Boston College rolls over Georgia Tech for second ACC win

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Boston College opened the second half of the season with a 38-23 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

BC improved to 4-3 overall, 2-2 in the ACC, with its third straight win and sets up a regional revenge match against UConn on Oct. 28.

“It was a big win and to have momentum to get a three-game win streak going and 2-2 in the ACC,” said BC coach Jeff Hafley. “I was really proud of … how they approached the bye week, they didn’t treat it as a vacation, they worked and kept getting better.”

BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos completed 17 passes for 255 yards and rushed for 128 on 13 carries with two touchdowns. Tailback Kye Robichaux rushed for 165 yards on 21 carries and two scores. BC rolled up 563 yards of total offense and outscored Georgia Tech 21-0 in the fourth quarter.

The three scorers in the game, Castellanos (Waycross), Robichaux (Columbus) and cornerback Amari Jackson (McDonough), who had a pick six, are all Georgia natives playing in front of family and friends.

“This was my first time playing at home in college and my whole family came out because they don’t get to see me play very often,” said Robichaux. “It was a great atmosphere.”

BC began its second possession on its own 12 and reached the Tech 12 on a 45-yard toss from Castellanos to Robichaux. The drive stalled inside the 10 and BC went up 3-0 on a 24-yard field goal by Liam Connor with 8:52 to play.

Georgia Tech countered with a ground based 69-yard drive on 10 plays and went up 7-3 with 3:49 to play. Tailback Jamal King went around right tackle and scored on a 16-yard for his fourth of the season.

BC went up 10-7 on a pick six with 1:42 to play in the first. The Eagles front seven brought pressure on King, who threw a sideline pass to split end Dominick Blaylock. Jackson, a sophomore cornerback, caught the ball with one hand and returned it 30 yards to the house with his first pick of the season.

“Ant time you can get a takeaway and score that early in the game, that was a big play,” said Hafley. “It was cool for Amari, a kid from Georgia, and I’m proud of him and happy for him.”

The Yellow Jackets tied the game 10-10 on a sustained drive that began on the Tech 10 and fizzled out on the BC 29. Place kicker Aidan Birr split the goal posts from 46 yards with 6:03 to play in the half.

BC closed out the half with a 13-play, 75-yard, scoring march that featured two drive extending plays and gave the Eagles a 17-10 lead at the break. Castellanos completed a 30-yard toss to tight end Jeremiah Franklin on second and 22 and followed with an 11-yard run on fourth and one to the Tech 12. Castellanos scored on a keeper with 52 seconds remaining for his eighth rushing TD of the season.

BC opened the third with a sustained drive that was snuffed out Tech cornerback Ahmari Harvey intercepted Castellanos in the Tech end zone. Georgia Tech tied the game 17-17 just four snaps later when King went 71 yards on a keeper with 12:06 to play. The run was the longest play by King in his college career.

Tech went up 23-17 on an 89-yard drive with 2:08 to play. The big play was a 37-yard slide screen to tailback Trey Cooley. Tight end Avery Boyd scored on a 17-yard pass from King for his second of the season. Birr’s PAT kick failed.

Castellanos opened the fourth quarter with a 27-yard pass to tight end George Takacs to the Georgia Tech 2. Robichaux scored over right guard and Connor made the PAT to put BC up 24-23 with 14:27 to play.

BC went up 31-23 when Castellanos ran 43 yards on a fourth and one with 8:44 to play. BC cornerback Elijah Jones picked off King on the Eagles’ 40. Robichaux followed with runs of 57 and three yards to put BC up 38-23. Jones recorded his second pick with under six minutes to play.

Venezuelans become No. 1 nationality arrested at U.S. border

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Venezuelans became the largest nationality arrested for illegally crossing the U.S. border, replacing Mexicans for the first time on record, according to figures released Saturday that show September was the second-highest month for arrests of all nationalities.

Venezuelans were arrested 54,833 times by the Border Patrol after entering from Mexico in September, more than double from 22,090 arrests in August and well above the previous monthly high of 33,749 arrests in September 2022.

Arrests of all nationalities entering from Mexico totaled 218,763 in September, up 21% from 181,084 in August and approaching an all-time high of 222,018 in December 2022, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrests for the government’s budget year that ended Sept. 30 topped 2 million for the second year in a row, down 7% from an all-time high of more than 2.2 million arrests in the same period a year earlier.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing more than 7 million people to leave. They initially settled in nearby countries in Latin America but began coming to the United States in the last three years, settling in New York, Chicago and other major cities.

The Biden administration recently announced temporary legal status for nearly 500,000 Venezuelans who were already in the United States on July 31, while vowing to deport those who come illegally after that date and fail to get asylum. It recently began deportation flights to Venezuela as part of a diplomatic thaw with the government of Nicolás Maduro, a longtime adversary.

