Despite a strong showing against a top-10 team last week, No. 7 Missouri edged out Boston College football 27–21 in a competitive battle that came down to the final minutes. After losing their first game of the season and their spot in the top 25, the Eagles will look to get back into the win column on Saturday against undefeated Michigan State.
The Spartans are currently 3–0 and coming off of wins against Florida Atlantic, Maryland, and Prairie View A&M. The Spartans enter the most difficult part of their schedule after their tilt against BC, with two top-10 teams coming up in Ohio State and Oregon, but are first looking to improve to 4–0 for the first time since 2021.
The Red Bandanna Game carries extra significance for the Eagles and will be the first night game at Alumni Stadium since 2022. This weekend will be an opportunity for BC to get some of its swagger back after a tough loss in Columbia, Mo. in Week Three.
Who is BC playing?
Michigan State
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Sept. 21, at 8:00 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Alumni Stadium
How to Watch?
The game will air on ACC Network and BC Sports Network on WEEI 93.7 FM.
Series History:
BC leads the series against MSU with a record of 4–1–1. The last meeting between these two teams was in 2007 when the then-No. 14 ranked Eagles, led by Matt Ryan, defeated the Brian Hoyer led Spartans in the Champs Sports Bowl by a narrow score of 24–21. The first game between these two teams was all the way back in 1935, where the Spartans dominated the Eagles by a score of 18–6.
What to expect from Michigan State:
Offense
The Spartans are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles who ranks eighth in the Big Ten with a 69.7 total quarterback rating. The first-year starter passed for 363 yards against Maryland in Week Two after only passing for 114 yards the week prior. He then passed for 173 yards and a passing touchdown in Week Three, along with a rushing touchdown.
The Spartan quarterback has shown flashes of excellence, but not consistent play in his three starts, throwing four interceptions so far. The leading receiver for the Spartans is freshman Nick Marsh, who leads the team with 232 receiving yards. Because of the inexperience at quarterback, the Spartans rely heavily on their rushing game and Kay’ron Lynch-Adams, the sixth-year back who leads the Spartans in rushing with 70 yards per game, 210 overall, and one touchdown. Redshirt junior running back Nate Carter has had a team-high 38 carries for 198 yards, which included a career-long 60-yard rushing touchdown in Week Three.
Defense
The Spartans have been impressive defensively to start the year, only allowing an average of 11.33 points per game and holding opponents to 78.3 rushing yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry on the ground. The pass defense has also been impressive, holding opponents to 164 passing yards per game while also recording four interceptions in just three games.
The Spartans lead the Big Ten in tackles for loss (27) and are second in sacks (11). Linebacker Jordan Turner and defensive lineman Khris Bogle rank first and second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 5.0 and 4.5 respectively. Bogle leads the team in sacks as well with 2.5. This defense is coming off of a shutout performance against Prairie View A&M.
Outlook
This game should be a tight one between two even teams. Expect a strong rushing attack from both teams, especially from the Spartans due to their inexperienced signal caller and veteran backfield. BC is the favorite heading into this game but expect this one to be close, competitive, and down to the wire.
