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).

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

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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.

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

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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.”

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

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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Fenway Bowl: Boston College 23, No. 24 SMU 14

Thomas Castellanos rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Eagles rallied past the Mustangs in Boston.

Castellanos ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and logged 96 of his 102 passing yards in the second half to lead Boston College (7-6), which lost its last three regular-season games.

SMU (11-3), which had a nine-game winning streak snapped, was shut out 13-0 in the second half and gained just three first downs in the fourth quarter.

Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 25 Kansas State 28, No. 18 NC State 19

Avery Johnson found Jayce Brown for an 11-yard touchdown to cap the clinching drive in the fourth quarter as No. 25 Kansas State defeated No. 18 North Carolina State 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday in Orlando.

The Wildcats took the ball with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter and kept it for 7:24 on the decisive march, which lasted 15 plays and covered 72 yards.

Kansas State (9-4) had only one quarterback on the roster Thursday, limiting the Wildcats’ use of Johnson in the running game. He still finished with 71 yards on seven carries to go with 14-of-31 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

North Carolina State (9-4) was seeking its second 10-win season in program history (2002). Brennan Armstrong was 14 of 28 for 164 yards and one interception. He led the Wolfpack with 121 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground but ran for only 7 yards in the second half.

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami 24

Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, Gavin Wimsatt added two short scoring runs and the Scarlet Knights rallied in the second half to top the Hurricanes in New York.

Wimsatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards for Rutgers (7-6), which beat Miami for the first time in 12 meetings. It marked Rutgers’ first bowl victory since 2014.

Jacurri Brown was 20 of 31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first start for the Hurricanes (7-6). He also ran for two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 24 SMU aims for its 10th consecutive win when it treks north to meet future Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College in the second-ever Fenway Bowl on Thursday at Boston’s beloved Fenway Park.

The Mustangs are 11-2, beating Tulane 26-14 to win the American Athletic Conference championship — their first crown since 1984 in the Southwest Conference — following an 8-0 record in league play.

SMU has outscored opponents by more than 23 points per game and has logged 466.2 yards of offense per game. The Mustangs’ only two losses came at then-No. 18 Oklahoma and TCU, which played for the national championship last January.

Despite the success, SMU was not selected for a New Year’s Six game.

“The bottom line is we’re still celebrating (a conference championship) and we’re not going to let things that maybe we don’t agree with overshadow that,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said of the bowl announcement.

After star sophomore quarterback Preston Stone broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Navy, SMU turned to Kevin Jennings for his first career start in the AAC title game. The redshirt freshman threw for 203 yards and a touchdown.

The Mustangs’ balanced offense has accounted for 32 passing and 28 rushing touchdowns. SMU has eight 300-yard receivers, led by RJ Maryland’s 518 with seven touchdowns. Jaylan Knighton has 720 rushing yards and seven scores.

SMU ranks second nationally in sacks with 47, behind Elijah Roberts’ 10. The Mustangs are sixth in scoring offense at 40.6 points per game.

Lashlee, who was UConn’s offensive coordinator for a 2017 game against Boston College at Fenway Park, knows the significance of finishing the season on a high note.

“We haven’t won a bowl game here (since 2012), we need to try to accomplish that,” Lashlee said. “Getting (win) No. 12 to tie the school record would be big time. Whether or not we win or lose, that game’s not going to really validate or diminish this team’s accomplishment, I think it’s pretty cemented.”

The Eagles (6-6) look to the bowl invitation as a fresh start after losing to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Miami consecutively to end the regular season, following a five-game win streak that was their longest since 2010.

Thomas Castellanos ranks third in the country for rushing yards by a quarterback with 957. The UCF transfer threw for 15 touchdowns – including seven to Lewis Bond – and ran for 11 during the regular year.

Coach Jeff Hafley feels that Castellanos is throwing the ball as well as he has as an Eagle.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Hafley said. “I think we’re only seeing the very surface of it.”

The bowl will offer a glimpse of Boston College’s future. Team-leading linebacker and captain Vinny DePalma (87 total tackles) is one of only three graduate students listed as a definite starter on the depth chart.

“That’s rare around college football right now,” Hafley said. “The guys that are gonna play in this game, maybe less than five are leaving. I think it’s really important to keep building.”

The Eagles have been bowl eligible four times since 2018, but only the 2020 Birmingham Bowl was actually played due to weather or COVID-19 protocols during that stretch.

Louisville beat Cincinnati 24-7 in the inaugural Fenway Bowl in 2022.

–Field Level Media

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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.

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

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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.

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.

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