Boston College’s rally comes too late to take down Nebraska in Pinstripe Bowl

NEW YORK — In the weeks leading up to the Pinstripe Bowl, Boston College coach Bill O’Brien noted several times that the game would offer a glimpse into the 2025 season.

If Saturday’s 20-15 loss to Nebraska at Yankee Stadium was any indication, the Eagles (7-6) are well on their way, but still have plenty of room to grow.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for this football team,” O’Brien said. “I think we have a bright future at Boston College. Today didn’t go the way we wanted it to go.”

The Cornhuskers (7-6) were a formidable opponent from the Big Ten, and deserve credit for their timely execution, but the Eagles were once again left wondering what could have been. The matchup was a microcosm of the program in recent years, as BC showed promise in flashes, yet couldn’t break through.

Boston College nearly erased a 20-2 deficit in the final 6:12. The Eagles struck on a 1-yard touchdown run from Turbo Richard and a 2-yard TD run by Jordan McDonald late before running out of time.

“We got things rolling,” BC quarterback Grayson James said. “We just couldn’t get it done in the end.”

Boston College has now finished with six or seven wins in 10 of the last 12 seasons and is still searching for its first eight-win season since 2009.

Much like last year’s Fenway Bowl, slipping and sliding on a soggy baseball field dictated the action. With piles of snow near the foul poles, and pockets of dirt on the field, the Eagles were unable to win the type of grimy game they often grind out.

Without star defensive linemen Donovan Ezeiruaku and Cam Horsley, and offensive linemen Ozzy Trapilo and Jack Conley — all of whom elected to opt out in preparation for the NFL Draft — BC struggled to dominate the trenches. An announced crowd of 30,062 — with a sea of red and a smattering of maroon that perked up late — watched Nebraska impose its will in the critical moments.

“I thought we were productive, but we couldn’t score,” O’Brien said. “That’s a problem.”

There were some bright spots for BC, including the play of wide receiver Lewis Bond (6 catches, 94 yards), tight end Jeremiah Franklin (6 catches, 56 yards), and linebacker Daveon Crouch (14 tackles), but the Eagles lacked consistency.

An action-packed first quarter resulted in no points for either side. Boston College defensive back KP Price intercepted Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola at the BC 7 on the game’s opening drive.

A 50-yard catch-and-run from Richard put the Eagles into Cornhuskers territory, but Liam Connor missed a 43-yard field goal. Kicking and punting hampered BC all season, and Saturday was no exception.

Nebraska took advantage, taking a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard run from Rahmir Johnson to open the second quarter.

Already shorthanded on the offensive line, and with center Drew Kendall injured early, the Eagles managed to move the ball in spurts. A 22-yard pass from James (26 for 41, 301 yards) to Bond kept the ensuing drive alive before the Eagles turned it over on downs.

BC immediately got the ball back as Omar Thornton forced a fumble and Josiah Griffin pounced on it on the Nebraska 36. Once more, though, the Eagles turned it over on downs.

Kwinten Ives gave the Cornhuskers a 13-0 lead on a 2-yard run with 3:39 left in the half, then Max Tucker blocked the extra point and Ashton McShane scooped it up and returned it 88 yards to trim the deficit to 13-2.

“The blocked extra point put us on the board,” O’Brien said. “It was a struggle, right? For a while, it looked like that was all it was going to be.”

Boston College advanced deep into Nebraska territory once more, yet the drive stalled on fourth and 1 from the 9 in the final minute. The Eagles possessed the ball for more than 17 minutes in the first half, finished 5 of 9 on third down, and outgained Nebraska 197-189, but had almost nothing to show for it.

Nebraska remained aggressive early in the second half, busting out a fake punt that worked and a fake field goal that didn’t.

James fumbled at midfield, and Raiola (23 for 31, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) found Emmett Johnson for a 13-yard TD on fourth and 3 to extend the margin to 20-2 through three.

BC moved to the Nebraska 2, yet, fittingly, couldn’t convert to finish 0 for 4 on fourth down.

O’Brien said it “could have gotten really ugly” before the Eagles ensured it didn’t. Young players who will play a prominent role moving forward orchestrated a comeback that fell just short.

“All year, we showed we’re a resilient football team,” James said. “One thing you’ll never be able to question is how tough we are.”

The Eagles nearly stormed back, behind a blocked punt by Victor Nelson and scores from Richard and McDonald, but Nebraska converted on fourth and 1 at the BC 35 in the final minutes to seal it.

Red confetti floated down as BC’s players prepared for a long ride back to Boston. While it was a promising season overall, not securing that elusive eighth win left the Eagles craving more.

“Even though we lost, we know what we have coming in the future,” Crouch said. “We feel like we’re there with any team, no matter the conference.”