As Michigan State takes the field to take Boston College, they were without key contributors for the second game in a row. Starting safety Nikai Martinez did not return to the lineup after missing the opener against Western Michigan. Kicker Tarik Ahmetbasic and long snapper Kaden Schickel were also listed as out tonight. However, kicker Martin Connington would through in a huge way for the Spartans.
Punter Ryan Eckley continued the kickoff duties for the Spartans and got a fair catch from the Eagles,
leading to a topsy-turvy start to the game for MSU.
The Spartan defense looked great to start the game as BC came out looking to throw. MSU stopped a swing pass to Lewis Bond for no gain, forced an incompletion, and sacked quarterback Dylan Lonergan on third down to get off the field.
Omari Kelly fielded BC’s punt and it initially looked like he had some room to run. But Kelly ran into some traffic and dropped the ball, giving it right back to the Eagles.
Boston College looked to run with Turbo Richard this time. It was working as the Eagles picked up two first downs in three plays to move into the red zone. A swing pass to Richard moved the Eagles inside the MSU 1 yard line but Jordan Hall was there to make a play. He knocked the ball from Richard and MSU recovered in the end zone. Richard was initially ruled down but replay reversed the call officially giving the ball to MSU.
The Spartans took advantage on their first possession. Makhi Frazier went for 5 yards and then Aidan Chiles found Jayden Savoury for a 16 yard gain, with Savoury making an incredible fingertip catch.
A Chiles keeper up the middle gained 9 more yards and a facemask call on the Eagles gave MSU 15 more to the BC 35. Frazier took the next handoff, reversed direction and gained 14 more. The Spartans tried to open the playbook a bit with a reverse to Kelly. Boston College had it diagnosed though and forced another Kelly fumble. Fortunately for MSU, this one rolled out of bounds and MSU was able to keep possession.
Michigan State continued to move the ball, converting a fourth and 1 with a sneak from Chiles. Jack Velling was unable to reel in a high pass from Chiles in the end zone and MSU faced a 3rd and goal from the 11. Enter Nick Marsh for MSU who took a pass from Chiles at the 7 and absolutely bullied his way through BC defenders to the end zone to give the Spartans the first score.
The Eagles picked up a first down on their next possession before Michigan State was able to get off the field again. Armorion Smith ended the drive with a sure tackle on Bond when BC faced a third and 6. The bad news for MSU, however, was Malik Spencer going out with an injury. Spencer would eventually return but his temporary absence would hurt MSU the next time BC had the ball.
The Spartans took over on their own 19 but a crossing route to Marsh came up one yard short of the first down on the third and 7. An Eckley punt pinned BC at their 12 yard line but the Eagles quickly got out of the hole.
With Martinez and Spencer both out now, Lonergan found VJ Wilkins on a deep crossing route that picked up 56 yards. Lonergan to Bond went for another 19 before the Spartans were able to force a third and 7. Michigan State appeared to be out of position for the third down play though and the Eagles took advantage. MSU cornerback Josh Eaton moved towards the middle of the field pre-snap but this left Richard with an easy path to the end zone after taking a short pass from Lonergan.
After Boston College tied it 7, Alante Brown brought the kickoff out to MSU’s 40 yard line but the Spartans couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity. On second on 7, Chiles had all day to throw but his deep pass to Marsh was well ahead of its intended target. Two plays later, MSU would face another fourth and 1 at their own 49 and opted to go for it. A wildcat run by Tullis went nowhere though and BC had the ball back just inside MSU territory.
Michigan State had a chance to recover and get off the field after BC took over but Eaton was called for holding on a third and long to extend the Eagles’ drive. Lonergan continued to air it out and, on third and five from the MSU 12, found Jaden Skeete wide open in the end zone to put Boston College up 14-7 with 7:45 to go in the second quarter. It looked like it might have been a coverage bust for the Spartans, who really couldn’t afford to give Lonergan any help at this point.
Alante Brown sparked a brief MSU revival though. After initially dropping the kickoff, he covered and broke some tackles to take it all the way to the BC 33. After getting stuffed on first down, Frazier broke for a big gain on second down and more yards were added on after a BC player’s helmet fell off but he continued to play – seems like a tough penalty for effort.
Michigan State was able to tie it on a 3 yard Chiles to Michael Masunas pass after Masunas executed a great blocking fake and then slipped wide open into the end zone. With the defense struggling to contain Lonergan, Michigan State’s special teams and offense produced a much needed response.
Another crucial defensive mistake on defense, however, would lead to Boston College retaking the lead. MSU had the Eagles facing a third and 12 and forced the incompletion but Jordan Hall hit Lonergan after the throw and was called for roughing to extend the drive.
Boston College took advantage again. After scrambling around, Lonergan found Jeremiah Franklin for a 20 yard gain on a shovel pass to get it to the MSU 20. A couple plays later it was Lonergan to Reed Harris for a 14 yard touchdown and a 21-14 BC lead.
Michigan State had 31 seconds to work with before halftime but opted to go to the locker room and, presumably, work on a plan to stop Lonergan. At the half, the Eagles quarterback was 18-22 for 217 yards and all three of Boston College’s touchdowns.
Boston College also had the ball for over 18 minutes in the first half and this helped limit MSU to just 7 first downs and 113 total yards. Aidan Chiles threw for both of MSU’s touchdowns but was just 6-9 for 47 yards at the break. MSU was able to run for 66 yards on 15 carries in the first half.
The NBC TV announcers repeated the point that MSU has not outscored an FBS opponent in the second half in the Jonathan Smith era. Obviously, that would need to happen for MSU to come out of this one with a win.
The second half started how it needed to for MSU as Omari Kelly, who had a rough first half, made a great adjustment on an underthrown ball on a sideline route to convert a third and 6 at the BC 41. Chiles went deep on the very next play and found Marsh in the end zone to tie it at 21.
