Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Army
Football Rolls Over Army, 31-10
September 29, 2001 | Football
Sept. 29, 2001
Postgame Audio
BOSTON (AP) - Boston College beat a service academy for the second straight week in a game bracketed by displays of solidarity.
Brian St. Pierre threw two touchdown passes and linebacker Scott Bradley returned an interception 27 yards for another score as Boston College defeated Army 31-10 Saturday.
The Eagles (3-1) got past Navy 38-21 last week.
The crowd greeted the Black Knights with polite applause - many of the 43,042 fans standing - as they took the field after an opening ceremony that featured a pair of large flags on the field and a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace" before the national anthem.
At the game's conclusion, both teams headed to the south end of the field where Boston College offensive lineman John Richardson sang "God Bless America," then both teams knelt in prayer.
"With the service academies, everybody feels for them," BC lineman Mark Colombo said. "When they graduate, they're probably going to be going off to war."
Army (0-3) - which last week had its worst loss in nearly two decades, 55-3 at Alabama-Birmingham - has lost 17 of 18 games since beating New Mexico State 35-18 on Oct. 23, 1999.
The losses are Army's worst consecutive defeats since the final two games of 1973 - 34-0 to Pittsburgh and 51-0 to Navy.
"The first quarter was abysmal," Army head coach Todd Berry said, "but after that I thought we played pretty well."
The Eagles won despite a slow start from running back William Green, who was held to 73 yards on 28 carries until a 42-yard score midway into the fourth quarter.
Green, who entered the game as the nation's third-leading rusher with 485 yards, finished with 115 yards on 29 carries.
"Running the ball is like a heavyweight fight," Boston College coach Tom O'Brien said. "You keep pounding, pounding and pounding, and sooner or later he's going to break one like he did."
Boston College jumped ahead 7-0 just 69 seconds into the game when Bradley intercepted Chad Jenkins' pass in the left flat and went untouched for the score.
The Eagles made it 14-0 when St. Pierre capped BC's first possession with a 20-yard scoring toss to Dedrick Dewalt 5:53 into the first quarter. The score closed a six-play, 50-yard drive.
Kevin McMyler's 39-yard field goal made it 17-0 with 1:13 left in the opening quarter.
The Eagles scored on their initial possession of the second half when St. Pierre hit Jamal Burke with an 18-yard TD pass, capping a 13-play, 74-yard drive.
Army got on the board midway into the third quarter when Jenkins hit Omari Thompson with a 39-yard TD pass on fourth down.
Derek Jacobs' 28-yard field goal cut it to 24-10 early in the final quarter.
"We're happy that we came out of it with a 31-10 win, but I'm not pleased - especially - with the play up front," O'Brien said. "I don't think I could ever be disappointed that we beat Army, but maybe my expectations are higher than we're capable of up front right now."
