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Nebraska Defeats BC, 20-15

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A trio of running backs recorded touchdowns to help Nebraska hold off Boston College’s late rally for a 20-15 win in the Pinstripe Bowl on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium in New York.

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New York native Rahmir Johnson scored the Cornhuskers’ opening touchdown to highlight his 60-yard performance on 10 carries. His 11-yard run on fourth-and-1 before the two-minute timeout iced the game, lifting Nebraska (7-6) to its first winning season since 2016.

Kwinten Ives also ran for a score and Emmett Johnson (team-high 68 rushing yards on 14 carries) caught one from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was 23 of 31 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception on the day.

Nebraska had a 20-2 lead before allowing its first touchdown with 6:11 left in regulation.

Boston College (7-6) forced two first-half turnovers and finished five of its first seven drives inside the opposing 35-yard line, but the Eagles went 0-for-4 on fourth downs until Turbo Richard’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska’s first two punts turned into touchdowns for the Eagles, with the second being blocked and returned to the 2-yard line ahead of a Jordan McDonald score with 4:18 remaining.

Grayson James quarterbacked the Eagles, going 25 of 40 for a season-high 296 yards. He also rushed for 22. Lewis Bond made six catches for 94 yards.

Jahmal Banks was Raiola’s leading target, making four catches for 79 yards.

After big plays went by the boards for both teams on their opening series, Raiola sent Nebraska on a 15-play, 75-yard drive to the opening touchdown four seconds into the second quarter. Following a third-down conversion in the red zone, Rahmir Johnson scored on a 4-yard run before John Hohl’s PAT made it 7-0.

After Boston College was unable to convert on Josiah Griffin’s recovery of an Emmett Johnson fumble, an ensuing fourth-down penalty gave Nebraska new life and the Cornhuskers turned it into Ives’ 2-yard score with 3:39 before halftime.

Ashton McShane’s 88-yard blocked PAT return got the Eagles on the board at 13-2, though.

Nebraska’s first drive out of halftime included two fakes from punter/holder Brian Buschini, including a successful fake field goal. On the following series, Raiola’s 13-yard pass to Emmett Johnson out of the backfield resulted in a 20-2 lead with 3:02 left in the third.

Richard punched in the first Boston College touchdown. James’ two-point conversion pass attempt failed.

Buschini’s second punt was blocked by Victor Nelson Jr. and returned to the 2-yard line by Omar Thornton, setting up McDonald’s run and a Liam Connor PAT.

–Field Level Media

BC Handles Pitt, Awaits Bowl Game

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – BC QB Grayson James threw for a pair of second-half touchdowns and six passes of at least 25 yards as Boston College defeated Pitt 34-23 in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference action in Massachusetts.

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James finished 20-of-28 for 253 yards, helping the Eagles (7-5, 4-4 ACC) to their second straight and third win in four games. He connected with Reed Harris (three receptions, 85 yards) and Kamari Morales for scores, with the former scoring for the second week in a row.

Jordan McDonald and Kye Robichaux rushed into the end zone to help the Eagles open up a 13-0 lead that they would never relinquish, reaching the seven-win mark in the regular season for the first time since 2018.

Despite Nate Yarnell throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns in place of injured starter Eli Holstein, Pitt (7-5, 3-5) suffered its fifth consecutive loss since a 7-0 start.

Gavin Bartholomew caught Yarnell’s first two touchdowns before Konata Mumpfield finished a 144-yard day on eight receptions with one of his own.

Boston College sacked Yarnell six times. Standout defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku had 10 total tackles (4 1/2 for loss) and 3 1/2 sacks.

After Pitt closed within 20-17, James hit Jeremiah Franklin on a third-and-10 scramble to continue a key eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive that Harris finalized on a 28-yard jump-ball in the front corner of the end zone with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

Pitt’s fumbled snap on 4th-and-2 turned the ball back to James, whose 15-yard dot to Morales with 6:12 remaining added insurance. A Lewis Bond conversion on fourth-and-4 set the table.

Mumpfield made a 15-yard touchdown reception with 3:59 left.

