#24 Boston College Heads to #6 Missouri

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For the first time since November 12, 2018, the Boston College Eagles (2-0, 1-0) are a ranked team. They enter this week as the #24 team in the AP Top 25 poll. It is the earliest the team has been ranked since the 2005 preseason AP poll. They head back on the road to face another ranked team the #6 Missouri Tigers (2-0, 0-0). This is the second time the two schools have met. Back in 2021, the teams met at Alumni Stadium with BC winning in overtime 41-34.

The Eagles are 70-35-3 as a ranked team. They are 34-122-1 against ranked opponents, and 11-17 in ranked games matchups. In games against teams from the Southeastern Conference, the Eagles are 17-24-1. Their last road game was in 1988, a 10-7 loss to Tennessee. This will be the only Top 25 game on the week-3 schedule.

Last week, the Eagles made their home debut vs Duquesne. BC did what teams are supposed to do when facing an FCS school at home. Win going away. The 56-0 beating was over by halftime as the Eagles put up 42 points in the first half. It gave head coach Bill O’Brien a chance to play his bench for the entire second half. QB Thomas Castellanos, in a half of football, was 9-of-10 for 234 yards and four touchdowns. He had the second-highest passing grade for a QB by PFF of 95.3. He becomes the second Eagles quarterback to throw for three TD of 30 yards or more in the last 27 years. For the second straight week, the running game was strong. Seven Eagles running backs combined for over 300 yards on the ground. Turbo Richards led the ground assault with 74 yards on 15 carries and Lewis Bond led the receiving cord with five catches for 98 yards, including a 49-yard TD grab.

Boston College has now won 35 straight vs FCS schools. The 563 total yards on offense were the first time they went over 500 yards since October 21, 2023, vs Georgia Tech. On defense, the shutout was their first since September 4, 2021, when they opened the season by beating Colgate. The 56 points were the most since a 58-point outburst versus Syracuse on November 2, 2009.

The Missouri Tigers have won 18 consecutive non-conference games at home. This will be their first non-league ranked game since they faced #20 Illinois to open the 2008 season. They are 72-25 at home as a member of the AP poll. All-time at home the Tigers are 138-76-1. Missouri’s defense has not allowed a point in their last 11 quarters. A span of 168 minutes is the second longest such streak since 18 quarters back in 1941.

The defense leads the country in scoring defense (.00) and total defense (127 yards a game). They have posted back-to-back shutouts to begin a season for the first time since 1935. Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz is in his sixth season as the head man. He is 40-22 overall and made bowl games in his first four years. He is 22-7 at home. On offense, the Tigers are a perfect 11-for-11 in the red zone with nine TDs. Quarterback Brady Cook is 48-of-67 for 466 yards, one TD, and one INT. His QB rating is 130.75. Grad student Nate Noles leads the ground game with 123 yards on 23 attempts. Another grad student leads the receiving group. Theo Wease Jr. has 179 yards on 16 catches, he averages 11 yards a catch.

This will be a tough one on the road for the Boston College Eagles. But if they play the right way, it is one they have a shot of getting.