Bowl season and Boston College football under head coach Jeff Hafley’s tenure have not meshed well thus far, largely due to extenuating circumstances.
Cancellations in 2020 and 2021 for COVID-19 resulted in two years of bowl-less football despite Hafley and co. earning eligibility. BC’s three-win season in 2022 didn’t put it anywhere close to attaining that again. But not this year.
In what could be viewed as a perfect bowl marriage for Hafley because of the proximity to BC’s campus, the Eagles (6–6, 3–5 Atlantic Coast) will face No. 17 Southern Methodist (11–2, 8–0 American Athletic) just a few miles down Beacon Street in the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
“We’re excited to be staying close to home for our students and fans to get one more chance to see us play,” Hafley said in a statement. “Boston is a great sports town, one that we’re proud to be a part of every day, and now we get to be a part of the growing tradition of postseason football in New England.”
This season marks the third year that Hafley’s squad has made a bowl game, despite playing in none. BC earned bowl eligibility just nine games into the season. BC football will also become the third team in the University’s athletics program to play a contest at Fenway Park in the last calendar year. The Eagles won both previous matchups, as BC men’s hockey defeated UMass Amherst 4–2 on Jan. 7, and BC baseball throttled Notre Dame 8–4 on May 19.
Here is everything you need to know about the Fenway Bowl, and BC’s opponent, the Mustangs.
Who is BC playing?
SMU
When is BC playing?
Thursday, Dec. 28, 11 a.m.
Where is BC playing?
Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
How to Watch
The game will air on ESPN and BC Sports Network from Learfield on WEEI 93.7 FM/850 AM
Series and Bowl History
BC has been selected for 30 bowl games and is 14–13 all-time in the bowl games it has played in.
The Eagles used to call Fenway Park their home field for the majority of 21 seasons from 1936–45, and again from 1953–56. They are 55–16–5 in 76 previous competitions played at Fenway. BC won its first game at Fenway on Halloween in 1914 with a 28–6 victory over Norwich.
The Eagles went undefeated with a 6–0 record in 1940, playing all of its home games at Fenway. A win for then-No. 4 BC over Holy Cross sent it to the Sugar Bowl that year. Two years later, the Eagles played all nine regular-season games at Fenway and posted an 8–1 record. They appeared in the Orange Bowl later that season.
BC last played in a bowl game in 2019 when then-No. 21 Cincinnati defeated the Eagles 38–6 in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. One year prior, BC held a 7–0 lead against then-No. 25 Boise State in the First Responder Bowl before lightning suspended play.
The Eagles last captured a bowl win in 2016 against Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl. The final score ended 36–30, and BC’s Patrick Towles and Jeff Smith combined for 171 passing yards and three touchdown passes, while Jon Hillman and Myles Willis manufactured 153 rushing yards combined and one rushing touchdown.
The Eagles have only played SMU once, when the Mustangs earned a 31–29 win in 1986, but they are set to play four times as ACC opponents from 2024 until 2029. In a move that rocked the college football landscape, SMU joined the conference on Sept. 1, alongside California and Stanford.
What to expect from SMU
Offense:
The Mustangs enjoyed historic success this season under head coach Rhett Lashlee, winning their first AAC Championship in 39 years and going undefeated in conference play. Much of this success has to do with his offensive background.
Before returning to SMU as its head coach on Nov. 29, 2021, Lashlee served as the offensive coordinator for two seasons at Miami (Ohio), and previously coached at SMU as the offensive coordinator for two seasons as well. In Lashlee’s first season as SMU’s head coach, the Mustangs ranked 14th in the nation in total offense, 12th in scoring offense, and seventh in both red zone and passing offense en route to a 7–5 record.
Quarterback Preston Stone was at the heart of the SMU’s offense for nearly the entire 2023 regular season, before breaking his leg during the Mustangs’ finale against Navy on Nov. 25. The freak accident occurred in garbage time after the signal caller had passed for 322 yards and three touchdowns on a 73.7 completion percentage. Despite the injury, Stone accumulated 3,197 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Stone rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns as well.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Jennings will make just his second career start under center in the bowl, and his numbers have not yet lived up to Stone’s. In Jennings’ first start, during the AAC Championship Game against Tulane, he went 19 of 33 with 203 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and two interceptions.
Running back Jaylan Knighton, who transferred to SMU from Miami (Fla.), leads the Mustangs’ backfield with 720 rushing yards on 128 attempts and seven rushing touchdowns.
Defense:
Another Miami (Fla.) transfer leads the Mustangs’ defensive front. Defensive end Elijah Roberts is SMU’s leader in sacks with 10 for 64 yards. He also leads the team in tackles for loss with 11.5 for 68 yards. His 10 sacks on the year is tied for No. 12 in the nation.
Linebacker Kobe Wilson has produced the most tackles on the team with 74 total and 44 solo, while nobody on the defensive side has registered more than one interception besides Isaiah Nwokobia with four.
SMU ranks first in overall defense in the AAC by averaging just 17.4 points against, and it has garnered the most total sacks in the conference with 47—also good for second in the nation.
Outlook:
BC was riddled with injuries late in the season, leading to three straight losses after a near-miraculous five-game win streak. Now that ample time has passed, Hafley has a chance to show up big against the No. 17 team in the nation.
Look for a run-heavy approach with some new designs in the passing game. Running backs Kye Robichaux and Alex Broome have returned to full strength and were centerpieces of the offense during the five-game stretch. The duo should be involved as much as possible in the bowl game to complement quarterback Thomas Castellanos’ rushing abilities.
One of BC’s main problems was scoring during the final three games, so creativity in the red zone will be interesting to watch. Looks to wide receivers Lewis Bond, Jaedn Skeete, and tight end Jeremiah Franklin will be pivotal in terms of scoring. The run game won’t achieve everything against a stout Mustangs’ defensive line.
The Eagles also had trouble containing the run, especially against mobile quarterbacks. Playing against a backup in Jennings will help out tremendously, although by the numbers, he is definitely a more dynamic rushing quarterback than Stone.
Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and linebacker Kam Arnold need to have big days to mitigate SMU’s offense, and inexperienced defensive backs—like Jason Scott, Victor Nelson, and Carter Davis—need to step up as standout defensive back Elijah Jones missed BC’s last three games and recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
