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Takeaways, observations from Michigan State’s loss at Boston College
Michigan State had an upset win on the road within reach for the second time in four games.
The Spartans (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) couldn’t finish this time while suffering a 23-19 loss at Boston College (3-1, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.
Here are quick takeaways and observations from the game:
* Warts and all, this team continues to show grit. The offense turned to option No. 4 at right guard to start the game while a redshirt freshman walk-on receiver logged first-quarter snaps. Injuries have depleted the Spartans at key positions and they keep making brutal, self-inflicted errors but don’t fold. It was a game they definitely could have won but didn’t deserve to due to back-breaking mistakes.
Two turnovers on the first two touches of the second half leading to 10 points in 13 seconds for Boston College didn’t snap the Spartans. Backed up at the 2-yard line, they turned in their longest drive of the season to reclaim the lead late in the fourth quarter. The Eagles go back in front with less than 90 seconds to play, Michigan State quickly moves within field goal range.
The difference was the final mistake couldn’t be overcome. Aidan Chiles was picked off in the end zone with 36 seconds left, the Eagles ran out the clock and coach Jonathan Smith suffered his first loss leading the Spartans. What could have been a 4-0 start that turned heads going into a brutal stretch starting against Ohio State and at Oregon was washed away on a rainy night on the road.
* It continues to be very clear what Michigan State has in Chiles – a game-changing talent who also looks like he just turned 19. The dazzling plays weren’t enough to overcome critical errors in his fourth career start. Chiles was elusive in the open field with his legs while moving the chains in key spots but also threw a trio of interceptions. Th first two were off target for tight end Jack Velling and the third was a poor decision.
After getting the ball back with 1:28 to play, Chiles was 3-for-3 with passes of 6, 21 and 12 yards to Velling. The Spartans were at the Boston College 36 with 42 seconds left, two timeouts and within range for kicker Jonathan Kim, who was already 4-for-4 on the night. They were moving the ball and heaving into double coverage at Montorie Foster after escaping pressure was obviously not the right decision. Chiles finished 17-for-35 for 241 yards, zero touchdown passes, three picks and ran for 57 yards and a score. He continues to show growth and has tremendous talent but must do a better job taking care of the ball after seven interceptions and a fumble already this fall.
* Behind a makeshift offensive line, an underwhelming run game struggled again. Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams led the team with 15 carries for 61 yards and 38 of those came in the fourth quarter, including 19 on a huge third-and-15 pickup. Five of Nathan Carter’s nine rushes were for zero or negative yards while frequently ambushed by defenders in the backfield. With a young quarterback on the road and a depleted group of receivers, the run game needed to show up consistently but didn’t.
* With the top two right guards – Kristian Phillips and Gavin Broscious – both out due to season-ending injuries, the Spartans went with a shakeup that didn’t include Dallas Fincher, who finished at the spot against Prairie View A&M last week. Starting left tackle Brandon Baldwin moved to right guard and was replaced by redshirt freshman Stanton Ramil, who was already pushing for the starting role. Luke Newman remained at left guard and Tanner Miller at center. It wasn’t a great night for the offensive line, which didn’t generate enough movement in the run game and had protection issues but stuck with its starting five.
* When one of three starting receivers is a redshirt freshman with zero career catches, you have a problem. Next up at the spot and on the field in the first quarter was a second-year walk-on with only five offensive snaps in a blowout against an FCS program. That sums up the depth chart the Spartans took to Boston.
Starters Jaron Glover and Nick Marsh were both out, along with Antonio Gates Jr. while Alante Brown missed his third straight game. Down four of the top five or six receivers on the roster led to Jaelen Smith getting the start and walk-on Jack Yanachik playing first-quarter snaps.
Despite the absences, opportunities were there in the pass game the Spartans couldn’t capitalize on. Chiles missed a pair of deep shots early to Foster before connecting on a third to set up the first touchdown. He overshot the fifth-year senior again on what would have been an easy touchdown in the third quarter before a field goal. Velling was a frequent target but missed throws prevented a larger impact. Foster led the team with 87 yards on four catches while Velling had six for 77 and Aziah Johnson three for 59 in his first career start.
* We’ll see how Michigan State’s defense holds up against Ohio State next week but the change so far under coordinator Joe Rossi has been notable. The Spartans got pushed around a bit early but did more than enough to win the game. They limited Boston College to 292 yards and 2-for-4 in the red zone while coming up with huge stops deep, both after a sudden change and at the end of a drive. Linebacker Jordan Hall’s stuff of quarterback Thomas Castellanos on fourth-and-goal from the 1 early in the fourth quarter was huge but still not enough.
The front seven remains a deep rotation as Khris Bogle continues to shine and fellow ends Quindarius Dunnigan and Anthony Jones and linebacker Jordan Turner all had a sack on Saturday while limiting Castellanos on the ground. Cornerback Charles Brantley had another strong performance while continually throwing around all of his generously-listed 170 pounds to make open-field tackles and another pass break-up. Castellano’s game-winning 42-yard touchdown throw to Logan Bond came as Angelo Grose slipped in coverage for the only pass play of at least 30 yards for the Eagles.
* Michigan State outclassed Boston College on special teams but one mistake was a game changer. Lynch-Adams took over as the deep man on kickoff returns after Johnson made a pair of ill-advised decisions to take the ball out of the end zone at Maryland, then made the same mistake himself. This one was more costly and came with Michigan State looking to add to its lead to start the second half.
