By Tiffany Williams –
Boston College had its chances, but Bill O’Brien’s squad came up empty in the second half and let its ACC opener slip away, falling 30-20 at Stanford on Saturday night.
Quarterback Dylan Lonergan looked sharp, throwing for 333 yards on 30-of-44 passing with one touchdown and one interception, but the Eagles couldn’t find a rhythm late when they needed it most. Reed Harris was Lonergan’s go-to target, hauling in seven catches for 141 yards, while Turbo Richard showed his versatility with 54 rushing yards plus 83 more and a touchdown through the air.
For a stretch in the second quarter, BC looked like the better team. A career-long 51-yard field goal from Luca Lombardo got them on the board, then a 49-yard catch-and-run score from Richard flipped momentum. Jordan McDonald punched in his first rushing touchdown of the year to extend the lead, and the Eagles were suddenly on a 17-0 run.
But Stanford flipped the game in a two-minute burst before halftime. Ben Gulbranson connected with Sam Roush for a 69-yard strike, then Collin Wright returned an interception for a touchdown just 18 seconds later. A late Lombardo field goal salvaged a tie at 20-20 at the break, but the Eagles never scored again.
Stanford’s defense tightened, holding BC scoreless in the second half while tacking on 10 points to seal it. The loss left the Eagles wondering how they let a winnable road game get away.
Defensively, KP Price paced Boston College with nine tackles, Owen McGowan added eight, and Omar Thornton and Edwin Kolenge chipped in six apiece.
O’Brien has a bye week to reset before BC hosts Cal on Sept. 27 for Family Weekend at Alumni Stadium, where the Eagles badly need to prove they can close out conference games.