Boston College
5-2 , 4-1
Clemson
4-3 , 1-2
Football Falls, 17-13, to No. 22/24 Clemson
October 18, 2014 | Football
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Postgame Video: Coach Addazio | Bordner & Murphy | Howell, Simmons & Daniels
Chestnut Hill, Mass. - The Boston College football team dropped a 17-13 game to Clemson, ranked 24th in the AP Poll on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium on BC Homecoming Weekend. Graduate quarterback Tyler Murphy threw two touchdowns, but was held to 55 rushing yards and was sacked five times in the Eagles' (4-3, 1-2 ACC) loss.
It was a defensive battle as both teams put out their lowest point totals of the season. The Tigers (5-2, 4-1 ACC) held the BC run game to just 120 rushing yards and recorded 14 tackles for a loss of 44 yards.
Clemson QB Cole Stout was 29-for-45 with 285 passing yards. Murphy was 8-for-19 with 108 passing yards. Neither team turned the ball over.
Senior Alex Howell punted a season-high 10 times, averaging 50.1 yards per punt after entering the game averaging 37.7 yards per punt. In the third quarter, the Eagles were forced to punt from the 41-yard line and Howell pinned the Tigers back on their own three-yard line on a perfect 38-yard punt.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers took a 7-0 lead with 11:42 remaining in the first half. Wayne Gallman scored his first career touchdown on a 17-yard run on a 50-yard, four-play drive after the Murphy was sacked twice on the Eagles' previous possession.
Sophomore Myles Willis returned the kickoff 50 yards, the longest return of the season, but the Eagles could not capitalize, going three-and-out.
The Eagled tied the game on freshman Sherman Alston's first career receiving touchdown. Murphy started the drive with a 19-yard run, the first time he was able to break way in the game. After a three-yard run, a face mask penalty added on 15 yards, moving the Eagles to the Clemson 26-yard line. Murphy then found Alston down the sideline and the freshman ran in to tie the game.
Clemson went up by three at the half, hitting on 23-yard field goal as time expired. Ammon Lakip completed a 12-play, 69-yard drive that lasted the final 3:21 of the half to give the Tigers a lead going into the locker room. CU converted on third down three times in the drive and Stout ran for 13 yards on third-and-10 to the BC six-yard line to set up the field goal.
The Eagles pulled ahead on a touchdown to graduate Josh Bordner with just under 11 minutes to play in the game. The drive started with a 48-yard pass to Dan Crimmins, a career long for the junior which also tied the long for the season for BC. The Eagles recorded their first third-down conversion to set up the touchdown on third-and-10 as Murphy broke from the pocket and with four Tigers chasing him, found redshirt freshman Charlie Callinan for a 15-yard completion. Willis rushed for 16 yards on the next play and on second-and-goal, Murphy threw from the right side of the field to the back left corner of the end zone, finding Bordner to give BC the lead. Freshman Mike Knoll missed the extra point to make it 13-10.
The Tigers marched down the field on their next drive to take a 17-13 lead. On third-and-10 at the Clemson 18-yard line, Stout hit Mike Williams for a 32-yard pass. Three plays later, C.J. Davidson ran it in 32 yards with 9:35 to play to pull back ahead on a drive that took just over five minutes to complete.
On BC's final drive of the game, the Eagles had a chance to go ahead, but could not take advantage. Murphy took off on second-and-nine on a 43-yard run to the CU 38, the longest of the game for either team. On fourth-and-one, freshman Jon Hilliman pushed the ball ahead three yards for a BC first down to the Clemson 29-yard line. Murphy threw four incomplete passes, including one that slipped through the hands of sophomore Tyler Rouse near the end zone and BC turned the ball over on downs.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday, Oct. 25 when they travel to Wake Forest to face the Demon Deacons (2-5, 0-3 ACC) at 3:30 p.m. The game will broadcast on the ACC Regional Sports Network.
Team Stats
CU 7, BC 0
CU - GALLMAN 17 yd run (LAKIP kick), 4 plays, 50 yards, TOP 1:21
CU 7, BC 7
BC - Alston,S 26 yd pass from Murphy,T (Knoll,M kick) 3 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:03
CU 10, BC 7
CU - LAKIP 23 yd field goal 12 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:21
CU 10, BC 13
BC - Bordner,J 6 yd pass from Murphy,T (Knoll,M kickfailed) 7 plays, 84 yards, TOP 2:27
CU 17, BC 13
CU - DAVIDSON 32 yd run (LAKIP kick), 6 plays, 82 yards, TOP 1:18
