Boston College Chugs Past Pitt

PITTSBURGH (AP) — If this was Steve Addazio’s last stand at Boston College, he went out with a bang. AJ Dillon ran for 178 yards and a touchdown, Aaron Boumerhi booted four field goals and the Atlantic Coast Conference’s worst defense forced four turnovers as the Eagles beat sloppy Pittsburgh 26-19 on Saturday to become bowl eligible and perhaps give their embattled coach a lifeline. Boston College (6-6, 4-4 ACC) reached bowl eligibility for the sixth time in seven seasons under Addazio by beating the Panthers in Pittsburgh for the first time in 21 years. Dillon’s ever-churning legs played a major role as the Eagles rolled up 264 yards on the ground against a team that entered ranked sixth in the country in run defense, allowing just 92.6 yards per game. Dillon surpassed that total on his own, including a 61-yard dash to the end zone in the third quarter that put Boston College ahead to stay shortly after Pitt went in front on a 39-yard sprint by Vincent Davis. Dennis Grosel passed for 123 yards and a touchdown and added 51 yards rushing for the Eagles. Kenny Pickett threw for 323 yards for the Panthers (7-5, 4-4) but Pitt drives regularly bogged down in Boston College territory. A week after getting shut out on the road at Virginia Tech, the Panthers managed just a single touchdown against a team that ranked next to last in the ACC in points allowed and last in yards allowed. Alex Kessman hit four field goals for Pitt, including a 43-yard field goal with 5:26 to go that pulled the Panthers within a touchdown. Pitt never got the ball back. Boston College chugged 40 yards on 11 plays — all runs — to drain the clock.