Stanford Football: Getting to Know Boston College Before Saturday's Matchup

On Saturday night, Stanford football hosts their first game of the season. They will take on the Boston College Eagles, in what will be their first time meeting up in an ACC game. Stanford is heading in as the underdogs in this one.

Coming into the season, the Cardinal looked to bounce back after four straight 3-9 years, but Stanford has had a disastrous start to the 2025 campaign. New coaching changes and continuity defensively looked to be the key, but after an 0-2 start with a loss to Hawaii and just one offensive touchdown all season, the Cardinal absolutely need a win on Saturday against Boston College.

The Eagles started their season solid, beating Fordham 66-10 at home, but falling to Michigan State in double overtime on the road. BC is a solid team, and needs a bounceback game on Saturday to increase their chances at a bowl game appearance.

Let’s get to know more about Boston College before Saturday’s contest.

The most notable thing to mention is their offensive firepower, that has clearly been expressed this season. 66 points against Fordham could have been a fluke, but backing it up with 40 against Michigan State puts their season average at 53 two games in.

Dylan Lonergan is their starting quarterback, going for a total of 658 yards, eight touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Not only can he make big plays, but he hasn’t made mistakes that have cost games.

His biggest receiving threat is Lewis Bond, who has gotten 228 yards, and Jaedn Skeete, who although has just 67 yards, has hauled in three touchdowns. Each receiver clearly has his own role, and as we have seen, it works well.

Defense isn’t necessarily the Eagles’ strong suit, but they certainly have players that make plays. Their top three tacklers are all defensive backs, two of which have earned a sack as well. However, none have an interception.

Boston College will also be shorthanded on the defensive end. "Defensive tackle Owen Stoudmire and cornerback Amari Jackson will both be out against Stanford on Saturday night after suffering injuries at Michigan State."

Stanford’s gameplan should be simple. Offensively, they need to run the ball down the middle, and find Sam Roush in the middle of the field, preferably on slants. Boston College tackles too high, and isn’t good at bringing guys down, meaning if Gulbranson finds our bigger players, such as Roush, that could lead to some big plays.

Defensively, they need to understand each receiver's strengths, and match up accordingly. Lonergan looks great in the pocket even with pressure, meaning we should drop players in coverage rather than rush and blitz often.

This is a huge game for both Stanford and Boston College. The winner gets put in the right direction, while the loser will have to rebound entering ACC play.