Seven months ago Bill O’Brien was officially introduced as Boston College football’s 37th head coach.
In his introductory press conference, he noted the importance of creating a home field advantage and keeping fans in the stands.
“Like you said, we gotta keep them in the stands for four quarters, so they don’t head back to Shea Field and the tailgates,” O’Brien said in February.
On a cold and rainy September night in Chestnut Hill, Mass., a sellout crowd of 44,500 fans flooded into Alumni Stadium for the 11th annual Red Bandanna Game, honoring Welles Crowther ’99. Unlike previous eras of BC football, the fans stuck around until the end of the game, powered through poor weather, and ultimately stormed the field.
“I just am so happy for the students here … there had to be another 6, 7,000 students tonight … I tell these kids all the time, and I’ve said this since I got the job, is that we have to be an exciting team so people want to come watch us play.
The Eagles’ (3–1, 1–0 Atlantic Coast) Saturday night primetime performance kept fans in the stands as they downed Michigan State (3–1, 1–0 BIG TEN) 23–19 while donning the iconic Red Bandanna jerseys.
“It’s a special night. It really is,” O’Brien said. “You know, I think just the crowd, the students, just a special place and a great tribute to Welles Crowther and his family … It’s one of those games, though, you gotta win. You gotta win to make it a real special night. So I was happy our guys were able to pull it out.”
The storm came just minutes after the Eagles secured a 23–19 lead over the Spartans with 1:38 left on the clock courtesy of a 42-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Castellanos to Lewis Bond. On 3rd and 1 Castellanos stepped back in the pocket and launched a pass to Bond, who strolled into the end zone.
The majority of the game leading up to that moment was a back and forth.
After BC ended its opening drive with a three and out, Ivan Zivenko booted a 27-yard punt to set the Spartans up beautifully on the Eagles’ own 49-yard line. BC managed to hold the Spartans to a field goal but it was clear that the Eagles’ special teams woes would continue.
BC found its footing in the second drive of the game, though, plowing its way down the field and within the Spartans’ 15-yard line. On 2nd down at MSU’s 13-yard line, Castellanos handed the ball off to Treshaun Ward, who darted up to the nine-yard line before fumbling the ball, halting all of BC’s momentum.
“He felt terrible about that fumble,” O’Brien said. “That was a good drive. That was a drive I really felt we were going to score on. And then, you know, he put it on the ground, and he didn’t do it again.”
Ward ended with 102 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles anchored down on defense, forcing a three and out and immediately went back to work. BC took to the ground, with Ward picking up 29 rushing yards before Turbo Richard glided into the endzone on an 11-yard run to make it 6–3 BC.
The Eagles’ special teams struggles continued as Luca Lombard failed to convert on the PAT.
MSU fired back with a touchdown of its own courtesy of a 40-yard pass from Aidan Chiles to Montorie Foster Jr. and a one-yard Chiles run that put the Spartans up 10–6 with 8:10 left in the first half.
With just over three minutes left in the first half and MSU driving down the field, it looked as though the Spartans would be able to extend their lead and immediately get back to work when they received the ball to start the third. But an interception by Carter Davis stopped the momentum.
The Spartans ultimately made their way back down the field after locking down the Eagles’ offense, then kicked a 26-yard field goal to extend their lead to 13–7 heading into the second half.
“I can’t repeat what I said to the players,” O’Brien said of his message to the team at halftime. “I’d have to go to confession… I was upset with the coaches and the players to be honest with you. I was upset with myself, I was upset with the staff, I was upset with the players.”
Whatever was said appeared to immediately make an impact.
On the opening kickoff, Davis forced a Kay’Ron Lynch Adams fumble that was recovered by Omar Thornton at the five-yard line, ultimately turning into a BC field goal.
On the next play, Amari Jackson picked off Chiles to put the ball right back into the Eagles’ hands. Ward wasted no time taking the lead for BC, running up the left sideline for a 36-yard touchdown to put the Eagles ahead.
BC had the chance to open the fourth quarter with another score, but Castellanos was stuffed on fourth and goal and handed the ball right back to MSU at its own two-yard line.
“The fourth down stop, I was not going to kick a field goal,” O’Brien said. “That’s not Boston College, the ball’s on the one yard line, the game’s tied, like, we’re not kicking the football there.”
MSU went on to march down the field over the course of 9:24 and when faced with a fourth down situation of its own, kicked a field goal to take a 19–16 lead.
Castellanos and Bond connected on the next drive, though, and BC followed it up with a strong defensive stand to close things out, cuing the storming of the field and earning the Eagles their third win of the season.
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