The U.S. “surged resources and personnel” to the border in September, said Troy Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

“We are continually engaging with domestic and foreign partners to address historic hemispheric migration, including large migrant groups traveling on freight trains, and to enforce consequences including by preparing for direct repatriations to Venezuela,” Miller said.

For decades, Mexicans accounted for the vast majority of illegal crossings but flows shifted over the last decade to Central Americans and, more recently, to people from South America, Africa and Asia.

Mexicans were arrested 39,733 times crossing the border in September, well behind Venezuelans. Guatemalans, Hondurans and Colombians rounded out the top five.

Republicans seized on the latest numbers as its leading presidential candidates have tried to frame the border as a major issue in next year’s elections.

“This fiscal year may have ended, but the historic crisis at our Southwest border sparked by (Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro) Mayorkas’ policies rages on,” said Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee.

The Biden administration proposed about $14 billion for the border in a $106 billion spending package announced Friday and has insisted that any long-term solution requires help from Congress.

Gophers’ self destruction led to Hawkeyes important first-half touchdown

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Gophers continually fell apart at the end of the first half against the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.

Minnesota was flagged four times as Iowa was able to go 46 yards to take a 10-3 lead at the break.

“As undisciplined as we’ve ever been,” P.J. Fleck said at halftime on KFAN.

The Gophers average only three penalties per game this season, which is one of the lowest rates in the country. A lack of flags have been a standard under Fleck.

On third and four with three minutes left in the half, the Gophers had wrapped up Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill for a no gain, but defensive end Danny Striggow was flagged for a face masking penalty.

Later on in the series, the Gophers had a pass interference penalty on cornerback Justin Walley on a second down. Iowa got a first down.

On the next play, defensive end Jah Joyner was flagged for offside at the 6-yard line. Iowa got a first down at the 3.

Then on third down at the 1, Tyler Nubin was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for poking the ball away once Hill’s sneak attempt was stopped. Iowa got another first down and Hill scored.

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Red-hot Wellesley, Max Poirier put up enough points to edge Natick

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WELLESLEY — As Max Poirier made the customary walk across the stream to the field Saturday, the skies appeared somewhat ominous. Wellesley football fans were concerned about an oncoming monsoon, but the senior was focused on his opponent.

Attention to detail pays off.

The wideout finished with 124 total yards, scampering for a late touchdown as Wellesley put the Bay State Conference on notice with a 17-10 victory over Natick on Senior Day.

“I think it’s fitting that we’re honoring our seniors today, because it’s really the seniors that have taken control the last few weeks,” Wellesley coach Jesse Davis said. “We started off 0-3, right? But to win four straight like that, especially against good teams like Natick, who are well coached, these kids are tough.”

For the majority of the first half, the game itself was a stalemate. The torrential rain wreaked havoc, keeping offense at a premium. Bronson Manccini hit a 25-yard field goal to break a scoreless deadlock with 8:35 to play in the second quarter, providing Wellesley (4-3) a 3-0 edge.

Then Wellesley staged a last-minute drive, starting with one play.

In the face of pressure, sophomore quarterback Bobby Shanahan dumped a pass over the middle to Poirier. With blockers in front of him, the senior found a lane and broke off a 64-yard reception, setting up a one-yard touchdown rush by Henry Redgate to make it 10-0 in favor of the Raiders at the half.

Later on, with 3:50 left in the third stanza, Davis and his staff drew up an identical play they did in the opening half – a quick screen pass to Poirier led to a 34-yard reception. Poirier capped the drive shortly thereafter with a one-yard touchdown rush as Wellesley jumped ahead 17-0 with 1:08 to go in the quarter.

“It was the perfect play call,” said Poirier. “D-line, everybody crashing. My line was in front of me, Bobby put it right on me. That’s all I could ask for.”

That’s not to say Natick (4-3) was done. The Redhawks cut it to a 17-3 game with 6:41 remaining on a 34-yard field goal by Nathan Napier. Some thought the ballgame was over, and hastily made their way for the exits as the downpours picked up.

Might have been a mistake. With 2:50 left in regulation, sophomore quarterback Jesse Gagliardi connected with senior Ben Chandler for a 31-yard touchdown reception to make it 17-10.

As the Raiders attempted to ice things, Shanahan made a break for the sideline. Then, the ball was punched from his grasp. The quarterback tumbled to the turf in a scrum, and could only watchas it fell into the hands of a Redhawks tackler. Out of nowhere, Natick had an opportunity for the tying score.

When the pressure was at its highest however, Wellesley’s defensive front held strong, forcing the Redhawks into a turnover on downs to seal it.

Shanahan finished 6-of-10 passing for 127 yards to aid the Raiders, while Jordan St. Louis added an interception in the victory.

“Knowing that we started off 0-3, we worked our asses off for this four-game win streak,” Shanahan said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling. Stay humble, keep our heads down.”