A play after James completed his third 25-yarder of the first quarter over the middle to Franklin, Jordan McDonald broke out for a 36-yard touchdown run to give Boston College a 6-0 lead with 1:53 left. The PAT attempt was unsuccessful following a bad snap.

James’ 53-yard strike to Harris set up the Eagles to extend their lead to 13-0 on Robichaux’s 2-yard run with 6:35 left before halftime.

Pitt used a 75-yard drive to score in the ensuing eight plays. Facing third-and-11, Yarnell found a wide-open Bartholomew for an 11-yard score, cutting the Panther deficit to 13-7.

Yarnell then drove the Panthers into opposing territory in four plays, but Neto Okpala’s pressure and tipped pass landed in the hands of defensive tackle Ty Clemons for a 55-yard interception return with 33 seconds left before halftime.

Pitt’s Ben Sauls snuck in a 57-yard field goal as the first-half clock expired.

After a fourth-and-2 hold inside their own territory, Bartholomew caught Yarnell’s last two passes of an eight-play, 65-yard drive, including a five-yarder with 7:50 left in the third to make it 20-17.

–Field Level Media

SMU Avoids Boston College Upset

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kevin Jennings went 24-for-35 passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 SMU held off visiting Boston College 38-28 in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday in Texas.

Jennings found three different receivers for touchdowns as the Mustangs (9-1, 6-0) remained unbeaten in their first ACC season. Jordan Hudson had seven catches for 99 yards and a score.

In his first start since Thomas Castellanos was benched and entered the transfer portal, Grayson James completed 18 of 32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown for Boston College (5-5, 2-4).

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Kye Robichaux rushed for two touchdowns and 90 yards on 21 carries.

Boston College got back within 31-28 after Robichaux capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown with 5:52 remaining in regulation. On its ensuing drive, though, James was sacked twice after a Jordan McDonald fourth-and-one conversion.

After the turnover on downs, Jennings found Key’Shawn Smith for a 5-yard score on fourth down to ice the game for SMU.

After Collin Rogers missed a 24-yard field goal at the end of an 11-play opening drive to the red zone, SMU forced a three-and-out and proceeded to score the first touchdown when Jennings completed a 15-yard pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. along the left side.

Boston College turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive before the teams combined to trade scores on each of the next four possessions, beginning with a Rogers 35-yard field goal late in the first.

James began to find his rhythm from there, as a 23-yard strike to Lewis Bond over the middle set up Robuchaux’s 2-yard touchdown run — capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive — with 9:49 left in the second.

Aided by a pass interference penalty on third down, the Mustangs responded with a 4-yard run by Brashard Smith to take a 17-7 lead.

James’ 13-yard strike to Kamari Morales with 1:03 left before halftime brought the Eagles within 17-14, but after both quarterbacks traded interceptions within a span of three plays, Rogers booted a 41-yard field goal as time expired.

The Eagles scored on an eight-play, 83-yard drive out of halftime as James reached the end zone on a 20-yard run, giving them their first lead at 21-20.

Halfway through the third, Jennings reversed the score again when he hit Hudson for a 38-yard touchdown and Brashard Smith added a 2-point conversion, completing a 1:53 drive.

After forcing another three-and-out, the Mustangs added Rogers’ 37-yard field goal with 4:02 left in the quarter to make it 31-21.

–Field Level Media

BC Plays Host to the ‘Cuse

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Two new Atlantic Coast Conference coaches go head-to-head for the first time Saturday when Bill O’Brien’s Boston College team hosts Fran Brown and century-old rival Syracuse.

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The teams enter their 58th all-time meeting as the Eagles (4-4, 1-3 ACC) have lost three straight and the Orange (6-2, 3-2) came back to beat Virginia Tech in overtime last Saturday for their fourth win in five games.

“I’ve been involved with a lot of rivalries, and this is one of those types of games,” O’Brien said. “It’s just two tough teams going against each other.”

Two of Boston College’s four losses and its last two wins have come in one-possession games. Syracuse has played in five such close encounters this season, winning two in overtime.

With three of the teams’ last four meetings decided by a single-digit margin, another close one is expected.

