In a duel between the 25 best teams, Boston College narrowly lost to Missouri 27:21.
The Eagles got off to a perfect start. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos drove the team down the field and scored the first point. Castellanos used his legs and extended plays to give BC a strong early lead with 16/28 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a pass to Jerand Bradley on fourth down. Mizzou responded with a field goal to end the first inning.
Both teams struggled on their next possession, but BC was again the next to score. After a botched snap, Castellanos intercepted the ball again and threw it to a wide-open Reed Harris deep down the field. The Eagles benefited greatly from numerous Missouri penalties that helped extend both of these drives.
But the Tigers answered with another field goal to make it 14-6. Boston College struggled to stop Mizzou’s running game from the outside, but managed to keep them out of the end zone.
Shortly after, things changed for the Eagles. With less than five minutes left in the first half, Castellanos hit a ball downfield and was intercepted. Brady Cook quickly found his main man, Luther Burden III, who was able to score and tied the score with a two-point conversion. Before they knew it, BC punted again and Mizzou was able to score a 55-yard field goal and take the lead at halftime.
Mizzou managed to get to the 21st when they started with the ball. Cook took his team down 75 yards and then did it himself. The Eagles struggled to bring down Burden, and Mizzou consistently converted on third and fourth attempts, finishing the third down 11-19.
BC’s running game never really got going, finishing with just 46 yards at the end of the game. The Eagles defense kept the game at 10 points and continued to benefit from the Tigers offense’s many undisciplined penalties. Early in the fourth quarter, Castellanos was caught again for not getting the ball in the air enough as well. Missouri’s next possession lasted over seven minutes, but the defense limited them to another field goal.
With less than six minutes left, Castellanos and the offense launched the comeback attempt. He found Lewis Bond for a great third down. The ever-reliable Bond finished with four catches and 51 yards. Castellanos found his tight end Kamari Morales for a 38-yard touchdown, bringing BC within one possession. Unfortunately, the Eagles couldn’t contain Cook or Mizzou’s running backs. Cook, who had several crucial conversions of his own, finished the game with a first down on the ground.
The Eagles look to rejuvenate upon their return home and welcome Michigan State to the Red Bandana Game.
