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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.

 

Frozen Four: BC vs Denver for Title

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SAINT PAUL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A pair of storied programs, Boston College and Denver, face off for the NCAA men’s hockey championship Saturday evening in Minnesota. Boston College (34-5-1) is the top overall seed and is seeking its first title since 2012. Denver (31-9-3) is going for its second title in three years and its record 10th title overall.

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The stakes could not be higher, and players on both sides could not be more determined.

“Anytime someone commits to Boston College, it’s to win championships,” Eagles forward Cutter Gauthier said. “And we have an opportunity for that on Saturday.”

The same is true for Denver, which has won three straight games by a single goal.

“We’re just extremely confident,” Pioneers goaltender Matt Davis said, “and feel battle-tested.”

Boston College is coming off a dominant 4-0 win over Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday night. Will Smith scored two goals, Gauthier added another goal and Gabe Perreault finished the scoring to send the Eagles to the title game.

Gauthier leads the nation with 38 goals, which also is tied for the most in a single season in Boston College history. David Emma (1989-90) and Scott Harlow (1985-86) also enjoyed 38-goal seasons for the Eagles, and Gauthier has a chance to break the record Saturday.

Smith has 25 goals after his two-goal performance Thursday. The Massachusetts native watched the Eagles’ 2012 title run as a child and now has a chance to bring another championship trophy to Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“(If you had) told me as a kid, this would be kind of crazy,” Smith said. “I remember the days I was watching Johnny Gaudreau in the same Frozen Four. So it’s a dream come true. It would be unbelievable to get that trophy just like he did.”

Denver is coming off three consecutive 2-1 victories, two of which required overtime. The Pioneers outlasted Boston University for a 2-1 overtime win on Thursday in the first Frozen Four matchup.

Davis turned aside 33 of 34 shots for Denver, and Tristan Broz provided the winning goal with 8:51 remaining in the extra session.

Broz said he and his teammates never lost their cool in high-pressure situations.

“Just like Coach (David) Carle said, these 2-1 games can go either way,” Broz said. “There’s bounces that happen throughout the game, and you just have to stick with it and keep playing because those bounces happen. But you’re still in a tight hockey game.”

Both teams enter the final matchup on a hot streak.

Boston College is riding a 15-game winning streak. Its last loss took place Feb. 5 against Boston University in the city’s famous “Beanpot” tournament.

Meanwhile, Denver is 13-1-1 in its past 15 games.

The teams met Oct. 21, when Denver notched a 4-3 road win over Boston College. Carter King scored a power-play goal in the third period to lift the Pioneers.

“That was a long time ago,” Boston College coach Greg Brown said. “We’ve improved a lot. But that was a really fun hockey game.

“It was back and forth. It was two good teams both making a lot of plays.”

–Field Level Media

Boston College Intros Coaching Staff

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James introduced Bill O’Brien as the (Gregory P. Barber ’69 and Family) Head Coach of the BC football program. O’Brien was met by the school community and held his introductory news conference inside the Yawkey Athletics Center.

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Boston College head football coach Bill O’Brien announced his complete coaching staff for the 2024 season. O’Brien, who was hired Feb. 9, and the Eagles start spring ball Monday, March 11 following Boston College’s spring break.

O’Brien’s first staff at Boston College features two coaches he has spent significant time with throughout his career, including the Eagles’ new strength and conditioning coach. O’Brien also retained four assistant coaches from BC’s 2023 coaching staff and promoted one more from within the program. Additionally, the staff has one BC grad and another assistant in his second stint on the Heights.

Returning to lead the offensive line for a fourth season is Matt Applebaum. He held that same position from 2020-21 and after a one-year stint in the NFL, found his way back to the Heights as offensive line coach for an improved unit in 2023. The BC o-line paved the way for the second-ranked rushing attack in the ACC in 2023 at 198.8 yards per game, while allowing just 1.46 sacks per game. During his time at BC, Applebaum has overseen the development of first-round pick and All-American Zion Johnson, top-prospect Christian Mahogany in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and All-American Alec Lindstrom. Between stretches with the Eagles, he was the offensive line coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Applebaum graduated from Connecticut in 2007 and was a two-year starter on the offensive-line for the Huskies.

