Mizzou football has breezed through its opening two games, but the task at hand gets much tougher Saturday.

Missouri football, ranked No. 8 in the coaches' poll, faces Boston College at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, where both teams are fighting to keep a loss off their early-season record. Missouri has knocked off Murray State and Buffalo to get to 2-0; Boston College, under new coach Bill O'Brien, has defeated Florida State and Duquesne.

It’s the return leg of a home-and-home for the Tigers, who lost in overtime in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, early in the 2021 season — a game MU coach Eli Drinkwitz said taught him a “hard lesson” as a head coach.

“That game was hard for a lot of different reasons. I didn't think we played particularly well. There was a lot of noise around that game for comments (referencing preferring a regional nonconference game over a trip to the northeast) that were made by me,” Drinkwitz said Tuesday. … “Then obviously, you know, the emotional swings of that game. We came back, tied it up, they scored in overtime, we throw a pick the first play, first time having to deal with the crowd rushing the field and trying to navigate your way off the field.”

But the Tigers have a chance for payback.

In the rematch between, here are three matchups on the field that could determine the result between Missouri and Boston College, who are both ranked in the AP poll (Missouri No. 6, BC No. 24):

Can Missouri football’s pass rush force mistakes?

Missouri’s best path to taking care of the Eagles is making Thomas Castellanos throw dangerous passes.

To get there, the Tigers need their best days out of Johnny Walker Jr., Zion Young and the defensive end rotation.

Castellanos — although he hasn’t shown it yet this season — was the definition of boom or bust in 2023. He threw 15 touchdown passes in his 13 total appearances. He also tossed 14 interceptions.

Part of his improvement is on O’Brien and the BC offensive staff’s scheme, which has put the dynamic QB in safer situations through two games. Another part is the Eagles’ offensive line, which has been stout. A third is Castellanos’ ability to turn almost any pressure into a successful scramble.

If the Tigers are able to nullify all of the above, and get Castellanos looking downfield, there should be opportunities for turnovers.

Mizzou’s pass rushers have shown flashes against Murray State and Buffalo. By getting in Castellanos’ face and cutting off escape lanes, they could determine the course of this game.

More: Missouri football vs. Boston College: Scouting report, score prediction for ranked matchup

Middle linebacker vs. mobile QB

There is a problem with the aforementioned proposal. Best laid plans, et cetera ...

As good as Mizzou’s edge rushers play, the quarterback is athletic and shifty enough to break away at least a few times a game. The Tigers are going to need a Castellanos-inspired contingency plan.

Their best bet is through middle linebackers Chuck Hicks and Corey Flagg, who could be tasked with spying the QB to make sure his runs don’t turn into chunk plays.

Flagg, in particular, is off to a productive start to his Mizzou career after transferring from Miami — where he faced Castellanos in ACC play last season. He leads the team in tackles, and has shown a knack for reading plays as they evolve and getting out quick to meet them.

The Tigers’ linebackers are going to be tested sideline to sideline with Castellanos’ escapability. The race to the outer boundary is going to be a significant determining factor in the game's result.

If Mizzou can win that contest more often than it doesn’t, it’ll nullify a huge portion of Boston College’s offensive threat.

More: Can Missouri football quiet dynamic Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos? Here are the keys

Can O-Line keep up its dominance?

Penalties excluded, Missouri’s offensive line has been a strength for the Tigers so far.

Saturday will be the truest test of their talent to date.

Boston College has a defensive front with a ton of returning experience and production. The Eagles have let up just 40.5 rushing yards per game through two weeks. They’ve tallied 10 hits in the backfield in the same timespan.

Finding continued success in the off-tackle runs the Tigers like to deploy would greatly buoy the offensive effort. Keeping the quarterback clean and protected in the pocket, especially when the Eagles seem likely to frequently load the box, will be vital in the passing game.

And, maybe most importantly, not sacrificing field position with careless holding penalties, which has been an emphasis for MU in practice this week, is going to be critical.

That all adds up to a big day for Missouri’s line.

“They're strong in the middle, very good at stopping the run (and) creating surge at the line of scrimmage,” Drinkwitz said. “Their linebackers play really well downhill. They're a very difficult matchup in the secondary. Nothing's easy back there.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football vs Boston College: 3 key matchups in ranked-team battle