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BC Upsets Louisville on Game Winning Field Goal

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (bceagles.com)– True freshman running back AJ Dillon led the Eagles offense with a career-high four touchdowns and finished with a career-high 272 yards as Boston College (3-4, 1-3 ACC) upset Louisville (4-3, 1-3 ACC), 45-43, at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 


Senior defensive back Kamrin Moore made a key play at the end of the fourth quarter when he recovered a fumble to give the Eagles the ball at the Louisville 39-yard line. A series of Dillon rushes gave BC strong field position with three seconds left to play. Junior kicker Colton Lichtenberg converted the game-winning 27-yard field goal as time expired.

BC scored a season-high 45 points and rushed for 364 yards on the ground. This was the first time the Eagles defeated Louisville since 1994. 

KEY MOMENTS
Sophomore defensive back Hamp Cheevers forced a fumble at the end of the fourth quarter that was recovered by Moore. Moore returned the ball for 111 yards, but fumbled it at the Louisville 39-yard line. Senior defensive back Isaac Yiadom to give the Eagles the ball and the Eagles used a series of rushes by Dillon to get into field goal position with just :03 left. Junior kicker Colton Lichtenberg kicked a 27-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 45-42 win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Louisville took an early 7-0 lead on the first drive of the game when, after a series of completed passes including a 34-yard pass to Jaylen Smith, quarterback Lamar Jackson threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kemari Averett at 11:38.
  • A 48-yard pass from Jackson to Dez Fitzpatrick set the Cardinals up on the BC 20-yard line. Jackson then rushed for a 20-yard touchdown at 3:36 to increase the Cardinals lead to 14-0.
  • After a collection of rushes by Dillon, Thadd Smith and an 18-yard rush by Brown to the Louisville 47-yard line, Brown connected with Smith for a 42-yard touchdown with 53 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 14-7. 
  • Senior kicker Mike Knoll put a 46-yard punt at the Louisville 36-yard line, where U of L running back Reggie Bonnafon rushed up the middle for a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive at 5:07 in the second quarter.
  • Junior wide receiver Michael Walker had a 32 yard return to set the Eagles up at the Louisville 48-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Brown rushed for 30-yards before Dillon carried four times to set the Eagles up on the 1-yard line. He then had a 1-yard touchdown rush with 51 seconds left in the half, pulling the Eagles within a touchdown at the half, 21-14.
  • Graduate quarterback Darius Wade entered the game after an injury to Brown, and led the drive that put the teams level at 21-21. He connected with sophomore wide receiver Chris Garrison for a 15-yard catch, then completed back-to-back passes to Jon Hilliman and junior tight end Tommy Sweeney. A nine-yard pass to sophomore tight end Ray Marten set the Eagles up at the Cardinals 6-yard line. Two plays later, Dillon rushed for a 3-yard touchdown run at 5:03 in the third quarter. 
  • The Eagles took a 28-21 lead at 2:28 when Hilliman rushed for a 6-yard touchdown run. The drive included a 33-yard rush by Dillon and a 20-yard pass from Wade to Sweeney, which set BC up at the Cardinals 6-yard line. 
  • An interception by Wyatt Ray at the end of the third quarter gave the Eagles the ball at the Louisville 22-yard line. Dillon rushed for eight yards and Wade threw a 3-yard pass to Hilliman. On the following play, Dillon rushed for an 11-yard touchdown at 14:55 in the fourth quarter to push BC's lead to 35-21. 
  • Jackson capped off a six play, 84-yard scoring drive when he completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Fitzpatrick at 12:13 to make it 35-28. 
  • On the first play of the following drive, Dillon fought off the Cardinals defense and rushed for a 75-yard touchdown score at 11:59 to give the Eagles a 42-28 lead.
  • Jackson topped off a 10-play, 79-yard scoring drive - in which he had 19- and 20-yard runs - with a 9-yard touchdown rush at 8:59, cutting the Eagles' lead to 42-35.
  • The Cardinals tied the game with 5:03 left to play as Jackson rushed for a 41-yard touchdown to finish off a six play, 83-yard scoring drive. 
  • At the end of the fourth quarter, Cheevers forced a fumble that was picked up by Moore, who gained yardage on the return, but then fumbled it at the Louisville 39-yard line. Yiadom recovered the fumble to maintain possession for BC, and after a series of Dillon runs, BC was on the Cards' 10-yard line with three seconds left. Lichtenberg kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal to give BC a 45-42 victory. 

UP NEXT
The Eagles return to action against Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 12:30 p.m. The Cardinals head to Florida State for a 12:00 kickoff on Oct. 21.