Will Castellanos play?
On Saturday afternoon, the Boston College football team will play their final out-of-conference game of the 2024 season when Western Kentucky comes to town to take them on. BC is coming fresh off of a thrilling Red Bandanna game win over Michigan State and looks primed to make this a memorable season. But the Hilltoppers are winners of three straight games themselves and won’t be going down without a fight.
Who: Boston College Eagles (3-1) vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-1)
Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
When: Saturday September 28th, 2024
Kickoff Time: 12:00pm ET
How to Watch: This game will be broadcasted live on the ACC Network and streamed online here
Our staff has spent this week compiling some great content to preview this match-up. Take a look:
What to Watch For
- Can Grayson James keep the offense moving? News broke on Friday afternoon that Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos will miss the game against Western Kentucky due to injury. His back-up, Grayson James, is a transfer from FIU with starting QB experience. Hopefully he won’t be asked to do too much and the Eagles can rely on their running game to get a win. But if they find themselves trailing late in the game, can James carry them to a victory?
- Punish risky throws. WKU QB Caden Veltkamp is a bit of a gunslinger, much like Aidan Chiles of Michigan State that the Eagles just faced last week. And the Hilltoppers are really struggling this season to move the ball on the ground, so they’ll be asking Veltkamp to do a lot of work in the passing game. If the Boston College secondary can snag a few interceptions, or at least prevent any big plays downfield, that will go a long way towards a victory on Saturday.
- Run it down their throats. WKU struggled mightily in their rush defense last season and seems to be vulnerable again there this year. If the Boston College offensive line can get some push, and the BC RBs can pick-up solid gains on the ground, the Hilltoppers might not even get enough chances to keep up with the Eagles.
Tailgate Treat of the Week
Ok, it’s officially fall. Finally! The weather has mostly cooled down to the 60s, and it looks like the game on Saturday will peak at about 70 degrees. That’s some great tailgating weather. So this weekend I’m going to recommend one of my favorites, the Brite As Hell from Jack’s Abby. It’s a great lighter German-style beer that will be perfect for for the last gasp of warm weather and a lively tailgate.
Prediction: Boston College 24 Western Kentucky 17
I think things will be closer on Saturday than the betting markets are suggesting. WKU are not quite the cream of the G5 crop, but they are a very respectable program that will put up some serious fight and may even come away with a win. But I do believe in the Boston College trench warfare that we’ve seen in the first few games of the Bill O’Brien era, and I believe it will be enough to carry them to a win. Roll Eags!