In a 31-27 loss to Louisville on Oct. 25, Thomas Castellanos threw three touchdowns. Three forced turnovers — including Quintayvious Hutchins’ fumble recovery and interception — helped the Eagles build 20-0 and 27-10 leads. But the Cardinals scored 14 fourth-quarter points.

Boston College Bests The Citadel

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr. tossed in a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Monday night to lead host Boston College past The Citadel 69-60 in the season opener for both teams in Massachusetts.

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Hand was 3 of 8 from 3-point range and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. He scored 17 points in the second half.

Chad Venning added 15 points in the game for the Eagles, who received 11 from Elijah Strong.

Brody Fox led The Citadel with 18 points. Fox’s layup with 24 seconds to play sliced BC’s lead to seven points, which was the closest the Bulldogs got in the second half.

Cam Glover and Keynan Davis each scored 10 points for the Bulldogs. Davis also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

It was a rough shooting night for The Citadel, which made 20 of its 52 shots from the floor (38.5 percent). The Bulldogs were 3 of 24 from 3-point territory.

BC led 27-25 with 1:44 remaining in the first half, then the Eagles used a 10-0 run to take a 37-25 lead with 7 seconds left in the half. Venning scored six points in the 10-0 run. BC had a 37-28 halftime lead.

The Citadel was 2 of 13 from 3-point territory in the opening 20 minutes, when BC had a 15-6 edge in points off turnovers.

The Citadel didn’t score in the second half until Glover made two free throws that cut BC’s lead to 43-30 with 15:02 to play. The Eagles owned their largest advantage in the game after Hand made two free throws to stretch the lead to 48-32 with 13:42 left.

The Bulldogs were within nine points, 63-54, after a Davis 3-pointer with 5:01 to play. Hand made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 67-54 advantage with 2:06 remaining.

BC had a 43-32 edge in rebounds. Each team committed 14 turnovers.

–Field Level Media

Virginia Tech Pummels Eagles

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BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for a school-record 266 yards on 18 carries and scored four touchdowns to lead Tech to a 42-21 ACC victory over Boston College on Thursday night in Virginia.

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The Hokies (4-3, 2-1 ACC) led 14-0 after one quarter and 28-0 at halftime, but BC scored three TDs in a 5:53 span in the third quarter to make it a 28-21 contest. BC’s second and third TDs followed Virginia Tech turnovers.

Tuten’s third touchdown came on a 6-yard run and helped the Hokies extend their lead to 35-21 with 11:02 remaining in the game. The touchdown came three plays after BC (4-3, 1-2) had failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 play from its 49-yard line with 12:33 remaining.

Tuten added a 61-yard TD run with 8:28 to play. He also scored on an 83-yard run and caught a 20-yard TD pass from quarterback Kyron Drones, who had TD runs of 11 yards and 1 yard.

Darren Evans held Virginia Tech’s previous record for yards rushing in a game (253 in 2008).

BC scored on a 25-yard TD pass from quarterback Thomas Castellanos to Treshaun Ward, an 11-yard pass from Castellanos to Jeremiah Franklin and a 5-yard run by Kye Robichaux. The latter touchdown came with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter and trimmed Virginia Tech’s lead to 28-21.

Castellanos completed 17 of 26 passes for 205 yards but was limited to 58 yards rushing on 20 attempts.

BC Eagles Win One #ForWelles

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos’ 42-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond with 1:28 left in regulation propelled the BC Eagles to a 23-19 win over previously unbeaten Michigan State on Saturday night in Boston. Bond finished with 102 yards on six receptions to lead the Eagles (3-1), catching the game-winning toss over two defenders’ reach and walking untouched into the end zone.

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Michigan State (3-1) moved past midfield on the following drive as quarterback Aidan Chiles (17-of-35, 241 yards) completed three straight passes, but his third interception landed in Max Tucker’s hands in the back of the end zone to clinch the win for the hosts.

Treshaun Ward logged 102 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries to lead the Boston College rushing attack. Castellanos was 10-of-16 passing for 140 yards and the deciding score. It was a see-saw fourth quarter for the Eagles, as Castellanos had a 1-yard keeper stopped short of the end zone at the end of a 12-play drive.

