Sophomore is catch of the day

Last week, it was freshman Jeff Smith who dazzled with five kick returns for 213 yards, including a 96-yard touchdown. Yesterday, Boston College may have discovered another star in the making in sophomore wideout Brandon Robinson.

The 5-foot-10-inch, 195-pounder from Minneapolis proved to be the most productive of quarterback Matt Ryan's 10 targets in the 30-23 double-overtime victory over Brigham Young. Robinson made seven catches for 140 yards, including a 79-yarder that set up BC's first TD, a 1-yard plunge by Brian Toal.

``I got my number dialed up, and just like all the receivers, if the ball is thrown to you, you're expected to catch it," said Robinson, who had the most yards by a BC receiver since Will Blackmon had 144 in last year's MPC Computers Bowl. ``I just performed like I did in practice. The balls came and I just did my best to catch them."

Ryan's 79-yard toss to Robinson was the longest completion of the QB's career-high 356-yard passing effort, the longest of his career, and the longest since Tim Hasselbeck's 97-yard TD to Dedrick Dewalt at Virginia Tech Nov. 26, 1999.

``Brandon has been running with the first group when we go to the substitution offense and he keeps getting better," said BC coach Tom O'Brien. ``We need him to get better. He's got to help. He's got some ability and has made some tough catches for us."

Toal, who injured his right shoulder in the first quarter of last Saturday's victory over Clemson and was a game-time decision, did not start at linebacker, but made an appearance on BYU's second offensive series. Toal also tallied BC's first TD of the game, aggravating his injury when he lowered his shoulder on a 1-yard run . . . Sophomore linebacker Robert Francois, who drew the start in place of Toal, made his presence felt with a game-high 11 1/2 tackles (9 solo) and was credited with the deflection that resulted in Jamie Silva's game-clinching interception . . . For the second year in a row, BC's secondary faced 60 pass attempts against BYU: 59 by QB John Beck and 1 by kicker Jared McLaughlin, who lobbed a futile attempt after a botched snap on his 43-yard field goal try in OT . . . Ryan Ohliger missed two PATs in the first half, and the junior kicker was shown up at halftime by Ryan Hurton, a fan from Wakefield who was randomly selected at a tailgate party before the game to attempt a 30-yard field goal for $1,000 as part of a promotion. Hurton converted the kick with plenty of leg.

While Smith may have emerged as BC's next game-breaker, the Eagles could have another on the way in Corbin Cutshaw, a 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound running back from Solana Beach, Calif. Cutshaw, who has expressed interest in playing for the Eagles, came cross-country to attend BC's football camp in June and credited the coaching staff for improving his game, according to his father, Ross. It yielded huge dividends in Cutshaw's opener for Sante Fe Christian High, when he ran for a 56-yard TD the first time he touched the ball, and an 87-yard TD the second time he touched the ball. He had a 56-yard score nullified by a penalty the third time he touched the ball, but came back with an 87-yard TD run the fourth time he touched it. In all, Cutshaw, who also scored on a 99-yard kickoff return that opened the second half, wound up with 354 yards and 4 TDs on seven carries . . . BYU's first trip to Boston included a sightseeing trip to the USS Constitution Friday. As an added treat, BC fans got to see a first at Alumni Stadium: a Maori Haka performed by the BYU squad just before kickoff . . . BC (3-0, 1-0 ACC) resumes conference play by traveling to North Carolina State Saturday night.