Secondary coach Ray Brown comes to Boston College from Washington State, where he was the cornerbacks coach 2022-23. Washington State’s 2022 defense ranked third in the Pac-12 at 22.9 points per game and contributed to a seven-win regular season. Prior to WSU, Brown served as the cornerbacks coach at Utah State (2021) and Troy (2019-20). He was also the defensive backs coach at Abilene Christian (2016-18) following graduate assistant posts in the Pac-12 at Arizona State (2014-15) and Washington State (2013). He is a 2009 graduate of East Central (Okla.) University, where he played cornerback from 2006-08 and began his coaching career as running backs coach from 2010-11.

Beginning a second stint on the Heights is defensive line coach Jeff Comissiong, who previously worked at BC from 2007-12 in the same role. He joined Cornell in 2021 and served three seasons as the linebackers coach for the Big Red. Comissiong spent one season at Hampton University following a seven-year run at Old Dominion from 2013-19. At ODU, he worked with a defense that led Conference USA in regular season sacks in 2018 and coached Oshane Ximines, the most decorated player in school history. Ximines, a 2019 third-round pick of the New York Giants, twice earned All-Conference first-team honors and was ODU’s first-ever invitee to the Senior Bowl. In his first spell with the Eagles, Comissiong tutored three All-ACC picks, including first-round pick B.J. Raji and second-rounder Ron Brace. He is a 1997 graduate of Maine, where he played for the Black Bears from 1991-94.

Local product Jonathan DiBiaso was promoted by O’Brien to quarterbacks coach after spending the 2023 season as an offensive analyst, working closely with the BC quarterbacks, including 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher Thomas Castellanos. DiBiaso got his start in coaching at BC as a graduate assistant from 2018-20. He then moved on to Vanderbilt (2021) as an offensive analyst and worked one season at Pittsburgh (2022) in a graduate assistant role. DiBiaso, who played high school football at Everett for his father John DiBiaso, played two seasons at Dartmouth (2013-14) and two seasons at Tufts (2015-16), earning his degree from Tufts in 2018.

Running backs coach Savon Huggins returns for his third season in that role and fourth overall at Boston College. The Eagles rushed for 2,584 yards in 2023 with BC running backs averaging 4.71 yards per carry. Kye Robichaux ranked seventh in the league at 70.9 yards per game; totaling 780 yards, eight touchdowns and a 4.79 yards per carry average. Huggins arrived at BC in 2021 as a recruiting advisor, while also working directly with the Eagles’ running backs, including All-ACC second-team selection and 1,000-yard rusher Pat Garwo III. HUggins got his start in coaching at Somerville (N.J.) High School, gained experience as an intern with the Miami Dolphins and broke into the college ranks at Buffalo in 2020. He played running back at Rutgers and graduated in 2015.

Will Lawing joins BC as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach after a season as the New England Patriots tight end coach in 2023. Lawing and O’Brien have coached together since 2013 beginning when Lawing was a graduate assistant at Penn State in 2013 during the second year of O’Brien’s two-year stint as head coach of the Nittany Lions. The two continued to work together with the Houston Texans, where Lawing served in roles of defensive quality control (2014-16), offensive assistant (2017-18) and tight ends coach (2019-20). Lawing returned to the college game as an offensive analyst at Alabama from 2021-22. As a player, he was a walk-on at North Carolina and a member of the Tar Heels squad from 2004-07.

Defensive coordinator Tim Lewis arrives at Boston College with 34 years of coaching experience and seven years as a NFL defensive coordinator. Lewis, a first-round pick as a cornerback at Pittsburgh, has spent 25 years in professional football. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator from 1995-1999, which included an AFC Championship, and New York Giants defensive coordinator from 2004-06 under former BC head coach Tom Coughlin; twice reaching the playoffs with the Giants. Most recently, he was the co-defensive coordinator of the Arlington Renegades in the United Football League. As a coordinator or secondary coach, he coached six players to All-Pro status in the NFL, including Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan and two-time All-Pro selection Carnell Lake. As a player, Lewis spent four years with the Green Bay Packers from 1983-86.

