QB Dennis Grosel was sacked three times by the Cardinals. USA TODAY photo

Have to acknowledge that my headline is a variation of the headline used on today’s Boston Globe article about BC’s 28-14 desultory loss to Louisville yesterday. Either I couldn’t do better or didn’t have the enthusiasm to try.

After pasting three cupcake opponents and then beating SEC Missouri in an exciting overtime game to start the season 4-0, the Eagles were seemingly on the verge of getting into the top 25. They then went into Death Valley against a weakened Clemson team and lost. Ditto against N.C. State. Yesterday’s loss brings BC to 0-3 in conference play.

The Eagles’ defense forced four turnovers by the Cardinals — two fumbles and two interceptions. BC had three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — of their own, however.

It was the BC offense, though, that was offensive. The Eagles gained fewer than 150 yards either running or passing for a total of 266 yards offense. QB Dennis Grosel was 17 of 32 passing for 141 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. BC averaged 3.5 yards per rushing attempt, gaining a total of 125 yards. Leading rusher Patrick Garwo gained 86 yards on 15 carries.

Louisville had 331 yards rushing on 47 carries, with QB Malik Cunningham running 16 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns. RB Trevion Cooley ran 13 times for 116 yards. The Cardinals passed for only 107 yards total.

The Eagles opened the scoring with an eight-play, 63-yard drive on their second possession. RB Alec Sinkfield finished it with an 11-yard touchdown run. They also closed to within a touchdown in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of a Louisville fumble at their 30-yard line. Grosel passed to WR Jaelen Gill for a six-yard touchdown.

The Cardinals answered right back with an eight-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown. BC’s last possession ended with a Grosel fumble at the BC 40 that allowed Louisville to run out the clock.

“Highlights.”

 (I failed to put up a post about the N.C. State game on October 16, which the Eagles lost 33-7. I was in Alumni Stadium for the game with a group of classmates and friends. We left late in the third quarter when the score reached 31-7 and it began to rain steadily. On Sunday, I didn’t bother to read coverage of the game in the Boston Globe or anywhere else and began a multi-day tour of the Cape visiting friends. Sorry for the omission, but it was beyond me.)

The Eagles (4-3) (0-3) go to upstate New York to meet Syracuse Saturday, October 30, at 12:30 pm PT. The Orange (4-4) (1-3) beat Virginia Tech yesterday for their first ACC win.

Patrick Garwo celebrates his and BC’s lone touchdown.

It was not certain that BC’s late drive deep into Clemson territory would result in victory. But the Eagles could have won and should have won. Instead it was another frustrating loss to the Tigers yesterday, 19-13.

With 49 seconds remaining in the game, down by six points, BC was on the Clemson 11. BC quarterback Dennis Grosel had thrown five straight complete passes to bring the team from its own 36 and the Eagles looked poised to win. An incomplete pass was followed by Grosel’s fumble of the shotgun snap from center. Grosel attempted tp pick up the ball rather than fall on it and Clemson recovered. Two kneel-downs and the Tigers escaped with the win.

Screenshot of BC’s final play.

BC’s final play was their third. and obviously most costly, turnover of the game. Grosel passes were intercepted twice. The Eagles lost possession of the ball a total of four times, but had recovered three.

They were also penalized 10 times, including three penalties in succession on their penultimate drive of the game. Having moved from their 25 to the Clemson 32, BC was called for ineligible receiver down field on an incomplete pass. The Eagles then committed two successive false starts to move back to the Clemson 47. On fourth and nine on the Clemson 31, Grosel’s pass to Zay Flowers was marked a yard short and Clemson took over.

Yesterday was BC’s third consecutive visit to Memorial Stadium, “Death Valley.” They played last night before 79,159 fans, easily the most in the last two seasons. The Tigers’ victory was their 31st straight in such friendly surroundings.

Overall, the game featured only two touchdowns and six field goals, four of them by Clemson. Halfway through the opening quarter, Clemson scored its touchdown on a 59-yard run by Kobe Pace, who had 128 yards for the game. The subsequent BC possession was a 10-play, 70-yard drive culminating in a 22-yard field goal by Connor Lytton.

After the Tigers added two field goals in the second quarter for their biggest lead, 13-3, the Eagles went on a 15-play, 58-yard drive for another Lytton field goal to close out the half at 13-6.

BC had only 50 yards offense in the first half to 123 for Clemson. No shoot out. BC’s leading running back, Patrick Garwo, had one carry for zero yards.

To open the second half, however, the Eagles went 75 yards in four plays, featuring passes of 39 and 33 yards, with Garwo running in from the three for BC’s lone touchdown and tying the score. The teams then exchanged stalled drives until the Tigers hit a 35-yard field goal to go up 16-13 at the end of the quarter. BC had the ball for less than five minutes in the quarter.

On Clemson’s second drive of the final quarter, the Tigers added a 42-yard field goal to make the score 19-13. Then BC’s final two ultimately unsuccessful possessions began.

The Eagles ended the game with 358 yards total offense, 311 of them through the air. Grosel was 23 of 40 passing, with two interceptions. After a goose egg and single carry in the first half, Garwo ran 11 times for 57 yards in the second. Clemson had 438 yards, 231 on the ground.

Video highlights of the game.

BC (4-1) has a bye week coming up, letting us stew about missed opportunities for an extra week. They play North Carolina State at home on Saturday, October 16.