Young QBs Take Reins in BC Victory over NIU

Saturday, September 26

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

1 pm

Boston College

3-1

Northern Illinois

2-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Northern Illinois	0	7	0	7	14
Boston College	0	7	7	3	17

Young QBs Take Reins in BC Victory over NIU

September 26, 2015 | Football

Box Score

Sophomore Hilliman logs fourth career 100-yard game

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 17, Northern Illinois 14
Records: Northern Illinois (2-2), Boston College (3-1)
Location: Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. (30,193)
Time of Game: 3:04
Weather: 63 degrees, clear with ENE 12 mph winds

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Redshirt freshman Troy Flutie recorded his first career start, throwing a second-quarter touchdown, while freshman Jeff Smith shared time behind center, rushing nine times for 56 yards as the two took over for injured Darius Wade.
Sophomore Jon Hilliman rushed for 119 yards on 24 carries, recording his first 100-yard of the season and fourth of his career, scoring on a game-long 21-yard run to break a 7-7 tie in the third quarter.
The BC defense held the Huskies to 72 rushing yards as the Eagles have not allowed an opponent to tally 100 yards on the ground in 2015. They also have allowed just 17 points through four games.
Junior Matt Milano blocked his second punt of the season in the fourth quarter.

KEY PLAYS

With the game tied at seven, the Huskies missed a 29-yard field goal that would have put NIU ahead. The Eagles answered with a 21-yard rushing touchdown by Jon Hilliman to give BC it would not concede.
After NIU returned a kickoff for a touchdown - the first against the Eagles since 2011 - to make it a three-point game and the Eagles went three-and-out, the BC defense held the Huskies with 2:20 to go to keep the lead. They forced incomplete passes on third and fourth downs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Eagles were the first to get on the board in a defensive battle. With just under nine minutes to go in the first half, Flutie connected with sophomore Charlie Callinan on a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 BC. The two teams had recorded nine straight punts and just two first downs before the 10-play, 68-yard scoring drive.
With four minutes to go in the half, after completing a 30-yard pass to sophomore Sherman Alston, Flutie was intercepted by Shawun Lurry, who returned it 79 yards to the four-yard line. On third-and-goal, Joe Bouagnon rushed in from the two to tie the game at seven.
The Eagles took back the lead in the third quarter on the 21-yard rushing touchdown by HIlliman. NIU drove 51 yards down the field on the previous drive, but Christian Hagan missed a 29-yard field goal to keep it a tie game. Hilliman rushed six times for 31 yards before breaking free for his second TD of the season.
On the Huskies' first drive of the fourth quarter, Milano blocked his second punt of the season to give the Eagles the ball at the 43-yard line.
Freshman Colton Lichtenberg connected on his first career field goal, a 25-yarder, to give BC a 17-7 lead with 4:40 to go in the game.
Huskie Aregeros Turner returned the subsequent kickoff 86 yards to make it a 17-14 game with just over four minutes to play.
On the final drive of the game, the BC defense allowed NIU a first down at the BC 40-yard line, but held strong. The Eagles forced the Huskies to hand the ball back after throwing incomplete passes on third- and fourth-and-10. BC was able to line up in victory formation with 1:31 left.

UP NEXT
The Eagles head on the road for the first time in 2015 when they travel to Durham, N.C., for a 3:30 p.m. tilt against Duke on Saturday, Oct. 3. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Regional Network.