Fast forward to a year later, and redemption is the only thing on the Spartans’ minds. It’s etched across the whiteboards of many that bear the colors of green and white. To move forward victorious and untouched by loss would be a promising and motivating factor that may just change the outcome of this season. 

“We’ve got returning players that experienced that kind of disappointment from that game,” head coach Jonathan Smith said when referring to the 2024 loss at Boston College. “It leaves an imprint on you. I think those that were there have some added juice and want to play well this weekend.”

Boston College is a team unlike Western Michigan, just as MSU is a team unlike Fordham. The Eagles play faster, stronger and more precise with a hint of boldness, relying on chunk plays to move the football down the field and forcing turnovers to create opportunity. Coached by former NFL head coach Bill O'Brien, this is all to be expected. 

This is O'Brien's second season with the Eagles. Last season, he led his team to a 7-6 record which featured a loss in the Pinstripe Bowl. This season, his team has started off victorious, defeating the Fordham Rams 66-10 in a game where the offense put up 556 yards and the defense only allowed 168.

“We're going to need to take a step from one game to the next, because we have a big time opponent coming in here Saturday,” Smith said. “They will be prepared, schematically challenging a physical brand of football, both sides of it.”

The three shining stars of Boston College's offense

Fitting the philosophy of Boston College football is senior wide receiver Lewis Bond. The speedy, productive wide-out features a set of reliable hands and talented route-running abilities that’ll give any defensive coordinator nightmares. Last season, Bond had 67 catches for 689 yards and three touchdowns. Last week against Fordham, he resumed action with 11 catches for 138 yards. 

Spartan fans should be well aware of Bond’s abilities. In last year's matchup between the two teams, Bond hauled in six catches for 102 yards and one touchdown – his lone score came in the closing minutes of the game, giving Boston College a lead that MSU was unable to recover from. 

To stop Boston College’s most lethal offensive player, the Spartan defense must play complementary football, communicate and know where number 11 is at all times.

“[Bond] presents a lot,” MSU secondary coach Blue Adams said. “We gotta keep tabs on him and make sure that he’s accounted for because I think that he is a very good player.”

Throwing to Bond and at the helm of his offense is sophomore quarterback Dylan Lonergan. The Alabama transfer is an accurate arm that possesses good decision making and can extend plays with his feet only when needed. Against Fordham, he went 26-for-34 with 268 yards and four touchdowns, taking two sacks along the way. 

Against Western Michigan, MSU’s defense got to the quarterback four times. When facing Lonergan and a Boston College offensive line that has vulnerabilities in its pass protection game, the Spartans will have to replicate this pressure and wreak havoc in order to see results.

Behind Lonergan is a sophomore with a fitting name for a running back: Turbo Richard. Richard is a small back that’s speedy and fast like his first name indicates, almost like he was born to play the position. Against Fordham, he carried the ball 16 times resulting in 48 yards and a touchdown, and last season against MSU, he carried the ball ten times for 46 yards, also finding the endzone. To stop Richard from hitting his turbo gear, MSU must do exactly what it did against WMU last week: win the line of scrimmage, tackle fundamentally and close gaps. 

A defense shrouded by tenacity

Defensively, Boston College presents a challenge to an MSU offense that still seems to lack a clear identity. The Eagles possess a tenacious, get-to-the-football defense that prides itself on forcing turnovers and pressuring the quarterback. Against Fordham, this defensive pride decimated the Rams’ offense on all fronts, allowing minimal yardage and scoring on a pick-six.

“We’ve got to come in and just execute how we need to execute,” junior quarterback Aidan Chiles said. “We can't beat ourselves, that’s the biggest thing. We just have to play football, execute and play together.”

In last season's matchup against the Eagles, the Spartans did indeed beat themselves, surrendering four turnovers – one of which came in the closing seconds of the game – to a defense that seemed like it had 15 players instead of 11. It was the most turnovers the Spartans committed in a single game all year. 

To avoid being bitten by the turnover bug a second time around, decision-making and protecting the quarterback should be the team's emphasis. If Chiles makes decisions like the ones he made against WMU – good, accurate reads that lacked any ill-decisions – and the offensive line addresses its leaky pass protection, then good things will happen for MSU come Saturday. 

The leaders of this defense that Chiles and Co. should always have their eyes on are two defensive backs: junior KP Price and senior Amari Jackson. 

Price is a player that’s all over the field. Lengthy as he is fast, he possesses the ability to cover receivers and fill gaps to stop the run. Last season, he finished the year with 85 tackles, two interceptions and one sack. 

Then there’s Jackson, who flourishes in man-to-man coverage. In six games in 2024, he finished the year with 38 tackles and one interception. His one interception came off of an errant throw by Chiles early in the third quarter during last year's matchup. 

To stop Price and Jackson from controlling the field, MSU receiver route-running and the creation of separation will be the key to success. If this can’t happen, then the Spartans will have to heavily rely on the rushing attack which worked so well last week against WMU. 

Yearning for redemption is what separates a beaten team from an unbeaten one. At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Spartan Stadium, Michigan State will yearn — just as it will fight — in a Week 2 battle against Boston College. The game will air on NBC and Peacock.