BOSTON (AP) — Kye Robichaux ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns, Thomas Castellanos threw for another score and surging Boston College beat Connecticut 21-14 on Saturday for its fourth straight victory.
With 1984 Heisman Trophy winner and former BC QB Doug Flutie on the sideline, at one point tossing signed footballs into the student section in the opening half, the Eagles (5-3) relied on a steady ground game to hold off the Huskies.
Castellanos completed 16-of-24 passes for 151 yards but had an interception in the end zone just before the half and fumbled the ball away. He was pulled for the opening series of the third quarter after being looked at by the medical staff at halftime.
Leading the nation in rushing yards by a quarterback coming into the day, the sophomore transfer from Central Florida carried 14 times for 45 yards.
Cam Edwards ran for 89 yards and Ta’Quan Roberson completed 11-of-24 passes for 130 yards with no TDs or picks for UConn (1-7).
BC’s backup QB Emmett Morehead, who lost his job in the opening half of the first game, went 4 for 5 for 36 yards in one series.
The Eagles took a 14-7 lead midway into the second quarter when Castellanos flipped a short pass to running back Alex Broome, who took it in for a 6-yard score directly in front of Flutie and former coach Tom Coughlin.
Robichaux’s second score, a 13-yarder late in the third quarter, made it 21-7.
Edwards’ 30-yard TD run sliced it to 21-14 early in the fourth.
Coughlin, a two-time Super Bowl winning head coach with the New York Giants following a stint at BC from 1991-93, where he engineered one of the biggest upsets in school history when the Eagles knocked off No. 1 Notre Dame on a game-ending field goal in 1993.
The pair were in town with former players from the ’83 team (when Flutie played) and ’93 that were honored during the first half. Coughlin spoke to the team Friday night.
UConn beat BC 13-3 at home last season, its only win in the series (1-13-2) that started in 1908.
THE TAKEAWAY
UConn: It doesn’t get any easier for the struggling Huskies, who travel to Knoxville, Tenn. and face the Volunteers next week. … Their strength coming in was their rush defense, but BC moved the ball relatively easily.
Boston College: After failing to qualify for a bowl last season, the Eagles have four shots to pick up their sixth win in their final four games in league play.
UP NEXT
UConn: At No. 21 Tennessee next Saturday.
Boston College: Returns to ACC action when it plays at Syracuse on Friday night.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
