Cougars fall in Double Overtime


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BOSTON (AP) -- Matt Ryan threw a touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez on the first play of the second overtime Saturday, then No. 23 Boston College waited for a replay review to confirm a game-ending interception that gave the Eagles a 30-23 victory over BYU.

It was the second consecutive double-overtime game for Boston College (3-0). The Eagles beat then-No. 18 Clemson on a blocked extra point, but the victory over BYU (1-2) had an even stranger ending.

After both teams missed field goals in the first OT, Ryan found Gonzalez in the front of the end zone near the right pylon, and he hopped in. Ryan Ohliger, who already missed two extra points and a field goal, converted the PAT.

BYU got a first down at the 14, but on the next play John Beck's pass was tipped into the air and safety Jamie Silva dove to grab the deflection before it hit the turf. BC players ran onto the field before turning around when the ruling on the field was an incompletion; but it was an obvious candidate for replay review.

After failing to get a signal in the first set of headsets, the referee ran 60 yards downfield for another set. Following a delay of several minutes, he declared the pass intercepted and the celebration began anew.

The victory was the 69th for coach Tom O'Brien at BC, a school record.

Ryan was 29-for-48 for 356 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns. Brandon Robinson caught seven passes for 140 yards, and Gonzalez caught two TDs for the Eagles.

Beck completed 38 of 59 passes for 436 yards, two pickoffs and one touchdown, hitting Curtis Brown 11 times for 94 yards and Matt Allen six times for 108.

BYU advanced to the 10 in overtime before an illegal block pushed it back to the 26. The snap on the field goal try went through holder Jason Beck's hands; Jared McLaughlin picked it up and rolled right but his pass was incomplete.

Despite Ohliger's problems, BC didn't go for a touchdown in the first OT before sending him out for a 38-yard attempt that was blocked by Russell Tialavea.

BC got a break at the end of regulation after forcing BYU to punt from its own 15. DeJuan Tribble fumbled the return, and it bounced off players on both teams before J. Survival Ross snagged it an advanced it the rest of the way to the BC 39.

But three plays later, Ryan's pass was tipped by defensive lineman Hala Paongo and picked off by linebacker Kelly Poppinga at the BYU 48 with 20 seconds left. Beck hit Daniel Coats on second down for 18 yards to the BC 34, setting up a 51-yard attempt.

The kick -- it would have been a career longest for McLaughlin -- sailed hopelessly left and short.

Beck sneaked it in from the 1 to give the Cougars an early lead.

But Ryan found Robinson down the right sideline, hitting him at about the Cougars 40 before he dragged tackler Justin Robinson to the 6.

Linebacker Brian Toal ran it in from the 1 with 2:09 left in the first. Ohliger then missed the point-after, wide left.

McLaughlin made two field goals, including a career-best 50-yarder with 6:35 left in the half to give BYU a 13-6 lead. Ryan hit Gonzalez from 18 yards out for the touchdown, then Ohliger missed to the left again on the PAT attempt to leave it 13-12 at the half.

BC went ahead in the third after Beck fumbled the snap at his own 42 and Austin Giles recovered for BC. Ryan led the Eagles on an 11-play drive that finished with his sneak from the 1, then he hit Kevin Challenger for the 2-point conversion to make it 20-13.

BYU tied it 4 seconds into the fourth quarter when Beck hit Fui Vakapuna for 6 yards and a touchdown.

Ohliger made a 20-yard field goal to give BC the lead again.

McLaughlin tied it from 25 yards with 6:33 left, but hit the left upright from 44 yards out with 2:53 remaining.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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