Following the turnover, Michigan State’s 18-play, 89-yard march resulted in a Jonathan Kim 27-yard field goal with 4:12 left. Kim kicked field goals of 41, 26, 51 and 27 yards for the Spartans, who were seeking their first 4-0 start since 2021.

Ky’ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 61 yards on 15 carries, while Jake Velling caught six passes for 77 yards.

Boston College scored 10 points off turnovers to turn around a 13-6 halftime deficit in less than three minutes early in the third quarter. After Carter Davis forced Lynch-Adams to fumble the opening kickoff of the second half, Luca Lombardo’s 39-yard field goal made it 13-9.

Amari Jackson intercepted a Chiles deep ball on the ensuing series, and Ward then ran 36 yards up the sideline for a go-ahead score only 2:38 into the third.

After Chiles missed a wide-open Montorie Foster Jr., Kim nailed an impressive 51-yard field goal to conclude an 8-play drive and tie the game at 16-all.

In the opening quarter, Michigan State forced a 3-and-out to begin the game and then capped a 9-play drive with Kim’s 41-yard kick. Ward rushed four times and made a 4th-and-4 catch out of the backfield to help set up Richard’s 11-yard score on a run to the left with 12:24 left in the first half.

Converting on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that spanned 6:08, the Eagles’ lead was 6-3 as Lombardo missed the point-after attempt after a high snap.

The Spartans responded with a 75-yard drive, scoring on a Chiles 1-yard run at 8:10 of the second. Foster’s 40-yard catch over the middle preceded the touchdown.

Kim’s 26-yarder extended the Michigan State lead with 20 seconds left before halftime.

-Field Level Media

Michigan State Visits Boston College

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BC Eagles Host Spartans for ’24 Red Bandana Game

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Unbeaten Michigan State visits Boston College for the programs’ first meeting since 2007 on Saturday at Chestnut Hill.

Playing its annual Red Bandana Game in honor of Boston College alum and Sept. 11, 2001, hero Welles Crowther, the Eagles (2-1) look to bounce back from last weekend’s 27-21 loss at then-No. 6 Missouri — the first setback under new head coach Bill O’Brien.

“For us to be able to go out there and play a game in honor of (Crowther) is a big deal,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Boston College to show off who we are. This is who we are.”

Thomas Castellanos threw three touchdowns against the Tigers and ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with nine on the season. The Eagles led 14-3 before giving up 24 unanswered points.

“We’re never going to accept losing at Boston College, but these guys fought hard,” O’Brien said. “I think if we can do a better job stopping the run, that’s going to lead to more success for us in the future.”

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With last week’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M, Michigan State (3-0) has won three straight games under a first-year coach in Jonathan Smith for the first time since Mark Dantonio in 2007.

The Spartans have seen both Aidan Chiles and Tommy Schuster make an impact at quarterback, with the latter debuting with his new team last week — 8-of-10 passing for 97 yards — after transferring from North Dakota.

Chiles threw for 173 yards and a touchdown, following up a 363-yard performance in a 27-24 win at Maryland on Sept. 7.

“We’ve got total confidence (Schuster would) be ready to go out there,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, just like we’re dealing with injuries at different spots, he needs to be ready, and he will be.”

A new Spartan has recently been added to the injury list in offensive lineman Gavin Broscious.

“You probably won’t see him the rest of the year which is unfortunate,” Smith said. “Again, these yearly ones (hurt) because he’d been working really hard.”

Boston College has a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 24-21 win in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. The QB matchup in that game featured Matt Ryan against Michigan State counterpart Brian Hoyer.

–Field Level Media

BC to be Tested at Mizzou

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COLUMBIA – No. 6 Missouri reached rarified air this week. The Tigers, after all, haven’t been ranked this high in the Associated Press poll since 2013.

And the Tigers (2-0) will have a chance to validate that standing when they host No. 24 Boston College (2-0) on Saturday in Missouri.

Meanwhile, the Eagles upset then-No. 10 Florida State 28-13 on the road in head coach Bill O’Brien’s Boston College debut. Then they handled Duquesne 56-0 at home, which vaulted them into the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2018 season.