Boston College graduate Dan O’Brien ’05 returns to his alma mater as the Eagles’ linebackers coach. The son of former BC head coach Tom O’Brien, he was a student assistant as an undergraduate. O’Brien most recently coached for three seasons at Southern Miss, beginning as the safeties coach from 2021-22 before assuming the defensive coordinator role in 2023. He spent the two previous seasons at Georgia (2019-20) in defensive quality control after working five years at Navy (2014-18). Upon graduation from BC, O’Brien got his start as a scouting assistant intern for Bill Belichick’s staff in New England in 2005 and later worked as a defensive analyst and graduate assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama.

Matt Thurin was retained as Boston College’s special teams coordinator and will be the longest tenured member of the staff heading into his fifth year at BC. He has coached special teams and safeties in his time with the Eagles. His special teams unit blocked two kicks in 2023 and did not allow a blocked kick or punt on the season. He oversaw the development of kicker Liam Connor, who ascended to placekicker in 2023 after serving as the kickoff specialist as a freshman in 2022. Connor went 11-for-14 on field goals, including three makes of 45 yards. Thurin previously spent five seasons at Ohio State (2015-19) in defensive quality control.

Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt returns for a third season with the Eagles. He oversaw the evolution of All-ACC, All-American and first-round pick Zay Flowers in his first season on the Heights in 2022 and has led the development of Lewis Bond. In 2023, Bond was one of just six receivers in the ACC to catch 50 or more passes for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns. Wyatt spent his four previous seasons at UCF (2018-21) as the wide receivers coach and worked with future Eagle Ryan O’Keefe, who set the Knights’ record for receptions in a season at 84. Overall, Wyatt has 34 years of coaching experience, including stints as the offensive coordinator at Kansas (2000 and 2010) and Texas (2013). He transferred to Kansas State, where he played two seasons and earned his degree in 1989.

Craig Fitzgerlad worked with O’Brien at both Penn State and with the Houston Texans. He takes over as the Eagles’ director of football performance. A tight end and 1996 graduate of Maryland as a player, he has been a head strength coach across collegiate and professional football every year since 2005, beginning with five years at Harvard (2005-09). Fitzgerald left South Carolina (2009-11) to work with O’Brien at Penn State (2023-13) and continued the partnership with the Texans (2014-17). He then moved on to Tennessee (2018-19) before accepting the head strength and conditioning job with the New York Giants (2020-23). He was recently hired as the director of football performance at Florida in December, but arrived on the Heights immediately following the announcement of O’Brien’s appointment.

BC also brought in Berj Najarian as chief of staff. Najarian spent the last 24 seasons in Foxborough as the director of football/head coach administration with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. He was a part of six Super Bowl Championships during his time in New England.

2024 Boston College Football Coaching Staff
Bill O’Brien, Head Coach
Matt Applebaum*, Offensive Line
Ray Brown, Secondary
Jeff Comissiong, Defensive Line
Jonathan DiBiaso*^, Quarterbacks
Savon Huggins*, Running Backs
Will Lawing, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
Tim Lewis, Defensive Coordinator
Dan O’Brien, Linebackers
Matt Thurin*, Special Teams Coordinator
Darrell Wyatt*, Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers
Craig Fitzgerald, Director of Football Performance
Berj Najarian, Chief of Staff
*-Returned from 2023 Staff
*^-Returned from 2023 Staff in a New Role

 

Boston College with Comeback Win

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Liam Connor’s 42-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining helped Boston College overcome an early two-score deficit to beat visiting Virginia 27-24 in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Boston.

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Thomas Castellanos shook off a pair of first-half interceptions and finished 16-of-26 passing for 183 yards and touchdowns to Joseph Griffin Jr. and Lewis Bond in the third quarter. The scores highlighted the Eagles’ (2-3, 1-2 ACC) 17-point run to erase a 21-7 deficit.

BC outgained the visitors 176-12 in the third, ultimately taking the lead on Bond’s 33-yard touchdown reception at 1:04 of the quarter.

After BC scored on four straight drives, the Cavaliers forced back-to-back fumbles but only managed to tie the game on Will Bettridge’s 44-yard field goal with 7:10 left in regulation.