Lynch-Adams brought it out from a yard deep and was drilled, resulting in a fumble Boston College recovered at the 5. The Spartans held the Eagles to a field goal but it was still a free three points before Chiles threw a pick on the next snap.
Kim was arguably Michigan State’s player of the game, finishing 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 51-yarder amid the elements late in the first half. A fifth attempt could have tied the game in the final seconds but he never got a chance. Ryan Eckley punted only twice with kicks of 50 and 48 yards, including one under intense pressure in the end zone.
- BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.
Surprise: Another weekend and there’s more rain on the way. It’s bad enough we’ve had to post a First Alert.
For now, we’ll watch as clouds thicken today. We’ll squeeze out some drops later this afternoon and evening.
A weather maker is winding up in Canada, wrapping in cold air. All of that is going to dive down to New England.
We’re in the thick of it tomorrow. Rain will be coming at us in bursts with some dry time in between. Winds will likely push past 50 mph in Boston.
Those winds will eat away at temperatures; with wind chills barely above freezing. And no – not just in the morning – but the afternoon, too!
It’s so cold there’s the threat of snow as that rain bumps into colder air over the Berkshires, Worcester Hills and southern New Hampshire right up to Mount Washington.
The snow isn’t going to pile up but just know there could be some flakes flying over our highest hills.
The blue on our Futurecast map marks the spots where snow could mix with rain.
Rain spins out by Saturday evening but not before dumping about half an inch over Boston.
We’ll try to salvage the rest of the weekend with temperatures in the upper 60s by Sunday. Still, there’s the threat of bits and pieces of rain.
By the way, this isn’t any weekend, it’s the last weekend of spring. Meteorological summer starts on June 1.
The first day of summer remains drab and dreary with more rain chances and temperatures in the low 60 on Monday.
Federal immigration demands are once again centered on Massachusetts.
The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday sent three letters to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden demanding, among other things, information on how many ICE detainers BPD has received and declined to honor from 2022 to 2026 and any communication between the three departments related to immigration.
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a statement that “releasing repeat criminals back to the streets solely because of their immigration status is crazy, and that’s exactly what Boston is doing.”
But Democrats push back on that framing.
“You’re familiar with Jim Jordan and his antics,” said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “This is more circus, it’s more theater and it’s not making our community safe.”
A spokesperson for the City of Boston wrote, “the city has provided this information many times…” going on to say “…these policies are part of keeping Boston the safest major city in America.”
The letters call for the documents to be sent to the House Judiciary Committee by June 10th at 5:00 pm. District Attorney Hayden’s office told NBC 10 they are reviewing the letter, neither Commissioner Cox or Sheriff Tompkins responded to requests for comment.
On the Market
Ted Kennedy Jr. speaks on the importance of his late mother’s Boston home, now for sale.
At first glance, Joan Bennett Kennedy’s Back Bay home may not appear all that unusual, but the endless stories held within its walls illustrate how a sacred space became one woman’s shelter from the storm.
After divorcing Ted Kennedy in 1982, Bennett Kennedy returned to Boston and moved into 250 Beacon St. #10, and remained there for more than four decades until her death at age 89 in October. Now, her three-bedroom, three-bathroom home, which measures 2,075 square feet, is on the market at $2.59 million.
“Her home really played an important part in the transformation of her life,” her son, Ted Kennedy Jr., told the Globe. “She was a newly divorced woman coming back, trying to reestablish her roots in Boston, and she had her music, which was part of her unique identity, apart from being married to my father. She was seeking to reinvent herself and live on her own terms.”
It was there at 250 Beacon where Bennett Kennedy restarted her life. She earned a master’s degree in music education at 44, and became a staple on the Boston classical music scene, thanks to her lifelong dedication to the piano. But it was also where she faced significant struggles, ranging from depression to alcoholism. She didn’t hide her battles at a time when they weren’t commonly discussed.
“She paved the way for many other women who were suffering in silence,” said Kennedy Jr. “The Boston community just took her in and provided her with friendship and support.”
The circa-1925 building features an elegant lobby that leads to the elevators. Inside the fifth-floor unit, a foyer flows into a hallway and into the spacious living room, where hardwood floors run throughout and a wood-burning fireplace sits under a unique carved mantel surrounded by marble. But it’s the windows that capture the eyes, with views of the treetops and the Charles River in the distance.
“She would sit at her piano in the condo every afternoon for hours,” said Kennedy, who noted that the home later served as the spot where his mother penned “The Joy of Classical Music,” a guide for introducing classical music to families. Prominent musical figures, including John Williams, Seiji Ozawa, and Arthur Fiedler, were frequent guests.
The open floor plan continues in the dining area and library, filled with built-in bookcases and oversized windows.
The living room fireplace is two-sided; on its opposite side is the primary bedroom suite, with built-in bookshelves and a massive bay window with beautiful views. The primary suite features an en-suite bathroom with a pink vanity.
“These front rooms, all three of them, the amount of glass and the size of these windows are just magnificent,” said Linda Barrett of Douglas Elliman, who has the listing and knew Kennedy for years. “Being on the fifth floor, she sat right at the tree line, looking at the Charles River.”
A second of three full bathrooms has elegant marble tiles and a step-in shower. Across the hallway are two closets for storage and the galley kitchen with green/blue cabinetry and stainless steel appliances.
There are three bedrooms, one with teal carpeting and ample built-in storage.
The home has central air, and the building has a live-in superintendent. The fee is $1,725.39 per month. The piano is not included as part of the sale.
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