Boston College vs. Rutgers: Gameday Open Thread/Live Blog

Go Eagles!

It's Gameday! After last week's devastating loss to the Kansas Jayhawks it's time for th Eagles to get back in the win column against former Big East foe Rutgers. It's a big game for a lot of reasons, it's a must win game for Steve Addazio and Chris Ash, it's a home coming game for quarterback Anthony Brown, Ben Petrula and multiple other Eagles, and of course New Jersey is a recruiting hotbed for both programs. Can Boston College find their mojo again get their defense going again, or are we in store for another disappointing loss?

Gametime: Noon

Television: Big Ten Network

Spread: Boston College (-8)

Join us as we live-blog and discuss the Boston College Eagles and Rutgers Scarlet Knights here in our new weekly Gameday Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply going to the top of the site and in the bottom righthand corner of the BC Maven logo, click the follow button.

You can log in with Facebook or Google and either way, it's free. From there, sound off in the comment section and share your reactions and observations with our staff, subscribers and fellow members of the BC Maven community as we react to the game in real time. 

Rutgers Week Podcast: 

Prediction Threads: You can read AJ's here and Mike's here. Make sure to click into AJ''s and leave your prediction for the contest. 

Depth Chart: 

First Quarter

Travis Levy with the kick return, gets very little, BC starts at the 20

AJ Dillon is gashing Rutgers, after a Jake Burt drop he runs it ahead for 13

David Bailey with a LONG 42 YARDTD run, that was easy. 7-0 Eagles

BC's run defense looks good on the first play, Joey Luchetti stops Pacheco for 2 yard loss, after a long run, Sitkowski almost throws a INT and BC forces the punt. 

There is no reason BC should throw the ball against this defense, they are crushing Rutgers at the point of attack

Two false start penalties on this drive, Tyler Vrabel and Anthony Palazallo, killing this drive.  Drive stalls and BC will have to punt.

There it is, defense breaks down Rasheem Blackshear for a 70+ yard touchdown. Mike Palmer blows his assignment. Then this happened:

Rutgers center Mike Maietti was so fired up about that touchdown, he legit punched QB Art Sitkowski in the face: pic.twitter.com/ySC9HaAKss

— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) September 21, 2019

BC goes three and out. Anthony Brown continues to throw across his body on roll outs. I don't get it. 

After a first down (with a blown tackle by Palmer again), BC tightens up and forces a punt. Great tackle on third down by Jason Maitre. Personal foul on TJ Rayam and they don't get the punt. BRUTAL

BC can't tackle, they are missing tackles left and right. Rutgers in the red zone. 

2nd Quarter

Rutgers hits a field goal and takes the lead 10-7.

AJ Dillon runs for a first down, but Anthony Brown can't find his receivers and it's punt time again for the Eagles. 

3rd down and Sitkowski hits a tight end, BC can't get off the field. 

Brandon Barlow rips the ball loose from Pacheco, and Mehdi El-Attrach scoops it up. BC is back in business. But was he down?

BC runs the ball effectively again with AJ Dillon, and Anthony Brown punches it in, BC is back in the lead 14-10

Rutgers moves the ball again, but punts it to BC at the 10.

Snap infraction, and nothing for the Eagles who punts, Rutgers is stacking the box and forcing Anthony Brown to do something. 

BC's defense starting to look a little stouter, Tanner Karafa rushes Sitkowski who gets rid of the ball quickly, great stick by Nolan Borgersen. Korsak punts it, again BC has bad field position. 

Brutal drop by Zay Flowers, he was WIDE OPEN on a roll out by Anthony Brown. Run AJ Dillon for five yards, Brown overthrows Korab Idrizi and it's another punt. 

Rutgers gets the ball, hits two passes again in front of Mike Palmer.  Max Richardson has made two big plays, blows up a screen pass that would have been a big gain. Rutgers run another screen, go for the field goal and hit it 14-13.

BC gets a big pass to Ben Glines, and hits Hunter Long as well, But BC stalls out near the red zone. Eagles didn't try to go at the end zone, very conservative. Boumerhi hits the field goal and Eagles have the 17-13 halftime lead.  

3rd Quarter

BC starts off offside on the kick, has to rekick and Danny Longman kicks it out of bounds. Rutgers starts at 35. Blackshear makes it a big run after the catch, but is it called back on an offensive pass interference. 3rd and long Pacheco gets a decent gain. Rutgers punt. 

Zay Flowers with a nice short pass, that he takes for 16 yards. Jake Burt with a fantastic catch on a terrible pass by Brown. Dillon with a long run, two Rutgers defenders down in three plays. Dillon is completely wearing them down, which ends with a goal line leap. BC is up 24-13 after Boumerhi hits an UGLY extra point that bounces off uprights. 

Sitkowski hits a few passes, good tackle by Max Richardson on a pass, and then good pressure by the BC front causes a hold that ends the drive.

Looks like Jahmin Muse is in there at safety, haven't seen Mike Palmer out there, did Bill Sheridan make a switch? 

Moving the ball at will with David Bailey, but Korab Idrizi fumbled it. Or did he? He did not. False start on Hunter Long, and a pass behind Kobay White and this drive is over. 

BC's defense allows huge pass to Blackshear, but starts to lock down again, Maitre almost has the INT and Rutgers hits a 49 yard FG. 24-16

Anthony Brown all of a sudden has become a mobile QB and has two first downs for them. AJ Dillon does the rest and it is 30-16 BC after point after try fails.

Sitkowski gets a huge 4th and long, but two plays later throws an INT to Mike Palmer on a desperation heave after great pressure by Bryce Morais. That should do it.