Game Designated as Annual Red Bandanna Game, Honors BC Alum Welles Crowther and 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Rutgers football will take the field at Alumni Stadium against the Boston College Eagles on Friday, September 11, 2026, as BC Athletic Director Blake James announced the date change on the BC Eagles podcast earlier today.
The game will also officially be Boston College’s annual Red Bandanna Game, commemorating BC alum Welles Crowther, who died a hero on 9/11 while saving 18 lives as a volunteer firefighter working at the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He was wearing a red bandanna over his mouth and nose to protect himself from the smoke, which caused him to be remembered by witnesses as the “man in the red bandanna.”
Since 2014, the Eagles have honored Crowther’s memory with the Red Bandanna Game, in which BC wears special uniforms with the design of the red bandanna on the numbers, sleeves, and trim, while the nameplate reads “For Welles” instead of the traditional player surnames.
The first game saw Boston College upset #9 USC, which prompted head coach Steve Addazio to gift Crowther’s parents the game ball on an emotional day. The stirred environment at Chestnut Hill for the Red Bandana Game has caused a spirited effort by the Eagles on multiple other occasions, including nearly pulling a massive upset against the #3 Florida State Seminoles, who finished the season undefeated at 13-0 in 2023.
This season, Rutgers is the opponent for the Eagles’ signature game. Making it more meaningful is the connection the Scarlet Knights have to the horrific attacks, with New York City being less than an hour away from the New Brunswick main campus and 37 RU alumni having lost their lives that day.
Rutgers most recently played on 9/11 five years ago, taking down the Syracuse Orange 17-7 in 2021. They wore special uniforms of their own, honoring the 37 alumni who died in the attacks by having their names inscribed on the helmets. “Never Forget” was also inscribed on the helmets and on the sides of their jerseys.
James said on the podcast, “25 years after the September 11th horrific situation that happened here in this country, to be able to have Rutgers and Boston College on that night, that’ll be our red bandana game. It’s one that we’re looking forward to; continuing to never forget what happened on that day, and we’ll have a special night here with Rutgers on Friday, September 11th.”
Although the Eagles boast a 20-7-1 advantage all-time against the Scarlet Knights, with most of those games dating back to when both schools played in the Big East, Rutgers has the most recent victory. The Knights went into Chestnut Hill and took down Boston College 22-21 in the 2022 season opener, which was seen as a mild upset at the time.
Rutgers trailed 14-6 at halftime but rallied to win the game in the fourth quarter, with Al-Shadee Salaam scoring the game-winning touchdown with 2:43 left. Salaam had multiple big runs in the final drive, while Kyle Monangai had 64 yards to lead Rutgers in rushing and scored a rushing touchdown himself. Greg Schiano had yet to decide on a full-time starter at quarterback, so Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt combined for 110 yards passing as the Eagles (and Rutgers fans) were left guessing who would be under center.
Although the season went downhill in Big Ten play, this win was part of a streak where Rutgers swept the nonconference slate and took down several ACC foes, having also defeated Syracuse and Virginia Tech twice over the last few seasons. This year, Rutgers returns to Boston College for its second game of 2026 after opening at home against UMass, and this matchup will have all the significance needed for a great atmosphere.
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Category: General Sports
