Fresh off a 56–0 win over Duquesne, its largest margin of victory since 2019, No. 24 Boston College football was ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in nearly six years on Sunday.
So far in the Bill O’Brien era, the Eagles have been dominant.
Saturday afternoon’s showdown against No. 6 Missouri should prove to be O’Brien’s toughest test yet. The Tigers have won their last six games dating back to last season, including a victory in the Cotton Bowl over then-No. 7 ranked Ohio State.
In Saturday’s only top-25 matchup, the Eagles will head to Columbia, Mo., looking to defeat their second ranked opponent and continue their rise into the national spotlight.
Who is BC playing?
No. 6 Missouri
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Sept. 14, at 12:45 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Memorial Stadium, Columbia, Mo.
How to Watch?
The game will air on SEC Network and BC Sports Network on WEEI 850 AM.
Series History:
This is only the second time that the Eagles and Tigers have played each other—with its first matchup coming in September 2021.
BC won that high-scoring tilt by a score of 41–34 in overtime on a touchdown catch from current Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers. The win brought the Eagles to 4–0 on the season and encouraged fans to storm the field in a frantic finish at Alumni Stadium.
Saturday’s tilt represents BC’s first road game against an SEC opponent since 1988.
What to expect from Missouri:
Offense
Senior quarterback Brady Cook leads the Tiger’s offense. Cook has been unspectacular throwing the football so far this season, with just one touchdown and an interception. Cook, though, is coming off a stellar season where he threw for a career-best 3,317 passing yards and 21 touchdowns and was named the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP.
As good as Cook has shown to be throwing the ball over his four years in Columbia, the Eagles must be wary of his legs. Cook has already run for three touchdowns this season and has pitched in 84 rushing yards, including a highlight-reel worthy 30-yard scamper for a touchdown against Buffalo, a game the Tigers ended up winning 38–0. Cook was Missouri’s second-leading rusher last season, totaling 319 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns. The year before that, he ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns.
The real threat from Missouri’s offense, though, comes from its skill players, and with its wide receivers specifically. The main man on the Tiger offense is junior wide receiver Luther Burden III, who O’Brien recently compared to the Cincinnati Bengals’ star Ja’Marr Chase. The receiver left Missouri’s game against Buffalo early with an illness but is still expected to play. He’s projected by many analysts to be picked in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, after putting up 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns a season ago. His combination of speed and versatility will be hard for the Eagles’ defense to keep in check.
Another wide receiver the Eagles will have to contain is senior Theo Wease Jr. With Burden leaving early against Buffalo, Wease Jr. stepped up, recording 13 catches for 149 yards. And Wease Jr. has the height, standing tall at 6-foot-2.
In the run game, the Tigers have two transfer running backs trying to match the hole in production left by Cody Schrader’s departure. Schrader tallied an outrageous 1,627 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Nate Noel, a senior transfer from Appalachian State, is the team’s leading rusher so far, with Marcus Carroll, a senior transfer from Georgia State, not far behind. The pair has combined for over 200 yards and three touchdowns so far.
Defense
The Tigers have not allowed a single point so far this season, becoming the first FBS team since 2019 to begin the year with two shutouts.
Their standout player so far this season has been defensive tackle Chris McClellan, a junior transfer from Florida. McClellan boasts a massive frame, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 325 pounds. He leads the team in sacks so far this season with 1.5 sacks. He also has seven tackles along with a forced fumble. The Eagles must keep McClellan in check through the middle if they want to be able to utilize their strong run game.
Another player the Eagles must look out for is edge rusher Johnny Walker Jr. The senior captain is coming off a solid season, where he put up five sacks and three forced fumbles. Walker Jr. has recorded one sack so far this year.
Overall, it will be a challenge for BC’s offense to break down Missouri’s top–ranked defense. It will require strong quarterback play from quarterback Thomas Castellanos, as well as an ability to pick up yards on the ground with Treshaun Ward and Kye Robichaux.
Outlook:
The Eagles mark the first real challenge that the Tigers have faced so far this season. Missouri’s two wins have come against Murray State and Buffalo, two teams that simply do not have enough talent to match up with them.
If the Eagles are to shock the Tigers in Columbia, it will require them stopping Missouri’s star wide receivers from creating big plays and being able to effectively move the football against the Tigers’ stout defense. Look for the Eagles to lean on their run game as they have so effectively done this season.
An upset win for BC would almost certainly elevate O’Brien’s squad to a top-15 ranking in the AP Poll, but it will be far from easy.
