By Tiffany Williams –
Boston College football’s undefeated start to the 2025 season came to a heartbreaker on Saturday night as the Eagles fell 42-40 in double overtime at Michigan State. It was a thrilling, back-and-forth contest that saw BC rally from early deficits, trade scores with the Spartans, and push the game to the brink, only to come up just short.
Quarterback Dylan Lonergan had a career night, going 34-for-45 for 390 yards and four touchdowns. Lewis Bond led all receivers with 11 catches for 90 yards, while Turbo Richard made an impact both on the ground and through the air, rushing for 55 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and adding seven receptions for 66 yards and another score. Jeremiah Franklin, Reed Harris, and Jaedn Skeete also hauled in touchdowns to keep the Eagles in striking distance throughout.
Michigan State jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but BC responded early in the second with an 88-yard, six-play drive capped by a Turbo Richard eight-yard touchdown run. The Eagles quickly forced a turnover on downs and capitalized again, with Lonergan finding Jaedn Skeete for a 12-yard touchdown, giving BC a 14-7 lead. The Eagles closed the half on a high note when Lonergan threaded a pass over the middle to Reed Harris, giving BC a 21-14 advantage at halftime.
The Spartans tied the game early in the third quarter, but a 37-yard field goal from Luca Lombardo restored the BC lead at 24-21. Michigan State responded with a field goal of their own late in the quarter. In a key defensive sequence late in the fourth, Owen McGowan sacked the Spartan quarterback on 3rd-and-goal from the 9-yard line, forcing Michigan State to settle for a field goal and maintain a 27-24 lead.
BC drove 61 yards in the final minutes, setting up Lombardo for a 38-yard field goal that sent the game into overtime at 27-27. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, and the second overtime saw BC matching Michigan State again, but the Eagles could not convert the deciding two-point attempt, giving the Spartans a 42-40 victory.
Defensively, Omar Thornton led the Eagles with 11 tackles, including two for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble. McGowan added eight tackles, a sack, two TFLs, and a fumble recovery. BC totaled 457 yards (390 passing, 67 rushing) with 25 first downs and converted five of 11 third-down opportunities.
Boston College now turns its attention to ACC play next week with a cross-country trip to Stanford. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.