Michigan State sent an injury-plagued underdog team on the road to play a primetime matchup in the rain in the middle of the host’s annual most important home game.

The Spartans thought they had a chance to win, but were unable to overcome crucial mistakes and suffered their first loss under Jonathan Smith.

Boston College (3-1, 1-0 ACC) took advantage of four turnovers by Michigan State (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), including an interception in the end zone by Aidan Chiles with 36 seconds left, to secure a narrow 23-19 victory on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.

After Michigan State settled for Jonathan Kim’s fourth and final field goal to take a three-point lead with just over four minutes to play, Thomas Castellanos threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond with 1:28 left in the game, who scored the game-winning touchdown.

Chiles took the Spartans down the field late and they had two timeouts left before he fired a shot at Montorie Foster in the end zone and was intercepted for the third time of the night, ending Boston College’s “Red Bandanna Game.”

Michigan State beat Boston College 368-295, but finished the game with minus-3 turnovers that the Eagles were able to convert into just seven points. The defense gave the Spartans a chance and made key stops, including limiting the home team to 2 of 4 in the red zone, but it wasn’t enough. There was also a brutal start to the second half with two turnovers by Michigan State that gave the Eagles 10 points in 13 seconds.

Chiles had a very inconsistent outing. He finished the game 17 of 35 passing for 241 yards, ran for 57 yards and scored one point on nine carries. He mixed impressive runs and some throws with missed opportunities for big plays and threw three interceptions.

The Spartans were missing four of their best receivers and had to look at depth. Montorie Foster led the team with 87 yards on four catches, while tight end Jack Velling had six catches for 77 yards. The running attack again struggled to find consistency. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams managed 15 carries for 61 yards, while Nathan Carter was limited to nine yards on nine attempts.

Castellanos completed 10 of 16 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, and Treshaun Ward and Turbo Richard combined for 24 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan State had two fourth-quarter wins in the first three weeks, but suffered another close loss. The first loss of the season comes at the start of a brutal schedule that includes hosting Ohio State next and then a trip to Oregon to continue Big Ten play.

On a rainy evening with temperatures in the low 10s, Michigan State’s undermanned offense struck after a three-and-out by Boston College that resulted in good field position. The offense picked up two first downs before stalling and Kim kicked a 41-yard field goal for the early lead.

Boston College missed a scoring opportunity when Cal Haladay forced Ward into a fumble that was recovered by Wayne Matthews at the 7-yard line. The next time the Eagles got the ball, they continued to pressure the Spartans, putting it in the net with an 11-yard run by Richard. A bad snap led to Luca Lombardo missing the extra point wide left for a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Michigan State responded with a much-needed offense of its own, although Chiles missed on some big gains. After a stellar individual effort that saw him pick up a first down on third-and-10, Chiles threw his third deep throw to Foster for a 40-yard gain. The quarterback threw the ball home on a 1-yard sneak on the next play for his third rushing touchdown of the season.

The Spartans had a chance to extend their lead late in the first half when Chiles crossed the halfway line on a 22-yard run. However, he missed a free velling up the middle and was intercepted by Carter Davis at the 22. Chiles shook off the mistake and led a late charge that stalled before a 26-yard field goal by Kim gave Michigan State a 13-6 lead with 20 seconds left in the half.

The Spartans came out of the locker room with a lead and got the ball, but started the third quarter in disastrous fashion. Lynch-Adams took the kickoff outside the end zone and was fouled at the 10-yard line, losing the ball and Boston College regained it at the 5-yard line. Despite the sudden change, Michigan State’s defense stood firm and pushed the Eagles back before Lombardo hit the post from 39 yards out, giving them their first field goal of the season.

Any chance to build on that stop quickly evaporated. Left tackle Ashton Lepo was called for a false start on the first play of the next possession, and immediately afterward Chiles was intercepted on a throw behind Velling. On the ensuing snap after Michigan State’s third turnover, Ward came around the edge and sprinted for a 36-yard touchdown run and a 10-point Eagles lead with 13 seconds remaining.

Chiles had a chance to put the Spartans back in front, but threw a completely free Foster too far for what would have been an easy touchdown. They settled for a 51-yard field goal by Kim in the rain to tie the game.

Boston College had a chance to retake the lead, but Castellanos was stopped by linebacker Jordan Hall on fourth down at the 1. After taking control at the 2, the Spartans put together their longest drive of the season – 18 plays over 9:24 – but had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Kim that gave them a 19-16 lead with 4:12 left.

After two consecutive scoreless possessions, the Eagles needed just six snaps to retake the lead, with Castellanos completing the longest pass of the game. Angelo Grose slipped in coverage and Lewis Bond scored a 42-yard touchdown with 1:28 left.

This set up Michigan State’s final possession, which looked promising before Chiles was intercepted by Max Tucker in the back of the end zone.

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