“I think it’s great for BC, but really that’s not our focus at all,” O’Brien said. “It’s really about one day at time, really trying to get better.”

Missouri has rolled up 1,007 yards in its blowout victories while emptying the bench in both games.

Quarterback Brady Cook is 48-of-67 passing for 456 yards and a touchdown, and he has rushed for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri alternates running backs Nate Noel (121 yards, two touchdowns on 23 carries) and Marcus Carroll (97 yards, one touchdown, 18 carries).

Preseason all-America wide receiver Luther Burden III has been quiet, catching seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 21 yards and a TD in two games. He was limited by illness against Buffalo.

Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. became Cook’s main target while catching 13 passes for 149 yards against the Bulls.

“Quarterback Brady Cook — very, very good player, can throw and run, two really good running backs and very, very good at wide receiver,” O’Brien said of the upcoming opponent. “At least three or four of them can play in the NFL. So we have a big challenge ahead of us, big, big challenge.”

While Missouri was unable to connect on deep passes during the first two weeks, coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t concerned.

“You’d rather be on ‘SportsCenter’ for that rather than for three yards and a cloud of dust or five-yard hitches,” he said. “But the reality of what we’re figuring out is that teams don’t really want to give up explosive plays versus our wide receiver corps. So, we have to be willing to make them defend us in a different manner.”

The Tigers could once again be without tight end Brett Norfleet, who suffered a shoulder injury in the opener and sat out Week 2. Guard Cam’Ron Johnson could return after sitting out the Buffalo game following an injury in practice.

Drinkwitz also wants to see his offense cut down on the offensive penalties. The Tigers had 17 in two games.

“Alignment penalties are embarrassing and that’s on me as head coach,” Drinkwitz said. “The holding penalties. We’ve got to learn to let go. When the ball is out-leveraged, just when a defender is broken away, we cannot continue to engage with the jersey of the defender. There were three of those that were clear calls, easy calls that are something that we have to correct.”

Boston College’s dual-threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos has completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 340 yards and six touchdowns. He has run for 81 yards and a TD.

The Eagles have rushed for 569 yards and five touchdowns in two games, led by Treshaun Ward (132 yards on 20 carries), Kyle Robichaux (112 yards, 25 carries) and Turbo Richard (102 yards on 19 carries).

Offensive tackle Logan Taylor returned to action after missing the first game and helped the unit dominate against Duquesne.

“Great to have him back,” O’Brien said. “Tough guy, big guy, athletic guy, very important to have him back. He’s my type of guy.”

–Field Level Media

Heck of a Statement, But Just One Win

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TALLAHASSEE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos threw for only 106 yards but connected on two of his three total touchdowns as the visiting Boston College Eagles earned a 28-13, season-opening win over No. 10 Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Monday night in Florida.

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The Eagles (1-0, 1-0 ACC) possessed the ball for 39:09, rushed for 263 of its 369 total yards, and scored in four red zone trips en route to their first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1976.

Boston’s Kye Robichaux rushed for a touchdown and caught another from Castellanos, who was 10-for-16 passing and also added 73 rush yards as Boston College built a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward led the Eagles with 61 receiving yards and a touchdown while rushing for 77 more.

Florida State (0-2, 0-2) quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 21-for-42 for 272 yards and a touchdown, but threw an interception and was sacked three times.

Kentron Poitier had three catches for 79 yards and a score in the loss.

The Seminoles are the fourth Preseason AP Top 10 team to start 0-2 in the past 10 seasons, earning that dubious distinction for the second time in that span (2017).

In the first quarter, Boston College orchestrated a 14-play, 71-yard scoring drive while limiting the hosts to just 51 seconds of possession. Three third-down conversions fueled a red-zone march that culminated with Castellanos diving in for a 4-yard touchdown four seconds into the second quarter.

Ward was the top target on the Eagles’ second touchdown drive, taking a 13-yard catch-and-score to the front corner of the end zone at the 9:58 mark. Four plays earlier, he also had a key 42-yard reception and burst up the sideline.