Historic Fourth Quarter Comeback Successful on Family Weekend
Grayson James connected with Jerand Bradley for an eight-yard touchdown with 3:33 remaining, giving Boston College its first lead of the day and marking the largest fourth-quarter comeback in the program’s history, resulting in a 21-20 victory over Western Kentucky. Previously, the Eagles had come back from a 12-point deficit in the final 15 minutes against Pittsburgh on October 1, 1988, and at Holy Cross on November 29, 1980.
Donovan Ezeiruaku led the Eagles’ defense with a career-high 14 tackles (10 solo) and three sacks. He made a pivotal play by stripping the ball from WKU quarterback Caden Veltkamp at the Hilltoppers’ 20-yard line with 6:23 left, setting the stage for the game-winning drive.
In his first start for Boston College, James completed 19 of 32 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing six times for 11 yards. The Eagles had six different receivers contribute to the 19 completions, with Lewis Bond leading the group with seven catches for 21 yards. Jaedn Skeete had the most receiving yards with 55, and Jeremiah Franklin added three catches for 36 yards.
Western Kentucky took a quick 14-0 lead before the Eagles responded with a three-yard rushing touchdown from Kye Robichaux, narrowing the score to 14-7 just before halftime. This scoring drive lasted 13 plays and covered 74 yards, taking 5:59 off the clock. The Hilltoppers added a 22-yard field goal just before the break, making it 17-7.
Boston College began the second half with a fumble, allowing Western Kentucky to extend their lead to 20-7 with a 35-yard field goal. However, Kam Arnold intercepted a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage with 19 seconds left in the third quarter, marking his first interception of the season.
The Eagles quickly capitalized on their next possession, with James scoring on a naked bootleg to bring the score to 20-14 with 11:36 left in regulation. This nine-play, 57-yard drive featured 15 rushing yards from Robichaux, a 25-yard pass to Ward, and a 15-yard connection to Skeete in the red zone.
Boston College’s defense shut down WKU in their final three possessions, forcing a punt, a strip sack, and a turnover on downs. Ezeiruaku’s standout performance continued the trend, making him the first Eagle in six years to achieve three sacks in a game, a feat last accomplished by Wyatt Ray against Louisville on October 13, 2018.
Kam Arnold also contributed defensively with 11 tackles, including five solo, and an interception. KP Price recorded nine tackles, while defensive backs Khari Johnson, Amari Jackson, and Carter Davis each had six tackles.
Overall, Boston College gained 279 total yards (168 passing and 111 rushing) and recorded 19 first downs. They converted 7 of 13 third downs, with a remarkable 4 of 5 in the second half.
Next week, Boston College will travel to Charlottesville to face Virginia on October 5, with kickoff scheduled for noon, broadcast live on ACC Network.