College Sports
BC erupted for 42 first half points led by Castellanos, who completed 90 percent of his passes.
The last time Boston College welcomed a Football Championship Subdivision team to Chestnut Hill in Week 2 — almost exactly a year ago — the Eagles stumbled and barely squeaked by Holy Cross.
Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium, in a matchup with Northeast Conference preseason favorite Duquesne, BC left zero doubt. The Eagles pummeled the Dukes, 56-0, erupting for 42 points in the first half and cruising from there.
“I was telling everybody, I haven’t been a part of a blowout like that, where I haven’t played the second half at all, in a minute,” Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond said.
BC avoided a letdown in the proverbial trap game and continued to trend upward following last week’s convincing triumph at then-No. 10 Florida State. It was the most points Boston College has scored since hanging 58 on Syracuse in 2019.
Junior quarterback Thomas Castellanos finished 9-of-10 passing for 234 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, to fuel the Eagles (2-0). BC outgained Duquesne, 350-87, in yards in the first half and didn’t let the game become closer than it had to be.
“I’ll be honest with you,” BC coach Bill O’Brien said. “I don’t know the difference between FBS, FCS, NCIS. I just know Duquesne is a tough football team. We had to be ready to play.”
The Dukes (0-2) largely neutralized BC’s backups in the second half, but the outcome had long been decided by that point.
Treshaun Ward scored from 3 yards out early, then promising redshirt freshman Reed Harris added a 72-yard TD reception to propel the Eagles to a 14-0 lead through one quarter.
Boston native Khari Johnson picked off Darius Perrantes and zigzagged his way 45 yards to the end zone for a pick-six. Johnson emphatically chucked the ball into the stands, giving a young fan a souvenir to take home.
“It was a dream come true,” Johnson said. “I’m just excited that I got to do it here and celebrate with my guys.”
Ryan Turner helped force another Duquesne punt, then Castellanos hit Kamari Morales for a 4-yard TD strike. Castellanos launched a pinpoint 49-yard pass to Bond (5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD) for another score, and hit Ward for a 30-yard feed to make it 42-0 at halftime.
Castellanos became the first BC quarterback with three touchdown passes of 30 yards or more in a game since Anthony Brown at Wake Forest in 2018. He showed improved footwork, decision making, and finesse once again, and hasn’t turned the ball over in two games.
Castellanos was pleased with his performance, but the perfectionist in him dwelled on one missed throw.
“I should have hit (Jaedn) Skeete on that one,” Castellanos said. “I apologize.”
The Eagles were the far more physical, athletic, and overpowering team and didn’t underestimate their opponent. They held the Dukes to 0 for 6 on third down and averaged 6.4 yards per rush and 26 yards per completion in the half, overwhelming the Dukes at the line of scrimmage throughout.
BC players have regularly discussed their mantra of a “faceless opponent,” and they backed it up Saturday.
“There was no, ‘Oh, we’re playing Duquesne. We can chill,’” Bond said.
Jalen Cheek intercepted a pass in the second half. Catholic Memorial product Datrell Jones added a 47-yard TD run late in the third, and backup quarterback Jacobe Robinson scored from 9 yards out in the fourth for good measure. The Eagles finished with 563 yards, compared with 146 for the Dukes.
Boston College made just four trips to the red zone. It was a steady stream of chunk plays — ones O’Brien said need to be a regular part of the repertoire. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a thorough, methodical demoralization of an inferior foe.
BC seamlessly navigated a quick turnaround from the Florida State game to classes, followed by a short week of preparation for Duquesne. When asked if getting back to class was a test, Castellanos didn’t hesitate.
“No test,” he said. “We’re BC men. That’s what we do.”
The Eagles looked just as energized as they did five days prior, and the fans took notice. Boston College gave a spirited student section clad in gold plenty to cheer about.
O’Brien implored BC fans to show their support, and they delivered with a crowd of 38,441. While O’Brien thinks the city could show more — which he hopes will come with more wins — he praised the student body.
“Six-thousand students, that’s unbelievable,” O’Brien said. “If we can get student turnout like that, that’s a huge thing for this program.”
While O’Brien was largely pleased with the execution, he highlighted the five penalties, second-team turnovers, and poor punts as areas to clean up.
Next up for Boston College is a clash at No. 9 Missouri next Saturday at 12:45 p.m. — a chance to make another major statement in a hostile environment.
“We have to stay humble and stay focused,” Castellanos said. “We have a big matchup this week. It’ll really show how good we are.”
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