Game 4: Michigan State (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at Boston College (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21
Kickoff: 8:05 p.m. ET
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Stadium: Alumni Stadium (44,500)
Surface: AstroTurf
►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ACC Network
Streaming/Mobile: WatchESPN | Watch Live
Announcers: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Dana Boyle (sidelines)
Live Stats: bceagles.com | Live Stats
Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 108/197 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 6:30 p.m.
►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: BC leads, 4-1-1
Series in Chestnut Hill: BC leads, 2-0-1
Last Meeting: No. 14 BC 24, MSU 21 (2007 Champs Sports Bowl)
Current Series Streak: 1 by BC
►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 3-0 (first year)
Overall Record: 37-35 (seventh year)
Record vs. BC: First meeting
Boston College Head Coach: Bill O’Brien
BC Record: 2-1 (first year)
Overall NCAA Record: 17-10 (third year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-0
• Michigan State closes out the nonconference portion of its schedule with a road matchup at Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The game will be televised on the ACC Network with Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst) and Dana Boyle (sidelines) on the call.
• The Spartans are looking to improve to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2021 after opening the Jonathan Smith era with wins over Florida Atlantic (16-10), Maryland (27-24) and Prairie View A&M (40-0). Smith is the fifth MSU head coach to start 3-0 overall in their first season as the Spartans’ head coach, and the first since Mark Dantonio in 2007. It marks the third year in a row Smith has started the season 3-0 (2022 and 2023 at Oregon State).
• Led by first-year head coach Bill O’Brien, Boston College is off to a 2-1 start. The Eagles entered the AP Top 25 at No. 24 last week following victories over then-No. 10 Florida State and Duquesne to start the season before falling in a close-fought game at No. 6 Missouri last Saturday, 27-21.
• Saturday’s game marks the seventh meeting between Michigan State and Boston College. The Eagles lead the overall series, 4-1-1, including a 2-0-1 record in Chestnut Hill. In the last matchup between the two schools, Boston College edged MSU, 24-21, in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida, during Hall of Fame Coach Mark Dantonio’s first season in East Lansing. Michigan State topped BC in East Lansing, 25-21, on Sept. 30, 1995, during Nick Saban’s first year as head coach of the Spartans in MSU’s only win over the Eagles. This will be the fourth time Michigan State has played at Boston College, and the first time since 1992.
• Michigan State recorded its first shutout since 2022 with a 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M and allowed just 17 rushing yards and 140 yards of total offense to the Panthers. Through three weeks, the Spartan defense ranks among the FBS leaders in sacks (tied for fifth with 11; 3.7 pg), team tackles for loss (ninth with 9.0 per game), total defense (16th at 242.3 ypg), scoring defense (23rd at 11.3 ppg) and rushing defense (23rd at 78.3 ypg).
• Redshirt junior cornerback Charles Brantley set a school record for the longest defensive play in Spartan history with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter vs. Prairie View A&M (previous record: Dan Bass, 99 yards vs. Wisconsin in 1978). It also marked just the 16th time in Big Ten history a player returned a pick six 100 yards for a score. Brantley has two interceptions on the season, tied for second most in the Big Ten.
►TRUE FRESHMAN NICK MARSH LEADS TEAM IN RECEIVING
• True freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh leads the Spartans with 77.3 receiving yards per game (11 catches for 232 yards). That mark also ranks seventh overall in the Big Ten and third in the FBS among freshmen in receiving yards per game.
• Marsh was named the Shaun Alexander Award National Freshman of the Week and the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after catching eight passes for 194 yards – the 10th-highest single-game total in Spartan history – in the victory at Maryland on Sept. 7. It also marked the second-most receiving yards in a game by a Spartan freshman.
►KAY’RON LYNCH-ADAMS, NATHAN CARTER PACE SPARTANS ON THE GROUND
• Sixth-year graduate Kay’ron Lynch-Adams leads the Spartans in rushing after three games, averaging 70.0 yards per game (34 carries for 210 yards; 6.2 avg., 1 TD), which ranks 12th in the Big Ten. He surpassed the 2,000-career rushing milestone with 46 yards on 10 carries at Maryland; he now has 2,098 career rushing yards in 51 collegiate games.
• Redshirt junior co-captain Nathan Carter has a team-high 38 carries for 198 yards (66.0 ypg; 5.2 avg.). He had a career-long 60-yard rushing TD vs. Prairie View A&M and had 91 yards overall on eight carries (11.4 avg.).
• Lynch-Adams and Carter have combined for 71 percent of the team’s rushing attempts (72 of 102).
