2025 Boston College Football Early Opponent Preview, Week 2: Michigan State
For the second time in two seasons, the Boston College football program is scheduled to play Michigan State during primetime hours.
The Eagles picked up a thrilling 23-19 victory over the visiting Spartans at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 21, 2024 to become 3-1 on the season. The matchup marked the only night-time home game for BC in 2024.
The Bill O’Brien effect emerged fully into the light, however, as the Eagles drew over 44,000 in attendance for the win which saw the program ranked in the AP Top-25 Poll the week after.
This time, BC is on the visiting end of the matchup, with the game scheduled for Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. The Eagles’ 2025 campaign starts with a home contest against Fordham on Aug. 30 at 2 p.m.
Here is everything you need to know about BC’s Week Two opponent and matchup.
Offense
The Spartans did not have a great passing attack in 2024 to say the least.
As a sophomore, quarterback Aidan Chiles averaged 201.2 passing yards per game, good for 13th in the Big Ten out of 17 eligible quarterbacks. Michigan State’s passing offense as a whole, which averaged 218.1 passing yards per game, ranked 79th in the country and the offense only registered 13 passing touchdowns in the entire season.
To make matters worse, some of Chiles’ primary targets in 2024 have since departed East Lansing over the 2025 offseason. Sophomore Nick Marsh is the team’s top returning wideout and will likely be its star player on offense, but Chiles will have to rely on transfer wide receivers Omari Kelly (previously at Middle Tennessee) and Chrishon McCray (Kent State).
As a freshman, Marsh racked up 41 receptions for 649 receiving yards and three touchdowns, which gives Chiles a reliable, go-to pass catcher who he has already developed chemistry with in real games. But part of Chiles’ skillset, along with the Spartans’ offensive scheme as a whole, is driven by his legs and what the running back room has to offer.
Chiles ranked third on the roster in rushing yards last season with 255 and three touchdowns, behind Nate Carter (499 rushing yards, five touchdowns) and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams (649 yards, two touchdowns).
Lynch-Adams is now a rookie for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League and Carter is with the Atlanta Falcons, which leaves another hole for offensive coordinator Bill Lindgren to fill. Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis are the only two backs on the current 2025 roster with game experience from 2024, but the two combined for just 14 carries for 41 yards.
That leaves the room open to be led by Sacramento State transfer Elijah Tau-Tolliver, a redshirt senior who tallied 1,538 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 41 games for the Hornets the past four seasons.
Defense
The Spartans inherited a senior edge rusher, Isaac Smith, who accumulated 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season at Texas Tech, which provides solid depth on the line to a team which ranked 17th out of 18 in the Big Ten in total tackles.
Michigan State’s total sacks (19.0) ranked third least in the conference as well, which Smith should help build up.
MSU’s leading tackler from 2024 was Jordan Turner, who is off to the NFL with the Denver Broncos now, so there will be a handful of players on the defensive side that defensive coordinator Joe Rossi will require to step up.
One of those players is Jordan Hall, who will likely take over the middle linebacker position from Turner. Safety Malik Spencer was second on the team in tackles in 2023, but missing three games in 2024 significantly dropped his performance—Spencer generated 73 tackles two years ago compared to 44 last season.
He is expected to be at full strength heading into 2025 and a leader for the team on the defense, which should, in turn, increase both his role overall and in terms of his statistics.
Another high-IQ defensive back on the Spartans’ roster is safety Nikai Martinez, who came third on the team in tackles in 2024 with 51 through 11 games. Tackling is not the only area of the defense which needs work—MSU’s nine interceptions in 2024 also ranked in the bottom tier of the Big Ten, so there is need for a complete revamp from Rossi to turn things around in 2025.
Schedule
MSU begins its 2025 campaign with three straight home games. The Spartans initially host Western Michigan, then BC and Youngstown State the following week. The last time Michigan State began its season on the road came back in 2021, when the Spartans went 11-2 and 7-2 in the Big Ten.
BC has played on the road for its opening-season game every year since 2023 but will start its season in Chestnut Hill in 2025 before heading to East Lansing. The Eagles are 5-1-1 against MSU all-time, and the two programs have never played a game in back-to-back seasons until now.
Outlook
This shouldn’t be a walk in the park for BC by any means, but the Eagles are the clear early favorite after defeating the Spartans in 2024. This matchup will give each program a chance to impress in the spotlight with the 7:30 p.m. kickoff time, and BC has historically performed well over the past five seasons in its initial four games.
The Eagles’ quarterback situation for 2025 is still unclear. Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan and Grayson James, BC’s primary starter in 2024 after replacing a benched Thomas Castellanos—now at Florida State—are still in the mix for the job with O’Brien not officially naming a starter yet. But MSU still has a lot to overcome after failing to qualify for a bowl game in 2024 and posting a 1-4 record in its final five games of the season.
Boston College at Michigan State:
Boston College Eagles On SI takes a long look at each of the Eagles’ upcoming opponents this season.
The Game
Date: Sept. 6, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, Peacock
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.
Series: Boston College leads the all-time series 5-1-1.
The Team
Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Lindgren
Defensive Coordinator: Joe Rossi
2024 Record: 5-7
Players to Watch: QB Aidan Chiles, WR Nick Marsh, WR Omari Kelly, RB Elijah Tau-Tolliver, S Malik Spencer, Edge Isaac Smith
Top Newcomer: Edge Isaac Smith
The School
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Founded: 1855
Enrollment: 52,089
Nickname: The Spartans
Colors: Spartan Green and White
Mascot: Sparty the Spartan
The Program
Last Time Beat Boston College: 1995
Last Time Won Big Ten: 2015
National Championships: 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966
Conference Championships: 1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010, 2013, 2015
Bowl Appearances: 30 appearances, 14-16 record
Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2024
Heisman Trophies: None
2025 NFL Draft Picks: Luke Newman, Round 6 Pick 19 (195 overall), Chicago Bears
Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: 2025 - No. 57; 2024 - No. 42; 2023 - No. 24; 2022 - No. 23
Schedule
Aug. 29: vs. Western Michigan
Sept. 6: vs. Boston College
Sept. 13: vs. Youngstown State
Sept. 20: at USC
Oct. 4: at Nebraska
Oct. 11: vs. UCLA
Oct. 18: at Indiana
Oct. 25: vs. Michigan
Nov. 1: at Minnesota
Nov. 15: vs. Penn State
Nov. 22: at Iowa
Nov. 29: vs. Maryland (in Detroit, Mich.)
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Graham Dietz is a 2025 graduate of Boston College and subsequently joined Boston College On SI. He previously contributed to The Heights, the independent student newspaper, from fall 2021, including as sports editor. Graham works for The Boston Globe as a sports correspondent, covering high school football, girls' basketball, and baseball. He was also a beat writer for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2023.