Bond logged a game-high 104 yards on seven receptions. Pat Garwo accounted for 87 of BC’s 203 total yards and a touchdown on the ground. Castellanos also ran for 78 yards.

Virginia (0-5, 0-2) quarterback Tony Muskett was 22 of 34 for 247 yards and three touchdowns in his first start since suffering a shoulder injury in the season opener against Tennessee. Malik Washington (9 receptions, 97 yards) and Malachi Fields each caught touchdowns for Virginia.

Star BC receiver Ryan O’Keefe was carted off the field after colliding with Virginia cornerback Malcolm Greene early in the fourth quarter.

BC first cut into its deficit when Connor drilled a 42-yard field goal to complete an 11-play, 63-yard drive over the first 5:10 of the third quarter.

After forcing a 3-and-out, BC needed just four plays to score on Griffin’s 4-yard, over-the-shoulder catch with 6:09 left in the third.

Elijah Jones hauled in BC’s first interception of the season on the following series, and Bond’s go-ahead score capped a 9-play, 65-yard drive.

Muskett led a 10-play, 75-yard drive off the opening kickoff, finding Mike Hollins out of the backfield for a 5-yard score 4:35 into the game.

The Cavaliers forced a turnover on downs and intercepted a Castellanos pass on BC’s second and third series, respectively, before doubling their lead on Washington’s 18-yard touchdown with 12:11 left until halftime.

Castellanos got the Eagles moving as a 34-yard strike to Bond along the sideline set up Garwo’s 2-yard rushing score with 47 seconds left in the first half.

Fields hauled in a 39-yard Hail Mary touchdown as the first-half clock expired to give Virginia a 21-7 lead.

–Field Level Media

Florida St. Survives BC Upset Bid

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Florida State’s Jordan Travis threw for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the No. 3 Seminoles held off a ferocious rally to edge Boston College 31-29 on Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams in Boston.

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The Seminoles (3-0, 1-0 ACC) seemed to put the game out of reach when Travis threw a 4-yard touchdown to Preston Daniel and DJ Lundy found the end zone from the 1 within the first four minutes of the third quarter to take a 31-10 lead.

But, on their annual celebration of life for Welles Crowther, The Man with the Red Bandana, the BC Eagles (1-2) stormed back.

Kye Robichaux rushed for a 1-yard TD with 1:02 left in the third and Khari Johnson recovered a fumble and returned it 8 yards for another score to make it 31-22 with 11:18 left in the game.

Quarterback Thomas Castellanos later capped a nine-play, 95-yard drive with a 7-yard scoring scramble to pull Boston College within two.

The Eagles ended up getting the ball back and made it to their own 40, but Kalen DeLoach’s 14-yard sack forced BC to punt.

Boston College’s defense forced a fourth down to provide a chance for the offense to go win the game, but a face mask penalty gave FSU an automatic first down, and the Seminoles ran out the clock to ward off the upset.

Travis completed 16 of 24 passes, while Trey Benson led the rushing attack with 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Castellanos had 305 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 20-for-33 passing for the Eagles, who committed a program-record 18 penalties that cost them 132 yards. He also ran for 95 yards and the score on 16 carries.

Benson plunged into the end zone from 2 yards out with 1:27 remaining in the first half to send Florida State into the break up 17-10.

Boston College opened the game with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Castellanos’ 32-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond.

Ryan Fitzgerald made good on a 30-yard field goal on the Seminoles’ ensuing possession to make it 7-3, but Liam Connor nailed a 21-yarder with 13:22 left in the second quarter to restore the Eagles’ seven-point advantage.

Just 2:59 later, Travis connected with Jaheim Bell for a 19-yard TD that drew Florida State even at 10.

–Field Level Media

BC’s Tough Task | Red Bandana Game

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After a pair of dominant performances to start the season, Florida State finds itself among the top three teams in the nation for the first time in six years.

But the third-ranked Seminoles believe they haven’t reached their ceiling just yet, and they will look to continue climbing the ranks on Saturday when they face Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener at BC.

