Boston, MA —Dylan Lonergan made an unforgettable first impression in his Boston College debut, throwing four touchdown passes to lead the Eagles to a dominant 66-10 win over Fordham in both teams’ season openers.
The 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore, who transferred from Alabama, looked comfortable from the start. Lonergan completed 26 of 34 passes for 268 yards without a turnover before exiting after three quarters. His top target, Lewis Bond, hauled in 11 catches for 138 yards — 96 of those coming in a blazing first quarter.
“I always have a few nerves before a game,” Lonergan admitted. “But once I get that first snap or take that first hit, it all settles in.”
The 66-point outburst marked Boston College’s highest scoring performance since a 76-0 win over Howard in 2015.
Wide receiver Jaedn Skeete caught two touchdowns, while linebacker Daveon Crouch added to the scoring with a 28-yard pick-six. Lonergan, who was originally recruited to Alabama by current BC head coach Bill O’Brien, led touchdown drives on the team’s first two possessions and finished the first quarter 11-for-13 for 136 yards.
O’Brien, now in his second season leading the Eagles, praised the overall effort.
“There’s plenty to be encouraged about,” he said. “Scoring that many points is always a good sign. I thought we got into a good rhythm after a bit of a lull.”
Fordham quarterback Gunnar Smith completed 19 of 38 passes for 150 yards and scored the Rams’ lone touchdown on a 1-yard run. Kicker Bennett Henderson added a 46-yard field goal.
Despite being heavy underdogs from the Patriot League, Fordham’s defense managed to frustrate BC for a stretch in the second quarter, forcing four straight punts and three consecutive three-and-outs. But Lonergan got the offense back on track just before halftime, engineering an efficient 82-yard drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown to Skeete with just 26 seconds left in the half.
“That was a key moment,” said O’Brien. “Dylan stayed poised. The line held up, and we got it done heading into the break.”
Backup quarterback Grayson James, who started the final five games of last season, came in late and impressed, completing all five of his passes for 190 yards and a touchdown.
What’s Next:
Fordham hosts Monmouth next Saturday in their home opener.
Boston College travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State in a prime-time ACC-Big Ten matchup.
