BC 30, UConn 0: The Key Play

Ah, this game.

This game was like a nice medium-rare steak. Nothing life-changing, for sure, but damn it, you just need a good steak sometimes. UConn, bless them, obliged to give us that satisfying feeling you can only get after savoring a big ol’ porterhouse or thumping the life out of the local football sacrifice.

Anyway, BC footballed well and UConn footballed poorly pretty much from the moment Eagle boot met Husky ass at kickoff. But we have to pick one moment of the game, and while there were many — oh, so many — moments of Husky ineptitude, there was actually a pretty good choice available for this week’s Key Play from a BC perspective.

8:25 remaining in the 3rd quarter
3rd and Goal from the UConn 10 yard line
Patrick Towles pass complete to Michael Walker — TOUCHDOWN

You genuinely could have chosen the first points of the game for the point at which UConn seriously lost any prayer of staying competitive in this game, but even so, at 10-0 there is still the chance that in theory BC could screw it up on its own with a turnover or two.

So, 17-0 really iced the game. But you know what’s really nice about this play? It wasn’t the result of UConn screwing up — it was all BC.

The OL got the party started with a solid hold on UConn’s four man rush. The Husky end and tackle swap at the snap, and BC’s got it covered. The double team is on the left side and holding strong, but the single blocks at the bottom keep UConn at bay plenty long enough for the play to develop.

UConn’s #93 Folorunso Fatukasi (that is an amazing name; see, not everything is bad down in Storrs) does start to get the upper hand on the BC tackle, but Towles doesn’t need that much time.

Next up is the route from Michael Walker, who made the whole thing happen by fighting for space. After the initial stop and go, he turns on the jets and gets through the arms of the two UConn defenders to get a step ahead.

And Patrick Towles. My man.

That is as good as ball as you can throw.

Towles takes a lot of crap for his inconsistent play — and this doesn’t erase the difficulties he’s had this season — but he really, really nailed it with this pass. It’s not a floater, it’s not a dart, it’s just a perfectly targeted ball with wonderful touch, leaving it where his receiver, running full speed, is the only one who can go up and get it.

The ball is thrown directly to Walker’s high point, solidly out of the reach of the UConn secondary, and Walker hauls it in with the magnificent grab.

That’s execution, and from beginning to end it’s just a work of art.

The play capped a 13 play, 75 yard scoring drive (BC’s third scoring drive of the game of at least 12 plays, which I didn’t even know was allowed), and it was a beauty. The Eagles converted on third time three times on the drive, concluding with the touchdown to Walker, and BC was in complete control.