Running back AJ Dillon secured the win for the Eagles.

Pitt had more first downs than BC in yesterday’s game. The Panthers also gained more yards in total. They had a higher number in another category, however, that spelled their doom — turnovers.

Pitt lost the ball four times — three fumbles and a pass interception. The mishaps thwarted Panther drives and at least once gave the Eagles a short field and three subsequent points on their way to a 26-19 victory.

Near game’s end, when Pitt had kicked a field goal to make it a one-score game, BC got the ball on its 25-yard line with 5:26 remaining on the clock. It seemed likely that Pitt could get the ball back to try to tie or win the game. Instead, the Eagles asked running back AJ Dillon to secure the win and he answered the call.

Carrying the ball on eight straight plays, gaining 48 yards, Dillon got BC four first downs and allowed the Eagles go into victory formation with QB Dennis Grosel taking a knee three times to run out the clock.

Overall, Dillon gained 178 yards on 32 carries. In the third quarter, Dillon scored on a 61-yard touchdown run, his longest of the season. It was the seventh time this season that Dillon gained more than 150 yards in a game. 

As this was the regular season finale, Dillon finished with 1,685 yards, the fourth-highest season total in Eagles history. Already BC’s all-time leading rusher, after three seasons, Dillon’s career total rose to 4,382 yards.

Here are highlights.

The win brought the BC season record to 6-6, making the Eagles eligible for a bowl game. Announcement of which bowl game will take place December 8. The bowl game will feature an interim coach. BC fired coach Steve Addazio today and wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell ’10, MS’14 will prepare the team for their next game.

ND quarterback Ian Book threw for three touchdowns. Joe Robbins/Getty Images

About halfway through the second quarter of yesterday’s BC-Notre Dame football game, a participant in the local gamewatch used her phone to take a picture of the big television screen. It showed the Eagles leading, 7-6. She was taking the picture in case that would be BC’s only time leading in the game. It was.

The Boston Globe headline on its story today about Notre Dame’s 40-7 win was “Holy War was barely a fight as Notre Dame rolls late on BC.”

The first quarter at South Bend had ended with Notre Dame up 3-0. Other numbers were not as close. BC ran seven plays in the opening quarter, gaining 16 yards, while the Irish had gained 132 yards in 24 plays. At halftime, ND was ahead 16-7, supplementing one touchdown with three field goals. They had gained 253 yards in offense, one yard short of doubling the Eagles’ output.

The game’s second half wasn’t even a fight. It was more a beating. While BC gained 64 yards offense the second half, scoring zero points, the Irish gained another 248 yards offense, tacking on 24 points. For the game, total offense for the Eagles was 191 yards, for ND 501 yards.

BC quarterback Dennis Grosel was 9-20 passing, with one interception, for 63 yards, no touchdowns. Running back AJ Dillon had his least productive performance of the season, gaining 56 yards on 14 carries.

Doug Flutie

The victory was Notre Dame’s seventh straight over BC. Before that streak started, the series between the teams had been tied 9-9. 

BC icon Doug Flutie is the color commentator for NBC’s television coverage of Notre Dame football. Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of his all-time-great pass against Miami to win that 1984 game on national television. The NBC broadcast yesterday showed the reenactment of the play that he and pass recipient Gerard Phelan performed at the BC-Florida State game on November 9, BC’s last home game of the season.

Video highlights

BC falls to 5-6 for the season. They need to win the last regular season game Saturday against Pitt to become bowl eligible.

The November 9 BC-FSU game was the annual “Red Bandanna Game,” honoring the life and memory of Welles Crowther ’99, who died in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. He is reported to have saved as many as 18 lives before succumbing. His mother and other members of his family were introduced at the game.

With 2:33 remaining in the game, BC quarterback Dennis Grosel ended a 13-play, 90-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge that tied the November 9 game with Florida State at 24-24. For Eagles fans in the crowd and watching on television, it seemed BC had mucho momentum to bring the game to overtime, at least.

Less than a minute later, a Seminole was in the end zone after catching a 60-yard touchdown pass, and Florida State held a 31-24 lead. After BC received the ensuing kickoff, and less than 30 seconds after scoring, the Seminoles intercepted Grosel. Three plays later, Florida State scored a final touchdown on a 66-yard run, and led 38-24. Game over.

Not quite. With BC getting the ball on the 25 yard line with 1:03 remaining, Grosel threw five consecutive complete passes, culminating in a 20-yard pass to Kobay White to bring the game back to a one-score difference, 38-31. BC’s onside kick attempt failed. This time, game over.

The game was close in several measures and wildly different in others. The teams were close in total offense (524 for FSU, 508 for BC), but the Eagles achieved their total in 93 plays, while the Seminoles needed only 57. BC possessed the ball for 17 minutes longer than Florida State (38:30 to 21:30). That’s more than a quarter of the game.

It was explosiveness versus grinding. AJ Dillon ran for 165 yards on 40 carries, no touchdowns. FSU’s Jordan Travis gained 94 yards on 3 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

Overall, Grosel was 20 of 29 passing for 227 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran for 30 yards and 1 touchdown.

Here are highlights.

The Eagles are 5-5 and, after having enjoyed a bye week, travel to South Bend, Ind., to meet Notre Dame (8-2).