It’s all too familiar for Boston College as Eagles fall to Cincinnati in opener

It’s technically a new year for Boston College, with a largely new roster, coaching staff, and opponents.

But, Saturday’s 34-15 loss at Cincinnati felt like an extension of the 2-10 season last fall. BC lost the turnover battle, weakened defensively as the game progressed, and struggled to maximize key moments.

The Eagles looked lethargic on offense and lacked big-play ability against a formidable Cincinnati defense. What began as a competitive game quickly evolved into a pattern that felt all too familiar.

“The whole thing’s on me,” said coach Bill O’Brien. “We have to coach a lot better.”

Boston College’s defense came to play early, with defensive tackle Christian Hudson, linebacker Anthony Palano (game-high 13 tackles), and safety KP Price making life difficult for Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV.

The Bearcats (1-0) took a 3-0 edge through one quarter on a 54-yard field goal from Stephen Rusnak at the 8:27 mark. A well-disguised Cincinnati fake punt paved the way for a 4-yard JV Gibson touchdown reception with 7:48 left in the half to push it to 10-0.

BC started the game conservatively on offense, with Saginaw Valley State transfer quarterback Mason McKenzie leaning on his legs more than his arm. The Eagles generated momentum late in the half, and appeared to score on a Danny Edgehille catch, fumble, and recovery, but the referees deemed it an incomplete pass.

“I definitely thought it was a touchdown,” said BC linebacker Bodie Kahoun. “Obviously, that would have changed the whole game.”

Luca Lombardo, who was 16 for 17 on field goals last year, then missed a 35-yard attempt in the final seconds to prevent the Eagles from pulling within one score.

While the first half was far from pristine, it also wasn’t a disaster in any specific area and kept BC within striking distance. Cincinnati, however, found its offensive mojo and seized control.

BC reverted to some of its bad habits from last year — penalties, turnovers, and inability to prevent chunk plays — and looked out of sorts for much of the third quarter.

“We have to understand we can’t do those things and expect to win,” O’Brien said. “We don’t have that type of team. No team can do that.”

French, who ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, scored on back-to-back 4-yard runs to extend the margin to 24-0 with 5:24 left in the third.

BC starting center Michael Crounse left the game due to an injury on the ensuing drive, which led to a rather high snap from backup DJ Williams.

McKenzie recovered, then handed off to Evan Dickens for a 4-yard TD run with 2:01 left in the quarter to put the Eagles on the scoreboard. A 2-point run from McKenzie (18-for-35 passing, 223 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception; 20 carries, 78 yards), who displayed his highly regarded running ability in spurts, sliced it to 24-8 through three.

“I feel terrible for him today,” O’Brien said. “He gave us everything.”

Dickens, who finished third in the nation with 121.7 rushing yards per game last year at Liberty, provided stability for a unit that desperately needed it. Javarius Green also was a bright spot with six catches for 74 yards.

BC nearly scored again, but couldn’t convert deep in Cincinnati territory after some promising runs from Bo MacCormack III. After another defensive stop, the Eagles came up short on fourth down in their own territory with 5:59 remaining.

Rusnak added a 44-yarder with five minutes left to make it 27-8. MJ Cannon then picked off a McKenzie pass and French added a final score from 1 yard out to provide the finishing touches on a decisive all-around performance from the Bearcats (5.5 yards per carry).

McKenzie hit Johnathan Montague Jr. for a 23-yard touchdown late.

Friday night, Boston College will welcome a Rutgers team coming off a home loss to UMass. Something will have to give.

“We have to have a short memory, fix the mistakes, and look to next week,” Dickens said.

Trevor Hass is a sports producer for Boston.com, where he writes and edits stories about Boston’s professional teams, among other tasks.