Crane shows polish at QB for the Eagles

Call it a first step. A giant first step. But Steve Logan wants to make one thing clear about Boston College quarterback Chris Crane.

"He's a rookie, he's a rookie, he's a rookie," said the Eagles' offensive coordinator, who nonetheless marveled at the way his "rookie" performed in Saturday's wild 38-31 victory over North Carolina State.

Logan was doing what he has done all season with Crane, a fifth-year senior who has started only six games in his BC career - mixing hope with reality.

Crane threw a pair of touchdown passes against the Wolfpack and ran for three more TDs, including the game-winner with 23 seconds left. He threw for a career best 428 yards.

"It was time," said Logan, who took most of the restrictions off Crane. "It was time to either do it or not do it. We were going to take the gloves off. He had to prove that he could not only play aggressively, but smart, and he did that for the most part."

Logan and coach Jeff Jagodzinski had wondered whether there was enough time in one short season to develop Crane. Logan started cautiously, asking Crane only to manage the game.

The Eagles also started Plan B, giving red-shirt freshman Dominique Davis some reps.

But BC also needed to win now, not because the Wolfpack was coached by former Eagles head man Tom O'Brien, but because BC could not afford to go 0-2 in the ACC. And the Eagles (4-1, 1-1) needed to find out what Crane had in him.

"I told him this is a step," said Logan. "But it's not an arrival. In Virginia Tech [in two weeks], we are going to see a unique scheme that even [former BC QB and first-round NFL draft pick] Matt Ryan had a hard time cracking."

But Logan added: "I'm really proud of him. I thought he could do it. It was a big step for him."