Well, I certainly did not see that coming.
Given the weather, how the offense looked in the first half and the drive SMU had heading into halftime, it looked as if BC was in for another lackluster loss in the final game of the regular season on Thursday.
Instead, Castellanos had a monster performance, the defense shut out the Mustangs in the second half and the result was a 23-14 upset to win the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
The Eagles now have seven wins for the first time since 2018. Castellanos and Kam Arnold were named offensive and defensive MVP's and the team suddenly has quite a bit of momentum heading into 2024 with a bunch of starters set to come back.
Here are some final thoughts on the day (final thoughts on the season coming this weekend)...
1. Glimpse into life without Mahogany was pretty good
After he opted out Wednesday night, the O-line looked pretty damn good without him. The team rushed for a pretty ridiculous 262 yards with 364 total yards. The weather obviously dictated BC needing to run the ball 41 times, and the fact they were still that dominant up front when SMU knew it was coming is impressive, especially without the biggest, meanest guy out there.
2. Castellanos is the man for BC, but still needs work in offseason as overall QB
The interception early in the second half was absolutely atrocious and something he did way too much of this season. Is the kid elite with his legs and possibly one of the best playmakers in the country heading into next season? Sure, but if he doesn't become a better passer and decision maker he's going to hold himself and the team back. He finished with 156 yards rushing on 21 carries and the little move he threw on the late TD was impressive as hell, but he can't strictly be a run-only guy next year if this offense is going to get better.
3. Good for Vinny
If anyone deserved to raise the trophy first immediately after Hafley it's that guy. I'd bet my car that he's on the staff in some capacity next season or if not next season, within about three years. He was part of all the horrendous bad luck and a lot of losing here, so for him to go out a winner and part of the first bowl-winning team since 2016, that's a great story. No one represents BC better than him.
4. Kam Arnold and Donovan Ezeiruaku had fantastic days
Donovan's strip early in the game was just grown man type stuff, ripping it away. Kam obviously won the defensive MVP for the game and had a sack with six total tackles (four solo). That's another guy who has done everything right here and deserved to get a victory today.
5. Important experience for the young guys
Being able to win on a national stage - albeit in a half empty stadium with little viewership at 11 AM on a Thursday - beating a ranked opponent with a trophy on the line is the type of experience you can't replicate on a practice field. For a guy like Jeden Skeete who had a big grab (32 yards), this was an invaluable day that should only boost confidence for all those first and second year guys. Knowing what it feels like to walk off the field a winner heading into the offseason is a feeling that can't be undersold for young athletes.
6. Coaching adjustments
Hell of a job by the staff in the second half. SMU marched downfield with a big response to end the first half and then got shut out in the second. To shut down an offense that averaged like 40 points a game and was Top 25 in the country is nothing to sneeze at. Weather obviously played a factor and I think this game might have been a shootout if SMU had more of a downfield passing game, but it was still a great job by the staff to get the guys locked in for that second 30 minutes and close the door, especially late with some key stops in the fourth quarter.
7. Another impressive outing for Kye
Robichaux finished with 89 yards on 13 carries and it was some tough running. Again, the fact BC was able to just pound the crap out of that SMU defense when they knew it was coming was extremely important. Committing to the run identity has been part of the problem the last few years and the Eagles finally did it on a regular basis this year. If Castellanos can become a better passer and Robichaux can carry this momentum into next year, BC's play action game could be elite in 2024.
8. Pitiful attendance
Ok I can't be all positive. 16,238 was the announced attendance. I know it was crappy out, but seriously BC fans? That's the best you could do with the game 10 minutes away from campus? I've long thought there's way too many bowl games and that these types of games seriously dilute what postseason wins should mean, but if you're going to have the game in your backyard there's gotta be more of a presence than there was today.
9. Strong day for Liam Connor
The kid was solid all season long and aside from two hiccups he had, he drilled the first 45-yarder in terrible conditions and was 2/3 on PAT's. Again, terrible kicking conditions, but he was solid and deserves credit, especially for that initial kick that gave BC an early lead. We all know how important playing from ahead is for this team and who knows how things go if SMU gets away without giving up any score there.
10. Good for Hafley, but now what?
So what does this mean? For starters, it means that the messaging from Hafley still resonates with the players. Guys played hard and even with a number of bodies missing, they were able to beat a Top 25 team. He's now the first coach to win seven games since 2018 and got his first (I think?) Gatorade bath as a BC head coach. The team has already been active in the portal and will continue to do so. If BC gets off to a slow start in 2024 the rumblings about his job security will unquestionably come up again, but for now, he's shown that he can get buy-in from players and may have discovered one of the true diamonds in the rough in Castellanos. While the Fenway Bowl certainly doesn't carry much cache, seven wins is seven wins and it's hard to deny how much it meant to the players postgame. Matt Applebaum should take a victory lap mooning everyone who believed that hire would be a failure, because O-line U showed up big time this season, and Hafley deserves a ton of credit for that move and sticking by him as well. The Eagles MIGHT be back on the rise, but only if they can carry this momentum into the offseason workouts and spring ball.
