Tyler Murphy carries BC past Maine 40-10

BOSTON -- Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for another, Jon Hilliman had two touchdown runs and the Eagles beat Maine 40-10 on Saturday afternoon.

Murphy, who entered the day leading all quarterbacks in the nation with 401 yards rushing, carried 13 times for 99 yards before he was taken out midway into the final quarter, falling just short of his third 100-yard rushing game this season.

Hilliman carried 21 times for 98 yards. Murphy also completed 11 of 18 passes for 130 yards with one TD and an interception.

The Eagles (3-1), coming off a stunning upset over then-No. 9 Southern Cal last weekend, were in a tight contest until they took charge midway into the third quarter.

Dan Collins completed 8 of 13 for 113 yards with a TD for Maine (1-2).

Boston College backup running back Marcus Outlow carried 14 times for 107 yards, but many of those came late in the game when the score was lopsided.

BC struggled early before scoring the final nine points of the first half to take a 19-10 edge.

The Eagles took control when Hilliman's 2-yard TD run capped a 15-play, 74-yard drive that lasted 8 minutes.

Boston College got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff when Alex Howell's line drive bounced off a Maine up-man and was recovered by John Johnson. Hilliman's TD run, a 4-yarder, capped a 55-yard drive that made it 33-10.

After Maine tied it at 10 early in the second quarter, Boston College took the lead for good on the following possession when Murphy hit Josh Bordner with a 48-yard TD pass.

Howell kicked a 42-yard field goal to make it 19-10 with 18 seconds left.

The Eagles went three-and-out in two of their first three offensive series and Murphy was intercepted on the other.

BC's offensive line, which paved the way for 452 yards rushing against Southern Cal's highly touted defensive line in last week's 37-31 win, was pushed around early against Maine, and the Eagles were in third-and-long on their first three possessions.

The Black Bears capitalized on the interception and jumped ahead 7-0 when Collins hit Micah Wright with an 11-yard TD toss. The score was set up when linebacker Randy Samuels intercepted a deflected pass at the Eagles' 21.

BC scored on its next two possessions, taking a 10-7 lead on Murphy's 71-yard run down the right sideline. Howell had kicked a 40-yard field goal.

Maine tied it at 10 on Sean Decloux's 24-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Black Bears fooled BC's defense with a play-action and Collins hit wide-open tight end Jeremy Salmon for 67-yard pass down to BC's 12-yard line, but the drive stalled and Maine was forced to settle for the field goal.

Murphy had 191 yards rushing in the win over USC.