Bill O’Brien says he’s benching BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos in favor of Grayson James

As the Boston College football team looks to build on Saturday’s win over Syracuse, which snapped a three-game losing streak, coach Bill O’Brien is making a change under center.

O’Brien said Tuesday that he will start Grayson James at quarterback Saturday against No. 14 SMU, relegating Thomas Castellanos to the bench after he struggled against Syracuse before hobbling off with an apparent leg injury.

“I think what’s best for the team right now is for Grayson James to be the starter,” O’Brien said. “Tommy has done a great job for us. He’s an awesome competitor. We have a lot of respect for Tommy. Obviously he wasn’t real thrilled with that. He’s taken a couple days.”

Castellanos was the driving force behind BC’s hot start to the season, with seven total touchdowns over the first two games, but he cooled off a bit as the Eagles lost three in a row to ACC opponents. Still, his numbers on the year are strong: 8.5 yards per attempt with 18 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions.

James entered this past Saturday’s game when Castellanos got hurt early in the third quarter and led three scoring drives, but BC leaned heavily on its run game. James was 5 of 6 passing for 51 yards and a touchdown, while the Eagles racked up 313 rushing yards. Castellanos was just 2 of 7 for 14 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

James has started one game this season, leading BC to a win over Western Kentucky in September, with Castellanos sidelined with an injury. James went 19 of 32 for 168 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 21-20 win, also contributing a rushing touchdown as the Eagles came from behind to avoid an upset at home.

BC will face its third ranked opponent of the season on Saturday’s trip to Dallas. The Eagles upset SMU, then ranked 22nd, in last year’s Fenway Bowl.