Boston College aims to steady itself and start fast in ACC play at Stanford

BC Football Fans
Sep 13
5 min read

A late kick on ACC Network sets the stage for Dylan Lonergan’s second road start and a program gut-check.

Thomas Castellanos (Photo: BC Athletics) — (Photo: Ben Linteris)

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA — Saturday night is about response. Boston College heads west for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ACC Network to open conference play against Stanford, six days after a double-overtime loss at Michigan State that revealed both promise and flaws. It is the first ACC meeting between these schools since Stanford joined the league, and it arrives on a week where the Eagles need their strides on offense to travel and their defense to tighten in the red zone.

The quarterback lens is unavoidable. Dylan Lonergan, named the starter on August 12, was terrific for long stretches in East Lansing with 390 yards and four touchdowns, and he did it without turning the ball over. His second road start brings a different test, one that measures cadence, poise, and patience when the game slows down in the middle quarters. Early-season numbers tell the story of potential: 658 yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions through two weeks. Now comes the part where production meets context in a late window on the West Coast.

Lonergan threw to eight different receivers in his last game, spreading the ball in a way Boston College fans have not seen in a long time. He has real options. Lewis Bond is tracking toward program history after 11 catches at Michigan State and enters the trip within striking distance of Zay Flowers on the career receptions list. Reed Harris brings the vertical threat that can change a drive in one snap, and tight end Jeremiah Franklin is a steady option over the middle who found the end zone in overtime last week. If the line keeps Lonergan on schedule, those three give Boston College answers at every level of the field.

Stanford, meanwhile, is in transition under interim coach Frank Reich and football general manager Andrew Luck. The Cardinal opened with a last-second 23–20 loss at Hawai‘i, decided by a 38-yard field goal as time expired. Reich said afterward, “Obviously, this is a tough loss… this stings for all of us, especially the players”. One week later, Stanford fell 27–3 at BYU, held to 223 total yards and turning the ball over three times.

The Cardinal offense has leaned on running back Micah Ford while transfer quarterback Ben Gulbranson settles in. Gulbranson has 251 passing yards with three interceptions through two games, while Ford leads the ground game with 134 yards on 38 carries . Expect Stanford to try to shorten the game with Ford and lean on field position while Gulbranson searches for rhythm.

There is history here, even if it has been dormant. This is the fifth all-time meeting and the first since 2002, a game Boston College won 34-27. Add in the conference backdrop and it feels bigger than a routine cross-country flight. The winner is 1-0 in the ACC, with all the intangible benefit that comes from leaving a stadium on the far coast with a charter full of belief.

The matchup turns on four practical items. First, operation. Spartan Stadium exposed how thin the margin is when a road crowd gets involved. BC absorbed most of the noise, but a handful of costly pre-snap penalties and lapses in kickoff coverage reminded everyone how thin the margin can be on the road. Second, explosives. Boston College wants a handful of chunk plays, and Stanford has struggled to prevent them, particularly when it fails to generate pressure. Third, finish. The Eagles moved the ball between the 20s at Michigan State, then settled for field goals in spots where a touchdown changes the temperature of the night. Fourth, takeaways. Last season’s 17 turnovers forced by the BC defense were the most since 2018, and Stanford has already given the ball away six times in two games. That is an edge that can travel.

Personnel angles are straightforward. Boston College has a trio of backs that can share the load, but this passing game is the engine right now. Bond’s route craft, Harris’s speed, and Franklin’s reliability form a clean triangle for a young quarterback. On defense, veterans KP Price, Daveon “Bam” Crouch, Carter Davis, and Q Hutchins set the tone. Omar Thornton’s breakout night at Michigan State matters too, because Stanford will try to stress the flats and safeties with play action off Ford. If BC wins first down and keeps Gulbranson in long yardage, it can dictate.

For Stanford, the structure is clear. Reich and Luck are building a new way of doing business, and the Cardinal are learning on the fly with a senior transfer at quarterback and a staff that emphasizes situational football. The Cardinal offense has labored to finish drives, and BYU’s front made that glaring in Provo. If that trend continues, Stanford will need short fields from special teams and defense to stay connected late.

The stakes for Boston College are simple and real. Open conference play with a win on the road, and the Michigan State loss becomes a data point rather than a direction. For a fan base that wants to see this program climb past the seven-win ceiling that has held since 2009, results like this are how you change the conversation in September. The broadcast window is late but national, the opponent is vulnerable, and the opportunity is right in front of them.

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 13, 10:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network, Stanford Stadium.

What I will watch first• Lonergan’s tempo between snaps and his comfort resetting protections.• BC’s edges against Stanford’s run game on early downs.• VJ Wilkins, Jaedn Skeete, or Reed Harris landing an early shot to loosen the box.• Hidden yards in the punt game and kicking coverage that turn a long field into points.

Predictions

45-17, BC Wins – Mac Hutchinson, Eagles Weekly

41-14, BC Wins – Brett Rider, Eagles Weekly

34-13, BC Wins – Jack Seiberlich, Eagles Weekly

If Boston College brings the same aggression it showed in East Lansing and trims the waste, this can be the night that steadies the season and sends the Eagles home at 1-0 in the ACC. That is how belief grows. That is how a season led by a talented young quarterback starts to grow into something bigger than promise.

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