Again, the Michigan State offense had a response when needed to restore hope for the Spartan faithful. But what would the Spartans do about Lonergan?
Not much, initially. Boston College quickly moved it to the MSU 20 before the Spartans created a couple of negative plays. Lonergan to Bond picked up 9 on a third and 13 and the Eagles looked to go for it. A false start penalty made it third and 9 though and the Eagles opted for the field goal and the lead, 24-21, with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter.
Michigan State would find a way to respond again though. Marsh drew a pass interference to start MSU’s next drive positively. Later, on third and 8, Chiles made an amazing play to avoid a sack and then pick up 19 on the ground to the BC 37 – a huge play MSU absolutely needed to extend the drive. Brandon Tullis would go for 14 more before the drive stalled behind a holding penalty on Stanton Ramil and three straight incompletions.
Enter Martin Connington at kicker for MSU though. In his college debut, he drilled a 50 yarder to tie it 24 with 2:17 to go in the third quarter – another play that it seemed like the Spartans absolutely had to have.
Now, it was finally time for the MSU defense to make some plays. The Spartans swarmed a second and 10 swing pass to drop BC for a 7 yard loss. On third and 17, MSU dropped 8 into coverage to force an underneath throw. The Spartans made the tackle they needed and got off the field but, of course, not without some excitement. Boston College had a chance to punt again after MSU had 12 men on the field on their first punt attempt. On the second attempt, Omari Kelly nearly gave it away again by opting to field the bouncing punt with two BC defenders right by him. Kelly somehow held on and MSU had it at their 24 yard line to start the fourth quarter tied at 24.
Boston College took their turn to make a defensive stand, but not before a beautiful play by Chrishon McCray. The Kent State transfer made an amazing one-handed sideline grab after Chiles was forced to scramble. The 23 yard play was wasted though as it was followed by a holding call on Connor Moore and an Omar Thornton sack of Chiles, when Thornton was unblocked, put a stop to the MSU drive.
Ryan Eckley made the most of the situation though and pinned Boston College inside their one yard line with 11:24 to go.
Lonergan found Harris for 18 on the first play of the drive to get BC out of danger but the Michigan State defense stiffened after that. Three straight incompletions led to an Eagles punt and Michigan State took over again on their 33 with 10:34 to go.
The Spartans got things started with a 19 yard catch and run by Masunas. A few plays later, Chiles somehow escaped pressure again to pick up a third and 9 with a 15 yard scramble. An inside screen to McCray gave MSU first and goal and they appeared to have the go ahead touchdown on a 7 yard run from Elijah Tau-Tolliver. But another holding call on Ramil called it back. MSU worked it back to third and goal from the 9 but BC’s Owen McGowan blasted past Brandon Tullis to sack Chiles.
Connington salvaged the situation though with his second field goal to give MSU a 27-24 lead with 4:08 to go.
Boston College took over and used three plays to create a first down to get their drive going. Lonergan then missed on two passes to make it third and 10 but MSU couldn’t get off the field. Lonergran found Franklin for 16 and a first down near midfield at the two minute time out.
Three more completions – two to Bond and one to Franklin moved the ball to the MSU 25 but then the Spartans defense stiffened. MSU got it to fourth and five and BC opted to try a 38 yard field to tie the game. Luca Lombardo’s kick went through the uprights and knotted it at 27 with 1:16 to go.
This left Aidan Chiles and Michigan State with a chance to produce a game winning drive. It started promising enough but ended with Chiles gingerly walking off the field after being pressured. A Chiles 17 yard run and then a sideline pass to McCray had it in Boston College territory but it went in the wrong direction from there. Chiles was sacked twice and then went down accurately when pressured on third and long. He remained down on the field for a few minutes before making his way off the field with a limp.
One more Eckley punt pinned Boston College at the one again. The Eagles ran one play before going to overtime.
Boston College won the toss to start overtime and forced MSU to start the extra period on offense. Fortunately, Chiles was able to come back out and finish what the Spartans couldn’t do in regulation.
Chiles to Kelly picked up 3 yards before Frazier earned 4 more tough ones up the middle. On third and 3, with great protection, Chiles found Kelly over the middle at the 8. Frazier went up the middle for a few more to the five and then Chiles converted to Jay Coyne on a play action pass to put MSU up 34-27.
Boston College immediately responded though and needed just 4 plays to tie it when Lonergan found Franklin in the back of the end zone for his fourth touchdown of the game.
Lonergan and the Eagles would stay on the field to start the second overtime and, this time, it took just two plays to get in the end zone. Franklin struck again with a catch to get it to the 7 yard line and then Richard bounced off a tackle and made it to the end zone.
BC had to go for two though in the second overtime and Armorion Smith came up big here. He broke up Lonergan’s pass at the goal line after the quarterback felt some pressure.
So, it was MSU’s turn down 40-34 needing a touchdown and two point conversion to end the game. Chiles got his redemption here, starting with a 9 yard rollout to Masunas. Then a nifty Frazier cutback got it to the 3. After a BC timeout, Chiles called his own number and scored on a keeper to tie it at 40.
That set up the two-pointer and a beautifully executed throwback to Kelly converted to give MSU a thrilling win they absolutely needed.
Lonergan was as advertised for Boston College going 34-45 for 390 yards. However, the MSU defense only gave up two field goals in the second half while their offense started to catch fire. Chiles finished 19-29 for 231 yards and 4 TD’s while not giving away a turnover. The Spartans had another pretty productive day on the ground to go along with Chiles’ performance in running for 49 yards and 4.3 yards per carry.
The crowd looked electric and it will be interesting to see how MSU rides this excitement and momentum going forward.
