A look at the Boston College Eagles

With Nebraska going bowling for the first time since 2016, here’s a quick look at the Huskers’ opponent in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Boston College Eagles.

There’s a unique twist to the bowl game on the coaching front, as John Butler, Nebraska’s newly-promoted defensive coordinator, will coach against his former boss in Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien.

While he was the head coach at Penn State, O’Brien hired Butler to be his defensive backs coach in 2012 and then promoted him to DC in 2013. It was a relationship that stuck. When O’Brien made the jump to the NFL to be the Houston Texans’ head coach, he brought along Butler to coach the DBs. Butler was with O’Brien in Houston for four years.

“He gave me a lot of responsibility and helped me develop as a coach,” Butler said of O’Brien during a Zoom press conference last week. “So I have a lot of respect for not only what he did there in Houston, but as he’s continued to go throughout his career, and obviously what he’s doing this year at BC.”

The BC offense will enter the Pinstripe Bowl averaging 29.3 points and 367.2 yards per game, with 190.9 coming through the air and 176.3 on the ground.

After starting the year 4-4, O’Brien decided to make a change at quarterback amid three straight losses to Virginia, Virginia Tech and Louisville. O’Brien made backup Grayson James the starting quarterback while sending starter Thomas Castellanos to the bench.

Castellanos, who also started 12 games in 2023, left the team shortly after being benched and wound up transferring to Florida State.

In the final three games of the regular season, James, who spent his first three seasons at Florida International, guided BC to a 2-1 record with wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh.

In the three games he started, James, who played at powerhouse Duncanville High School in Texas, completed 64% of his passes (56-of-87) for 682 yards and four touchdowns against just one interception. He also added 46 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“He knows where to go with the football,” Butler said of James. “You can see he’s got a decent feel for what they want to do in the run game and how certain fronts and certain coverages may be impactful in what they’re trying to do. I know Bill is always trying to make sure that his quarterback is prepared to execute the run game as well as the pass game.”

BC will want to run the ball on NU’s defensive front, which will be without Jimari Butler, who transferred to LSU. BC has a top-50 rush offense at 176 yards per game, ranking 48th in the country. BC ranks 12th in the country in rush attempts, averaging 41.92 carries per game.

Kye Robichaux will be the primary back carrying the ball. The 6-foot, 217-pounder has rushed for 725 yards, 10 rushing touchdowns and 4.4 yards per carry in 2024. In a 37-31 win over Syracuse on Nov. 11, Robichaux rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

At nearly 220 pounds, Robichaux, a fourth-year veteran who began his career at Western Kentucky, is a strong north-south runner. He’ll run through arm tackles, like he did in the example below against Pittsburgh corner Rashad Battle (#15):

Something Nebraska fans will respect about BC’s run game is it’s consistent. While not consistently good, O’Brien hammers defenses when he starts seeing those 3- and 4-yard runs.

And at the goal line, BC has shown it will try fooling the defenders’ eyes before shifting to a power run look and quickly snapping the ball. On the example below, Robichaux keeps churning his legs and gets in for the touchdown:

But don’t forget about Jordan McDonald, a 6-1, 227-pounder who spent 2022 and 2023 at UCF and has rushed for 362 yards, 7.2 yards per carry and two touchdowns this season. He’s been getting more run as of late.

“They’re kind of similar to Iowa,” NU linebacker John Bullock said of BC’s run game. “It’s just the way they build their runs. Obviously Bill O’Brien, an NFL coach, he’s very good scheming up runs with the way he pulls different linemen or the way he builds it — he’ll get you with motion and eye candy coming across the formation and then pull the other way. So I think just having our eyes right and knowing what to expect based off different formations and motions will be the key thing for this game. Just fitting the right way and knowing what they want to do to you.”

BC’s run game is about body blows. The hope is one those 2- or 3-yard carries busts loose for a big gain. That’s exactly what happened in BC’s regular-season finale against Pitt, when McDonald followed the block of right tackle Ozzy Trapilo (#70) to break free for a 36-yard touchdown run:

The video shown below gives you an idea of McDonald’s run style and power, which is similar to Robichaux. Nebraska defenders will need to tackle well if they’re going to bring down BC’s backs.

