Extra Point: Will the Boston College Passing Attack Keep Up Momentum Against Michigan State This Week?
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I knew that Bill O'Brien trusted his new man under center a lot. After all, he named Dylan Lonergan the starter a few weeks ago. However, I did not know the extent of that trust until Lonergan came out and tossed a whopping four touchdowns against Fordham in the season opener.
What's more, though, is that Lonergan tossed 34 passes in just three quarters of play, which is more than BC would throw in an entire game at times last season. Standout wide receiver Lewis Bond hauled in 11 of Lonergan's 26 completions on his own, while both of Jaedn Skeete's receptions resulted in touchdowns for the junior wide out.
The passing attack was on full display against an inferior opponent, that much is certain, but can it be replicated against one that can do more than just hang with Boston College from a talent perspective? That much will be determined this weekend, when BC and Michigan State square off in a rematch of last season's thriller.
Last season, the Eagles played host to the Spartans in a torrential downpour. This year, BC makes the trip over to East Lansing for a primetime matchup that will air on NBC. Much has changed in 365 days, though, so who will Boston College need to game plan for on the MSU side to keep the passing attack rolling?
The MSU Defense is Riding High
Michigan State was one of just a few select Big 10 defenses to not allow a single point in its week one matchup. Granted, they were squaring off against Western Michigan, but the point still stands in that if the BC offense is carrying momentum into week two, so is the Michigan State defense.
The Spartans did so by locking down a pair of quarterbacks that Western Mich. threw into the fray, limiting the Broncos to just under a 50% completion rate and 188 yards of passing. Western Michigan isn't a world-beating team, but holding any offense in college football to such limited numbers means that players have a habit of being in the right place at the right time.
Truthfully, this matchup should be one of the more exciting and intriguing ones to watch on the slate for Week Two, with most schools opting for another tune up game or playing an inferior out-of-conference opponent. There's a reason it drew the primetime slot, after all.
However, as good as MSU's defense was in week one, BC's offense looked better. The team racked up well over 500 yards of total offense in its win, and should be looking to settle into a similar rhythm against an MSU team that has yet to have its feet held to the fire (although, neither has BC).
Prediction: Lonergan plays all four quarters and finishes with a stat line of 29/38 for 305 yards and three scores.
Final Score: Boston College 30, MSU 28 in another thriller.
Tanner Marlar has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade, including at Cowbell Country, Mississippi State On SI and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.
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