Week 1 of the 2024 college football season concludes Monday night in Tallahassee, Florida with a conference matchup between the No. 10-ranked Florida State Seminoles and the Boston College Eagles.
The Seminoles opened the season with a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin. A Yellow Jackets 44-yard field goal as time expired handed the Seminoles their first ACC loss since Oct. 15, 2022. Starting transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had just two completions of 20 yards or more and finished the day completing 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards. The defense gave up 336 yards to the Yellow Jackets, including 190 on the ground.
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Boston College enters the 2024 season with a new coach in longtime NFL head coach and coordinator Bill O’Brien, who takes over for Jeff Hafley (now with the Green Bay Packers). Quarterback Thomas Castellanos led the team in passing and rushing last season, and will look to expose the Seminoles’ defense in the run game. The Eagles’ defense struggled in 2023 but safety KP Price stood out in camp. They’ll also have one game’s worth of film to use in preparation for the season opener.
Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s ACC matchup:
Liam Rooney and Peter Holland Jr. write: “Last season the Eagles gave the Seminoles one of the toughest games of the season, with FSU holding off a surging Boston College and Thomas Castellanos. The dual-threat ability of Castellanos gave the FSU defense trouble last year, but this year the defense is able to keep up with the crafty Castellanos and hold on for the win. A dominant running game takes the Seminoles’ offense over the edge, with Roydell Williams and Lawrance Toafili shining.”
Bill Bender writes: “The Seminoles should have more down-field opportunities with DJ Uiagalelei in this game, especially if Hykeem Williams returns. This spread looks high considering the Eagles lost 31-29 last season in a game where quarterback Thomas Castellanos had 305 passing yards and 95 rushing yards. The Eagles will try to copy-cat Georgia Tech, but the Seminoles will pull away in the fourth quarter.”
Curran Schestag writes: “FSU clearly has the talent advantage, will have a major home crowd behind them, and will be hungry to get their season back on track. While an Eagle upset is possible, I don’t think it is likely. However, with DJU as the signal-caller, FSU seems to be a bit more methodical on offense (especially without explosive guys such as Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman). Combined with the Eagles’ running game, I think that will limit possessions for both teams and keep FSU from running up the score.”
David Racey says: “The Seminoles did not look very good offensively and they need DJ U to step up at the quarterback spot. Boston College should have a very solid offensive attack this season with Castellanos back under center, but their defense is a concern. I don’t want to overreact to that first performance by Florida State, but I also don’t like their quarterback and think they are going to struggle to score points this year. Take Boston College with the points.”
The Seminoles are heavy favorites to defeat Boston College in Monday’s college football matchup, according to BetMGM college football odds.
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How to watch Florida State vs. Boston College:
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