The UConn football team’s first-ever win against the Boston College Eagles came last season, a 13-3 decision at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in mid-October. Tight end Justin Joly’s 62-yard touchdown reception 65 seconds into the game marked the only time either team reached the end zone as Connecticut’s defense forced five turnovers.
That sparked a late-season rally for UConn, who swept the three-game homestand and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2015. Despite having next to no shot at a second-straight bowl game appearance, the Huskies look for their second win of the 2023 season and against Boston College all-time in the first leg of a three-game road trip on Saturday.
Two ugly home contests, highlighted by an eventful three-point win versus the FCS Holy Cross Crusaders, had the Eagles on pace for another forgettable season in the Heights. Since battling the Florida State Seminoles and Louisville Cardinals, two of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s three bowl-eligible teams, Boston College has caught fire with a three-game winning streak.
In last Saturday’s victory against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Eagles tallied 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points and amassed a season-high 563 offensive yards. Thomas Castellanos picked up 383 of those by himself en route to ACC Co-Quarterback of the Week honors with Florida State’s Jordan Travis, but the sophomore quarterback earned that recognition with his legs. Leading all FBS quarterbacks with 628 rushing yards, the Central Florida transfer reminds Connecticut head coach Jim Mora of 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and 2001 National Football League first overall pick Michael Vick.
“This is a challenge like one we have not seen this year,” Mora said about facing Castellanos. “He is of a different speed and a different quickness than anyone we have seen.”
His quickness plays a major factor in Boston College having the nation’s No. 13 rushing offense at 210 yards per game, but the sophomore quarterback has not always been the team’s leading rusher. ACC Running Back of the Week Kye Robichaux led the Eagles with 165 rushing yards in their last contest, accounting for nearly half of his 383 on the season.
This is a challenge like one we have not seen this year. He is of a different speed and a different quickness than anyone we have seen.
Jim Mora, UConn Football Head Coach
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver and 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers may be gone, but Castellanos has a No. 1 option in redshirt sophomore Lewis Bond and his 428 receiving yards. Two other receivers have 200-plus yards, but graduate student Ryan O’Keefe has not played since sustaining a neck injury four weeks ago, and sophomore Joseph Griffin Jr. has gained 13 yards in his last two games.
Opponents averaging 30.43 points against Boston College can be misleading; since getting doubled up by the Cardinals, BC’s defense has not allowed more than 25 points per contest and forced five turnovers. ACC Defensive Back of the Week Elijah Jones has three of the team’s four interceptions in that span, additionally being the secondary’s most disruptive weapon with seven pass breakups.
Veteran playmakers line the Eagles’ defense, with graduate linebacker Vinny DePalma and Dartmouth transfer John Pupel leading the charge at 99 combined total tackles. Meanwhile, junior defensive ends Donovan Ezeiruaku and Neto Okpala push plays backwards and take down the quarterback with a combined four sacks and nine tackles for a loss.
Associated Press Mid-Season All-American guard Christian Haynes leads a UConn offensive line that has surrendered one less sack (nine) than Boston College’s defense has amassed (10). That protection gives redshirt junior quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson time to find either Joly, redshirt junior wide receiver Cameron Ross or graduate wide receiver Brett Buckman open. All three UConn receivers have at least 310 yards on 25-plus receptions, thus giving opposing secondaries a mixed bag of who they wish to contain.
Ross also got in on the run game against the South Florida Bulls last week, but his 14 yards came nowhere near what sophomore running back Cam Edwards posted that afternoon. Victor Rosa’s early exit due to injury might have caused panic in a running back room depleted by departure, but Edwards exploded for a career-best 149 rushing yards with two total touchdowns.
We proved that we have what it takes when we went to Rice and we were a team that had not won a game. But you have to prove it over and over again.
Jim Mora, UConn Football Head Coach
As has been the case, do not expect Edwards to play every offensive snap in the Eagles’ homecoming game. Should Rosa’s injury keep him out of action, expect significant reps from Louisville transfer Jalen Mitchell. Even though the graduate running back has 10 rushing yards on four carries in 2023, Mora believes a valuable role in the Huskies’ rushing attack remains on the radar for Mitchell.
“I have been pleased with the way he has approached [improving his ball security],” Mora noted. “You see an added emphasis in practice with him in terms of the five points of pressure and contact.”
Other than being on the same team, Mitchell has no relation to senior linebacker Jackson Mitchell, who leads the team with 70 total tackles. While the longer-tenured Mitchell dominates on defense, his prowess has somewhat shadowed junior linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown’s breakout season. On top of recording eight total tackles in two out of his last three games, Faumuina-Brown individually stopped a career-high five plays and grabbed his first interception in two years last week.
Junior defensive back Durante Jones and graduate linebacker Noah Plack round out the heavy hitters. Jones may have just two games with five-plus tackles since the season opener, but his 40 total stops remain second on the team. Plack, meanwhile, has as many assisted tackles as the junior defensive back does at 13. Despite seemingly nothing going their way, Mora remains determined that Connecticut can win at least one more game in 2023.
“We proved that we have what it takes when we went to Rice and we were a team that had not won a game,” Mora stated. “But you have to prove it over and over again.”
Kickoff in the duel between New England schools begins at 12 p.m. on the ACC Network and ESPN 97.9 FM.