University sports

Thomas Castellanos scored the game-winning touchdown on a pass from Lewis Bond with less than 90 seconds left in regulation time.

By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe

September 22, 2024 | 01:24 am

When the 23-19 victory over the previously unbeaten Michigan State was confirmed, the loyal supporters of Boston College streamed from the stands of Alumni Stadium onto the field to harass the Eagles amidst a sea of ​​red.

They hugged Thomas Castellanos after his game-winning touchdown pass. They surrounded Lewis Bond as he caught the ball and sprinted into the end zone. They hugged Max Tucker after his game-winning interception. Then “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers came on and they jumped in unison.

“It's incredible,” Castellanos said. “It's a dream come true.”

That thriller in the Red Bandanna Game was the kind of triumph envisioned by a fan base that needed a jolt when Bill O'Brien became head coach. Now, just four weeks in, the Eagles already have two decisive victories under their belt.

Castellanos (10 of 16, 140 yards passing) hit Bond (6 catches, 102 yards) on a 42-yard pass with 1:28 left, then Tucker intercepted a pass with 36 seconds left and sealed the sack. Tucker stayed on the field and his momentum carried him Lambeau Leap-style into the student section.

The Eagles (3-1) had a bigger goal: They honored former student Welles Crowther, who is credited with saving at least a dozen people in the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. 44,500 spectators braved the constant rain to make for one of British Columbia's wildest games in recent memory.

“It was exactly the atmosphere I wanted to experience,” Castellanos said. “It was incredible. What the Red Bandana stands for and who we made it for. We didn't make it for ourselves.”

Long before the chaos, the Spartans (3-1) took the lead with 9:11 minutes left in the first quarter with a 41-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim.

Boston College pushed deep into Michigan State territory, but Cal Haladay forced a costly fumble from Treshaun Ward at the 7-yard line. The Eagles held an 81-33 yard lead in the first quarter and owned the ball for nearly 10 minutes, but Michigan State entered the second quarter with a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Turbo Richard gave BC a 6-3 lead with an 11-yard run that bounced outside and found daylight with 12:22 left in the half. Luca Lombardo missed the extra point after a high snap.

Michigan State responded when quarterback Aidan Chiles found Montorie Foster Jr. for a 40-yard pass and then ran in from 1 yard out himself. The Spartans nearly struck again, but Carter Davis intercepted a floating pass from Chiles late in the half. Whenever Chiles took risks, the Eagles made him pay.

“We have a group of hungry guys on defense,” said defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku.

Michigan State scored one more field goal when BC's Neto Okpala made a key stop on third-and-3 in the final minute. The Spartans took a 13-6 lead into halftime by holding Boston College to 20 passing yards, eight first downs and 1 of 5 third-down conversions.

BC struggled at the start of the rain and failed to gain yards on a consistent basis.

“I can't repeat what I said to the players at halftime,” O'Brien said. “I have to confess. To be honest, I was angry at the coach and the players. I was angry at myself. A bit of Irish temper came out.”

The message came through clearly, starting with the second-half kickoff. Davis, a promising redshirt freshman, ripped the ball from Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams and Omar Thornton pounced on it at the Michigan State 7-yard line.

The Eagles failed to make it to the end zone as Castellanos reversed on the third attempt, but Lombardo converted a 39-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 13-9.

Amari Jackson intercepted a pass from Chiles, then Ward shot in from 32 yards out a few moments later to give the Eagles a 16-13 lead with 12:22 minutes left in the third quarter.

Kim scored another field goal, this time from 49 meters, to tie the score at 16-16 with 9:06 minutes left in the quarter.

Neither team scored the rest of the third quarter, then the Spartans stopped Castellanos on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles couldn't get revenge soon after, as Michigan State scored on fourth-and-goal from the 42-yard line. Kim finally converted a 27-yard field goal as the Spartans took a 19-16 lead with 4:12 left, capping an 18-play, 89-yard drive.

“We have to start all over again,” O'Brien said, “but our defense did a really good job.”

Then Castellanos, Bond and Tucker delivered and helped the Eagles to another decisive victory.

Bond said he knew the ball was probably coming his way and he just wanted to make a play. Then came Tucker's pick, and then came the flood of fans and chaos.

“Trapped,” Bond said of his vantage point. “They took everything from me. My gloves, my towel, everything.”

With momentum on its side, BC hosts Western Kentucky in Chestnut Hill next Saturday with a chance to make it 4-1.

“Something is brewing here,” said Ezeiruaku.