Say Flowers catches one of his three touchdown receptions against Pitt. BC photo

In previous games this season, the Eagles had been resolute, coming back from deficits or holding their lead to win. Yesterday, when Pitt failed on a point-after attempt to tie the game in overtime, they were lucky. Final score BC 31, Pitt 30.

Also unlike previous games, the Eagles were stronger in the first half than the second. While Pitt had held opponents to 232.2 yards and 15.0 points per game, BC leapt out to 229 yards and 17 points in the first half. Following a Jurkovec-Flowers 77-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the second half to take a 24-14 lead, however, the Eagles took their foot off the pedal. BC’s subsequent seven drives in the second half ended with five punts, a fumble, and a missed field goal attempt.

An eight-play, 81-yard drive late in the third quarter brought the Panthers to within three of the Eagles, 24-21. Then a more than improbable 58-yard field goal attempt by Pitt kicker Alex Kessman with 40 seconds remaining in regulation was successful and tied the game 24-24. The Eagles were then able to move the ball from their 25 to Pitt’s 35, but a field goal attempt to win the game was left of the posts.

(FYI, Pitt’s kick wasn’t even close to the collegiate record. Abilene Christian University’s Ove Johansson kicked a 69-yard field goal in 1976 against East Texas State. More about it, including a video, here.)

BC had the ball first in overtime and started off with two incomplete passes. Then the pairing that was the feature of the game for the Eagles happened again. QB Phil Jurkovec hit WR Zay Flowers in stride in the end zone. Flowers had six receptions in the game for 162 yards, three receptions for touchdowns.

Pitt’s turn with the ball in overtime was a 10-play excruciating experience for BC fans. Twice on fourth downs, Panther QB Kenny Pickett ran successfully to keep the Panthers alive, the second time bringing Pitt to the three-yard line. He then threw a three-yard touchdown pass to bring the Panthers to within one.

As Pitt was lining up for the point-after attempt, I started to text some classmates: “And now the tired BC defense has to come right back onto the field.” I never completed the text, as I glanced up and with a start saw what appeared to be the kick attempt go to the right of the goal post. Even more startled, I heard the announcer yell, “He missed!”

The Eagles finished with 388 yards total offense, all but 30 of them through the air. Jurkovec was 19 of 35, with no interceptions. BC actually ran more often than passed, with 41 rushing attempts, but netted only 30 yards, averaging 0.7 yards per attempt.

Here are highlights.

After three games at home, BC (3-1) travels next week to Blacksburg, Va., to meet Virginia Tech. Game time is 5 pm PT.