Coming off of a 49-0 beatdown at the hands of in-conference rival Virginia Tech, the Boston College Eagles and quarterback Patrick Towles were in dire need of an encouraging performance. This is just what the squad received on Saturday afternoon as they pieced together an impressive 42-10 triumph over the Wagner Seahawks in their home opener at Alumni Stadium. 

"It was great to be back home," said defensive lineman Harold Landry, who led the Eagles with three sacks. "After going to Ireland and Virginia Tech, it felt so nice to have a homecoming, see my family, and play in front of our home fans." 

Eagles dominate on the ground

After completing just nine of his 28 pass attempts against the Hokies, Towles was efficient in his first home game as a member of the Eagles. He completed nine of his 16 attempts for two touchdowns and not a single turnover while rushing seven times for 46 yards and two scores. The Eagles ran roughshod over the Seahawks on the ground, with starting running back Jon Hilliman barely missing his second 100-yard rushing game of the season by picking up 83 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Davon Jones experienced success on the ground as well, picking up 90 yards on 12 rushes. 

"It was good to get a win," said Boston College head coach Steve Addazio. "We wanted to really emphasize running the ball today. We had 307 yards rushing, we wanted to establish that. We didn't run the ball with any consistency in the first few weeks, and we forced the issue today. We wanted to keep running the football to give our offensive lineman a 'feel' [for pushing back the opposition]."

"It's always good to get the running game going, getting the guys up front and the rushers confident," said Hilliman. "The offensive line had a vast improvement today. It's my job to gain yards when the holes are that open." 

Through the air, Michael Walker led the Eagles with 72 yards and a touchdown on four catches, including a pair of astonishing toe-tapping grabs along the sideline. Defensively, the traditionally stout Boston College front was suffocating yet again, limiting Wagner to just 107 total yards and seven first downs while the Eagles recorded 490 total yards and 23 fresh sets of downs. 

Wagner began the contest riding a wave of momentum, with quarterback Alex Thomson beginning the Seahawks second possession by asserting his lightning-quick ability on a first-and-10 from his team's own 45-yard line. After a brief moment of hesitation, Thomson took the read option snap, witnessed a hole in the Boston College defense, and exposed it, rushing 55 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 7-0 advantage. 

Boston College responds for comeback win

The Eagles responded with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing drive. After a long kickoff return by Tyler Rouse spotted them at the Wagner 44-yard line, Hilliman broke loose for a 41-yard carry to provide his team with a goal line opportunity. Hilliman promptly capitalized on the chance himself, rushing into the end zone on third-and-goal from the one-yard line for his third touchdown of 2016. 

After a defensive stop, the Eagles asserted their will with a 12-play, 68-yard scamper down the field punctuated with a 17-yard touchdown scramble by Towles to provide his squad with a 14-7 lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter. 

Boston College failed to capitalize on their subsequent possession, however, and a costly 15-yard personal foul penalty set up the Seahawks in Eagles territory. Wagner took  advantage of the opportunity, setting field goal kicker James Cooper up for a 34-yard field goal. "As a team, we have to shake these out," said Addazio. "We had a series of penalties, and we have to get rid of those. We are a young team that is growing, there are some nice signs of things, and we need to fertilize this and grow the team. We have to coach it, and with experience, these penalties have the tendency to lessen. Everyone wants to make a play. " 

The Eagles began their following possession on a porous note with Hilliman losing a yard on two carries, but Towles connected with wideout Walker down the sideline for an 18-yard gain on third down. Then, Jeff Smith broke loose from single coverage on the next play, with Towles finding him on a beautiful ball for a 58-yard touchdown, giving Boston College an 11-point lead halfway through the second quarter. 

The Eagles continued their momentum with an eight-play, 80-yard scoring rush on their ensuing possession. Davon Smith began the journey with rushes of 25 and 26 yards, respectively, before Towles scrambled for 13 yards to the Wagner one-yard line on 3rd-and-7. Then, Towles entered the end zone on a quarterback sneak for his second rushing score of the ballgame, giving the Eagles a 28-10 lead with 2:19 left in the half. 

"[When the pocket breaks down], I just try to make a play," said Towles. "I keep my eyes upfield, and simply try to make a play. The name of the game is moving the chains." 

The Eagles dominated on the ground in the first half, outgaining Wagner 188 to 47, with 86 of those yards and one touchdown coming on 16 Hilliman carries. Towles was also effective in the first half, throwing for 97 yards and a touchdown while gaining 46 yards on seven carries as well to accompany a pair of scores. 

Boston College picked up where they left off to begin the third quarter, with a 53-yard punt return by Tyler Rouse setting up a six-yard rushing touchdown by Hilliman, his fourth of the season, with 11:12 left in the third quarter to put the Eagles ahead, 35-10. Boston College recorded yet another impressive drive towards the end of the quarter, a 10-play, 54-yard drive which culminated in a 27-yard screen pass from Towles to Michael Walker for a touchdown on 2nd-and-25.