- Virginia Tech at Boston College: Saturday, Sept. 26, at noon ET from Alumni Stadium (44,500) in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
- Betting line: Virginia Tech -14.0
- Roster cards: Click here
- Chestnut Hill weather: Click here
- Gameday information: Click here
For the second week in a row, Virginia Tech (3-0) hits the road.
Last week, it faced former ACC foe Maryland. This week, it will be former Big East rival Boston College (2-1), and it looks like the Boston area will be getting some weather.
This game is unique in that it features the last two Penn State head coaches. James Franklin was there before heading to Blacksburg, while Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien originally took over for Joe Paterno for two seasons before departing for the NFL. The two coaches know each other well, as they were both on the Maryland staff under Ralph Friedgen in 2003 and 2004.
BC began its season with a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati, in which it trailed 24-0 and 34-8 before tacking on a late touchdown to get within 20. Then it beat 0-3 Rutgers 28-21 the next week before struggling to get by FCS Maine 22-16 last Saturday.
The overall numbers indicate that the Eagles aren't a good football team and that the Hokies should win to improve to 4-0. But will they?
The Weather And Its Potential Impact
I just can’t get a feel for whether the weather (ha-ha!) is going to be absolutely horrendous or simply bad.
As of Tuesday, AccuWeather is saying 96 percent chance of rain — about 1.1 inches of rain — with sustained winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. Meanwhile, Weather.gov is saying only a 60 percent chance of rain, while still windy. I’ve seen other forecasts saying the wind gusts could reach 70 mph, and there could be severe travel problems getting in and out of Boston this weekend.
Of course, those forecasts can and will change between now and kickoff, so who knows what we’re going to get? Right now, the best guess is that it’s going to be very windy, and the rainfall during the game could range from light to heavy.
We should be hopeful that it rains as little as possible, because I think decent weather favors Virginia Tech quite a bit. On the other side, horrendous weather draws the Eagles closer, simply because of their strengths and weaknesses as a football team.
That starts with quarterback Mason McKenzie (6-1, 200, r-Jr.), a transfer from Division II Saginaw Valley State. He has struggled in the passing game thus far, completing just 58.8 percent of his passes while throwing more interceptions (5) than touchdowns (3). He’s hit a few big plays here and there, but there is no consistency in the passing game for the Eagles.
However, McKenzie has been an excellent runner, with 225 yards on the ground through three games. He’s averaging 4.7 yards per carry despite being sacked six times, and the Eagles aren’t afraid to run him a lot:
• Cincinnati: 20 carries, 78 yards
• Rutgers: 13 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD
• Maine: 15 carries, 53 yards
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McKenzie isn’t BC’s only threat in the running game. Running back Evan Dickens (5-10, 195, r-Jr.) has had a good year. After starting his career under Norval McKenzie at Georgia Tech, he transferred to Liberty, where he ran for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. He had three 200-yard games in the final five games of the season.
Dickens had a 100-yard game last week against Maine, and he was solid in the first two contests as well. He’ll present a greater challenge than the two backs the Hokies faced at Maryland.
Bad weather could force Boston College more towards its strength as a team and away from its weakness. Overall, it would probably just muck things up. Bad weather generally evens the odds a bit when one side clearly has a talent advantage over the other, which will be the case on Saturday.
In a way, that plays into Virginia Tech’s hands, as the Hokies rank No. 8 nationally in rushing defense (61 ypg) and No. 6 in yards per carry allowed (1.93). However, their biggest struggle came against Old Dominion’s mobile quarterback in Quinn Henicle, who rushed for 83 yards and broke off a 76-yard touchdown run (albeit against mostly backups).
For me, the bigger issue is how the weather will impact Tech’s passing game, which has been dominant so far. The more it rains and the harder the wind blows, the more it takes the game out of the hands of Ethan Grunkemeyer and Luke Reynolds. If you struggle to use your best weapon (Reynolds), that hurts.
The Eagles may rank No. 39 in pass defense, but they rank No. 100 in opponents’ passer rating, which means teams have been very efficient throwing the ball against them. Can the Hokies maintain that level of efficiency in bad weather?