►AIDAN CHILES OFF TO 3-0 START AS MSU’S QB1
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 216.7 passing yards per game. After throwing for 114 yards in his first career start in Week 1 against Florida Atlantic, Chiles passed for 363 yards in the win at Maryland on Sept. 7, the eighth-highest single-game total in MSU history and the most by a Spartan QB since Brian Lewerke threw for 400 in a win against Penn State in 2017. He was 12-of-19 passing for 173 yards and one TD vs. Prairie View A&M, in addition to a 6-yard rushing TD.
►SPARTANS LEAD BIG TEN IN TACKLES FOR LOSS, RANK SECOND IN SACKS
• Michigan State leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth in the FBS with 27.0 tackles for loss in three games (9.0 pg). The Spartans also rank second in the Big Ten and tied for fifth in the nation with 11 sacks (3.67 pg).
►TAKEAWAY TIME
• Michigan State has recorded four interceptions in the first two games (Nikai Martinez and Angelo Grose vs. FAU; Charles Brantley vs. Maryland and Prairie View A&M), tied for fourth most in the Big Ten.
►JORDAN TURNER, KHRIS BOGLE 1-2 IN BIG TEN IN TFLs
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner and sixth-year graduate senior defensive lineman Khris Bogle rank first and second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 5.0 and 4.5, respectively. Bogle also leads the team and ranks tied for third in the Big Ten with 2.5 sacks.
►JORDAN TURNER, ANGELO GROSE SHARE TEAM LEAD IN TACKLES
• Fifth-year graduate senior defensive back Angelo Grose and fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner are tied for the team lead with 19 stops apiece, which is also tied for fifth in the Big Ten. Grose has started 38 career games for the Spartans, tied for the most among active players, along with fifth-year graduate senior linebacker Cal Haladay.
►LINEBACKER CAL HALADAY EXTENDS STARTING STREAK TO 26 STRAIGHT GAMES
• Fifth-year graduate senior linebacker Cal Haladay has started 26 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team. He is currently third on the Spartan defense with 15 tackles; his 322 career tackles rank 16th most in MSU history.
►RAY GUY AWARD CANDIDATE RYAN ECKLEY LEADS BIG TEN IN PUNTING
• Redshirt sophomore Ryan Eckley, a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, ranks first in the Big Ten in punting with his 50.6-yard average. Eckley is tied for first in the conference with five punts of 50-plus yards. Last season, Eckley was named a Freshman All-American after averaging 46.8 yards per punt, the fifth-longest average in school history. His 50.6-yard average this season would lead the FBS, but does not yet officially qualify due to stat minimums (10 punts for 506 yards; needs 3.5 punts per game to qualify).
►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr.-6 Kay’ron Lynch-Adams (34 carries for 210 yards, 6.2 avg., 1 TD, 70.0 ypg)
Passing – So. Aidan Chiles (46-of-81, .568, 650 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs, 216.7 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-5 Montorie Foster Jr. (13 receptions for 113 yards, 8.7 avg., 1 TD, 37.7 ypg)
Tackles – Gr.-5 DB Angelo Grose/Sr.-5 LB Jordan Turner (19 tackles)
Boston College:
Rushing – Gr. Treshaun Ward (26 carries for 153 yards, 5.9 avg., 1 TD, 51.0 ypg)
Passing – Jr. Thomas Castellanos (35-of-54, .648, 589 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 196.3 ypg)
Receiving – R-Jr. Lewis Bond (10 receptions for 156 yards, 15.6 avg., 1 TD, 52.0 ypg)
Tackles – R-Fr. Carter Davis (17 tackles, 12 solo, 5 assists, 1 PBU)
►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game marks the seventh meeting between Michigan State and Boston College. The Eagles lead the overall series, 4-1-1, including a 2-0-1 record in Chestnut Hill.
• In the last matchup between the two schools, Boston College edged MSU, 24-21, in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida, during Hall of Fame Coach Mark Dantonio’s first season in East Lansing.
• Michigan State topped BC in East Lansing, 25-21, on Sept. 30, 1995, during Nick Saban’s first year as head coach of the Spartans in MSU’s only win over the Eagles.
• This will be the fourth time Michigan State has played at Boston College, and the first time since 1992.
►A QUICK GLANCE AT BOSTON COLLEGE (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
• The Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season, as No. 24 BC was overtaken by No. 6 Missouri, 27-21, last Saturday in Columbia, Missouri, spoiling Boston College’s upset bid after leading 14-3 midway through the second quarter, before Mizzou scored 24 unanswered to take a 27-14 lead . . . BC got within 27-21 with 3:45 to go, but Mizzou had two third-down conversions to run out the clock for the win.
• While MSU has one player from Massachusetts, redshirt junior tight end Ademola Faleye (Brockton, Mass. / Brockton), Boston College has four players from Michigan: graduate linebacker Kam Arnold (West Bloomfield, Mich./St. Mary’s); redshirt freshman offensive lineman Eryx Daugherty (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice); graduate long snapper Jackson Gugni (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves) and graduate defensive back Cameron Martinez (Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon (Ohio State).
