BC back to winning ways after blanking I-AA Maine

BOSTON (AP) -- Andre Callender ran for 76 yards, breaking free

for a 25-yard touchdown in the second quarter on Saturday as Boston

College took out its frustrations over last week's last-minute loss

on Division I-AA Maine and beat the Black Bears 22-0.

BC (4-1) had risen as high as 18th in The Associated Press Top

25 before losing to North Carolina State 17-15 on a 34-yard

touchdown pass with 8.5 seconds left last week. The Eagles have 11

days to rest up for No. 11 Virginia Tech on Oct. 12.

Maine (2-2) had won two in a row, including a 62-12 victory over

Shaw last week.

BC allowed the Black Bears to hang around by fumbling twice --

once giving the ball back on the same play that Maine fumbled in

its own backfield. The other giveaway came in the final minutes as

Matt Ryan moved the Eagles inside the Maine 20.

Ryan completed 15 of 26 passes for 182 yards before resting his

sore ankle in the last series. Ron Whitcomb completed 15 of 22

passes for 77 yards; Maine also fumbled five times and lost three

of them.

Boston College struggled to put away Central Michigan in the

season opener and then won back-to-back double overtime games,

against Clemson and BYU before taking its first loss at N.C. State.

So the arrival of Maine -- a longtime hockey rival -- was welcome.

And it played out just as expected, with BC improving to 4-0

against I-AA teams under coach Tom O'Brien.

The Black Bears stayed in it for about 20 minutes, trailing just

3-0 after the first quarter and falling behind 5-0 when Clarence

Megwa blocked a punt and, after Maine linebacker Jamaal Forman

recovered in the end zone, Kevin Akins tackled him for a safety. On

BC's next possession, Callender ran around the left side and into

the end zone.

Ryan Ohliger made the point-after -- no small accomplishment,

considering he had missed three in the previous two weeks. In all

Ohliger made two extra points and field goals from 29 and 30 yards

out; he had a 40-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter by Maine

lineman Mike DeVito.

Linebacker Brian Toal scored with 3:14 left in the third to give

BC a 22-0 lead. It was his 10th career touchdown and the fourth of

this season for the short-yardage specialist.