Pinstripe Bowl Features BC & Nebraska

 

The George M. Steinbrenner III Championship Trophy. Provided by New York Yankees.

The 2024 Pinstripe Bowl will feature Boston College of the ACC and Nebraska of the Big Ten, and it will kickoff on Saturday, December 28 at high noon at Yankee Stadium.

Boston College went 7-5, and came in ninth in the ACC, while Nebraska, which was ranked in the Top 25 early in the season, went 6-6 in an ultra-competitive Big Ten.

This is the 14th edition of the Pinstripe Bowl, now sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers, and the 10th featuring teams from these conferences.

It will also mark the first meeting between two well-known Head Coaches, Bill O'Brien of Boston College and Matt Rhule of Nebraska.

Provided by New York Yankees.

THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS will be making their 54^th all-time bowl appearance (26-27), and the first under second-year Head Coach Matt Rhule. It is the first time they will appear in the Pinstripe Bowl, making them the 10^th different team from the Big Ten to play in the game. The Big Ten has participated in 10 Pinstripe Bowls since its partnership.

This will also mark Nebraska’ first appearance at the current Yankee Stadium and just their second game in the Bronx, having defeated the University of Miami, 36-34, at the original Stadium in the 1962 Gotham Bowl, which marked the program’s first bowl game victory.

“Our team is looking forward to the opportunity to spend the bowl season in New York City and play in the Pinstripe Bowl,” Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule said. “This is a great connection between two iconic brands in Nebraska football and Yankee Stadium, and it will be a memorable experience for our players. I have great respect for the Boston College program and the success Coach O’Brien has had in his first season.” 

This is the Cornhuskers’ first bowl game selection since the 2016 Music City Bowl, snapping a seven-year drought, the program’s longest stretch without a bowl game berth since a seven-year span from 1955-61. From 2008-16, Nebraska appeared in nine consecutive bowl games, the program’s second-longest streak, trailing only their NCAA-record 35 straight seasons with a bowl game berth from 1969-2003.

 

This season, the Cornhuskers appeared in the AP Top 25 during Week 3 (No. 23) and Week 4 (No. 22), marking their first time being ranked since Week 2 of the 2019 campaign. Nebraska (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten), clinched bowl eligibility with their 44-25 win over Wisconsin on November 23.

 

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola will be the one to watch on the offensive side for Nebraska, as he established himself as the leader of Nebraska’s offense, throwing for 2,595 yards and 12 touchdowns. Among Big Ten quarterbacks, Raiola ranks third in passing attempts (380) and completions (253), in addition to ranking seventh in completion percentage (66.6%). Sophomore running back Dante Dowdell, in his first season with Nebraska after transferring from Oregon, paced the Cornhuskers’ ground game, recording team highs in rushing yards (614) and rushing touchdowns (12, tied for fourth in Big Ten), with three of those scores coming in the victory over Wisconsin on November 23. 

 

Nebraska's defense is anchored by senior defensive lineman Ty Robinson, who earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors after recording team highs in sacks (6.0, tied for ninth in Big Ten) and tackles for loss (11.0, tied for ninth in Big Ten). Junior defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. has played a large role in Nebraska’s secondary, tallying a team-high four interceptions (tied for second in Big Ten) while splitting time between safety (seven starts) and cornerback (four starts). Additionally, the Cornhuskers’ defense has recorded 11 interceptions this season, with three being returned for touchdowns.

Provided by New York Yankees.

THE BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES have been selected to appear in its 31^st bowl game, and it is their 29^th all-time bowl appearance. They have a record of 15-13 in bowl games, along with one no-contest due to weather in 2018 and one cancellation due to COVID-19 in 2021). 

It is also the team’s first bowl game under Head Coach Bill O’Brien, who led the team to a 7-5 record in his inaugural season with BC. The Eagles will be making their third Pinstripe Bowl appearance (also 2014 vs. Penn State and 2017 vs. Iowa), becoming the first ACC team and the third program to play in the Pinstripe Bowl three times, along with Syracuse University, whose first two Pinstripe Bowl appearances were as a member of the Big East, and Rutgers University.

 

The 2024 Pinstripe Bowl marks Boston College’s second straight bowl selection, and their 21^st (19^thappearance) in the last 26 seasons (since 1999). The Eagles commenced the 2024 season with a 28-13 win vs. then-No. 10 Florida State, marking their first win against an AP Top 10 opponent since 2014 (37-31 win vs. No. 9 Southern California). This season, Boston College appeared in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018, reaching the No. 24 spot in the Week 3 poll. The Eagles (7-5, 4-4 ACC) clinched bowl eligibility after defeating North Carolina, 41-21, on November 23.

 

Led by their run-heavy offense (503 attempts, first in ACC), the Eagles tallied 176.3 rushing yards per game (seventh in ACC) and 22 rushing touchdowns (eighth in ACC). Senior running back Kye Robichaux has been one of the premier backs in the ACC, ranking eighth in the conference in rushing touchdowns (10).

 

On the defensive side, Boston College has recorded 16 interceptions, the second-most in the ACC and tied for the ninth-most in the FBS. The unit has also forced 11 fumbles (tied for sixth in ACC). Their rush defense has surrendered just 113.6 yards per game (fourth in ACC). Senior defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku currently leads the entire FBS with 16.5 sacks, tied for the most in a single season in Boston College history. Ezeiruaku also collected First Team All-ACC honors and was named the ACC “Defensive Player of the Year.” Redshirt freshman defensive back Carter Davis leads the BC secondary with three interceptions (tied for sixth in ACC).

Boston College’s Gregory P. Barber '69 and Family Head Coach Bill O’Brien said, “I am excited for our team to be heading to New York for the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Boston College is well-represented in New York City and the tri-state area, so to have the opportunity to play in the Northeast, where so many of our fans and alumni call home, is an honor.  We look forward to the challenge of competing against the storied Nebraska program.”

 

BC’s  William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Blake James said, “We are thrilled to be invited to play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium. Bowl Season is a special reward for our program − especially our coaches and student-athletes who have worked tirelessly throughout the regular season.  I am also excited for the opportunity for Boston College to play in New York City in front of our many fans, friends, and alumni in the metropolitan area.  We look forward to being part of this first-class event.”