BC football finishes on winning note in regular-season finale vs. Pittsburgh – The Boston Globe

Stuck in a slump in late October, in danger of letting their season unravel entirely, members of the Boston College football team vowed to redeem themselves and finish on a winning note.

Statement victories over Syracuse and North Carolina shifted the momentum, and a 34-23 triumph over Pittsburgh on Saturday cemented what the Eagles started.

For a program searching for a breakthrough, the 2024 regular season was a major step in the right direction. The Eagles (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) still have room to grow to vault into the upper echelon of the conference in years to come. But powering past the Panthers (7-5, 3-5) — in a game they might have lost in previous seasons — showed the Eagles are trending in the right direction.

BC clinched its first seven-win regular season since 2018 and has a chance to secure its first eight-win season since 2009 with a bowl win.

The Boston College defense was sharp early, consistently swarming Pittsburgh quarterback Nate Yarnell and forcing him into quick decisions. Donovan Ezeiruaku (10 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hits) and Joe Marinaro combined for a sack, which led to a punt and set up a 36-yard touchdown run from junior running back Jordan McDonald moments later.

McDonald, who has masterfully complemented starter Kye Robichaux late in the season, burst up the middle and took off. A bad snap on the extra point kept it at 6-0 — a lead the Eagles took into the second quarter after holding Pitt to 56 net total yards in the first.

Following another BC stop, junior quarterback Grayson James found 6-foot-5-inch deep threat Reed Harris for a 53-yard reception. Robichaux then ran it in from 2 yards out to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead with 6:35 left in the half. Robichaux, a senior, has now scored at least one touchdown in six straight games, including six in the last four contests.

Pitt answered with an 11-yard TD pass from Yarnell to Gavin Bartholomew. The Panthers had a chance to take the lead late in the half, but Neto Okpala and Ty Clemons changed the complexion in one fluid swoop.

Okpala rocked Yarnell and forced a wobbly throw. Clemons, a 6-3, 273-pound defensive lineman, intercepted the pass and rumbled 55 yards to the house with 33 seconds left in the half. Clemons celebrated with the BC students — who continued to make their presence felt, even on Thanksgiving weekend — as the Eagles snatched momentum back in an instant.

The pick-6 was the first by a BC defensive lineman since Nick Larkin in 2007, and the return was the longest by an Eagles defensive lineman since Mathias Kiwanuka in 2004. BC, which entered Saturday tied for ninth in the nation with 15 interceptions, provided perhaps its most scintillating takeaway yet in a season full of them.

Ben Sauls connected on a 57-yard field goal as time expired for Pitt, but BC still held a 20-10 edge after a largely productive first half. James finished the half 9 for 11 for 151 yards, and the Eagles limited the Panthers to 34 net rushing yards.

Pitt chipped away in the third, as a 5-yard TD reception from Bartholomew made it 20-17 Eagles with 7:50 left in the quarter.

BC answered with an eight-play, 83-yard drive, capped by an acrobatic 28-yard TD reception by Harris on a third-and-20 heave from James.

The Eagles took their 27-17 edge into the fourth quarter and continued to make life difficult for Yarnell.

Pittsburgh went for it on fourth and 2 from its own 39 and Quintayvious Hutchins helped BC secure the stop with 11:09 remaining. James then found Lewis Bond on fourth and 5, which led to a 15-yard TD dagger from James to tight end Kamari Morales with 4:57 remaining.

Konata Mumpfield added a 15-yard TD reception with 3:59 left for Pitt, but the outcome had already been decided.

The Eagles, who have had trouble putting teams away at times this season, buried the Panthers when they had the chance.

Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com.