Preview & Prediction: Boston College Football vs Virginia

On Saturday afternoon, the Boston College Eagles will face the Virginia Cavaliers in week 5 of the 2023 college football season.

Who: Boston College Eagles (1-3) vs Virginia Cavaliers (0-4)

Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA

When: Saturday, September 30th

Kickoff Time: 2pm ET

How to Watch: This game will be broadcasted on the CW Network. You can also listen along on WEEI 93.7 FM.

Both teams are hanging around in the basement so far this year. BC has lost both of its ACC games, a close game against FSU and a blowout against Louisville, while UVA has also lost its only ACC game, 24-21 against NC State, along with every other game of their early season. The Eagles and Cavs were voted as the worst and second-worst teams in the conference in the preseason ACC poll, so this is right about where both teams are expected to be. Essentially, fans will be treated to the 2023 ACC Toilet Bowl right here in Alumni Stadium!

Our staff has spent this week compiling some great content to preview this match-up. Take a look:

BC Opponent Preview: Wahoo Offense and Defense

Betting Odds & Prediction

Q&A With Streaking the Lawn

What to Watch For

• Virginia’s QB situation. Freshman QB Anthony Colandrea has started most of the season for UVA, but QB1 Tony Muskett is expected to return from injury this week for the first time since Week 1. Our friends over at Streaking the Lawn say that they wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if Muskett didn’t actually see the field on Saturday, though. So fans will want to keep their eyes on the Cavs offense. Colandrea has more big play potential, but he also makes more mistakes.
• The BC defense & big plays. Boston College’s defense got absolutely torched against Louisville last week, giving up 500+ yards of offense through just the first 2.5 quarters. A lot of that was due to blown coverages and exploited mismatches in the secondary, something that UVA’s best players may be able to replicate. The Eagles need to prevent those big plays if they want to give their offense a shot to keep up.
• Score early, score often. The real kryptonite of this Virginia team is their defense. Thomas Castellanos and the BC offense should be able to move the ball against the Cavaliers, but given Boston College’s performance against Louisville last week, the BC defense may not hold up their end of the bargain. If the Eagles want the win, they need to put up a lot of points and not get off to a slow start.

Tailgate Treat of the Week

This game is on the last day of September, so I’m ready to dive deep into the fall flavors next month. But as a last hoorah of summer, I’ll recommend the Allagash Two Lights. For beer and wine lovers alike, this brew is made with sauvignon blanc and works great in basically any context, including your tailgate.

Prediction: Boston College 34 Virginia 28

These teams are pretty comparable in my view, but I think the BC defense has more capability within them than the other guys. UVA’s D is hurt and has performed poorly for the vast majority of their season, while BC’s D at least has shown flashes of competence, like their big stops at the end of the game against FSU. Seeing as this is another one at home, and they’ll want to make a statement after they got truly crushed for the first time last week, I think the Eagles won’t fall over this week. Plus I’ll take Castellanos as the best QB in this game.