AJ Dillon runs with his first collegiate pass reception for BC’s first touchdown.

More than halfway through the first quarter, BC and UMass were tied 7-7 in the Eagles’ season opener at Alumni Stadium yesterday.

A little over 20 minutes later in gametime, the Eagles ran off the field at halftime leading 48-7. The game ended with BC on top 55-21.

The Eagles scored 34 points, gaining 267 yards, in the second quarter. At halftime, they had outgained UMass in total offense, 455 yards to 146 yards. The foot was lifted from the pedal in the second half, one might say, but BC finished with 622 yards total offense, nearly double the Minutemen’s 315 yards for the game.

Running back AJ Dillon played little more than the first half, gaining 98 yards on 20 carries. He also caught his first collegiate pass, for the Eagles’ first touchdown. Quarterback Anthony Brown, whose play was also limited, was 15 for 21 for 279 yards and four touchdowns, no interceptions, all in the first half. Both backup quarterbacks, EJ Perry (3-4-0) and Matt McDonald (2-2-0) played in the second half.

Here are video highlights.

BC played 66 members of the team during the game, essentially three entire squads on both offense and defense.

San Diego Eagles started the season off with good attendance at the gamewatch at Striders, San Diego.

Next up, after a long time, the Crusaders of College of the Holy Cross travel from Worcester to Chestnut Hill to play the Eagles this Saturday. It will be the 83rd game between the two, more than with any other team BC has played, but the first since 1986. For many years, the BC-HC game on Thanksgiving weekend was the finale to the season. BC leads the series 48-31-3. The teams will play again in 2020 in Alumni Stadium. Yesterday, Holy Cross, a member of the Patriot League and the FCS Division, lost its season opener to Colgate, 24-17.

Yankee Stadium, in football mode. Photo by Ben Solomon.

The Eagles dominated the first half of play in terms of statistics, but were unable to parlay that advantage to a win in the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa on December 27, falling 27-20.

BC ran 40 plays in the first half, compared to Iowa’s 23, and gained 281 yards in offense, while the Hawkeyes managed only 56 yards. (Iowa did average just under 39 yards on 3 kickoff returns, providing a shorter field.) Star running back AJ Dillon himself more than doubled the Iowa offense, gaining 126 yards rushing, including a 66-yard run. But the Eagles led by only 7, 17-10, at halftime.

Both teams, obviously, played under the same field conditions, which were terrible. With temperatures in the 20s and feeling like the mid-teens, the field was frozen. Players fell when trying to cut and their feet often slipped when simply trying to start movement. Maybe it’s because one is a BC fan, but it seemed the Eagles had more trouble with the conditions.

(Major football fields exposed to the elements have heating systems that prevent freezing or use artificial material that is less effected by temperature. Yankee Stadium, built as a baseball facility, has natural grass and no heating system.)

Freshman AJ Dillon ran for 157 yards. Photo by Ben Solomon.

In the second half, BC fortunes slipped and slid. The Eagles managed only 102 yards in offense, punting on their first 3 possessions in the half and giving up a fumble and interception on two of their last three possessions. A 24-yard field goal by Colton Lichtenberg was BC’s only score in the half.

Junior tight end Tommy Sweeney had a career high 7 receptions for 137 yards and scored a touchdown. Dillon added just 31 yards to his rushing total in the second half, finishing with 157 for the game. His season total climbed to 1,589, highest ever for a BC freshman and fourth best season total in BC history.

The Eagles finished 7-6. BC’s bowl game record under Coach Steve Addazio fell to 1-3.

BC’s 2018 season opens September 1 at home against UMass, followed a week later at home against Holy Cross. The BC-Holy Cross game will be the first football game between the historic rivals since 1986.

Bundled BC fans. Photo by Ben Solomon.

More than two dozen San Diego Eagles watched the game in much more comfortable conditions than the fans above.