Fresh off its first triumph of the 2026 season, Boston College football is looking to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since it defeated UNC and Pitt in the third- and second-to-last weeks of the 2024 season, the program's first under head coach Bill O'Brien.
The Eagles (1-1) will host FCS-level Maine (1-2, 0-1 CAA) on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET in Chestnut Hill, Mass., who they have not lost to since 1915 and are riding a seven-game win streak against.
Here are three storylines I'll have my eye on for the Week Three matchup:
One of the bigger surprises of the young season has been the lack of production from redshirt-junior wide receiver Jaedn Skeete, who is technically the most experienced player in the wideout room and was on his way to becoming that "No. 1 option" in the pass-catching realm this year.
When Skeete has been able to stay on the field, he has seen a fair amount of success, but his career on the Heights has been marred by a constant string of injuries that have set back his growth.
This year, however, there is something else going on.
After hauling in just a single, eight-yard reception in the Eagles' loss to Cincinnati in the first week of the season, in which he struggled to get open and create separation from defenders, he spent nearly all of Friday's win over the Scarlet Knights on the sideline even though he was fully healthy and dressed.
O'Brien has really leaned into a mantra this year of whoever practices the hardest will see the most playing time on game days, and it appears that Skeete has not necessarily done the job that is expected of him during the week, which has led to O'Brien limiting his opportunities over the weekend.
"Like I said after the game, during the week, and really going all the way back to January, [we are going to play] the toughest, most dependable guys," O'Brien said, which echoed a similar sentiment he had Friday night. "We have really good players, and we're deeper there [at wide receiver]. So there's a lot of guys that you haven't seen, really."
"Every year is different. I think the last couple years, especially last year, [there] was really three guys, right? And especially Lewis [Bond]. Lewis was one of the best players in the country, so he wasn't coming out of the game. Reed Harris, you know, obviously doing a great job at Arizona State. So those guys were guys that were in there quite a bit. This year, it's a little bit different, and we try to rotate guys in there as much as we can."
Boston College Eagles defensive back Marcus Upton (5) tackles Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Samaj Jones (5) in the second quarter of the football game between Cincinnati Bearcats and Boston College Eagles at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Out of all the underclassmen who are making crucial, immediate impacts on the field this year for the Eagles, Upton is probably at the top of the list.
In the Rutgers' win, the sophomore safety led BC with 10 tackles (8 solo), including two pass breakups - one which saw him blow up wide receiver KJ Duff, one of the top playmakers in the country and a projected first or second rounder in the 2027 NFL Draft - and a quarterback hit.
O'Brien spoke quite highly of Upton leading up to the season after a breakout training camp, and his output on the field through these first two weeks has simply backed up everything that he showed during those long summer days outside of Fish Fieldhouse.
"He played really well," O'Brien said of Upton's performance against Rutgers. "He did a great job in the game. He's a young player with an unbelievable future. He's very talented, very smart. ... I have, like, very, very high expectations for him. I think he's got a great future in football, and he's a guy that's really, I think his best years are ahead of him, and we need him to just keep getting better and making a lot of plays for us."
During the offseason, BC brought in Bryce Lafollette as a graduate transfer from Towson to assume punting duties, but he has not quite proven himself to the coaching staff yet.
Through two games, Lafollette has taken all of the Eagles' punts - seven in total - and has only landed one inside the 20-yard line with two touchbacks. He is averaging 41.1 yards per punt, but his three attempts in BC's last game, against Rutgers, came out to a 36.7 average because he shanked one attempt in the second half just 28 yards.
Right now, the backup to Lafollette is sophomore Andy Quinn, who showed promise with his leg during fall training camp leading up to the season.
Lafollette is certainly the more experienced of the two, but if he continues to regress, it might be time to see what Quinn can do in a real game, and Maine would be the perfect opportunity for it.
"Both Bryce and Andy punted it really well today, so we'll see how that goes," O'Brien said after Tuesday's practice. "There's been a little bit of an edge there with Bryce, maybe, but moving forward, you know, that's definitely something where Andy can be the punter."
"Andy's done a great job of the kickoffs, and so Andy's very versatile, which really is a big key for us. Our specialist room is very talented and consistent. So when Luca [Lombardo] misses a field goal, or when Bryce hits a bad punt, it's kind of shocking to all of us because they're very, very good."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/bostoncollege as Three Storylines I'm Watching Most in Boston College Football's Week 3 Matchup With Maine .
