SportsDirect Inc. staff
Aug 31, 2013
Boston College 24, Villanova 14: Senior Alex Amidon caught a career-high 13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown as the host Eagles shook off an upset bid from the Wildcats in Steve Addazio's coaching debut at home.
Andre Williams rushed for 114 yards - including the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter - before leaving with a hamstring injury for Boston College, which trailed 14-7 at halftime and outgained the Wildcats 284-121 in the second half. Chase Rettig was 23-of-30 for 285 yards and two touchdowns.
Jamal Abdur-Rahman scored both touchdowns for Villanova, which totaled 74 of its 197 rushing yards in the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback John Robertson, the Jerry Rice Award winner as the top freshman in the FCS, was 16-of-25 for 158 yards with a TD and two interceptions while rushing for a team-high 94 yards.
Villanova reached into its bag of tricks on the game's first possession when Abdur-Rahman took a direct snap while in punt formation, faked a handoff and ran 47 yards for his first career touchdown. Abdur-Rahman's 27-yard TD catch with 4:20 left in the opening quarter made it 14-7.
The Eagles tied it when Rettig found a wide open Amidon for a 49-yard touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. Boston College made it 21-14 with 4:40 left in the third quarter on Williams' 26-yard run, which capped a two-play, 60-yard drive.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Addazio moved Bobby Wolford from linebacker to fullback, and the redshirt freshman responded by catching six passes for 84 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. ... Boston College improved to 21-1 against FCS teams since Division I split into two levels in 1978, with its only loss 27-0 to Massachusetts in 1978. Villanova is 3-15 against FBS schools, with its last victory 27-24 over Temple in 2009. ... Wildcats RB Kevin Monangai, who rushed for 1,210 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012, was held to 23 yards on 11 carries.