Postgame Notes: BC vs. Maryland in Quick Lane Bowl

POSTGAME GAME NOTES
Boston College (7-6, 2-6 ACC) vs. Maryland (6-7, 3-6 Big Ten)
Quick Lane Bowl | Detroit, Mich. | Ford Field
Dec. 26, 2016

TEAM
Boston College earned its first bowl victory since 2007 with a 36-30 victory over Maryland Monday afternoon in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit.

Boston College is 14-11 all-time in 25 bowl appearances. The last bowl victory prior to today was a 24-21 win over Michigan State on Dec. 28, 2007 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Matt Ryan threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns to cap an 11-win season for the Eagles in 2007.

The 29-point first half were the most points scored in a half by the Eagles in 2016, surpassing the previous high of 28 against Wagner (Sept. 24). It is the most first-half points BC has scored against a Power Five opponent since recording 24 vs. NC State on Oct. 17, 2009.

Boston College's 29 first-half points marked the third-best first half scoring in BC's bowl history. The 2002 Eagles scored 42 in the first half vs. Toledo in the Motor City Bowl and the Eagles scored 31 in the first half of the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston.

The defensive line was named Most Outstanding Player in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl. Boston College finished with eight sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss.

OFFENSE
Graduate quarterback Patrick Towles recorded 151 passing yards on a 10-for-22 day with two touchdowns and an interception. Towles recorded a 20-yard receiving touchdown on a trick play from sophomore wide receiver Jeff Smith. He connected with sophomore tight end Tommy Sweeney for a two-yard touchdown and a 49-yard TD to sophomore wide receiver Michael Walker in the second quarter to increase his season total to 12.

Towles is the first ACC player with a touchdown pass and a touchdown catch in the same bowl game since Florida State's Anquan Boldin in the 2003 Sugar Bowl vs Georgia. The 20-yard touchdown reception for Towles was his first career touchdown catch.

Sophomore running back Jon Hilliman tallied his sixth touchdown of the season to open the game's scoring with a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Hilliman is now tied for 11th in BC history with 21 career rushing touchdowns.

Walker recorded a career-long, 49-yard reception on a touchdown pass from Towles with 35 seconds remaining in the first half. The touchdown was Walker's fourth of the season.

Sweeney recorded his third touchdown of the season on a two-yard reception. On the drive, he caught a career-long, 24-yard pass from Towles to end the first quarter and set up first-and-goal.

Senior running back Myles Willis led the Eagles in all-purpose yards with 111 (74 rush, 37 kickoff return), including a season-high 43 yard rush in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSE
The Eagles tied a school record with eight sacks in the game. They have completed the feat five times in program history, including twice in 2016, notching eight in the win at Massachusetts on Sept. 10, 2016. Six different Eagles aided in the total.

BC finished the season with 47 sacks, tying the school's single-season record set in 1994, the last time current defensive coordinator Jim Reid was the DC.

The BC defense tied a season high with four turnovers (three forced fumbles and an interception). The Eagles also recorded four in the win against Connecticut on Nov. 19.

Sophomore defensive end Zach Allen tallied a career-high two sacks. The sacks were Allen's fifth and sixth this season, both on third down, resulting in Maryland punts.

Junior defensive end Harold Landry recorded his first career interception on a third-and-18 pass late in the second quarter, returning it 20 yards. He also recorded 1.5 sacks on the day, to bring his record-setting total to 16.5. He has 21 in his career, third in BC career history.

Landry's 22 tackles-for-loss on the season ranks second on BC's single-season list and his 39 career TFLs are fourth all-time in BC history.

Senior defensive back John Johnson recorded a career-high 12 tackles, including 11 solo stops in his final game in a BC uniform.

Sophomore defensive tackle Ray Smith recorded his first career sack early in the first quarter for a 10-yard loss. Smith missed the last three games due to injury and last saw the field against Louisville (Nov. 5).

Senior linebacker Matt Milano recorded his sixth sack of the season and Boston College's third of the first quarter to force a three-and-out for the Terps. He also recorded his second fumble recovery of the year.

Senior defensive end Kevin Kavalec recorded a strip sack early in the second quarter, forcing his second fumble on the season and bringing his sack total to 4.5 for the year. The ball was recovered by senior defensive tackle Truman Gutapfel, who carried the ball back to the Terps' 10-yard line. It was Gutapfel's second recovery of the season.

Kavalec later recorded his first career touchdown on his second fumble recovery of the season on the goal line after junior defensive tackle Noa Merritt notched his first career forced fumble, stripping the ball from running back Ty Johnson 1:36 into the second half.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior punter/kicker Mike Knoll connected on a 22-yard field goal with 10:32 remaining in the second quarter to extend the Eagles lead to 16-0.

Myles Willis finished his Boston College career second all-time with 2,082 kickoff return yards and 87 returns. His 23.9 career return average ranks second all-time as well.

Postgame Notes: BC vs. Maryland in Quick Lane Bowl

Players Mentioned

Zach Allen

Truman Gutapfel

Jon Hilliman

John Johnson

Kevin Kavalec

Mike Knoll

Harold Landry

Noa Merritt

Matt Milano

Jeff Smith

Ray Smith

Tommy Sweeney

Patrick Towles

Michael Walker

Myles Willis

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