Dec 26, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Boston College Eagles tight end Tommy Sweeney (89) receives congratulations from offensive lineman Elijah Johnson (76) and tight end Michael Giacone (88) after scoring in the first half against the Boston College Eagles at Ford Field. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
DETROIT — Sophomore running back Jon Hilliman rushed for 79 yards on 29 carries to lead Boston College to a 36-30 win over Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday at Ford Field.
Boston College (7-6) jumped out to a 16-0 lead with 10:32 left in the first half and went up 36-13 with 13:24 left in the third quarter when senior defensive lineman Kevin Kavalec recovered a Maryland fumble at the goal line for a touchdown.
Maryland (6-7) got right back in the game on back-to-back lengthy touchdown passes. With 12:48 remaining in the third quarter, senior quarterback Perry Hills hit senior wideout Teldrick Morgan to make it 36-20 Boston College.
The Terrapins then cuts their deficit to 36-27 with 10:05 left in the third quarter on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Hills to senior wideout Levern Jacobs.
Maryland got more life when senior defensive lineman Azubuike Ukandu recovered a Boston College fumble at the 5-yard line to give the Terrapins a first-and-goal with 3:14 remaining.
But the Terrapins threw three straight incompletions and had to settle for a 23-yard field goal attempt by junior Adam Green that made it 36-30 Boston College with 2:55 left.
Maryland forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at its 36 with under two minutes left, but three incompletions and a sack gave the ball back to Boston College, which ran out the clock from there.
Senior quarterback Patrick Towles added two touchdown passes in the win for Boston College.
Sophomore running back Ty Johnson ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for Maryland, which had four turnovers and committed 11 penalties for 86 yards.
NOTES: Boston College snapped a streak of five straight bowl losses. The last bowl win for the Eagles before Monday came in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 24-21 over Michigan State. … RB Ty Johnson’s 62-yard touchdown run in the first half for Maryland was his 11th carry of 40 yards or more this season. … Boston College had eight sacks in the game and finished the season with 47. The Eagles entered the game tied for 10th nationally in sacks. … Maryland sophomore WR D.J. Moore extended his streak of catching at least one pass in a game to 21. … This was the second bowl game in Detroit or its surrounding area for both Boston College and Maryland. Boston College beat Toledo 51-25 in the 2002 Motor City Bowl at Ford Field. Maryland won the 1985 Cherry Bowl at the Pontiac Silverdome, beating Syracuse 35-18. … Maryland has now lost three straight bowl games. The last bowl game the Terrapins won was in 2010 when they beat East Carolina 51-20 in the Military Bowl. … Announced attendance for the game was 19,117.
