Raymond Meets Boston College’s Missed Tackles

Boston College gave Cincinnati 126 yards after missed tackles. Rutgers now brings Antwan Raymond to Chestnut Hill on the same night it hands AJ Surace his first career start.

That puts considerably more weight on a running back who managed only 42 yards against UMass.

Raymond ran for 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, while Boston College defensive coordinator Ted Roof spent this week emphasizing tackling after the Eagles allowed 254 rushing yards. He called Raymond a “great back.”

Friday tests which Week 1 problem survives contact with the other.

Raymond Finds Boston College’s Fresh Bruises

Cincinnati averaged 5.5 yards per rush against Boston College. Gi’Bran Payne produced 108 yards, while quarterback JC French IV added 52. The Eagles’ concern wasn’t just getting aligned correctly; Roof specifically highlighted the yardage created after missed tackles.

Raymond therefore arrives against a defense whose most obvious Week 1 weakness intersects with Rutgers’ most established offensive player.

His opener requires context. Rutgers allowed five sacks against UMass, and sack yardage helped drag the team’s rushing total down to 27. Raymond himself still gained 42 yards, but Rutgers never created a stable running game while falling behind 30-7.

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Surace Changes the Shape Around Raymond

AJ Surace will make his first career start after Dylan Lonergan left the opener injured and did not practice during the week. Greg Schiano said Lonergan’s availability, even in an emergency role, remained uncertain.

Surace completed 6 of 9 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in relief against UMass. That was encouraging, but it came during one late drive with Rutgers already trailing heavily. Friday supplies a very different test: three quarters of defensive adjustments, road noise, and a Boston College secondary that held Cincinnati to only 85 passing yards.

KJ Duff gives Surace a genuine escape hatch. Duff caught nine passes for 196 yards and all three Rutgers touchdowns in Week 1, and Bill O’Brien described him this week as one of the country’s best receivers.

The question is whether Rutgers reaches Duff often enough without again allowing the game to become defined by protection problems and obvious passing situations.

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McKenzie Reopens Rutgers’ Other Problem

Boston College has its own offensive-line issue after allowing four sacks against Cincinnati, but Mason McKenzie gave the Eagles another route forward.

In his first FBS start, McKenzie passed for 223 yards and led Boston College with 78 rushing yards on 20 carries. O’Brien praised his toughness but acknowledged the offense has to protect him better. McKenzie himself admitted he took too many hits.

That rushing element matters because Rutgers surrendered 200 rushing yards to UMass. Schiano specifically acknowledged that a mobile quarterback hurt the Scarlet Knights in the opener and identified McKenzie’s rushing ability as part of this week’s defensive preparation.

Both teams therefore enter with obvious scars. Boston College’s are concentrated around tackling and protection. Rutgers adds a first-time starter to its own protection and run-defense concerns.

Home field and McKenzie’s rushing dimension provide the slightly sturdier foundation.

Prediction: Boston College 28, Rutgers 24.

Betting Analysis

Bookmaker Sportsbook opening line has Boston College at -3 (-110), with Rutgers +3 (-106). Boston College is -148 on the moneyline and Rutgers +132, while the total is 54, with the over at -109 and under at -106.

The spread closely matches the matchup. Rutgers owns the running back best equipped to punish Boston College’s tackling problems, but Surace’s first start and the protection shown against UMass introduce more uncertainty than Boston College carries at quarterback.

McKenzie’s mobility also attacks the part of Rutgers’ Week 1 defense Schiano has already identified as a problem.

Betting Lean: Boston College -3 (-110).

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