3 reasons for optimism and 3 reasons for concern with BC football coming out of its bye week

The timing of the bye week couldn’t have been better for Boston College football.

With a disappointing loss at Virginia behind them, the Eagles have used the extra days to evaluate their methods of attack, heal physically, and prepare for what’s to come.

“We spent a lot of time on ourselves last week, did a lot of self-scout, looked at ourselves, tried to correct some things,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “Had a lot of tough reps, tough practices, physical practices. Then we started on Virginia Tech later in the week and on Sunday.”

The Eagles (4-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) are at a crossroads as they head to a hostile environment to face the Hokies (3-3, 1-1) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. With a win, BC would vault back into the upper echelon of the conference. A loss would be the Eagles’ third in five games, with a tough matchup against Louisville to follow.

It’s not time to hit the panic button if they lose, but it is a pivotal moment in the season.

“It’s what you play for,” right tackle Ozzy Trapilo said. “It’s going to be awesome.”

Here are three reasons for optimism and three reasons for concern as the Eagles enter the second half.

Reasons for optimism

1. Virginia Tech struggles to defend the run.

The Hokies are 15th in the ACC at stopping the run, allowing 170.8 rushing yards per game.

BC is 4-0 when rushing for 100-plus yards and 0-2 when rushing for fewer than 100.

Sustaining long drives is often a winning formula for this team. While the passing game has excelled in spurts, keeping the ball on the ground and minimizing risk could pay dividends.

“We just have to stay on track,” Trapilo said. “We can’t hurt ourselves.”

2. BC has experience playing in loud environments.

The Hokies have one of the most raucous fan bases in the ACC, but the Eagles should be better equipped than most to handle the atmosphere. They’ve already traveled to Florida State and Missouri, and many players on the roster have played in Blacksburg before.

“I know how loud it gets, so I’m pretty prepared for what we’re getting into,” linebacker Kam Arnold said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

Avoiding preventable, pre-snap penalties is imperative. Despite some uncharacteristic mistakes against the Cavaliers, BC is still seventh in the nation with just 4.17 penalties per game.

3. Thomas Castellanos has a chance to bounce back.

The quarterback, who missed the Western Kentucky game with a concussion, returned against Virginia.

Castellanos was extremely efficient in the first half, then struggled mightily in the second half as BC unraveled and let one slip away. He looked sharp in practice Monday.

“I’m feeling great,” Castellanos said. “Body’s great. Good bye week. Ready to go back and get back to it.”

Castellanos has had moments of brilliance this season, but a few costly turnovers have prevented the Eagles from starting 6-0. He gave a mixed review of his performance.

“I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of being a quarterback,” Castellanos said. “I do feel like I haven’t been as dangerous as last year, and explosive. But it comes with me trying to show that I’m a quarterback and show I can throw the ball.”

Reasons for concern

1. Virginia Tech gets to the quarterback.

The Hokies may not stop the run well, but they have success getting to the quarterback.

Virginia Tech is tied for the ACC lead with 21 sacks, including a five-sack performance in a 31-7 win over Stanford Oct. 5. The Hokies also are coming off a bye, so they should be equally fresh.

The key could be whether Castellanos can handle the pressure and quickly make the right read. While the Virginia game was far from pristine in that respect, it was an outlier and shouldn’t overshadow the strides he’s made in that regard.

2. Virginia Tech can run the ball.

One could argue the Hokies have the best ground game of any team the Eagles have faced.

Virginia Tech is sixth in the ACC at 182.8 rushing yards per game and fifth with 13 rushing touchdowns. The Hokies lean heavily on dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones.

“He’s an excellent, excellent player,” O’Brien said. “We’ve got to do a really good job against him, no doubt about it.”

Bhayshul Tuten, who flipped his commitment from BC to Virginia Tech in January 2023, has emerged as one of the best running backs in the ACC. He leads the conference with nine rushing TDs and is second with 100.8 rushing yards per game.

The Eagles, however, have the 15th-best run defense in the country, according to Pro Football Focus, and are 20th in scoring defense at 17.2 points per game.

“We’ve all just got to understand who we have,” Arnold said. “What guy’s responsible for the quarterback, what guy’s responsible for the running back.”

3. The schedule doesn’t get any easier.

The Eagles’ remaining opponents are 26-11. Every game is winnable, but none will be easy. This is an ideal chance to bounce back and notch their first road win over the Hokies since 2018.

“I’m fired up,” Trapilo said. “I know the rest of the team is, too. It’s a great opportunity.”