Grayson James is the new man under center for the Eagles. But can he lead them to a win?
It sure has been a weird week in the Boston College football world. After Grayson James came into the game on Saturday to replace starting QB Thomas Castellanos, the BC offense found success and went on to defeat Syracuse to improve to 5-4. So head coach Bill O’Brien decided that the team would be better off with James as the starting quarterback moving forward.
As a result, Castellanos immediately left the program, nuked his Instagram account, made his intentions to enter the transfer portal clear, and then released this statement that definitely came from his heart and definitely was not written by a publicist.
Nonetheless, BC still has a football game to play on Saturday, and it’s a tough one. The Eagles will need to ignore the drama and focus up to face off against the 8-1 SMU Mustangs, who are ranked #14 in the nation and are one of the favorites to win the ACC.
Who: Boston College Eagles (5-4) vs #14 SMU Mustangs (8-1)
Where: Dallas, TX
When: Saturday November 16th, 2024
Kickoff Time: 3:30pm ET
How to Watch: This game will be broadcast live on ESPN and streamed online here
Our staff has spent this week compiling some great content to preview this match-up. Take a look:
Why It Was Time to Bench Thomas Castellanos
Boston College Football vs SMU: Offense / Defense Preview
Boston College Football vs. #14 SMU: Betting Preview & Prediction
Grayson James Named Starting QB for Boston College Over Thomas Castellanos
Banter: Castellanos Might Be Done and Boston College Football Might Be Back
What to Watch For
- Grayson James, let’s see what you can do. James will be putting the ball in the air more than we’re used to seeing with Castellanos because that’s his bigger strength, because SMU’s run defense has been pretty excellent, and because the Eagles are likely to be playing from behind in this game. A lot of pressure is going to fall on BC’s newest starting QB in this game.
- The turnover battle. BC’s defense has been doing a good job of forcing turnovers, but SMU has been just as effective with 19 forced turnovers this season. And with an untested new QB, Boston College has to focus on protecting the ball and not letting SMU get any extra possessions. Because this high-powered Mustangs offense will certainly make them pay for any mistakes.
- Can the BC defensive line bother QB Kevin Jennings? They did a good job of pressuring Jennings during last year’s Fenway Bowl and it was a big reason for BC’s surprise victory in that game. They’ll need to replicate that performance in Dallas if they want to have any shot of slowing down the SMU offense and keeping the score within reach.
Prediction: SMU 38 Boston College 28
This might be too tall of a task to ask of Grayson James in his second start of the season. I expect the BC offense to start improving now that he’s under center, but mistakes are bound to happen for a QB that hasn’t been playing with the first team in practice all year. And with how dangerous this SMU offense is, I expect the Mustangs to start running up the score when BC turns the ball over or has yet another dreadful punt.