Eagles Take Care of Business, Beat Wagner 42-10
By Landon Komishane
After a game in which they were humiliated by Virginia Tech 49-0, the Boston College Eagles needed to bounce back. They did just that as they defeated the FCS opponent Wagner Seahawks, 42-10, improving to 2-2 on the year.
The Eagles had two games before their challenging stretch where they will play three top-15 teams in five games. It was crucial for them to gain their confidence back.
They started out a little shaky. Wagner quarterback Alex Thomson got the Seahawks on the board first with a 55-yard touchdown run. That was the only big play the Eagles gave up on the day. The Eagles quickly responded with a drive that led to Jon Hilliman’s third touchdown of the year. Boston College’s defense was able to keep Wagner in check from there, with Wagner having to settle with three-and-outs for the majority of the game.
Patrick Towles got a chance to show off his running ability in this game. It started late in the first quarter when he scrambled out of the pocket and ran for a 17-yard touchdown. Towles showed his quickness and ability to get away from defenders, something the Eagles desperately need in order to extend plays.
Wagner was able to get a solid drive in the second quarter due to good field position and cut the Eagles’ lead with a field goal, but those were the last points the Seahawks would score on the day.
Boston College finished the half strong with two touchdowns from two of their main playmakers. First, Towles connected on a 58 yard bomb to Jeff Smith for their third touchdown connection of the season. After another Wagner punt, Towles once again showed off his running skills, running 13 yards to the one yard line. He ran a quarterback sneak to get in the end zone for his third touchdown of the day overall.
The second half was much of the same for the Eagles. They never took their foot off the gas pedal. A 53 yard punt return by Tyler Rouse early in the third quarter set up Jon Hilliman’s second touchdown of the game, a run from six yards out. After Wagner and Boston College each traded unsuccessful drives, the Eagles got their last score of the game late in the third quarter when Michael Walker caught a screen pass and eluded multiple defenders for a 27-yard touchdown. The fourth quarter saw the Eagles empty the bench as Darius Wade got to see some action at quarterback.
The kicking game was consistent throughout as Mike Knoll hit all six of his extra points today. For the Eagles to compete with the ACC powerhouses they will be facing, they need to keep up this consistency.
The Eagles ended up with 490 total yards of offense while limiting Wagner to 107 yards. More importantly, the Eagles had zero turnovers for the first time this season.
While this game is not shown to measure up to the opponents the Eagles will be facing for the remainder of the season, Boston College was able to hit the reset button in this game and move forward. All the key players, including Towles, Hilliman, and Smith, were engaged and involved in the game, and the Eagles will need them to keep producing in order to keep up with the strong ACC teams.
One game remains before No. 5 Clemson comes to town for a Friday night primetime game. The Buffalo Bulls have struggled early on, but the Eagles need to approach this game as they did for Wagner.
Boston College took care of business today, and now they are on to Buffalo.