Boston College and Cincinnati both enter Saturday’s matchup with plenty to sort out after uneven 2025 seasons, and the first snap at Nippert Stadium will be a fresh start for two teams that spent the year searching for consistency.
The Eagles’ year was rough from the jump. They opened with a 66-10 win over Fordham, then dropped 10 straight before closing the season by beating Syracuse 34-12 to finish 2-10.
Boston College responded after the season with a major staff overhaul, bringing in Ted Roof as defensive coordinator, Kurt Anderson as offensive line coach and Joe Dailey as wide receivers coach. The program also created a general manager role and hired alum Kenyatta Watson (‘96) for the job.
BC’s roster also looks very different. The Eagles brought in 49 new players, including 23 from the class of 2026 and 26 through the transfer portal.
Cincinnati made its own roster changes after going 7-6, finishing above .500 for the first time since 2022. The Bearcats won seven of their first eight games before ending the year on a five-game skid. They, too, loaded up on newcomers with 26 transfer portal additions and 25 members of their class of 2026.
This meeting kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The most recent games for each side came in postseason play. Cincinnati fell to No. 22 Navy, 35-13, in the 2026 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., while Boston College closed its season with that 34-12 win at Syracuse.
The last time these teams saw each other was in 2019, when No. 21 Cincinnati beat BC 38-6 in the Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. The all-time series is tied 4-4, dating back to 1961.
Weather at kickoff should be manageable but not perfect. The Weather Channel is calling for mixed sunshine and clouds with the possibility of a stray shower or storm.
At 3 p.m. ET, 30 minutes before kickoff, the temperature is expected to be 87 degrees with mostly cloudy skies and a 15 percent chance of precipitation.
Boston College’s captains for the game are quarterback Mason McKenzie, center Michael Crounse, tight end Zeke Moore, defensive back KP Price and linebacker Anthony Palano.
The Eagles’ expected position groups are set with Mason McKenzie, Grayson Wilson and Femi Babalola at quarterback; Evan Dickens, Bo MacCormack III, Nolan Ray and Mekhi Dodd at running back; Reed Swanson, Johnathan Montague Jr. or Landon Wright at one receiver spot; Javarius Green or Jackson Wade at another; and Jaedn Skeete, Dawson Pough and Nedrick Boldin Jr. at the other wideout position.
At tight end, Zeke Moore, Brady Clough, Danny Edgehille or Bryce Lewis are in the mix. Up front, Veguer “JuJu” Jean-Jumeau or Trevon Humphrey and Pape Abdoulaye Sy are listed at left tackle; Robert Smith IV and Owen Snively at left guard; Michael Crounse and DJ Williams at center; Judah Pruitt and Amir Johnson at right guard; and Kristian Phillips or Reggie Jackson at right tackle.
Defensively, Boston College lists Kris Jones, Demetrius Ballard, Israel Oladipupo and Makai Byerson at end; KJ Sampson, Christian Hudson and Josiah Griffin at one tackle spot; Chris Marable Jr. or Micah Amedee, Cameron McGee and Chuck Nnaeto at the other tackle spot; Onye Nwosisi, Favor Bate or E’Lla Boykin, and Demeterius Thompson at end; Anthony Palano, Kemori Dixon and Steve Klein at linebacker; Bodie Kahoun, Zacari Thomas and Griffin Collins at linebacker; Cameron Martinez or TJ Green or Charlie Comella at nickelback; Syair Torrence, Ashton Cunningham and Njita Sinkala at corner; Max Tucker, Marcelous Townsend or Michael Mankaka at corner; KP Price and Marcus Upton at safety; and Carter Davis, Da’Jon Green or Kameron Howard at safety.
Special teams options include John Owens or Cooper Crook at long snapper, Bryce LaFollette or Andy Quinn at punter, Luca Lombardo and Jonathan Hewitt at kicker, Charlie Comella or Javarius Green or Cameron Martinez on punt returns, and T.J. Green or Bo MacCormack III or Johnathan Montague Jr. on kickoff returns.
In Other News...
Cincinnati Just Made Its Jizzle James Split Even Messier
The breakup between Jizzle James and Cincinnati has taken on a new layer of awkwardness, with the university moving quickly to cut off any suggestion that he still represents the program. After his dismissal from the mens basketball team, the school told James to stop using or promoting the Bearcats name, logos or merchandise, and also issued a broader message making clear he cannot imply any current affiliation with Cincinnati.
James answered on social media with vulgar language rejecting those restrictions, turning what might have been a routine post-dismissal separation into something far messier. For Cincinnati, the issue is no longer just a roster change, but a brand and message question, and it remains to be seen how far the school will go to enforce the line it has drawn. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnatis Nippert Edge Still Looks Real After Opening Statement Win
Nippert Stadium again looked like a place where Cincinnati can set the tone early. The Bearcats opened the season with a 34-15 win over Boston College in front of an energized crowd of alumni and fans, and the victory carried the kind of balance that usually travels well into the rest of the fall. First-start quarterback JC French IV gave the offense a spark, while new defensive coordinator Nate Woodys group kept Boston College off the board in the first half and helped Cincinnati protect its home field.
There was plenty to like in a game that fit the old Nippert script, especially with the home opener winning streak now up to 25 straight. The bigger question is how much of this opener was a true preview of what Cincinnati can be once the schedule tightens, because the Bearcats got the result they wanted but also left room for the next tests to say more about their ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Just Got An Early Glimpse Of What This Team Could Be
Cincinnatis opener offered a tidy first look at what this team might become under the lights, and the 34-15 win over Boston College gave the Bearcats more than just a good start. The offense moved with a confidence that had been missing in too many recent openers, and the tone was set early by a group that looked comfortable playing downhill and dictating the game.
A big part of that came from the ground game, where Notre Dame transfer GiBran Payne gave Cincinnati a burst it can build around. He found space repeatedly and gave the Bearcats a physical edge that traveled well into the second half, the kind of performance that hints at a deeper identity if this group can keep stacking weeks like this. [Read more 🡒]