Overview
- Rutgers travels to Alumni Stadium on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff that will be shown nationally on ESPN2.
- AJ Surace will start at quarterback for Rutgers after Dylan Lonergan left with an injury, replacing a starter who threw three interceptions in Week 1.
- Both teams enter 0-1 after Week 1 losses — Rutgers fell 37-21 to UMass and Boston College lost 34-15 at Cincinnati — exposing turnovers and run-defense issues for the Scarlet Knights.
- Sportsbooks list Boston College as about a 3 to 3.5-point favorite with a 54.5 over/under, and the SportsLine projection model’s 10,000-game simulations favor the Over.
- The matchup coincides with Boston College's Red Bandanna remembrance for Sept. 11 and carries outsized early-season significance for coaches Greg Schiano and Bill O'Brien given each program's 2025 struggles.