'We Hadn't Been Challenged': Boston College was the Test Missouri Needed

The Tigers got their first test of 2024 sooner than most would've expected before the season began.

Chase Gemes | Sep 16, 2024

Sep 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) celebrates with Tigers offensive lineman Cayden Green (70) following a touchdown against the Boston College Eagles at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Matt Guzman-Missouri Tigers On SI

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Just a few weeks ago, the idea of Missouri and Boston College being the only two ranked teams facing off against each other during Saturday of Week 3 would've seemed ludicrous.

The Tigers were, unsurprisingly, ranked No. 11 to start the year. Easily handling business against Murray State and Buffalo to start the year put them at No. 6.

The Eagles, however, were flying under most people's radars before soaring to No. 24 on the AP polls thanks to a 28-13 win over then-No. 10 Florida State to open the season.

Just like that, the projected No. 14 team in the ACC Preseason Poll not only rose to the upper echelon of the conference, but it also set up a ranked matchup at Faurot Field much earlier than the Tigers were expecting.

This wasn't a team that it would be able to let its talent simply outmatch. Instead, it needed to be at its 'A' game.

Through their first eight quarters of the 2024 season, the Tigers hadn't faced adversity a single time. They made quick work of their opponents, and a win was never in doubt of going their way. Within just the first drive of the game, it was clear the Eagles made sure that trend wasn't going to continue.

Dual-threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos immediately brought the same fears that struck Missouri with LSU's Jayden Daniels a year ago, using his speed to make its defense pay in the scramble and run game.

He fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jerand Bradley that jumpstarted a 7-0 Boston College lead in the first quarter, and followed it up in the second quarter with a 67-yard touchdown to Reed Harris after a recovered fumble threw off the Tiger defense.

"It was the first time that we had to face some adversity," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I think everybody kind of had to settle into what the fist fight was going to be and that's really what happened."

With a 14-3 deficit midway through the second quarter, a semblance of panic struck a nerve over Faurot Field for the first time of the 2024 season. After the 67-yard touchdown pass, Boston College's win probability jumped from 54.9% to 66.7% by ESPN's metrics.

Although, that was the position it needed to be in. The Tigers were finally being battle-tested. Their backs against the wall. It came at the perfect time. All it needed to do was respond in the right way.

From that point on, the game swung in Missouri's favor. A 19-yard touchdown reception from Brady Cook to Luther Burden III and a 38-yard field goal from Blake Craig gave it a 17-14 lead heading into halftime, and it didn't turn its head back for the rest of the 27-21 victory.

The Tiger defense figured Castellanos out relatviely fast after his hot start, while the offense started to wake up in the passing game. Some of the simple mistakes they made — such as dropped passes and avoidable penalties — may have been capatilized further on by a opponent down the road, but they managed to do enough to remain undefeated.

"We hadn't been challenged all year," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I was concerned with so many new faces about what that response would be, and today I think you saw a team that's committed to each other, a team that responds, a team that's never out of a fight."

Whether a team can remained poised in the face of adversity is a separator between the good teams and the great teams in football. Missouri got a chance to prove it before conference play began. Of course the final outcome was closer than it would've liked, but its far better to be under pressure earlier on in the year than later.

Facing a legitimate Eagles team so early on is entirely beneficial for the Tigers. The schedule's only going to get more diffiuclt from here, and they have to be prepared for dogfights with the likes of Alabama and Oklahoma in the coming months. This was just the first experience of it.

"It's a great test," Burden said. "It's great for our team, clearly, and I think think it's going to help us in the long run."

Sep 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Boston College Eagles during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Some of the players though, including Burden, were not surprised to see the team's response. It was only a matter of actually getting to prove it in a game situation.

"We already knew about each other," running back Nate Noel said, "just going through the summer, through the fall with these guys, I just seen the different 'dawg' in everybody. We got that 'dawg' as a team. It was just nice to see nobody even flinch on the sideline."

As surprising as it was, Boston College's ascendance might've been the best-case scenario for the outlook of Missouri. It has plenty of new faces that didn't get to handle these situations with the program last year, and the close finish allowed them to gain valuable reps in high-pressure situations.

"Today," Drinkwitz said, "I think you saw the team that's committed to each other, a team that responds, a team that's never out of a fight."

If the result had ended up like the last two weeks, the Tigers wouldn't have learned what they needed to.

"For us to have to face some adversity," Drinkwitz said, "and then figure out who we are, who we can count on, what are you going to do when your back's against the wall and you're tired, was really important."

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