee and beating No. 10 Florida State, 28-13, at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

It was a remarkable victory for O’Brien and an Eagles program that left fans eagerly awaiting a breakthrough season and a return to ACC glory.

Heading into Monday night, the Eagles were just 12-65 against AP Top-10 opponents (5-31 away) — and hadn’t recorded a season-opening victory against a ranked opponent since 1976.

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

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

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

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

“You have to give Tommy a lot of credit,” O’Brien said. “Tommy has worked really, really hard to get to this point. Obviously, he’s got to continue to work with that 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 happy to have him on our team. That’s for sure.”

While BC took care of 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 pass attempts for 272 yards.

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

Expectations have been high this season in Chestnut Hill, especially with O’Brien — who had a long history of leading high-profile teams and programs with the Patriots, Penn State and the Houston Texans — taking over the team earlier this year following the departure of head coach Jeff Hafley.

But with 68% of the roster intact from last year’s 7-6 team, the Eagles were already poised to build on some of the promise shown in 2023.

Monday’s performance represented a big step forward for an Eagles team trying to make noise in a wide-open ACC this fall.

“The 24-hour rule, right, Scott? We’re going to celebrate a little bit,” O’Brien said. “We don’t get home until 4:30 in the morning… I think they’re a pretty professional team. We’ll see, right? We’ll see. We have to be like that, but we’re looking forward to it.”

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