The Boston College Eagles (4-2, 1-1 ACC) football team faced their second defeat of the season against the Virginia Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0 ACC), losing 24-14 on Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
After the game, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien shared his thoughts on the team’s performance.
Q: Can you comment on the penalties and turnovers?
O’BRIEN: It was terrible. A combination of poor coaching and execution. Virginia did a great job, but we fell short. Thankfully, we have 12 days until our next game to make some corrections. It was bad across the board.
Q: You started strong in the first half; can you talk about that?
O’BRIEN: It doesn’t matter. We need to play a full 60 minutes. It’s not just a 30-minute game.
Q: What did you observe from Tommy in the fourth quarter?
O’BRIEN: It wasn’t good. No one performed well, including the coaches. On the first play of our final offensive drive, we had only ten players on the field. That’s on me. We need to improve, both in coaching and execution.
Q: After seeing BC’s offense excel against Florida State, why the drop in rushing yards in recent weeks? Do you expect this to change?
O’BRIEN: I’m not sure. I need to review the film to understand it better. It’s a complex issue, and we’ll work through it as a coaching staff.
Q: Third downs on defense were problematic again. What did you see?
O’BRIEN: We struggled, allowing too many conversions on third-and-long. It’s something we need to evaluate. Everyone in the program needs to self-assess and figure out how we can improve. Virginia did well in the second half, but we know we can do better.
Q: Tommy had 10 carries for -9 yards. Do you think he was forcing plays instead of trusting his scrambling ability?
O’BRIEN: I need to watch the tape to provide an accurate assessment. There shouldn’t be negative yardage. We’ll determine if it’s due to protection, reads, or route running. It’s a team effort.
Q: On that crucial 3rd-and-1, what do you think Tommy was looking at? Did he force any throws?
O’BRIEN: I can’t say for sure until I review the tape. I need to analyze that play more closely.
Q: Several players seemed to be banged up during the game. What’s their status?
O’BRIEN: I don’t have that information right now. I just got to the locker room.
Q: Can you challenge the targeting call? It appeared to be a clean hit
O’BRIEN:It’s about the crown of the helmet. If you hit with the top of the head, it’s a penalty, regardless of where the contact occurs. We need to better educate our players on this rule.
Q: You managed to limit their run game after they had success against Coastal Carolina. What did you like about your defense?
O’BRIEN: The effort was there; the players played hard. However, we had breakdowns that led to penalties and turnovers. We need to improve as coaches and ensure better performance in critical situations.
Q: Thomas completed his first 11 passes, but things seemed to change in the second half. What happened?
O’BRIEN: The rush improved on their side, which affected our coverage. We had turnovers that shifted our focus to being cautious in our play-calling.
Q: Regarding the touchdown pass that put UVA ahead, can you elaborate?
O’BRIEN: I’ll need to see the film to assess it. There may have been some miscommunication, which was an issue for us in the second half. We need to address these breakdowns and improve our coaching.
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