The good news is that Boston College has been bad against the run, so Tech should be able to find success there.
The Boston College Offensive Line
Since sloppy football games are mostly decided in the trenches, let’s see what the Eagles bring to the table up front on the offensive line.
They are likely to play no more than six linemen against the Hokies, and perhaps only five. Let’s look at their starters and their experience level:
• LT Veguer Jean-Jumeau (6-9, 315, r-So.): He started for Tennessee State last season, where he earned All-OVC honorable mention honors. That’s good for the FCS level, but the jump to FBS has been a bit of a struggle for him.
• LG Robert Smith IV (6-4, 315, So.): Smith started for part of 2025 as a true freshman but struggled. He should be improved this year, but he’s still a very young player.
• C DJ Williams (6-2, 300, r-Fr.): Started the last two games in place of injured starter Michael Crounse (6-4, 315, r-Jr.), who is BC’s best lineman. Williams is a young player who has had some snapping issues, and he likely isn’t ready to face a front like Virginia Tech’s. We’re not sure whether Crounse will return this weekend. If he can’t go, he would be a significant loss.
• RG Judah Pruitt (6-4, 315, r-So.): Pruitt is in his first season as a starter after playing just 40 snaps in 2025. He’s still a young and inexperienced player, though he’s arguably been BC’s most consistent lineman so far.
• RT Kristian Phillips (6-4, 315, r-So.): Another young starter, Phillips was in the two-deep for Michigan State last year, where he played over 200 snaps. However, he was a guard for the Spartans, and he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire at tackle, allowing 13 pressures and nine hurries in just three games.
That’s an awfully young group that’s possibly missing its best player, and whose starting right tackle is better suited for guard.
This is Virginia Tech’s fourth opponent, and it’s at least the third subpar offensive line it’s faced, depending on whether you consider Maryland’s line to be subpar or average.
Whenever you hear me say that hardly anybody has a good offensive line in college football these days, I truly mean it. Judging from what I’ve seen so far, I’m not so sure Tech isn’t ahead of the curve.
The Boston College Defense
Here’s how the BC defense stacks up statistically in both the traditional and advanced metrics.
• Rushing D: No. 98
• YPC Allowed: No. 80
• Passing D: No. 39
• Opp. QB Rating: No. 100
• Total D: No. 67
• YPP Allowed: No. 65
• FEI Defense: No. 81
• F+ Defense: No. 82
• Available Yards: No. 75
The only statistic that ranks in the top half is pass defense, but opposing quarterbacks have still been very efficient through the air against the Eagles.
They got torched by Cincinnati, and four Rutgers interceptions saved them from losing that game as well. The fact that they rank No. 100 in opposing QB rating despite picking off four passes in that game shows that they haven’t been good overall.
That said, they have a couple of standout players so far this year. Let’s talk about them.
• LB Anthony Palano (6-1, 230, r-So.): The Washington State transfer is leading the team with 34 tackles, and already has five tackles for loss. He really took off down the stretch as a first-time starter last year for the Cougars, and he’s hit the ground running ever since arriving at Chestnut Hill. He was responsible for two interceptions vs. Rutgers.
• Nickel KP Price (6-2, 205, Sr.): Price has played nearly 2,000 career snaps, and he’s been a good starter for the Eagles over the last two seasons. Considering the payroll problems they’ve had, it’s a little bit surprising that he’s still there. He’s got six career interceptions, is in his second year as a captain and even showed off his versatility by starting three games at linebacker.
This defense is too young to have too many standouts, though. Eight of the 11 starters are sophomores or younger. That includes defensive end Kris Jones (6-2, 245, r-So.).
He’s a name you might remember as a four-star, top-150 player coming out of Fairfax. However, it did not work out for him at Georgia, and he now starts for Boston College. Yet, he’s got no tackles for loss and no sacks on the season, which highlights the Eagles’ difficulties playing in the backfield against teams not named Maine.
