Nearly 40-point favorite Boston College avoids embarrassing loss; holds off Maine 22-16

Evans Dickens ran for a 39-yard score, Mason McKenzie added a 31-yard scoring pass and Boston College slogged its way to a 22-16 non-conference victory over Maine

BOSTON -- Evans Dickens ran for a 39-yard touchdown, Mason McKenzie added a 31-yard scoring pass and Boston College slogged its way to a 22-16 non-conference victory over Maine on Saturday.

McKenzie, a redshirt junior that transferred from Saginaw Valley State, completed 14-of-21 passes for 173 yards but was picked off twice.

Eddie Buehler went 22 for 32 with 201 yards, two TDs and a pair of inceptions for the Black Bears (1-3).

Coming off an emotional victory over Rutgers in their annual Red Bandanna Game , the Eagles (2-1) led 19-10 at halftime despite their uninspiring performance.

A nearly 40-point favorite, BC was stopped twice on 4th-and-1 plays inside Maine’s 20-yard line in the opening quarter, and McKenzie was picked off two plays after leaving briefly with an apparent leg injury after a defender rolled on him making a tackle.

Maine cut it to 22-16 on Buehler’s second TD pass to Rick Laughlin, a 7-yarder with 4 ½ minutes left in the game, but BC converted two first downs and ran the clock out.

Dickens burst through the middle for his score, making it 7-0 early in the opening quarter.

It became 9-0 when Maine center Jack Boutaugh was flagged for holding in the end zone.

McKenzie hit Johnathan Montague with his TD pass after BC failed on a fourth down the second time.

BC was stopped on a straight-ahead play on fourth-and-1 at Maine’s 15-yard line on their first possession after recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff.

Then, on their third time with the ball, the Eagles were stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Black Bears’ 5.

Trailing 22-10 early in the fourth, Maine came up short on a 4th-and-goal from BC’s 5.

Boston: With their first Atlantic Coast Conference game coming next week, the Eagles have a lot to fix.