Image courtesy of ESPN
Kickoff: Saturday afternoon’s road game for BC is arguably the biggest for the program in at least a decade. The No. 24 Eagles – ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018 – travel to Missouri to take on the No. 6 ranked Tigers. While this game isn’t a conference game and won’t technically make or break any hopes BC fans have of the Eagles making a stunning playoff appearance in a few months, it’ll certainly go a long way in showing the rest of the country just how different things are now for BC.
1st Down: BC has been tested once while Missouri literally hasn’t played a meaningful down of football yet in two blowout wins. The win at FSU for BC may be a bit overrated when we look back on this season given the struggles that the Seminoles are having, but getting the win in a tough environment should go a long way in helping BC deal with the atmosphere it’ll be walking into on Saturday. The win over Duquesne also allowed BC to rest its starters for an entire half following a short week, so guys – especially the offensive line – should be more than ready to go when kickoff rolls around.
2nd Down: Defensively, this is going to be BC’s biggest test for the remainder of the year, unless you want to throw Louisville in that category. Quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III are the real deal and can make BC pay dearly if there’s any lapses on D. The front four for the Eagles has been as advertised so far, but probably still aren’t getting enough credit for how good they’ve been nationally. If this front four of Okpala, Ezeiruaku, Rooks and Horsely – as well as the depth guys like McConnell, Stoudmire and others can get consistent pressure and force some turnovers like they did against FSU, the Eagles should be in the hunt.
3rd Down: Offensively, it feels like the FSU game plan is the way to go. Control the clock and make Missouri feel what it’s like to play a physically dominant team up front. This five-headed monster at the running back position is something teams are going to have to deal with all year and what better way to silence a cocky midwest crowd than running the ball down the Tigers’ throats all day? If you can keep that offense off the field and control the clock like Week 1, it’s could be a long day for Mezzo. Don’t be surprised if we see Tommy Castellanos using his legs more than we’ve seen him through he first two weeks as well.
4th Down: Now, that’s not to say that BC won’t air it out either. Again, Missouri has not been tested at all this season and frankly, Jaedn Skeete, Lewis Bond, Jerand Bradley, Jayden McGowan, Reed Harris and co. are still sort of waiting for that true breakout game. Sure, there were some individual flashes against Duquesne, but if all those guys are involved AND the running game is rolling, who’s going to stop this offense? Balance will be key, but the run-first plan should be top of mind until the Tigers show they can stop it.
Extra Point: It feels like we say this every week, but special teams is still very interesting and a bit of an unknown for this team too. Sam Candotti hasn’t been the most consistent punter, the return game has lacked explosiveness and frankly, we still don’t really know what BC has in the kicking game either. Luca Lombardo still hasn’t attempted a field goal and Liam Connor kicked a few extra points late last week. If this game comes down to the wire and one of this two guys needs to make a big kick, none of us have any idea if they can handle the pressure or not. Special teams is unquestionably still the biggest question for the Eagles and their fans right now.
Final Drive: BC is a 17-point underdog, which seems a bit outrageous given what we’ve seen so far. This is a team that is ignoring the noise as best as possible – a Patriots staple that Bill O’Brien has brought over – but we also live in 2024 and these kids aren’t dumb, deaf or blind. They’ve heard and seen all of it. Hopefully, they use it to their advantage.
Prediction: BC 31, Missouri 17 – This team is for real and we believe they can pull off another Top 10 upset on the road. It’s going to be a slugfest and it feels like it’s coming down to the final possession or two. There’s a different aura around the program now and if we’re being honest, how cool would it be to have BC ranked in the Top 15 heading into the Red Bandana Game next Saturday night at a sold out Alumni? If you thought BC was starting to get some attention now, wait until you see what happens if they win this game.