• For the season, BC is fifth in the ACC and 37th in the FBS in scoring offense (35.0 ppg), while ranking fourth in the conference and 31st in the country in scoring defense (13.3 ppg), both boosted by Boston College’s 56-0 win over Duquesne on Sept. 7 in the Eagles’ lone home game thus far.
• BC leads the ACC and ranks sixth in the FBS in fewest penalty yards per game (26.0), ranking second in the conference and 11th in the country in fewest penalties per game (3.67) . . . the Eagles have just been called for 11 penalties this season, ranking fourth in the league and 20th in the nation in fewest penalties.
• The Boston College offense is 11th in the ACC and 64th in the FBS in total offense (408.7 ypg), while ranking third in the league and 32nd in the nation in rushing offense (204.7 ypg) and 15th in the ACC and 89th in the FBS in passing offense (204.0).
• The Eagles’ defense is seventh in the ACC and 38th in the FBS in total defense (289.3 ypg), ranking fifth in the conference and 27th in the country in rushing defense (85.7 ypg), while ranking ninth in the league and 70th in the nation in passing yards allowed (203.7 ypg).
• Junior quarterback Thomas Castellanos is second in the ACC and fifth in the FBS in passing efficiency (204.0), on 35-of-54 passing for 589 yards (196.3 ypg), and ranking second in the conference and ninth in the country in passing TDs (9) . . . Additionally, Castellanos tops the league and ranking sixth in the nation in passing yards/completion (16.8), while ranking second in the ACC and seventh in FBS in points responsible for (60) . . . Castellanos also has 28 carries for 97 yards (3.5 ypp/32.3 ypg), with one rushing TD.
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Lewis Bond leads the BC receivers with 10 catches for 156 yards (15.6 ypc/52.0 ypg) with one TD, while graduate running back Treshaun Ward adds five receptions for 105 yards (21.0 ypc/35.0 ypg), with two TDs.
• BC head coach Bill O’Brien is in his first season leading the Eagles and is 17-10 overall as a collegiate head coach, after two seasons at Penn State (2012-13), going 15-9 with the Nittany Lions. O’Brien was also head coach in the NFL with the Houston Texans from 2014-20. Along with Penn State, O’Brien has Big Ten experience at Maryland (2003-04 running backs coach).
►LAST MEETING: NO. 14 BOSTON COLLEGE 24, MSU 21 (2007 CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL)
• Matt Ryan completed 22-of-47 passes for 249 yards and three scores to lead No. 14 Boston College to a 24-21 victory over Michigan State in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl. The Eagle defense forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by All-American Jamie Silva.
• Javon Ringer rushed 21 times for 101 yards against the nation’s top-ranked rushing defense, while Brian Hoyer was 14-of-36 passing for two touchdowns and four interceptions.
• Michigan State started the game with a bang, as Devin Thomas returned the opening kickoff 79 yards to the BC 18. Three plays later, Kellen Davis scored on an 18-yard strike from Hoyer as the Spartans jumped out to a 7-0 lead. BC scored two touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter, but two Brett Swenson field goals trimmed the Spartan deficit to 14-13 at the 8:21 mark in the third quarter.
• BC kicked a 28-yard field goal with 5:10 left in the third to go up 17-13 before Ryan connected on a 68-yard to Rich Gunnell early in the fourth quarter gave the Eagles a 24-13 lead. Midway through the fourth quarter, Greg Jones sacked Ryan and forced a fumble that was recovered at the BC 37. Three plays later, Hoyer hooked up with Deon Curry for a 14-yard scoring pass as the Spartans rallied to within 24-21 with 6:04 left in the game. Michigan State got the ball back twice in the closing minutes but failed to enter BC territory. The Spartans outgained Boston College in total yards, 303-276.
LAST TIME OUT: MSU 40, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 0
►QUICK RECAP
• Michigan State scored touchdowns on three of its first four drives to open up a 27-0 halftime lead en route to a 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M (1-2) last Saturday in Spartan Stadium.
• It was the first shutout victory for the Spartans since a 52-0 win over Akron on Sept. 10, 2022. Michigan State also improved to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2021.
• MSU accumulated 458 yards in total offense, including 270 passing and 188 on the ground.
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 12-of-19 passes for 173 passes and a touchdown, while also running one in and sixth-year graduate Tommy Schuster completed 8-of-10 passes for 97 yards and rushed for the team’s final score.
• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter had eight carries for 91 yards and a score, while sixth-year graduate running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams had 15 carries for 63 yards.
