Boston College’s impressive start undone in 27-21 loss to Missouri

Saturday’s showdown with No. 6 Missouri offered No. 24 Boston College a rare opportunity to venture into the college football spotlight.

In the day’s only matchup between ranked teams, the Eagles flashed promise but ultimately stumbled in a 27-21 road loss. Missouri’s wide receivers wore down BC’s secondary, as the Tigers erased an early 11-point deficit and held on late.

“We’re never going to accept losing at Boston College, but these guys fought hard,” BC coach Bill O’Brien said. “I’m very proud of these guys.”

The Eagles (2-1), ranked for the first time since 2018, trimmed the margin to 6 on a 38-yard Kamari Morales touchdown catch with 3:45 remaining. Twice they appeared poised to get the ball back, but the Tigers (3-0) converted on a pair of critical third downs to preserve the win.

Missouri, which owns the nation’s longest win streak at seven games, held on, but it was far from a breeze, as the Eagles applied pressure for much of the afternoon. The matchup gave Boston College a blueprint for what works against a College Football Playoff contender and what needs to improve moving forward.

“I think we still, obviously, have a long way to go,” BC defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku said. “We’re disappointed with the result of the game, but I think we can definitely build off this. It’s a learning lesson.”

Boston College struck first, when quarterback Thomas Castellanos (16 for 28, 249 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) found Jerand Bradley for a 12-yard strike on fourth and 3 with 7:31 left in the first quarter. Bradley, a 6-foot-5-inch transfer from Texas Tech with elite speed, is starting to carve out a key role in the BC offense.

Missouri marched downfield on the ensuing drive, but pressure from Ezeiruaku on third down forced the Tigers to settle for a 38-yard Blake Craig field goal. BC possessed the ball for more than 10 minutes in the quarter.

Early in the second quarter, miscommunication on a snap led to a scramble for the ball, but Castellanos scooped it up and, with an off-balance heave, found a wide-open Reed Harris for a scintillating 67-yard score to extend BC’s lead to 14-3. Harris — a redshirt freshman from Great Falls, Mont., who also hauled in a 72-yard touchdown last week — kept his feet inbounds as he scampered down the left sideline untouched.

The sequence showcased where Castellanos is at his best and highlighted his ability to make something out of nothing. Later in the quarter, though, after another 38-yard Craig field goal, Castellanos reverted to his old habits. He floated an ill-advised, wobbly pass down the middle of the field, and Tre’Vez Johnson swooped in and intercepted it. Castellanos said he “got greedy” and made a poor decision — a familiar pitfall he had avoided this season until Saturday.

“Terrible. Really terrible,” Castellanos said of his performance. “If I played better, we would have won.”

O’Brien said coaches and players all have plays they want back, and he has no doubt Castellanos will respond.

“We’re lucky to have Tommy,” O’Brien said. “We’re in the game because of Tommy and some of those plays that he made. He knows he’s got to execute better, make better decisions, more consistent decisions, and he’ll do that.”

Momentum was with BC until that point, but the pick shifted the complexion of the game dramatically. Luther Burden III (6 catches, 117 yards, TD), the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, hauled in a 19-yard TD that led to a tying 2-point rush from Nate Noel (22 carries, 121 yards). Craig nailed a 56-yard field goal as time expired, and Missouri took a 17-14 edge into halftime.

The Eagles watched their 11-point lead morph into a 3-point deficit in the final 4:54. Despite winning the possession and penalty battles, running more plays, and averaging more yards per completion against the nation’s No. 1 pass defense in the first half, BC found itself down and in danger of the damage escalating.

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook (21 of 30, 264 yards, TD) added a 6-yard rushing TD with 10:31 left in the third to stretch the margin. The Tigers gave the Eagles chances, including one drive where a costly string penalties set up a preposterous second and 58, but Missouri managed to preserve a 24-14 advantage heading to the fourth.

Castellanos threw another pick — this one a physical mistake in his eyes, not a mental one — and Craig added a 31-yard field goal with 5:58 left. BC never relented, as Castellanos converted on fourth and 1, then found Morales to give the Eagles a chance. They nearly regained possession, but Cook provided the dagger to spoil BC’s shot at an upset.

The Tigers finished with a 440-295 edge in total yards, a 176-46 advantage on the ground, and converted 11 of 19 third downs. At the same time, the Eagles — who welcome Michigan State to Chestnut Hill next Saturday at 8 p.m. — left Missouri knowing they had chances.

“It goes to show what kind of team we have,” Ezeiruaku said. “A team that’s going to fight until the end. Losing is never acceptable, but at the same time, we know that we can play with one of the best in the country. We are one of the best in the country.”