To give you an idea of their experience level on this side of the ball, let me briefly list each starter and his career snaps:
• DE Kris Jones (6-2, 245, r-So.): 198
• DT Cameron McGee (6-3, 310, Fr.): 83
• DT Micah Amedee (6-3, 280, So.): 189
• DE Demetrius Ballard (6-6, 260, r-So.): 272
• LB Anthony Palano (6-1, 230, r-So.): 604
• LB Zacari Thomas (6-0, 215, So.): 134
• NB KP Price (6-2, 205, Sr.): 1,969
• CB Ashton Cunningham (5-9, 170, So.): 299
• CB Charlie Comella (6-1, 190, r-So.): 223
• S Marcus Upton (6-1, 200, So.): 334
• S Carter Davis (6-1, 195, r-Jr.): 1,390
Only two BC starters have over 1,000 career snaps, and only three have more than 334 snaps. This is as inexperienced a defense as Virginia Tech will face this season.
Inexperienced defenses are often susceptible to misdirection plays with plenty of eye candy — also known as the old “smoke and mirrors” plays we used to talk about. Ty Howle broke out some of those against Maryland, and I would expect to see more this Saturday against the Eagles.
Special Teams
Placekicker Luca Lombardo has such an old Big East name, and he’s a good kicker to boot. He went 16-for-17 last season and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. His career long is 52 yards, so this would be a great matchup with John Love if the weather wasn’t projected to be so rough.
Bryan LaFollette is a transfer from Towson, where he had a very good career. He’s off to a solid start for the Eagles. Opponents have just 12 punt return yards on Boston College through the first three games.
The Eagles rank only No. 105 in kickoff return average and No. 90 in punt return average. I would definitely say the Hokies have an advantage in the return game, but again, the weather could negate that.
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Staff Rankings (out of 1,986 entries):
- Nick Brown: No. 618
- Chris Coleman: No. 928
- Andy Bitter: No. 1,000
- David Cunningham: No. 1,360
- Will Stewart: No. 1,744
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Staff Predictions
Chris Coleman (Lead Analyst): BC is so youthful on defense that I might pick Virginia Tech to score 40 in this one, but the weather concerns me. When one team holds an athletic advantage over the other, the weather generally negates that a bit, and we’ve certainly seen some sloppy messes in Chestnut Hill in the past.
Still, this one isn’t quite like those past road losses to Boston College. Here was BC’s season record in each of the years the Hokies lost up there in recent history:
• 2021: 6-6
• 2019: 6-7
• 2013: 7-6
• 2008: 9-5
• 2006: 10-3
Virginia Tech never lost to a bad team up there; in fact, a couple of them were pretty good. Boston College won just two games last season, and this year doesn’t feel much better than that. (It doesn’t play Stanford.) I don’t feel great about the weather, but I feel great about everything else.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Tech’s offense was slowed down a bit this week due to the conditions, but with the Eagles being so one-dimensional, I can’t see them putting up too many points.
Chris’ Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Boston College 14
Will Stewart (Founder): All the talk has been about the weather, but there’s another nefarious factor at work here: Chestnut Hill, and the cursed hold it has over the Hokies.
Oh, sure, it doesn’t happen every year. It’s not like Virginia Tech always loses at Boston College. It just seems like the Hokies lose more often than they should, frequently to BC teams that have no business beating the Hokies. Virginia Tech should be better than Boston College in football, period.
That mini-rant out of the way — for the longer version, see my most recent Monday Thoughts — this game is another stop on the James Franklin redemption tour. I doubt Franklin knows or cares much about Virginia Tech’s history with Boston College. He just sees it as a game his Hokies should win, and win handily, and if he’s good at one thing in his career, it’s winning games where he’s favored by double digits. James Franklin teams rarely trip up against opponents they should beat.
So we got that going for us, which is nice.
The projected rain could affect the passing game, but since Boston College’s Alumni Stadium is artificial FieldTurf, it shouldn’t have as much of an impact on the running game. As Chris detailed, Virginia Tech is No. 8 in defending the run, and Boston College is No. 98 in defending the run.
Don’t get caught up in concerns over rain, wind gusts and the curse of playing in Chestnut Hill. While a point spread is just a betting line and not a prediction of what will happen in the game, a 14-point spread says one team is clearly better than the other. Virginia Tech is clearly better than Boston College.
The Hokies should win. Should. It’s possible the weather will keep it closer than it otherwise would be.
