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It took 350 days, but BC football is off the schnide. BC snapped a nine-game losing streak dating back to the 2015 season Saturday afternoon, defeating the UMass Amherst Minutemen 26-7 in front of a sparse crowd at Gillette Stadium. Two passing touchdowns to converted wide receiver Jeff Smith proved to be the deciding factor Saturday, propelling the Eagles to win over in-state foe UMass Amherst. Patrick Towles threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and was picked off once. Defensively, the Eagles held the Minutemen to 122 yards overall. The Eagles were able to hold UMass Amherst to -23 yards rushing, the second lowest amount of rushing yards allowed by a BC team, and the lowest since 1991. The Eagles will look to end another schnide next week: a much discussed winless streak in-conference amongst BC’s most visible programs. The Eagles will try to end the streak in Blacksburg, Va. Sat., Sept., 17 at 3:30 PM against Va. Tech.
Students are lined up at Alumni to board busses to Gillette. pic.twitter.com/tNHiZlHE3F
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016
@arthurbailin @bcinterruption what time does the bus leave that will get you there at the end of the first quarter?
— Luke Beakly (@LukeBeakly) September 10, 2016
@LukeBeakly @bcinterruption pic.twitter.com/7kUUJbc2ri
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016
We have arrived at Gillette! The Eagles kick off against UMass in just over an hour. pic.twitter.com/lQBYFKJkh7
— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) September 10, 2016
15 minutes til kickoff. We'll call the crowd, uh, sparse? Similar to an MIAA state championship crowd. pic.twitter.com/XesqNhyjMk
— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) September 10, 2016
Yikes the crowd here at Gillette is Revs USOC game bad. Does not look at all close to 2014. #BCEagles
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
KICKOFF. #BeatUMass #BattleOfTheBayState #BCEagles pic.twitter.com/hK6FXXgXNt
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
UMass forces the turnover on downs. Drive really stung with the pitch to Hilliman on 3rd-and-2 on the 24.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
Completely blown coverage by the Eagles. Comis to Breneman. 58 yards. 7-0, Massachusetts.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
Jesus Christ what the f*** was that BC?
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
Looks like our passing game is back to being an atrocity.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
Or pass defense, rather.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
At the end of the first, UMass leads the #BCEagles, 7-0. #BattleoftheBayState pic.twitter.com/cQ3QThgZTl
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
@bcinterruption Hmmmmm what plays should we call #BattleoftheBayState #BeatUMass pic.twitter.com/SvIpBnpBfg
— Luke Beakly (@LukeBeakly) September 10, 2016
I kept having an internal debate with myself about not going to this game. BC hasn't done much to make me feel like I made the right choice.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
Towles' pass intended for Walker is incomplete and BC will punt with 11:24 left in the half.
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
This is brutal to watch. Absolutely brutal
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
Steve Addazio calls a timeout to contemplate a 4th-and-2 from UMass' 43. 6:16 to go in the half.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
The Eagles change their mind. They're going to punt.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
Addazio you lost me man.
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
46-yards to paydirt from Towles! First receiving touchdown for Jeff Smith! pic.twitter.com/3zz11wzOku
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
46 yard bomb from Patrick Towles to Jeff Smith....but Mike Knoll misses the extra point. So...Massachusetts still has a 7-6 lead.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
Well that was predictable wasn't it?
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016
Ahahahaha our kickers SUCKKKKKKKKK
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
Do you have a pulse and can walk upright? Then you can kick for the #BCEagles!!!
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
They also just called Jeff Smith "Sherman Alston" so that's fun.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
Lol the UMass announcer keeps saying Sherm Alston scored a TD
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
Very next play ... Towles and Smith link up again! 36 yard bomb! pic.twitter.com/MV16VMuQpL
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
Half the BC fans just sarcastically cheered the made extra point haha
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
Towles picks up 15 on the scramble, then is intercepted at the BC47 on the next play. UMass returns it 27 yards. 1:31 left in the half
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
END HALF: Boston College 13, Massachusetts 7. It was the Jeff Smith show in the second quarter, with two long touchdowns.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016
Oh boy. Mike Knoll is coming in to try a long field goal. 41 yards out.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
Knoll drills it. Suck it, haters. 16-7, Boston College.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
William Harris picks off a perfectly telegraphed pass from Ross Comis. BC has the ball on UMass' 26 yard line.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
40-yarder from Mike Knoll! #BCEagles up, 16-7, with 3:50 left in the third. pic.twitter.com/OE1UtEYz0U
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
We may have found our FG kicker, his name is Mike Knoll
— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) September 10, 2016
We must have snatched up Stephen Gostkowski at halftime, right? That's the only logical explanation.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
[insert how great BC's pass rush has been]
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
15-yard touchdown for Jonathan Hilliman. His best run of the day, by far. That'll ice this one.
— Michael Sullivan (@MichaelJSully) September 10, 2016
I also enjoy how lots of the students for both schools are leaving early. Where could they possibly be going? They took buses here.
— Adam M (@adamar108) September 10, 2016
#BattleOfTheBayState goes to the #BCEagles, 26-7. Bring on the Hokies. pic.twitter.com/2elNZxKt1M
— BC Football (@BCFootball) September 10, 2016
Couple things now that I'm back in the city. First, as critical as we've been of kicking, Mike Knoll had a good game save for the missed PAT
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016
Second, it wasn't pretty by any means, but BC got it done today. We'll see how they do next week.
— Arthur Bailin (@arthurbailin) September 10, 2016