Boston College
Maine
Boston College Shuts Out Maine, 22-0
September 30, 2006 | Football
Sept. 30, 2006
BOSTON (AP) - Andre Callender ran for 76 yards, breaking free for a 25-yard touchdown in the second quarter on Saturday as Boston College took out its frustrations over last week's last-minute loss on Division I-AA Maine and beat the Black Bears 22-0.
BC (4-1) had risen as high as 18th in The Associated Press Top 25 before losing to North Carolina State 17-15 on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 8.5 seconds left last week. The Eagles have 11 days to rest up for No. 11 Virginia Tech on Oct. 12.
Maine (2-2) had won two in a row, including a 62-12 victory over Shaw last week.
BC allowed the Black Bears to hang around by fumbling twice - once giving the ball back on the same play that Maine fumbled in its own backfield. The other giveaway came in the final minutes as Matt Ryan moved the Eagles inside the Maine 20.
Ryan completed 15 of 26 passes for 182 yards before resting his sore ankle in the last series. Ron Whitcomb completed 15 of 22 passes for 77 yards; Maine also fumbled five times and lost three of them.
Boston College struggled to put away Central Michigan in the season opener and then won back-to-back double overtime games, against Clemson and BYU before taking its first loss at N.C. State. So the arrival of Maine - a longtime hockey rival - was welcome.
And it played out just as expected, with BC improving to 4-0 against I-AA teams under coach Tom O'Brien.
The Black Bears stayed in it for about 20 minutes, trailing just 3-0 after the first quarter and falling behind 5-0 when Clarence Megwa blocked a punt and Kevin Aikins tackled punter Kash Kiefer for a safety. On BC's next possession, Callender ran around the left side and into the end zone.
Ryan Ohliger made the point-after - no small accomplishment, considering he had missed three in the previous two weeks. In all Ohliger made two extra points and field goals from 29 and 30 yards out; he had a 40-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter by Maine lineman Mike DeVito.
Linebacker Brian Toal scored with 3:14 left in the third to give BC a 22-0 lead. It was his 10th career touchdown and the fourth of this season for the short-yardage specialist.