• Redshirt senior linebacker Jordan Turner had seven tackles, including a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss to lead the MSU defense.
►SCORING SUMMARY
• Michigan State scored touchdowns on its first two drives to jump out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. On MSU’s opening possession, Chiles capped an 11-play, 60-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, his second of the season. Chiles then connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Aziah Johnson, his first career collegiate TD, with seven seconds left in the opening quarter.
• The Spartans extended their lead to 27-0 with two more touchdowns in the second quarter. Nathan Carter busted loose for a 60-yard touchdown, the longest of his career, at the 4:45 mark. In the last minute of the half, redshirt junior Charles Brantley picked off a pass in the end zone and ran it all the way back for an official 100-yard interception return, the longest interception return in school history.
• Brantley’s pick-six broke the previous school record interception return of 99 yards set by Dan Bass against Wisconsin in 1978.
• MSU scored on three straight possessions in the second half, with sixth-year kicker Jonathan Kim hitting a 33-yard field goal at the 8:24 mark of the third quarter and pushing the Spartans lead to 33-0 on a 23-yard field goal with 11:46 left to play in the game.
• Schuster closed out the MSU scoring with a 1-yard rush to cap a 10-play, 56-yard drive with 3:49 left to play in the game..
►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Michigan State scored a season-high 40 points, the most points since scoring 45 in Week 2 of last season against Richmond . . . the Spartans scored a TD on their opening possession for the second game in a row, after scoring a TD last week at Maryland on its first offensive series.
• A total of eight different Spartans had at least one rushing attempt, while 10 different MSU players had a catch.
• Chiles was 12-of-19 passing for 173 yards and one TD . . . after three TDs in Week 2 at Maryland, Chiles registered his second straight game with a TD pass for just the second time in his career, after back-to-back games vs. Cal and UCLA last season while he was at Oregon State . . . Chiles now has four passing TDs on the season, matching his season total from his time at Oregon State.
• Chiles also rushed three times for 8 yards, including a 6-yard scamper for a TD in the first quarter on the Spartans’ opening possession . . . Chiles now has two rushing TDs after also finding the end zone in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic.
• Graduate back-up quarterback Tommy Schuster made his Spartan debut after transferring from North Dakota . . . Schuster was 8-of-10 passing for 97 yards, including going 6-of-6 on his first series spanning the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter, capping the drive with a field goal and a 33-0 Spartan advantage . . . Schuster then scored his first TD as a Spartan on the next MSU possession, on a 1-yard scoring plunge to paydirt on his lone rushing attempt of the day . . . it was Schuster’s sixth career rushing TD.
• Redshirt junior running back Nathan Carter had eight carries for 91 yards with a TD on a 60-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter . . . it was Carter’s first rushing TD of the season, his fifth as a Spartan and the eighth of his collegiate career . . . the 60-yard scamper was the longest offensive play of Carter’s collegiate career.
• Graduate running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams had a team and game-high 15 carries for 63 yards, his second game as a Spartan with 50 or more yards after his 101 yards in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic . . . the 15 rushing attempts are a season high and the most since 18 vs. UConn during his career at UMass.
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Aziah Johnson scored the first TD of his Spartan career with the 17-yard scoring catch from Chiles in the first quarter for MSU’s 14-0 lead . . . Johnson added a career-long 33-yard catch in the third quarter to finish with two receptions for 50 yards . . . Johnson is the fourth different Spartan with a TD reception this season.
• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. led the Spartan receivers with four catches, going for 37 yards . . . Foster extended his streak of one catch in 16-consecutive games dating back to 2022, and he has at least one catch in 26 of his last 38 career games played.
• Sophomore wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. snared a career-high three catches for 42 yards.
►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• The Spartans held PVAMU to just 17 rushing yards, the lowest total by an opponent this season and the first time holding the opposition to 25 yards or fewer since 22 by Akron (27 carries) on Sept. 10, 2022 . . . it was the fewest yards since holding Tulsa to -73 yards by Tulsa (25 carries) on Aug. 30, 2019.
• Redshirt junior defensive back Charles Brantley’s 100-yard interception return in the second quarter was the longest defensive TD in school history, bettering the previous record of 99-yard INT return by Dan Bass in 1978 vs. Wisconsin . . . Brantley now has MSU’s last two pick-sixes as last Saturday’s INT for a TD was the first since Brantley had a 32-yard pick-six vs. Ohio State on Oct. 8, 2022.
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Turner matched his jersey number with total tackles for the second-straight game with a game-high seven stops . . . Turner added 1.5 tackles for loss (11 yards) and 1.0 sack (9 yards), logging a TFL for the third game in a row.
• Senior linebacker Cal Haladay had four tackles, adding a career-high tying 1.0 sack as part of 1.5 tackles for loss.