Boston College spoiled SMU’s popping out social gathering within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos rushed for 156 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns to guide BC to a 23-14 upset over No. 17 SMU within the second annual Wasabi Fenway Bowl on a soggy Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park.
The sophomore from Waycross, Ga., additionally accomplished 11 passes for 102 yards to safe offensive MVP honors. BC linebacker Kam Arnold had six tackles, two TFL’s and the sport’s solely sack to earn defensive MVP honors. Both gamers had been introduced with silver baseball bats for his or her efforts.
BC improved to 7-6 with it first bowl win since 2016 whereas SMU fell to 11-3. SMU entered the sport averaging 40.62 factors and 466.6 yards per sport, however the BC protection held them to 309 yards of whole offense and 22 speeding yards.
“To end the season like that with a bowl win over a ranked team like that when really nobody gave us a chance, let’s just be honest it is special,” stated BC coach Jeff Hafley. “It will build momentum for guys that will be back and the right way to send off some seniors.”
SMU captured the American Athletic Conference title in its closing season within the league and had a possibility to win 12 video games for the primary time in program historical past.
SMU, together with California and Stanford, will grow to be full members of the ACC subsequent season and the Mustangs will host BC in Week 9 at Gerald J. Ford Field in Dallas.
“We didn’t make ourselves hard to beat, something we’ve done a lot this year and we didn’t make plays to win the game and that is a bad combination,” stated SMU coach Rhett Lashlee. “The accomplishments of this team are not diminished. They won a championship but Boston College played better than us and they deserved to win.”
SMU scored the primary landing of the sport on a masterful 78-yard, 15-play drive fueled by quarterback Kevin Jennings, who accomplished 24 passes for 191 yards in his second begin of the season. The Mustangs transformed on third down twice and as soon as on fourth and 4 to increase the drive. Tailback LJ Johnson punched it in from the one to make it 7-3 with 9:14 to play within the second.
BC countered with a 10-play, 77-yard drive to make it 10-7 with 3:08 to play. Castellanos ran the ball 5 occasions for 49 yards and tailback Kye Robichaux scored from the six for his eighth of the season. SMU went forward 14-10 when Jennings hit tailback Jaylan Knighton for a six-yard rating with eight seconds to play within the half.
BC scored the primary landing of the second half at 12:22 of the fourth. Castellanos capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 15-yard rush. Castellanos recorded his twelfth speeding landing of the season, breaking the varsity file he shared with QB Tyler Murphy, who ran for 11 in 2014.
The Eagles protection made an enormous cease when SMU gambled on fourth and three from its personal 42. BC robust security John Pupel broke up Jennings’ go try to Micah Hilts with 11:07 to play. BC went up 23-14 on a 14-yard run by Castellanos with 9:48 to play.
The Turnover
Jennings had the Mustangs on the transfer in SMU’s opening drive along with his efficient implementation of the run go possibility. On a second and 12 from the BC 38, Jennings was popped behind the road of scrimmage by linebacker Sione Hala and the ball got here out. Defensive finish Neto Okpala fell on the unfastened ball. BC transformed the miscue right into a 3-0 lead when Lytton beat the wind, rain, and the SMU rush on a 45-yard discipline purpose with 6:21 to play within the first.
No Doubting Thomas
Castellanos established his place amongst elite twin menace quarterbacks in ACC historical past on his seventh rush of the match. Castellanos entered the sport with 957 speeding yards and reached 1,000 on the season with a one-yard run within the second quarter.
The switch from Central Florida grew to become the sixth ACC quarterback since 1996 to have 1,000 speeding yards and a pair of,000 passing yards in a season. Louisville’s Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson completed the feat in 2016 and 2017 and his successor, Malik Cunningham, did in 2021. Clemson had the opposite two, Deshaun Watson in 2015 and Woody Dantzler in 2001.
Over Priced
BC freshman defensive again KP Price made the particular groups play of the sport with 1:21 remaining within the third. SMU drove the ball 60 yards on 13 performs however the drive stalled on the BC 28, organising a 45-yard discipline purpose try by Collin Rogers. The snap and the maintain had been tremendous, however Price batted down Rogers’ bid for his twenty first discipline purpose of the season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com