Also, keep an eye on left guard Jack Conley (#67), who plants Pitt defensive lineman Sean FitzSimmons (#55). Nebraska’s defensive linemen like Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher and Riley Van Poppel will have a fight on their hands with BC’s offensive line:

The primary wideout James will be throwing to is Lewis Bond, a 5-11, 200-pounder from Chicago who has hauled in 60 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.

Bond is a fourth-year veteran and a tough dude who has been a productive wideout the past two seasons for BC. In 2023, he recorded 52 catches for 646 yards and seven touchdowns.

Here’s an example of a third-and-long conversion from BC’s offense against Pitt. James enjoyed solid protection from his offensive line — BC has allowed 29 sacks this season, 87th in the country — and stays patient as he waits for the dagger concept to develop and hits Bond’s deep dig route.

Bonds climbs the ladder and makes the catch while sustaining a hard fall:

Once in the red zone, keep an eye on tight end Kamari Morales — he leads the team in touchdown receptions with six. He’s a big red zone target at 6-3, 250 pounds and is someone James looks for once the offense reaches the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Here’s an example of BC’s offense using Morales in the red zone. Morales catches a post route and runs free into the middle of the field against Pitt’s zone coverage:

BC’s defense is allowing 24.1 points per game, 8th in the ACC and 62nd in the country. The Eagles are giving up 360.5 total yards per game (59th in the nation) and 5.48 yards per play (63rd).

The Eagles run defense ranks 20th nationally as it’s allowing 113.58 yards per game. BC’s base defense is a 2-4-5, with two true defensive linemen and two outside linebackers creating a four-man front with two inside linebackers and five defensive backs, with the safeties acting as nickel corners in certain situations, much like Nebraska’s do.

BC’s run defense is led by interior lineman Cam Horsley (#96), a 6-4, 306-pound fifth-year guy who has been a starter since 2021. Horsely has 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss with three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

Horsely is a powerful man anchoring the middle of the BC defense. In the example shown below, he aligns as a 2-technique, head up on the right guard, and splits Pitt’s right guard and right tackle:

The below example is another look at what Horsely can do. He stands his ground against the double of Pitt’s right guard and right tackle and helps stuff the run:

But the best player on BC’s defense, and entire team, is outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku (#6).

Ezeiruaku is a talented edge rusher who is currently second in the country in sacks with 16.5. He leads the Eagles’ defense with 80 tackles, 20.5 TFLs and 15 quarterback hurries.

Expect Nebraska’s offense to try helping either left tackle Gunnar Gottula or right tackle Bryce Benhart with chip blocks from the tight ends and running backs. Giving Ezeiruaku a 1-on-1 with Gottula or Benhart will be risky.

Ezeiruaku loves the inside move. He used it to beat Florida State’s left tackle, Darius Washington (#76), in BC’s season-opener:

The below video shows another example of Ezeiruaku’s inside move, this time against Pitt right tackle Jackson Brown(#77). Ezeiruaku doesn’t get to the quarterback in time, but this rep shows you Ezeiruaku’s technbique and how he can get a tackle off balance:

One more Ezeiruaku rep from the Pitt game. As one would imagine, leaving a tight end in to pass block against Ezeiruaku isn’t a good idea, as shown below:

BC’s pass defense has struggled this season, allowing 246.9 yards per game, good for 111th in the country. With Dana Holgorsen having a month’s worth of practice to prepare for this game, perhaps the pass game with Dylan Raiola, Jahmal Banks, Jacory Barney Jr. and Thomas Fidone II will take center stage at Yankee Stadium, though Holgorsen has shown he’s willing to establish a ground game.

BC isn’t a fan of field goals this season — the Eagles have only attempted four on the entire season. They’ve made three of them, with Liam Connor going 2-of-3 on the year with a long of 49 yards while Luca Lombardo is 1-of-1, a 39-yarder.

BC’s punter situation hasn’t been clean this season. The Eagles have used four punters who have combined for an average of 36.68 yards per attempt. Nebraska’s Brian Buschini averages 44.7 yards per attempt.

BC’s punt return team has only produced one return of over 15 yards, and that was a 52-yarder from Isaiah Farris. BC’s punt defense has been solid this season as it hasn’t allowed a return of more than 13 yards.

BC’s kickoff coverage team has allowed one touchdown this season, a 95-yarder. The Eagles are limiting kickoff returns to an average of 19.54 yards. BC’s kickoff return team hasn’t had a return of over 28 yards.

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