For Boston College, it was a case of learning your lesson. The Eagles blew a late lead in their season opener against Georgia Tech in Dublin, but when presented with another chance to close out an important game, the Eagles showed they grew from their mistakes, defeating Maryland 36-30 in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Towles leads the way, BC coach sees foundation for sustained success

Boston College was led by quarterback Patrick Towles, who threw for two touchdowns and caught another as the Eagles (7-6) led by 16 at halftime and 23 points early in the third quarter before forcing Maryland to turn the ball over on downs late in the game.

Towles also was on the receiving end of a touchdown as he and wide receiver Jeff Smith executed a reverse that saw Smith throw a 20-yard strike to Towles to give the Eagles a 23-7 lead. Towles was happy he made it into the end zone on the play: "I was just glad I caught it and didn't get ran down," he joked.

Towles attempts a pass during the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit/Photo: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press
Towles attempts a pass during the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit/Photo: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

For head coach Steve Addazio, the win was a critical victory in building for the future: "We started to really develop a resolve that you see in the players' eyes," Addazio said. "The most critical thing in building your program is having that. And, I really believe we have finally set that platform forward and that's the most exciting thing to me of all."

Hills, Johnson star for Terps, mistakes cost team chance for win as coach reflects on the loss

The Terrapins were paced by quarterback Perry Hills and running back Ty Johnson. Hills passed for 259 yards and two TD's while Johnson also scored a pair of touchdowns while rushing for 159 yards on just 15 carries.

Hills threw for 229 yards and two scores, but couldn't prevent the Terps from turning it over four times/Photo: Scott Halip/Getty Images
Hills threw for 229 yards and two scores, but couldn't prevent the Terps from turning it over four times/Photo: Scott Halip/Getty Images

Maryland made some big plays on offense, but four turnovers, eight sacks allowed, 11 penalties and poor field position proved to be costly. In the first half, Hills was intercepted, lost a fumble and was sacked four times. On the Terrapins' first snap of the second half, Hills handed off to Johnson and the running back fumbled recovered in the end zone by Boston College.

With 4:02 left, the Terrapins got to the BC 1 with a chance to cut into their nine-point deficit and Hills lost a fumble after bobbling a snap. They got the ball back less than a minute later when Boston College's Jon Hillman fumbled at his own 6, and were forced to settle for a field goal. They would get no closer the rest of the way.

Head coach D.J. Durkin was grateful for the chance to steal the win late, but was honest in assessing his team's play: "That's all you can ask for," Durkin said. "You'll take that in any game. "The program is headed in the right direction, but we have to learn to not beat ourselves".

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About the author
John Lupo
I am a writer and photographer. I have two Instagrams: @lupojohn1 is my personal account while @dslr_transit_photos is my photography account as I do transit photography in my hometown of New York City.