2023 Fenway Bowl Preview: Boston College, Southern Methodist Meet In Boston

In the second installment of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, the Boston College Eagles of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) meet the No. 17 Southern Methodist Mustangs of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) at Fenway Park in Boston on Thursday, Dec. 28.

Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

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How They Got Here
Boston College went 6-6 during the regular season. After losing three of their four games, the Eagles rattled off five straight wins to reach bowl eligibility.

BC established an identity on the ground, ranking third in the ACC with 194.3 rushing yards per game. The offense found a new layer with the addition of quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a transfer from Central Florida. The sophomore accounted for 26 total touchdowns on the season. Castellanos and running back Kye Robichaux each finished in the top 10 in rushing yards in the ACC.

Boston College looks for its first bowl win since 2016 when the Eagles defeated the Maryland Terrapins 36-30 in the Quick Lane Bowl.

On the other side, Southern Methodist won an AAC title during an 11-2 season, including an 8-0 conference record. The Mustangs featured the conference's top offense (40.6) and defense (17.4) in points per game during the season.

Sophomore quarterback Preston Stone threw for nearly 3,200 yards with 28 touchdown passes to ignite the Mustangs. SMU also had three players score seven touchdowns -- Jaylan Knighton, RJ Maryland, and Jordan Hudson.

Southern Methodist goes for its first bowl game victory in over a decade dating back to a win over Fresno State in the 2012 Hawaii Bowl.

Fenway Bowl History
The college football bowl game for Fenway Park was originally announced to start during the 2020 season. Due to COVID-19 implications, the game was canceled that year as well as in 2021, when SMU was set to take on Virginia.

The inaugural Fenway Bowl finally played during the 2022 season. The Louisville Cardinals, led by interim head coach and Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch, earned a 24-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. Jawhar Jordan had a pair of rushing touchdowns in the win for Louisville.

Future Conference Implications
Meeting in the Fenway Bowl will give the Eagles and Mustangs a solid opportunity to get to know each other.

Beginning in the 2024 season, SMU will join the ACC and host Boston College in Texas next fall as well in 2026. The Mustangs will then visit Chestnut Hill, Mass. during the 2025 and 2029 seasons.

Gameday Information
Location: Fenway Park - Boston, Mass.
Kickoff: Dec. 28, 11 a.m. ET.
TV: ESPN
Forecast: 45 degrees, rain