2021 Schedule (Note: Italicization denotes ACC play):
Sept. 4 vs. Colgate (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) *Home Opener
→ To open the season, Boston College football will face an unfamiliar opponent in FCS squad Colgate. The Raiders didn’t see the field in 2020, while BC, under a first-year head coach, put together one of its best seasons in recent memory. The Eagles will return 19 starters, losing just Hunter Long, Max Richardson, and Isaiah McDuffie to the NFL Draft.
Sept. 11 at Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.)
→ BC has faced its cross-state opponent just 27 times, and the Eagles have come away with wins in each of the teams’ last 10 meetings. The last time the Bay State foes met on the road was in 1982, which resulted in a 34-21 victory for the Eagles. At that point, Doug Flutie was just a sophomore, and the win helped send the Eagles to their first bowl game since 1942.
Sept. 18 at Temple (Philadelphia, Pa.)
→ The Eagles’ schedule this year is all about renewing old rivalries, and in the second half of a two-game road trip, BC will pay a visit to a former Big East foe. Temple, the former domain of the Eagles’ new Director of Athletics Pat Kraft, is a more recent opponent for BC, as the two teams last met in 2018 in Alumni Stadium. BC, however, hasn’t paid a visit to the Owls since Sept. 18, 2004, exactly 17 years before they are set to kick off on Lincoln Financial Field again.
Sept. 25 vs. Missouri (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ For the first time since Halloween of 1987, a member of the Southeastern Conference will pay a visit to Chestnut Hill. BC and Missouri will open the first part of a home-and-home series (set to finish on Sept. 14, 2024) to close out BC’s non-conference slate. BC is 13-19-1 all-time against SEC opponents. The Tigers finished 5-5 overall last season, including a win over then-No. 17 LSU early on.
Oct. 2 at Clemson (Clemson, S.C.) *ACC Opener
→ For the third year in a row, BC will travel to Death Valley to take on reigning ACC Champion Clemson. During the 2020 season, BC nearly pulled off an upset over the then-No. 1 Tigers, leading 28-13 at halftime with star quarterback Trevor Lawrence sidelined due to COVID-19. Clemson charged back in the second half, however, holding BC scoreless and maintaining its top spot with a 34-28 win over the Eagles.
Oct. 9 — Bye Week
Oct. 16 vs. NC State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ BC’s bye week comes at the perfect time to provide some much-needed rest after what will undoubtedly be a dog fight against Clemson. Following a week of rest, BC will return to Alumni Stadium to take on NC State, a team absent from the Eagles’ schedule in 2020. BC is 10-7 all-time—including 7-3 in Alumni Stadium—against the Wolfpack.
Oct. 23 at Louisville (Louisville, KY)
→ BC has historically struggled against Louisville, but AJ Dillon’s breakout game in 2017 began to turn things around for the Eagles. Dillon’s 272 rushing yards against Louisville as a freshman put BC back on track, and the Eagles have won three of their last four meetings with the Cardinals. During the 2020 season, BC won 34-27 over the Cardinals for its fifth ACC win of the season.
Oct. 30 at Syracuse (Syracuse, N.Y.)
→ Syracuse is one of BC’s oldest and most consistent rivals, as the two teams have met 54 times. The Orange lead the all-time series 32-22, though BC has won the last two consecutive meetings. Syracuse holds a 20-9 all-time advantage while playing at home against BC. In last season’s meeting, BC scraped out a 16-13 win in the Carrier Dome while quarterback Phil Jurkovec played with a separated shoulder.
Nov. 5 vs. Virginia Tech (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ After pummelling the Hokies at home to open the 2019 season, BC was blown out in Lane Stadium one season ago. The Eagles will look to avenge last year’s loss on their first home game after a two-game road trip.
Nov. 13 at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)
→ The Eagles will close out their road slate in Atlanta, their first trip to Georgia Tech since 2012. Because the two teams are split between the Atlantic and Coastal divisions of the ACC, matchups between the Eagles and the Yellow Jackets are rare, and Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 7-3.
Nov. 20 vs. Florida State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ BC will finish its season with two games at home, the first of which being against Florida State. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 13-5 and were uncharacteristically absent from BC’s schedule in 2020. Last time the Eagles played FSU was in 2019, a 38-31 victory for the Seminoles.
Nov. 27 vs. Wake Forest (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ To close out the regular season, BC will take on the Demon Deacons at home. In the teams’ last meeting in 2019, Wake Forest took home a 27-24 win, but the Eagles hold a 14-11-2 all-time series record against Wake.
Featured Graphic by Olivia Charbonneau / Heights Editor
