A Rivalry Returns, and Boston College Has Everything to Prove
- BC Football Fans
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
Week 1: Fordham vs. Boston College
CHESTNUT HILL, MASS -- On Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium, Boston College and Fordham meet for the first time since 1954. The rivalry once helped define college football in the Northeast, when Vince Lombardi wore maroon and Frank Cavanaugh built programs that packed Yankee Stadium. That history is real and rich, but this game is not about nostalgia. It is about Boston College’s urgency to show what it is becoming.
Bill O’Brien begins his second season with momentum and expectations colliding. He steadied the program in 2024 with a 7–6 finish, a road upset of No. 10 Florida State, and a defense that tied for the ACC lead in takeaways. It was progress, but it was not arrival. O’Brien has said plainly that Boston College must win, must entertain, and must command attention in a city defined by professional sports. Saturday is his first chance to prove that vision is on track.
The most watched player on the field will be Dylan Lonergan, the Alabama transfer making his first start at quarterback. Lonergan’s résumé includes only a few college snaps, but his recruitment and reputation speak to his ability. More importantly, he inherits an offense with options. Lewis Bond, the senior wideout chasing Zay Flowers’ career receptions record, is a proven target. Reed Harris is a big-play threat who averaged nearly 29 yards per catch last season. Tight end Jeremiah Franklin brings stability as a Mackey Award watchlist name. And in the backfield, Jordan McDonald, Turbo Richard, and Alex Broome offer balance.
The defense is built to set the tone. With veterans like Quintayvious Hutchins, Daveon “Bam” Crouch, and safety KP Price, this is a unit with experience and an identity. Last season’s 17 takeaways were their most since 2018, and against a Fordham team that managed just 17.8 points per game during a 2–10 season, the expectation is dominance.
Fordham’s presence adds context, if not suspense. The Rams were once Northeast powers, their Sugar Bowl win in 1942 still a part of college football lore. But in 2025 they exist in a different orbit, battling for FCS playoff relevance. Boston College is expected to win, and win decisively. ESPN’s SP+ model gives the Eagles a 99 percent chance of victory with a projected margin of more than 40 points. The scoreboard may not be the story. The performance will be.
That is why Saturday matters. Too often in recent years, Boston College has let inferior opponents linger. 2023 season’s narrow escape against Holy Cross is still a cautionary tale. If Boston College intends to make noise in the ACC and to carve out space as Boston’s “fifth team,” it starts by looking sharp, confident, and relentless from the first snap.
This opener is not the destination, but it sets the direction. With road games at Michigan State and Stanford on deck, and Clemson, Notre Dame, and SMU all coming to Chestnut Hill later this fall, Boston College needs rhythm and momentum. The fans need reason to believe. The city needs reason to care.
The history with Fordham is worth honoring. The urgency of now is greater still. Boston College has the stage on Saturday, and what it does with it can echo far beyond one afternoon.
Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is a reporter for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com
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