Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Eagles Choke Late, Lose to Rams 24-21

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: On Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium, the Colorado State Rams defeated the Boston College Eagles, 24-21.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Early Slumber

As is their wont, Boston College got off to a slow start. The Eagles went three-and-out on their first drive and only managed 28 yards in their second drive, followed by a three-and-out in their third drive. It was not until the end of the first quarter that the Eagles started putting together a decent drive, gaining 60 of the 98 yards they totaled in their fourth drive.

That carried over into the second quarter, and Boston College went 20 more yards to get a Jon Hilliman touchdown.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Brief Resurgence

The Eagles would hold Colorado State on their subsequent drive, forcing them to punt at the Boston College 39 on a fourth and long. It was here that the Eagles mounted their best drive of the game, going 96 yards in 11 plays, capped by a Tyler Murphy run to make it a 14-0 contest with 5:28 left in the half.

Not for nothing, Boston College’s defense also looked capable. The Rams were off the board at that point and the defense had picked off quarterback Garrett Grayson on back-to-back first-quarter drives; one was by Dominique Williams and the other from Bryce Jones.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Rams Emerge

After falling behind 14-0, Colorado State went 78 yards in nine plays to score their first touchdown of the game, coming on a touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins. Now trailing 14-7, they would have to play some defense.

Boston College took the kickoff and following a nine-play drive of their own, marched the ball to the Colorado State 23-yard line. Steve Addazio took a timeout with three seconds left and sent Alex Howell out to kick, but it went wide right and the score stayed at 14-7 at the intermission. It would prove to be costly.

So far, the Eagles have been seen as a second-half team, but this one was almost all Rams. Colorado State drove for a touchdown on an 82-yard drive to open the third quarter, and the defensive breakdowns for the Eagles became more and more apparent. Treyous Jarrells tied the game at 14-all; Boston College mounted a nice response to make it a 21-14 game on an 82-yard drive of their own. Jon Hilliman rushed for his second touchdown of the day.

The Eagles would not score again for nearly the final 20 minutes of the game. Colorado State’s drives progressively got longer and longer; what were three-and-outs early became sustained offensive attacks. The Rams tacked on a field goal to make it 21-17 early in the fourth quarter, but Boston College had a chance to make things right.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Turning Point

Inside the Colorado State 30, the Eagles were marching with a little under 12 minutes to go. Scrambling out of the pocket, Tyler Murphy tried to make a play happen and looked for a receiver, but instead of throwing it away, he tossed the ball back into traffic where it was intercepted at the Rams’ 11. Though Colorado State did not score on the ensuing drive, it was the closest the Eagles would come to the end zone.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Rams Come Back

Boston College stopped Colorado State on a 4th and 2 inside the Eagles’ 40 and got the ball back; however, they went three-and-out and handed the Rams the ball with five minutes left in a four-point game.

The Rams marched 78 yards before getting knocked back to a 4th and 10 at the Eagles’ 12 with a little over a minute left. On that deciding play, Grayson found Charles Lovett for a toe-tap touchdown near the sideline to put Colorado State ahead, 24-21. Boston College would go backwards on their own last-ditch attempt with a minute remaining.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Adjustments

Late in the second quarter, the tide turned towards Colorado State as the Rams began picking up Boston College’s blitzes much better. Receiver after receiver was wide open for Grayson’s throws, and the Eagles gave up large chunks through the air. Grayson ended with 269 passing yards on the afternoon.

On the other end, Boston College had more trouble establishing the run than in previous weeks, only once breaking a truly big play while seeming to go away from the types of plays that worked for them in previous weeks. Sherman Alston, who was a big part of some of those reverse runs for large gains, did not have any carries; nor did Tyler Rouse.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Poor Tackling

The real story for the defense was their inability to stop Colorado State’s playmakers. Missed tackles were all over the field for Boston College; Colorado State’s offense looks shifty, but the Eagles had legitimate trouble keeping Rams in front of them. The poor technique was very reminiscent of the Pittsburgh game.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: The Stats

Colorado State outgained the Eagles, 430 yards to 408. Boston College had 239 rushing yards; Hilliman led all players with 128 and two touchdowns.

Murphy was 12-for-18 passing for 169 yards, no touchdowns and a costly interception.

Josh Bordner led all Eagles receivers with 71 yards.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Bottom Line

The Eagles had every chance to win this game and probably should have, despite their sub-par performance. They did not make close to the number of the plays they should have and are totally to blame for letting this game slip away.

Credit Colorado State, who made the right adjustments, outcoached, and ultimately outworked the Eagles for the win.

Boston College vs. Colorado State Final Score: Next Game

The Eagles will have to wait until October 11 to play again, when they head to NC State.

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