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Florida State (2-0) rose to No. 3 in the AP poll thanks to a 66-13 shellacking of Southern Miss last Saturday. It marks the Seminoles’ highest ranking since 2017, when they started the season as the third-best team in the country.

Through two games, FSU has outscored opponents 111-37. The Seminoles kicked off the 2023 campaign with a 45-24 victory over LSU on Sept. 3.

Although he is pleased with the progress his team has made just two years removed a stretch of four straight losing seasons, Florida State coach Mike Norvell is focused on avoiding complacency.

“Somebody says that we’re highly rated or highly ranked, whatever you call it, or not. None of that matters,” Norvell said. “It’s about what we’re willing to do when we show up and when we go to work.”

Norvell is eager to begin ACC play with a victory, but he knows that it won’t be easy.

“We understand what we want to achieve and what we want to do. This is a first step when it comes to coming into conference play,” Norvell said. “This is a big game up at BC.”

The Eagles (1-1) will have plenty to play for against FSU.

Saturday marks Boston College’s annual Red Bandanna Game, which honors alumnus Welles Crowther.

Crowther died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He was in the South Tower, where, with his red bandanna covering his nose and mouth amidst the smoke, he helped others evacuate the building before it collapsed.

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“We talk to our players about 9/11, about Welles, about the Red Bandanna Game,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said. “We teach them about … why we wear those jerseys. It’s not just to put on a new look. It’s way bigger than that.”

Boston College is bracing for its toughest opponent yet, as the Eagles opened their season with a 27-24 overtime loss to Northern Illinois before bouncing back to pull off a gritty 31-28 win over FCS Holy Cross last Saturday.

“They’re as deep as they’ve been,” Hafley said of the Seminoles. “They’re deep at wide receiver. … Every time you turn on the film, there’s a new guy who looks just as big and just as fast. They’ve got depth at running back.

“And then the quarterback. He’s just gotten better and better. If you turn on the tape from when we played him two years ago, he was young, then he got better and now he’s probably one of the best players in all of college football.”

That quarterback Hafley speaks so highly of is Jordan Travis, who has already thrown for 517 yards with six touchdowns against one interception.

Florida State has won 15 of its 20 all-time meetings with BC.

–Field Level Media

BC Loses Opener to Northern Illinois

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rocky Lombardi’s 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime lifted visiting Northern Illinois to a 27-24 victory over Boston College in the season opener for both teams Saturday.

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Liam Connor’s 39-yard field goal put Boston College ahead after the first series of the extra session, but Lombardi led the winning four-play drive to give the Huskies (1-0) their second Week 1 win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in three years. Northern Illinois defeated Georgia Tech in 2021

Lombardi ended the game 13-of-29 passing for 165 yards.

Antario Brown accounted for the first two Northern Illinois touchdowns, catching one and throwing for the other as the Huskies led 14-0 with 10:33 remaining in the third quarter.

Quarterback Thomas Castellanos led a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives to help Boston College (0-1) overcome a 21-7 deficit and force overtime. Castellanos hit J Williams on a 30-yard scoring pass with 1:44 remaining in the game to forge a 21-21 tie.

The UCF transfer was 12 of 28 for 138 yards and rushed for 67 yards on nine carries, taking over for Emmett Morehead for the majority of the game after the first quarter.

After JaVaughn Byrd intercepted Castellanos’ final pass of the third quarter, Brock Lampe broke through for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:24 remaining in regulation to put NIU up 21-7. The 12-play drive, aided by a pass interference call on a fourth-down attempt, took 7:04 off the clock.

A 2-yard Castellanos run with 5:59 left brought BC back within 21-14 before Williams’ TD capped a 6-play, 83-yard drive in only 1:39.

Ten penalties for 95 yards hurt BC in its second straight season-opening loss.

NIU scored the game’s first points with 2:44 left before halftime. Justin Lynch’s 7-yard screen pass to Brown got the Huskies in the end zone to cap an 8-play, 60-yard drive that also included Chris Carter catching a 32-yard pass over the middle from Lombardi.

The visitors doubled their lead at the end of a 10-play drive in the first 4:27 of the third quarter. Brown’s 2-yard run to the right resulted in the touchdown.

