Rutgers-Boston College Kickoff Time Set for Nationally Televised Primetime Matchup
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Rutgers-Boston College Set for Primetime
Rutgers takes to the road for a nationally televised non-conference matchup against Boston College on Friday, September 11, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass., with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will have one of their quality non-conference games air on ESPN2 leading into their first Big Ten Conference contest.
This game will take on even greater meaning as they play on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. The annual Red Bandanna Game at Boston College is in honor of Red Bandanna Alum, Welles Crowther. His actions during the attacks are remembered by the program with great respect and are one of the traditions of the Boston College football program.
Former Big East Rivals Meet Again
This game between Rutgers and Boston College takes us back to when they were Big East Rivals. Both schools departed the former Big East Conference. The two schools played each other to kick off the Big East’s sponsorship of football in 1991 while Rutgers was an associate member. They also played each other after Rutgers became a full member of the conference in 1995, until the two teams stopped playing each other in 2005.
Boston College left the conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2005, while Rutgers remained through conference realignment, competing in the American Athletic Conference during the 2013-14 academic year before officially joining the Big Ten on July 1, 2014. While Boston College leads the all-time series 20-7-1, the two teams have each come away with a win in the last two years of competition between the two regional programs, with this year’s match-up looking to continue that split.
Rutgers Claimed the Last Meeting
The Scarlet Knights and Eagles will square off in 2026, and Rutgers will be looking to improve from their last trip to Chestnut Hill. Rutgers stormed back from a 9-point deficit in the second half to take the final 22-21 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA on September 3, 2022, for a win.
The BC Eagles were up 14-6 at the half against Rutgers. Phil Jurkovec completed 14/22 attempts for 147 yards and 3 Touchdowns in the half. BC’s future was also on display in the half as future NFL wideout Zay Flowers hauled in 2 of Jurkovec’s scoring throws. The Eagles built on their 21–12 halftime lead in the opening quarter of the second half, but where the Eagles looked to have all the possession and were winning the second half, Rutgers ended up coming back in the game.
The Scarlet Knights answered with a 33-yard field goal by Jude McAtamney late in the third quarter before engineering a game-winning 96-yard drive in the fourth. The Scarlet Knights concluded the scoring when running back Al-Shadee Salaam scored on a 22-yard run with 2:43 left on the clock. The Scarlet Knights converted the extra point attempt by McAtamney.
Phil Jurkovec completed the night with 283 yards and 3 touchdowns. Zay Flowers ended the night with 117 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. Rutgers elected to focus on a strong run game in order to achieve victory within the contest. The Scarlet Knights’ running back Kyle Monangai gained 64 yards on the ground, along with a touchdown for the team. In this game, Rutgers quarterback Evan Simon led the Scarlet Knights to victory in the second half of play.
Early Opportunity Before Big Ten Play
The Scarlet Knights will be looking for consecutive victories over Boston College for the first time since the early 1990s while attempting to narrow the Eagles' all-time series lead.
Rutgers will play in one of the school’s biggest games before Big Ten action commences: Friday night on ESPN2 for the team’s Red Bandanna Game, as they play a previously shuttered Big East foe. A good performance at Chestnut Hill could carry over to the Big Ten regular season for the Scarlet Knights.
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Edward Blair II is a journalist, sportscaster, news producer, and multimedia professional with experience spanning sports journalism, broadcast production, coaching, and digital media. He currently serves as a News Producer for KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota, while continuing to contribute sports coverage across multiple platforms. Blair has covered professional, collegiate, and pro sports as a writer for Sports Illustrated's On SI network, including coverage of the Seattle Storm, Philadelphia 76ers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and other programs. He also wrote for Last Word on College Football, where he covered Michigan Wolverines football and college football storylines nationwide. He is a contributor to Rutgers On SI.
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