On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Boston College hosted Rutgers in its annual Red Bandanna Game on Friday night, a meeting that had special meaning for both schools.
The Eagles honored the memory of former lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who died rescuing more than a dozen people in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The Boston College grad was known for carrying a red bandanna.
"It's so uplifting," said Alison Crowther, Welles' mother, on the field an hour before the game. "The love that our whole family feels here at Boston College."
She spoke on the sideline with Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" playing in the background as fans were making their way into Alumni Stadium holding red bandanna giveaways.
"I just would like them to think about the power they have in each and every one of them to bring good into the world," Alison Crowther said when asked what message she would like to see from the night.
Along the sideline, there were two No. 19s, Welles' lacrosse number, inside each 20-yard line on the Boston College side. A video tribute played before kickoff.
"This is an incredibly important game at Boston College because of the memory of Welles Crowther and what he did on that fateful day," Eagles coach Bill O'Brien said this week. "It means a lot to BC. It means a lot to BC alums. It means a lot to the fans."
The Eagles' uniforms, which they wear for the game each year since it started Sept. 13, 2014, were decorated with bandanna paisley and read "FOR WELLES" in place of players' names.
The Scarlet Knights wore uniform pants with the words "Never Forget" down the right side and helmets with Stars and Stripes in the numbers "37" on the side, honoring the 37 Rutgers alumni who were killed during the 9/11 attacks.
"I think it's fitting that we're playing a team like Rutgers, from New Jersey, with a lot of New York City connections," O'Brien said.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said this week that his team was excited to be a part of the special night.
"To be part of the game that commemorates that is an honor," he said.
Twenty-two Boston College alumni died in the attacks, and the school lists the names in the outer ring of a memorial. Family members of some were on the field and were recognized during a tribute after the first quarter.
Crowther's family and many of his lacrosse teammates were on the field early in the second quarter.
Crowther, who carried a red bandanna since he was a young boy, ran up and down stairs to help rescue people before the tower collapsed. On Tuesday, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.
O'Brien showed his team a video about Crowther.
"When I first got here, I didn't know too much about it," said Eagles linebacker Anthony Palano, who grew up outside Chicago. "I got here and learned really quickly what it meant to this whole campus."
Mason McKenzie threw a 78-yard touchdown pass and ran for another score as Boston College held off Rutgers 28-21.
"It's just a monumental night here at BC for everything that it means in memory of Welles Crowther, what he did on that fateful day 25 years ago," O'Brien told ESPN after the game. "You gotta win so you can celebrate in memory of Welles."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.