A big defensive play helped set the Eagles up to make it 14-7 with 4:58 left in the third. Khris Banks recovered a Lombardi fumble, leading to a five-play series that ended with Castellanos and Bond connecting on an 11-yard pass.

–Field Level Media

LEGENDARY … BC’s Jerry York Retires

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff Report From Official BC News Release) –  Jerry York, the winningest coach in NCAA hockey history, five-time NCAA champion, National Hockey League and US Hockey Hall of Famer, and beloved Boston College ambassador, is retiring after 50 years of Division I coaching, including 28 years as coach of the BC Eagles.

York, 76, met with his coaches and players to inform them of his decision which, he said, was based on a desire to travel more with his wife, Bobbie, play golf for the first time during a weekend in the fall, spend more time with his family, and watch his two grandchildren play hockey, lacrosse, and soccer games in Pittsburgh.

“I have been thinking about the possibility of retiring during the past several weeks and it just seemed to me to be the right time to do so,” said York. “I am so blessed to have been involved with Boston College these past 28 years and to have had the opportunity to coach so many wonderful student-athletes.”

William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Patrick Kraft praised York for his unparalleled contributions to Boston College and the sport of hockey.

“It is difficult to put into words all that Jerry York means to Boston College,” said Kraft in a statement.  “His record as the winningest coach in NCAA men’s ice hockey and BC hockey speak for themselves, but it is his humility, decency, unwavering commitment to his players, fellow coaches, and all of us in the BC family, and the quiet ways in which he contributes to this community that make him so beloved. He is a legend and one of the classiest individuals to ever coach in college sports. It has been a joy to work with him, and on behalf of all of us in the BC community I wish him, Bobbie, and his entire family the very best in his retirement years.”

York, the Schiller Family head hockey coach, was hired at Boston College in 1994 after coaching for 15 years at Bowling Green University (1979-1994) where he won the national championship in 1984.  He began his head coaching career at Clarkson University at the age of 27, leading the Golden Knights from 1972-1979.

One of only three coaches in NCAA history to win an NCAA championship at two different schools, York led BC to the national title in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. On December 29, 2012, he became the all-time winningest coach in college hockey, passing Michigan State’s Ron Mason. He finishes his career with 1,123 wins—including a record-setting 41 NCAA tournament victories. York coached the Eagles to nine Hockey East Tournament titles and 12 regular season championships, including at least a share of five of the last seven league titles. He was named Hockey East Coach of the Year in 2004, 2011, 2014, 2018, and most recently in 2021, and won the Spencer Penrose trophy as NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1977.

Known as a caring mentor who was ever willing to support his players during and after their time at BC, York coached four Hobey Baker Award winners (given to college hockey’s best player), 17 NHL first-round draft picks, 12 Stanley Cup champions, and scores of players who went on to successful careers in the NHL.  He also coached multiple Olympians and mentored dozens of individuals who went on to serve as NHL coaches, general managers, and presidents of hockey operations. His reputation for treating all of his players equally and holding them to the highest standard on and off the ice solidified his standing throughout the sporting world and endeared him to generations of hockey players and their families, whether in Potsdam, N.Y.; Bowling Green, Ohio; or in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

A star player at Boston College High School before coming to the Heights to play for Coach John “Snooks” Kelley, York was named First-Team All-America in 1967 and won the Walter Brown Award for the top American-born player in New England that same year.  He scored 134 points as a player (84 goals, 70 assists) and led the Eagles to a 60-29 record, the 1965 Beanpot title, and a second-place finish in the 1965 NCAA Tournament.

“The highlight of my career was on June 15, 1994, when BC President J. Donald Monan, S.J., and Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk invited me to meet with them at BC,” said York.  “We toured the campus, and later that evening Fr. Monan invited me to his office in Botolph House to talk. ‘I want you to be the next hockey coach at BC,’ he said. ‘I know you will make us proud.’  It has been an honor to serve my alma mater, to work for Fr. Monan and Fr. Leahy, and to coach with so many terrific assistants and fellow BC coaches. I leave knowing that it is the right time to go. The book hasn’t closed, but it is time for me to start a new chapter.”