Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 NOV. 7, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: BOSTON COLLEGE pointers," Charlie said. "Whatever questions I got, I usually go to him." The football knowledge Charlie in- herited from his father shows up on game days, but only because he puts in the work to make himself better. "He pays attention," O'Brien said. "He's very smart. He studies film on his own. He works at it. "He's out here. He stays after prac- tice and works on things that maybe he needs to get better at. So, he's always working, always trying to improve." Boston College had already doubled its win total from last season just seven games into the 2026 season. That fol- lowed a spring in which the Boston Col- lege baseball team increased its win total by nine from the previous season. The Eagles made a surge from 14th in the ACC in 2025 to fourth this past spring. Comella started to see some similari- ties between the two programs. "I feel like the baseball team, obvi- ously there's 40 guys on a baseball team, so guys are a little bit closer," he said. "I feel like this [football] team this year is just unbelievably close, and that's kind of a big driving factor." Charlie contributes to the football program's culture by deferring credit even after a string of strong individual performances. "That's obviously great to hear, but it's a team effort," Charlie said when presented with his recent stat lines. "There's 10 other guys out on the field. That comes with pass rush, rushing the quarterback, speeding him up. It's just a team effort." On the defensive side of the ball, Bos- ton College continues to focus its efforts on creating turnovers. With the likes of Comella in the secondary, there's always a looming threat of an interception. "That's what we harp on as a team and specifically as a defense," said se- nior defensive back KP Price, who had 3 interceptions of his own in the first seven games. "We need those turnovers to give our offense opportunities to go score touchdowns and keep the oppos- ing offense off the field. "That just brings momentum, play- making ability, juice to the team, to us, to the crowd. We hear it in the stands. That's what changes games." ✦ Three Things To Know About Boston College 1. Former Irish Linebacker Bodie Kahoun Has Become An Inspiration For BC A scary neck injury sustained by Bodie Kahoun while making a routine tackle in a game against Rutgers Sept. 11 resulted in Kahoun being taken off the field on a stretcher, followed by an ambulance ride and a month without football. And at least 24 hours wondering whether it would be much longer. When the former Notre Dame reserve linebacker did return to the practice field for Boston College in mid-October, he was proactive about getting past the mental hurdle of having contact again. In fact, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior from Roanoke, Va., specifically asked the coaching staff to run a blitz, with Kahoun required to do the blitzing. He admitted to closing his eyes when he made the tackle, but was happy to put the bad vibes behind him quickly. Kahoun, an opening-day starter for the Eagles, ended up missing three games and then returned to play in a 27-21 upset of Pitt Oct. 17 after a bye week. He had amassed 16 tackles in four games heading into BC's Halloween matchup with Duke. In his two seasons at Notre Dame, Ka- houn saw action in 12 games, most of which came on special teams duty. He en- tered the transfer portal last winter with 2 career tackles. Head coach Bill O'Brien has repeatedly said the BC program needs more players like Kahoun. 2. Eagles Find A QB Solution In The Division II Ranks Senior quarterback Mason McKenzie is the most impactful of Boston College's January transfer addi- tions so far, coming to the Eagles from NCAA Division II school Saginaw Valley State. That's the same formula Ole Miss used a couple of years ago when it landed its current starting quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, from Division II Ferris State. In fact, Ferris State and Saginaw Valley play in the same league — the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. And the two quarter- backs faced each other in a 27-24 Ferris State win during the Bulldogs' run to the 2024 NCAA Division II national title. McKenzie is a true dual threat, and in his seventh game with the Eagles — a 49-27 rout of Georgia Tech — he moved up to No. 3 on BC's single-season quarterback rushing list, passing former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Heading into an Oct. 31 clash with Duke, the 6-1, 200-pound Caledonia, Mich., product had run for 614 yards on 119 carries with 5 touchdowns. That yardage is with 17 sacks figured into the total. 3. Bill O'Brien Has Two Jobs; Will He Be Able To Hold On To Either? The 57-year-old Boston native, in his third year at BC, is a college football unicorn of sorts. While there is a small percentage of head football coaches who also are their team's de facto play caller and/or offensive coordinator, O'Brien is a rarity in that he officially holds both titles: head coach and offensive coordinator. O'Brien started the 2026 season on the hot seat following a 2-10 regression in 2025. That came after a 7-6 record in his first season in Chestnut Hill, Mass. How the Eagles fare against Notre Dame and Miami in November may weigh heavily in whether the grad of St. John's Prep in Danvers, Mass., returns for a fourth season. If he does not survive, could another St. John's Prep alum — former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly — be in the mix to replace O'Brien? — Eric Hansen Former Notre Dame linebacker Bodie Kahoun returned from a neck injury that sidelined him for three games to help Boston College defeat Pitt 27-21 Oct. 17. The junior had totaled 16 tackles in four appearances through Oct. 24. PHOTO COURTESY BOSTON COLLEGE ATHLETICS