CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.— Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC) football’s woes continued on Saturday as it lost its third straight game to the Cal Golden Bears (4-1, 1-0 ACC) 28-24.
The Eagles had a couple of good moments, but could not find a way to come out with the victory.
Below are three instant takeaways from the loss.
Turbo Richard Leads Rushing Game
Boston College running back Turbo Richard has been a huge part of the Eagles’ offense since joining the program in 2024 as a freshman. On Saturday, Richard had a breakout game as the sophomore notched 15 rush attempts for 171 yards and two touchdowns as well as four receptions for 19 yards. In the loss, Richard recorded his career-best yards in a game and had his career-longest 71 yard rush, which was a touchdown.
In a time where the Eagles have been struggling to get the ground game going, Richard led the team to a season-high 178 rushing yards and the team scored all three touchdowns in the ground game. Only time will tell if that carries into Boston College’s next games.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Prior to Cal, the main issue in Boston College’s first two losses to Michigan State and Stanford was tackling. The defense could not find a way to finish tackles. That seemed to improve vs. Cal on Saturday afternoon, however the team showed different struggles that have yet to be an issue.
The biggest one? Penalties. Before this weekend, Boston College tied for seventh in the nation in fewest penalties with 14 all season and averaged 4.67 penalties per game. On Saturday, the team had 15 for 109 yards.
The defense also had some good moments, the most notable being two stuffs to force turnover on downs, but could not find a way to get off the field for a majority of the contest. Cal controlled the time of possession 35:15 to Boston College’s 24:45.
Special Teams Continues to Impress
Contrary to last year, one of the most consistent parts of Boston College’s game has been the special teams unit. That continued to be the case on Saturday.
Kicker Luca Lombardo made his only field goal attempt, a 52-yarder in the second quarter. The kick marked Lombardo’s career-best, surpassing his last career-high of 51 at Stanford on Sept. 13. He also went a perfect 3-for-3 on extra point attempts.
Punter Shamus Florio also had a solid outing as he drilled four punts for 139 yards. He averaged 34.8 yards per punt, had a long 42-yarder, and nailed two inside the 20-yard line.
About the Author
