By Tiffany Williams –
After experiencing a tough stretch of three consecutive losses since October 5, the Boston College Eagles rebounded last Saturday with a hard-fought victory against Syracuse at Alumni Stadium, finishing the game with a score of 37-31. This win was crucial for the Eagles, elevating their record to 5-4 on the season. It marked the final collegiate game for quarterback Thomas Castellanos as a BostonCollege Eagle.
Castellanos struggled with his performance, completing only 2 of his 7 pass attempts for a mere 14 yards, along with one touchdown and an interception.
With Castellanos out, backup quarterback Grayson James was thrust into the spotlight for a second time this season and took full advantage of the opportunity.
As the game unfolded, Syracuse fought back, narrowing the gap to a tense 28-30 in the fourth quarter. In a decisive moment, with the Eagles clinging to a slim two-point lead, Grayson connected with wide receiver Jeremiah Franklin for his second passing touchdown of the season. The Eagles successfully converted the extra point, extending their lead to 37-28.
Grayson’s stats for the day were impressive, finishing with five completions out of six attempts for 51 yards, showcasing his capability as a reliable starter going forward for the Eagles.
The ground game was led by standout performer Kye Robichaux, who had an exceptional game, amassing 198 rushing yards on 28 carries, both of which were career-highs and scoring twice. Robichaux kicked off the scoring for the Eagles with an electrifying 34-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, setting the tone for a dominant rushing performance.
Another key contributor was Jordan McDonald, who notched 133 yards on the ground and added a touchdown in the third quarter, which helped the Eagles increase their advantage to 21-30 and maintain momentum throughout the game.
After the game, Grayson James was asked about the mental preparation required to step onto the field and contribute after being on the sidelines for so long. He reflected, “I feel like the entire game I kind of just stayed composed. I mean, I prepare myself every week for a chance to be able to play whenever, when or slash if that ever may come. And today I was able to go in there and just have fun and be able to perform for my team and get us a big win in a rivalry game.”
Also, when discussing his performance on his very first possession, which ended in a touchdown, Grayson expressed gratitude, saying, “Yeah, that definitely helped me kind of ease into the game, especially when you can just let the ball run behind our awesome O-line. I think we ran for almost, or over 300 yards today, and they kind of just had their way with that front, and that’s kind of what we had planned for going into the game. So just being able to let them do their thing, Kai, Jordan, all the backs that we have are capable of going and making plays for us. So it’s awesome to be able to see that today.”
In a postgame interview, Coach Bill O’Brien shared his thoughts on ending the losing streak after a complete 60-minute effort. He remarked, “Yeah, it was, you know, it wasn’t always easy. Syracuse, give Syracuse a lot of credit. They got a good football team. Coach Brown’s done a great job with that team. But yeah, I think it was probably the first time in a while…I would say all the way, you know, back to the beginning of the season where we played a complete game. There were some, you know, obviously some things in there that we got to clean up, obviously. But, you know, running the football, stopping the run, fourth down defense, you know, obviously they’ve got a great offense. Their passing offense is really one of the best in the country. We did the best we could, but we held up when we had to, so it was a really good win for Boston College.”
When O’Brien was questioned about the decision to bench Thomas Castellanos in favor of Grayson James, he explained, “Yeah, I just felt like at that time it was the best decision for the team. So a little bit of everything went into that. But I felt like a decision needed to be made, and it was – you know, I try to look at the team. That’s my job. I have to make the best decisions for the team, and I thought that was the best decision for the team at the time.”
Emphasizing the identity of Boston College football, O’Brien stated, “Yeah, I mean, I think that’s what we have to be, right? We’re in Boston. You know, we’re not in L.A. You know what I mean? We’re in Boston. We’re in a city that’s built on toughness and determination and grittiness and overcoming adversity, and, you know, that’s who we are. Look, we’re going to have to throw the ball better as time goes on. Like, don’t get me wrong. I mean, the best players to ever play in this program, well, two of them, Doug Flutie and Matt Ryan, I mean, they were quarterbacks. So, we’re going to have to, you know, throw the ball better over time, but I think, you know, we have to be a tough football team that wins a lot of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”
As for the starting quarterback situation moving forward, O’Brien said, “Yeah, I mean, I’m going to look at the film and see where we’re at. I mean, both guys do some really good things, right? I mean, you know, we kind of have a luxury there. We have two guys that have played a lot of football in Division I. Grayson’s come up big for us twice this year, right, in games that we really needed, Western Kentucky and today. So, we’ll look at it, you know, and we’ll see where we go from there. It’s just the game just ended, so give me 24 hours, I’ll figure it out.”
On Monday, the performance of running back Kye Robichaux was recognized when he was voted the ACC Running Back of the Week. This accolade marked the second time in his collegiate career that Robichaux has received recognition from the ACC, further highlighting his impact on the field this season.
On Tuesday, Coach O’Brien stuck to his word on giving him 24 hours to make a decision on who will be the Eagles starting quarterback. “I brought both guys in on Sunday and talked to them about the position. Look I have to make decisions in the best interest of the football team you know I look at the team and I try to do what’s best for the team,” said O’Brien. “I think what’s best for the team right now is to is for Grayson James to be the starter.”
As for how Tommy took the news, Coach O’Brien said “You know Tommy has done a great job for us he is awesome competitor we have a lot of respect for Tommy but you know obviously he wasn’t real thrilled with that so he’s taking a couple days and you know I’ll get back to you on that one but Grayson James will be the starter against SMU.”
On Wednesday, when Coach O’Brian was asked if Tommy had rejoined the team, Coach O’Brian said, “No, no.” When asked if he expected Tommy to travel to SMU, Coach O’Brian replied, “No, no I don’t.”
O’Brien said during a radio interview Thursday with the “Greg Hill Show” that Tommy decided to leave the Boston College football program. “We wish Tommy the best. We think very highly of him, and we wish him the best. But we’re going to rally around Grayson. We have a lot of confidence in Grayson,” O’Brien said.
Castellanos, who has one more year of college eligibility, is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, but he can’t do so until December 9.
As for Coach O’Brien, he’s focused solely on one thing right now, and that is SMU, who the Eagles will play Saturday at Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, at 3:30 PM.
The last matchup between these two collegiate programs was when the Eagles defeated SMU at the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl.