Preview: Michigan State vs Boston College Football

After a 23-6 season opener win against the Western Michigan Broncos, the Michigan State Spartans are set to face off against the Boston College Eagles under the lights at Spartan Stadium on Saturday night.

Michigan State is looking to avenge last year’s 23-19 loss to the Eagles and take a W in what many Spartan fans believe is a must-win game. It would also be a signature win for head coach Jonathan Smith in year two, and would help ease the anxiety of the fanbase. 

Keys to the game for Michigan State

Michigan State wide receiver Omari Kelly is looking to build off his impressive performance from his MSU debut last Friday. The Middle Tennessee State transfer recorded seven receptions for 75 yards in the win over Western Michigan. Wide receiver Nick Marsh is also a player to watch for Michigan State against the Eagles. Marsh recorded five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in the season opener. We could see Marsh record more yards against Boston College; he could very well, along with Kelly, be a deciding factor in the game for MSU.

The running back duo of Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier was impressive in the season opener against Western Michigan. Frazier led the Spartans in rushing, recording 103 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Tullis rushed for 52 yards on seven carries for a touchdown. Both running backs, who are Texas natives, hope to form a running duo that has a great impact on the Spartans' offense this season. 

The biggest key in this matchup against Boston College will be quarterback Aidan Chiles. Chiles struggled in last season’s 23-19 loss to Boston College, throwing for 241 yards and three interceptions.

Chiles’s ability to take care of the football in this year’s matchup will make or break MSU’s ability to start the season at 2-0. In the win against the Broncos, Chiles showed his growth and maturity as a quarterback in his decision-making from last season. Chiles threw for 155 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-23 passing. 

Michigan State’s offensive line, which looked good to begin the game, struggled in the second half. MSU’s offensive line will need to protect Aidan Chiles if it hopes to move the ball against Boston College’s defense. 

Scouting Boston College

Boston College comes to East Lansing following a dominating 66-10 win over FCS opponent Fordham last Saturday. New Boston College starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns in his Eagles debut.

While not as talented as former Boston College quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who just led Florida State to an upset win over Alabama, Lonergan is a quarterback that the Spartans' defense will have to play well against. Going into a hostile environment at Spartan Stadium will be a big test for the sophomore quarterback.

Despite an impressive performance in the passing game, the Eagles struggled to run the football against Fordham, which is something the Spartans will look to take advantage of on Saturday night. The Eagles' leading rusher in the win against Fordham was running back Turbo Richard, who finished the game with 48 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. 

The Spartans' defense was dominant up front at stopping the run against Western Michigan. The Broncos recorded a total of 29 rushing yards against the Spartans. Knowing that the Spartans were dominant in stopping the run, and that Boston College struggled in their season opener in rushing, the Eagles could very well look to beat MSU in the passing game and put their secondary to the test. 

Other players that the Spartans will need to look out for are Lewis Bond and Dawson Pough at the wide receiver position. Bond was stellar for the Eagles last weekend, collecting 138 yards and 11 catches against Fordham. Boston College is also talented at the tight end position with Jeremiah Franklin. In four seasons with the Eagles, Franklin has over 500 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively for Boston College, the Spartans' offensive line will have to perform well up front against Kwan Williams, Sedarius McConnell, and Quintayvious Hutchins. KP Price and Max Tucker are defenders to watch in the Eagles' secondary.

How to Watch

Michigan State will kickoff tomorrow night against Boston College at 7:30 with the game being broadcast live on NBC and Peacock. The game is a part of NBC's coverage of Big Ten Saturday Night, which will be the fifth time an MSU football game has been broadcast on NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night. MSU has a 1-4 record in those games, with its lone win coming last season against Iowa, winning 32-20.

MSU looks to solve second-half issues

Dating back to last season, Michigan State has struggled in the second half of games. The last time the Spartans outscored an opponent in the second half was last September against Prairie View A&M. Michigan State won that game against the Panthers 40-0. 

MSU will look to avoid the second-half performance they had against Western Michigan, where they only recorded a safety and allowed six points off a pick-six by backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. The Spartans will need to have a productive second half against the Eagles on Saturday night to win, especially if the game is tight at halftime. 

Prediction  

There is pressure on MSU head coach Jonathan Smith to win this game, as the result will dictate which direction the Spartans will likely be heading this season. Win the game, and the Spartans are looking at a 3-0 start heading into their first road game against USC. Lose and MSU could be in for a long season.

This game will be close throughout, but in the end, the Spartans will ride the momentum of the home crowd and win the game with a huge defensive stop in the fourth quarter.

Michigan State 27, Boston College 24