Boston College generated more offense, but Michigan State made more plays to secure a 42-40 double overtime victory on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium.
The deciding play of the closely contested match was a 2-point conversion pass from MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles to wide receiver Omari Kelly in the second OT that decided the game. The Spartans avenged last year’s 23-19 loss at Alumni Stadium in the opener of the home and home series. BC will begin ACC play next Saturday at Stanford.
BC rolled up 457 yards on 70 plays and 25 first downs while MSU finished with 380 on 64 snaps and moved the chains 21 times. But the Spartans dominated on special teams that routinely gave Chiles short fields from which to operate.
“There were a lot of positives but then the negatives are why we lost the game,” said BC coach Bill O’Brien. “We made plays but they had more and in a game like that, that’s how you win.
“We have a lot to fix but to come out on the road and play a good team and play them tough, it hurts to lose like that. Give Michigan State a lot of credit, they are very well coached and have a lot of good players.”
BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan, a transfer from Alabama, gave an impressive showing in his second career start. Lonergan completed 34-of-45 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns, three in regulation and one in overtime. Chiles was 19-29 for 231 yards with four touchdowns, but he was equally effective on the ground by routinely converting on third and long to extend plays.
“He’s a smart guy,” said O’Brien. “He’s got a lot of experience in the system that we run, it’s very similar to what we ran at Alabama so he understands it.”
BC won the coin toss in overtime and deferred. MSU scored on a 5-yard pass from Chiles to tight end Jay Coyne to make it 34-27. BC tied the on a 6-yard throw from Lonergan to tight Jeremiah Franklin.
BC took a 40-34 on an 8-yard run by tailback Turbo Richard at the start of the second OT. Lonergan’s pass on the mandatory 2-point conversion failed. Chiles tied the game on a 3-yard run and cliched it on a conversion toss to Kelly.
“I thought defensively we played hard but we gave up the cut back runs,” said O’Brien. “There is a lot to build on but it is never good to lose, we don’t accept losing at Boston College but there are a lot of positives that came out of this game.”
Michigan State tied the game 21-21 on its opening possession of the second half with its two longest plays of the season. Chiles completed a 30-yarder to Omari Kelly before connecting on a 41-yard touchdown strike to Nick Marsh for his second score of the game.
BC regained the lead 24-21 on a 37-yard field goal by Luca Lombardo with 7:00 to play in the third. MSU place kicker Martin Connigton tied the game 24-24 with a 50-yard field goal in his first college attempt. Lonergan started a drive on the BC 19 that stalled on the MSU
Michigan State marched the ball inside the BC 10 where the drive stalled on a sack by BC middle linebacker Owen McGowan. Connington put MSU up 27-24 on a 39-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining.
Lonergan began a drive at the BC 19 that sputtered out on the MSU 20. Lombardo tied the game 27-27 with a 38-yard field goal.
“I thought the first half was a great team effort,” said Lonergan. “I just wanted to keep that going into the second half.”
MSU took a 7-0 lead when Chiles capped a 10-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nick Marsh, who powered his way through the BC secondary into the end zone with 5:23 to play.
Lonergan began the Eagles last drive of the first half with his biggest explosive of the season, a 56-yard bomb to VJ Wilkins to the MSU 32. Richard made amends when he scored on an 8-yard pass from Lonergan to tie the game 7-7 with 12:50 to play in the half.
BC’s defense made its signature stop of the season when KP Price and Owen Stoudmire stoned tailback Brandon Tullis on the MSU 49 on a fourth and two. Lonergan converted the Spartans’ second turnover into a 14-7 lead on a 12-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Jaedn Skeete with 7:45 to play. Skeete recorded his third touchdown reception of the season.
“It was definitely loud out there, but I just trusted my teammates and stayed in the moment and took it one play at a time,” said Lonergan.
BC gave it back when Alante Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the BC 35. Four plays later, Chiles tied the game 14-14 with a 3-yard toss to tight end Michael Masunas with 5:40 to play.
“Our kickoff coverage was not very good,” said O’Brien. “That’s why we sky kicked it and give them a lot of credit, but they did a great job.”
Lonergan mounted a masterful 80-yard, 11-play, two-minute scoring drive that was extended on a roughing the passer call. Lonergan put BC up 21-14 on a 14-yard throw to Reed Harris with 31 seconds to play in the half. Lonergan finished the half completing 18-of-22 for 217 yards, three touchdowns and an eye popping 209.7 quarterback rating.
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