Boston College fought hard in their 31-29 loss to Florida State on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, breaking a school record in the process. It wasn't the 19 unanswered points scored by the Eagles in their second half comeback bid that was unprecedented for the Eagles, but the 115 yards of penalties they racked up.
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A facemask on one of the last plays of the game sealed the fate for the Eagles squad who will surely hear about their undisciplined performance from coaches for a long time to come. It was their 18th penalty of the day, and to make matters worse that facemask call gave the Seminoles first down yardage and the ability to run out the clock for a victory.
Boston College’s school record 18th penalty of game gives Florida State clinching 1st down & Seminoles survive 31-29
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 16, 2023
It isn't an overstatement at all to say penalties cost Boston College what could have been a huge upset over a Seminoles team currently ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Eagles got a great start out of the gate with a touchdown from freshman wideout Lewis Bond to take a 7-0 lead. Their early lead evaporated though and even a brief shakeup for Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis couldn't help them avoid a 21-point deficit in the third quarter.
The Boston College defense would not go quietly ,however, and late in the third they forced a fumble on a pass in the backfield to Florida State's Lawrance Toafili. Eagles defensive back Victor Nelson picked it up and ran it in eight yards for a score and the comeback was on. Boston College scored 19 unanswered points to cut the deficit to two, but another careless penalty cost them the opportunity to receive the football on offense again.
A valiant effort from the Eagles, but 18 penalties for 182 yards will rarely if ever yield a winning result. They found out the hard way today that every facet of your plan needs to succeed to score a big upset, and undisciplined plays down the stretch will always cost you.
