Double the fun for BC

On the field, and off it, the final verdict seemed to take an eternity.

After going into double overtime in last week's Atlantic Coast Conference triumph over then-18th-ranked Clemson, Boston College's charmed football team, ranked 23d in the country, yesterday went into double OT again to pull out a flawed but pulsating 30-23 victory over Brigham Young at Alumni Stadium, where 40,233 filed out clutching its collective heart -- again.

This time, though, the game wasn't decided until ACC replay officials reviewed a call by the Mountain West Conference officiating crew when umpire Gary Crum waved off a diving interception by BC's Jamie Silva of a Robert Francois deflection at the BC 10.

After conferring with ACC technical adviser John Armstrong and ACC communicator John Collins in the press box, referee Terry Leyden removed his headset, backpedaled to the 30-yard marker in front of BC's bench, and launched into a protracted explanation before he finally said, ``The play on the field is . . . reversed."

``You know, I was ready to play a few more plays if that's what it came down to," Silva said. ``I guess the ref just wanted to have a little fun for himself. He was kind of shaking his head, I think, to our sideline like, `No, the play isn't reversed.' So I guess the ref has got to have a little fun sometimes. Maybe he just didn't want to give it away, I don't know."

In last week's 34-33 double-OT victory over the Tigers, junior quarterback Matt Ryan had an apparent interception by Clemson's Michael Hamlin overturned by the replay officials, a call that resulted in Ryan scoring a TD that sent it into OT.

This time, the reversal decided the outcome of the game, and sparked yet another celebration of yet another euphoric victory.

``Well, just another day in the ballpark," deadpanned BC's Tom O'Brien, who notched his 69th career victory to surpass Joe Yukica as the school's winningest coach. ``Another double-overtime game and we find a way to win it at the end on the kicking game or defense. That was a great play made by Jamie Silva at the end.

``Thank goodness we have replay this year."

Just like last week against Clemson, when Jad Dean missed a PAT that opened the door for the Eagles to win, BC capitalized on a huge BYU special teams miscue in OT that resulted in Ryan's decisive 25-yard touchdown toss to Tony Gonzalez (six catches, 70 yards, 2 TDs).

The big opportunity came when BYU holder Jason Beck mishandled the snap on Jared McLaughlin's 43-yard field goal attempt. McLaughlin -- who made three of his first four kicks, from 45, 50, and 25 yards, but missed his last two tries from 44 and 51 yards (the last of which hit the left upright) -- scooped up the ball, rolled to his right, and lofted a pass toward Fui Vakapuna that fell incomplete, triggering an exuberant rendition of Bon Jovi's ``Living on a Prayer" by BC's band.

``We're not a pretty football team at all -- maybe we never will be," said O'Brien, noting how the Eagles overcame four turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles), a pair of missed extra points by Ryan Ohliger, shoddy tackling, and a 436-yard performance from BYU's gunslinging QB John Beck (38 of 59, 2 interceptions, 1 TD). It was the most passing yards BC surrendered since BYU's Robbie Bosco threw for 508 yards to lead the Cougars to a 28-14 victory in the 1985 Kickoff Classic.

``It was a heck of an effort to come back after last Saturday night in a similar situation," O'Brien said. ``We gutted it out. That's all I can say about this team. They just play hard, make plays, and they found a way to win.

``That's the most important thing."

Style points do not count for much in O'Brien's book. He only values those on the scoreboard.

But the Eagles found those hard to come by in the first half when Beck capped BYU's opening 11-play, 66-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead with 10:49 left in the first quarter.

Brian Toal, who had injured his right shoulder in the first quarter last week, answered with a 1-yard run, aggravating his injury when he took on a tackler by lowering his right shoulder. But Ohliger missed the PAT wide left.

After McLaughlin connected on kicks of 45 and 50 yards (a career-high), Ryan (29 of 48, a career-high 356 yards, 2 interceptions, 2 TDs) found Gonzalez to make it 13-12. Ohliger, though, was wide left again on what would have been the tying PAT.

``There's no explanation," Ohliger said. ``I just lost my concentration."

Austin Giles's fumble recovery at the BYU 42 set up Ryan's 1-yard plunge (and 2-point completion to Kevin Challenger) for a 20-13 lead. Beck rallied the Cougars on an impressive 96-yard march, hitting Vakapuna with a 6-yard screen to tie it, 20-20.

Ohliger redeemed himself with a 20-yard field goal that made it 23-20, but McLaughlin answered with a 25-yarder that tied it at 23 and sent the game toward overtime.

``I think it shows good character by our team, not giving up when situations go bad," Silva said. ``We know that we've got to fight. We want these games and we don't want to lose.

``Our goal, obviously, is not to lose any games and we're 3-0 right now and we've just got to keep fighting."

No matter how long it takes to render a final verdict.