Rutgers and Boston College met Friday night in Chestnut Hill, MA, with Surace set to make his first career start and ESPN2 carrying the game at 7:30 p.m. Boston College entered as a 3.5-point favorite in a matchup with an over/under of 54.5, giving the night a clear betting edge before kickoff.
That was enough to make this one of the most watched games on the schedule, even before the ball was snapped. The weather helped, too: the forecast called for 75 degrees, sunny skies and wind gusts up to 10 miles per hour, the kind of conditions that usually keep a football game clean and simple from start to finish.
Rutgers came in looking to rebound from a loss to UMass, while Boston College had the market support that comes with being favored by 3.5 points. For Rutgers, the trip also carried the weight of a former conference foe, which only sharpened the edge around a game already set up as a prime-time test.
Schiano met the media for the first time since the season opener last week, but the bigger story was what remained unknown by Friday night. The setup was clear, the line was set and Surace was under center for his first career start; what happened next was the one part not answered before kickoff.
