“The sky is falling to everyone outside of this program, but not to anyone inside the program,” O’Brien said. “I’m talking about the people in the team meeting room. The sky is not falling. We’ve got great kids that care about Boston College, that play their asses off. We’ve got coaches working day in and day out to get it right.”
Saturday’s matchup against Connecticut (4-2) at noon at Alumni Stadium is a chance for the Eagles to prove they haven’t collapsed entirely. While the sky would still be intact with a loss, it could have significant long-term ramifications from a recruiting standpoint.
With a daunting schedule the rest of the way, this could be one of BC’s last chances to avoid a one-win season.
The Huskies are no joke. They gave Syracuse an overtime scare and dropped 51 points on Florida International in early October. At the same time, it’s a game BC should win.
The Eagles are 1½-point favorites, but O’Brien doesn’t believe that should be the case. He thinks the notion that BC should automatically beat UConn any time they play is “ridiculous.”
“In my opinion, they should be favored,” O’Brien said. “They have a better record than us. They should be favored, and we’ve got to show up to play.”
O’Brien said he loves every player in the program and feels terrible for them that the season hasn’t gone as planned.
In this day and age, with the transfer portal and NIL dominating the college football landscape, O’Brien insists that good things sometimes take time to develop fully.
“I’m not saying 10 years,” he said. “I think longer than 19 games.”
As injuries have mounted — which O’Brien made clear is not an excuse — the Eagles have had to turn to inexperienced players. Defensive backs Marcus Upton, Omarion Davis, Ashton Cunningham, and TJ Green, linebackers Griffin Collins and Zacari Thomas, and defensive lineman Micah Amedee are a few of many freshmen who have seen action already, and that’s just on defense.
While it’s difficult for BC fans to see the big picture as losses mount, O’Brien is optimistic they’re making progress.
“With the experience that they’re getting, it bodes well for the future,” he said.
Those inexperienced defensive players will be up against a formidable foe in seventh-year quarterback Joe Fagnano. Fagnano faced the Eagles as the starter for Maine back in 2022 and has thrown for nearly 9,000 yards over the years. This season, he has 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, leaning heavily on senior receiver Skyler Bell (48 catches, 562 yards, 6 TDs).
O’Brien said to expect play-action and some gadget plays, adding that eye discipline and communication will be key. BC has the fourth-fewest sacks (11) in the Atlantic Coast Conference and is still feeling the absence of last year’s standout, Donovan Ezeiruaku.
“We have to attack it like every other game,” said defensive lineman Sedarius McConnell. “We’re looking for a momentum change, so this definitely feels like the week that we can go and make that happen.”
Offensively, O’Brien has a decision to make at quarterback. Dylan Lonergan has dazzled in stretches but struggled to avoid turnovers in key moments. Grayson James fared admirably as a replacement last season. Shaker Reisig has shown promise in flashes but is still adjusting to the collegiate level.
Regardless of who plays quarterback, the Eagles know they’ll need to avoid “catastrophic turnovers” and run the ball effectively to have a chance. BC is still last in the ACC with 85 rushing yards per game. O’Brien said he sees a spot for Jordan McDonald to play more alongside Turbo Richard.
“Two good backs being a 1-2 punch,” Richard said. “He’ll go in and make plays, I’ll go in and make plays. I feel like we complement each other pretty well.”
The season may be a lost cause to those on the outside, but those inside are still searching for a spark. Don’t tell O’Brien and Co. that there isn’t anything to play for anymore.
“That’s what brotherhood is for,” McConnell said. “That’s what the locker room is for. We all have our days where we’re maybe feeling down, or guys may be feeling better than others, but that’s when we all bring each other together. We’ve got to remember the end goal.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.
