An already-bleak situation abruptly escalated from disappointing to disastrous with no warning, as BC fell, 48-7, in a massacre that was even more lopsided than it sounds.
“We did a terrible job,” said BC coach Bill O’Brien. “But again, a lot of credit to Pitt. I did a bad job. Did not have the team ready to play.”
Here are five takeaways from one of BC’s worst performances in recent memory:
After a sizzling start to the season, in which he looked like one of the better quarterbacks in the country, Dylan Lonergan has regressed considerably in recent weeks.
Lonergan finished 9 of 18 for 89 yards, with a lost fumble, against Pitt. With a nonexistent running game, the pressure is on Lonergan to make quick, proper reads, and he had trouble doing so in this one.
“We have to figure this out and see what we can do to get him going in a better direction,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think it’s all on him, though.”
He then turned to backup Grayson James, who completed just 2 of 9 passes for 30 yards with an interception. O’Brien said the decision to go with James was because he’s a senior, and it had nothing to do with anything other than giving him some reps.
True freshman Shaker Reisig — a player O’Brien has consistently raved about — entered and completed 3 of 3 passes for 70 yards, including a touchdown to Kaelan Chudzinski. It came at the very end of the game, but Reisig looked like he belonged and his throws were accurate.
“Same thing with Shaker at the end,” O’Brien said. “It was 45-0. Let’s get Shaker some reps.”
Lonergan is the clear-cut starter until further notice, but if he continues to struggle, it’s possible O’Brien could turn to James or Reisig.
While it was partially on Lonergan and the receivers, the running backs and offensive linemen are also to blame for BC’s offensive shortcomings.
The Eagles cobbled together 27 rushing yards all day on 24 carries. And for most of the game, it didn’t even seem like the total would reach a positive number.
Turbo Richard ran the ball six times and totaled 2 yards. The Eagles found very little success on first and second down, which put them in third-and-long situations that led to a steady stream of punts, or worse.
“We’ve got to get him more carries,” O’Brien said of Richard. “We did not get him enough carries. I thought the offensive game plan was terrible.”
Jordan McDonald (5 carries for 31 yards) and former Globe All-Scholastic Bo MacCormack (9 for 17) showed flashes in the second half, but the game was well out of reach by that point.
The Eagles consistently reiterate that injuries are part of football, and it’s up to the next man to step up and fill the void. While that’s a lovely sentiment, it doesn’t take away that it’s difficult to win games without close to half of a team’s defensive starters.
BC was without steady defensive contributors Daveon Crouch, Quintayvious Hutchins, Amari Jackson, Syair Torrence, Kwan Williams, and Bryce Steele, and it showed against the Panthers.
Freshmen such as defensive backs TJ Green and Ashton Cunningham, defensive lineman Makai Byerson, and linebacker Zacari Thomas showed flashes, but it’s a lot to ask of them to slide into a major role right away.
No, it’s not an excuse, but yes, it is a factor. Many of the players fans see missing tackles are logging their first significant collegiate action.
“We have good younger guys who stepped up and played,” said BC linebacker Owen McGowan. “We don’t change anything when guys are out. It’s the next-man-up mentality. We’re going to run the same stuff no matter who’s on the field. We trust everyone.”
Thorn in opponents’ side
One consistent bright spot for the Eagles has been the play of physical and relentless sophomore defensive back Omar Thornton.
Thornton, who showed promise last season and forced a fumble in the Pinstripe Bowl against Nebraska in December, has taken the next step and emerged as one of the most dynamic players on the roster this year.
He’s first on the team in forced fumbles, tied for first in interceptions, second in tackles, and tied for second in sacks, and his knack for delivering punishing hits stands out on a team with plenty of tackling issues.
It doesn’t get any easier, with Clemson coming to Chestnut Hill on Saturday night (7:30). The Tigers demolished Bill Belichick’s North Carolina squad, 38-10, and appear to be returning to form.
McGowan said that while setbacks like the one against Pittsburgh are certainly frustrating, all the Eagles can do is regroup and turn to the next opponent.
“I do think we have a good culture,” McGowan said. “We don’t have any guys in the locker room that are ready to quit. They won’t quit. I don’t think that will be a problem with this team.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.
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