Will’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Boston College 17
David Cunningham (Managing Editor): My biggest question for the Virginia Tech offense on Saturday is can it stay on schedule, even in adverse conditions? It should be a run-heavy game, and it has two excellent running backs in Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton.
However, the running game hasn’t gotten going through three weeks. The Hokies are No. 75 in rushing offense, averaging 162.7 yards per game. For comparison, Boston College is No. 66 (167.0). That’s why this is a unique challenge.
As Chris pointed out, if the weather is fair, Ethan Grunkemeyer & Co. should be able to sling it around and manhandle the Eagles. But the weather could prove challenging, and it’s not that Tech is incapable of running the ball; it’s just thrown the ball so well to begin 2026.
I like the matchup for the Hokies’ defense, though. Competition notwithstanding, they’ve defended the run well this year and are No. 8 in rushing defense at 61.0 yards per game. The defensive line and linebackers have been good with their run fits, and I expect that to continue. While the weather might help BC’s offense, it could also play into Tech’s hands.
I’m curious how special teams plays out if the wind is ridiculous. The kicking game could become a mess, and a muffed punt could flip the game on its head. But the Hokies have been clean in that regard so far.
While I’m not expecting it to be high scoring in potentially adverse conditions, I feel like Virginia Tech will wear Boston College down and win handily.
David’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 28, Boston College 10
Andy Bitter (Senior Staff Writer): This could be a unique challenge for the Hokies, playing in the type of weather that’s in the forecast. That can sometimes be the great equalizer in these types of games if it makes offensive (and kicking) operations really difficult. And I wonder how much it’ll affect Tech's short passing game, which has been so effective.
But I really can’t get past the fact that Boston College couldn’t shake Maine all day last week, winning just 22-16 after a late Black Bears touchdown. I put BC among the worst ACC teams along with Stanford, though, and think the Hokies win this one.
It might not be a pretty game, just because I don’t know that you get those if it’s raining and windy like it might be, but I think Tech’s ground game and defense are good enough to win comfortably and move to 4-0.
Andy’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 28, Boston College 14
Nick Brown (Director of Media): Honk. Shoo. Those are my exact thoughts of Boston College, and yet it beats the Hokies in so many sports. The Eagles never have a big crowd at any sport, and besides women’s lacrosse, they are rarely good at any sport that Virginia Tech plays them in.
I wish I could go back in time and tell the ACC to bring West Virginia from the Big East instead of Boston College. Now that would be fun. Despite all of my sleepy thoughts towards BC, I am very excited for this game, simply because Virginia Tech is a fun team to watch again.
The weather looks hideous, and I am extremely grateful that I don’t have to head to the Northeast this weekend. This game will be messy, slippery and entertaining, but I don’t think it will resemble a quality football game because of the weather.
The last time I checked, Brent Pry is still on the staff, and for some odd reason he loves to whoop up on the Eagles. As head coach, Brent Pry and Virginia Tech went 3-0, outscoring Boston College 117-53.
If this game was dry, I would have picked Tech to win easily by four scores, but with the nastiness awaiting Massachusetts, I think it’ll be a slightly closer affair. Alas, the Hokies will move to 4-0 with an epic atmosphere awaiting Virginia Tech against Pitt next week.
Nick’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 7
(For the weekly game score prediction contest, click here) |
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 58-7 |
55-6 |
66-7 |
52-3 |
59-3 |
(Ave.): 53.2 - 5.2 |
73-3 |
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31-14 |
34-17 |
35-17 |
33-13 |
38-10 |
(Ave.): 39.5 - 13.6 |
44-21 |
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27-23 |
27-13 |
26-24 |
27-24 |
31-27 |
(Ave.): 30.5 - 21.8 |
35-26 |
|
31-14 |
34-17 |
28-10 |
28-14 |
27-7 |
(Ave.) 31.3 - 12.2 |
21-14 |
|
 27-24 |
24-20 |
30-24 |
27-23 |
24-20 |
(Ave.) 28.0 - 23.3 |
35-33 |
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38-21 |
34-13 |
31-14 |
37-24 |
34-17 |
 |
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