Kicker saves day for Eagles
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It’s fitting that Boston College’s bizarre month would end with an unlikely finish that made a hero out of a walk-on kicker.
Steve Aponavicius kicked a career-best 37-yard field goal on the final play and the Eagles beat the Midshipmen 25-24 in the Meineke Bowl to extend the nation’s current longest bowl-winning streak to seven.
For much of the game, it looked like the distractions would be too much to overcome for BC. Navy (9-4), the nation’s top rushing team, had 322 yards on the ground and seemingly had the game won.
BC (10-3) was out of timeouts and Navy only had to run out the final 2 minutes. But Reggie Campbell fumbled a pitch from quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and BC’s Jolonn Dunbar recovered at the Navy 40 with 1:43 left.
Matt Ryan completed a 16-yard pass to tight end Ryan Purvis and Aponavicius, who played soccer – not football – in high school and replaced the suspended Ryan Ohliger in midseason, calmly delivered the game-winning kick.
Boston Coll. 25, Navy 24
| Navy | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 |
| Boston College | 6 | 10 | 0 | 9 | — | 25 |
BC—Ryan 2 run (kick failed)
Navy—Barnes 31 pass from Kaheaku-Enhada (Harmon kick)
Navy—Singleton 5 run (Harmon kick)
BC—Toal 1 run (Aponavicius kick)
Navy—Tomlinson 24 pass from Kaheaku-Enhada (Harmon kick)
BC—FG Aponavicius 26
Navy—FG Harmon 22
BC—Purvis 25 pass from Ryan (pass failed)
BC—FG Aponavicius 37
A—52,303.
| Navy | BC | |
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| Rushes-yards | 59-322 | 31-73 |
| Passing | 81 | 242 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 6-8-0 | 20-30-2 |
| Return Yards | 28 | 8 |
| Punts-Avg. | 4-36.0 | 5-48.8 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-2 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 3-30 | 5-25 |
| Time of Possession | 33:23 | 26:37 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Navy, White 7-116, Singleton 6-71, Campbell 13-51, Kettani 15-40, Kaheaku-Enhada 13-27, Hines 2-16, Hall 2-5, Washington 1-(minus 4). Boston College, Callender 19-66, Robinson 1-6, Toal 1-1, Whitworth 2-1, Ryan 7-1, Brooks 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Navy, Kaheaku-Enhada 4-6-0-77, Bryant 2-2-0-4. Boston College, Ryan 20-29-2-242, Team 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Navy, Tomlinson 2-36, Kaheaku-Enhada 2-4, Barnes 1-31, Washington 1-10. Boston College, Gonzalez 4-50, Robinson 3-61, Callender 3-20, Purvis 2-40, Challenger 2-35, Palmer 2-15, Whitworth 2-14, Gunnell 1-4, Ross 1-3.