BC defense: Six and out

BC linebacker Robert Francois's 36-yard interception return for a touchdown sealed the game. (Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Robert Francois was heading in the general direction of Beacon Street, but, in reality, he was taking the express lane to Tampa.

"Just score, just score," recalled the Boston College linebacker. "My heart was beating so much. Oh, it's hard to explain."

The senior from Highlands, Texas, had already done plenty to help BC do what it needed to do. He was en route to a 10-tackle day when he picked off that Chris Turner pass at the Maryland 36 and took it to the house with 1:42 left. That made it 28-14, and the Eagles were able to hold on, defeating the Terrapins, 28-21, and thus sending a bunch of happy Eagles off to Saturday's ACC championship game against Virginia Tech.

It was getting kinda late and the 42,767 at The Heights were getting kinda restless. After all, when you buy a ticket to a 2008 Boston College football game, there is an unwritten assumption that BC will provide you with at least one defensive touchdown. But here we were with less than two minutes remaining and the closest BC had come to a defensive touchdown was a fake field goal touchdown pass from Billy Flutie (yes, he's the nephew of) to fellow sophomore Jordon McMichael, a massive tight end from Eden Prairie, Minn. That was cute, and entertaining, and, in a one-touchdown game, quite useful, but it wasn't defense.

And the 2008 BC Eagles have been very much about defense.

The offense has been, to be polite, spotty. Fifth-year senior quarterback Chris Crane was, before his season-ending broken collarbone last week, something of an adventure. On certain afternoons he had trouble throwing to the right receivers and BC had to overcome five turnovers to defeat Virginia Tech the first time (28-23, Oct. 18).

His replacement, redshirt freshman Dominique Davis, had an unforgettable game last Saturday against Wake Forest, twice fumbling the ball away for Demon Deacon scores before leading BC on a game-winning drive culminated by his own quarterback sneak.

Davis was plenty good yesterday, taking the Eagles 88 yards in 14 plays on the first possession to establish a serious presence, and throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass to Rich Gunnell and completing 12 of 24 passes for 134 yards, and, most importantly, no interceptions.

"He was good," acknowledged coach Jeff Jagodzinski. "He managed the game. We didn't have a pick. When you don't have any turnovers and you play solid defense, you always have a chance to win."

Maryland QB Turner had a rather serious problem. He had no running game - none. Maryland running backs toted the ol' pigskin 26 times for a net gain of minus-6 yards. Nope, no misprint. Throw out Turner's own yardage, and you were left with running back totals of 20 attempts for 25 net yards.

So Turner had no choice but to put the ball in the air, which he did 57 times. He completed 33 of them for 360 yards and two touchdowns (the second an 8-yard toss to Torrey Smith with 14 seconds left to create a fraudulent final score). But he was sacked five times and threw two interceptions, each of which could properly be labeled a killer.

The first one came late in the half when BC linebacker Mark Herzlich made a diving interception at the Terrapins' 45. On first down, Davis found Gunnell with what you call your separation - the closest Maryland defender wandering around Cleveland Circle - the result being a 45-yard touchdown pass. If you can't have a defensive touchdown, an interception setting one up for a one-play TD drive is a close relative, no?

Take note of the BC perp. Herzlich is a marauding linebacker best known for separating heads from shoulders. But the junior from Wayne, Pa., has some ballhawk in him, too, coming into the game with five interceptions this season, including two against Wake Forest. And you'd have to label this particular play as "athletic," taking into consideration his wide range of skills, and the reality is he may very well be the best linebacker BC has ever had.

Herzlich had lost count of just how many weeks in succession his defensive unit had produced a score. He just knew it was a bit above the norm.

"There's something about a defense that can score, and consistently score," he said. "Something like six games in a row. The pride is there."

"He's a special player," declared Jagodzinski. "He has really stepped up, and I think the defense really feeds off him and what he does out there. That's the way he practices, too."

It's a talent that has NFL scouts drooling, no doubt. But on this occasion, he was only the second-most visible BC linebacker. It seemed like "tackle by Francois" was a recording. So it was only fitting when the big guy stepped in front of that Maryland receiver and helped himself to the football.

So, Robert Francois, what possessed you to jump that route?

"Just instincts," he shrugged.

Those instincts are presided over by BC's secret weapon, defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani. Jagodzinski was lavish in his praise of Spaziani and offensive coordinator Steve Logan, but the interesting thing is that he inherited the first guy and hired the other. No one connected to BC wants to spend any idle moments thinking about what it would be like had Coach Spaz been allowed to get away. Keeping him was the smartest thing Jags has done as the BC coach.

That's four straight W's for the 9-3 Eagles, a team picked by the experts to finish fourth in their division. They weren't expected to be playing in a second straight ACC championship game, and now here they are, playing the same team that denied them a major bowl berth last year.

"Last year was awesome, and there is no taking away from it," said Herzlich, "but the thing is we fell short. We didn't win the ACC championship and we didn't go to the Orange Bowl, and all the negatives that happened really got us driving back. If you didn't make it to the Orange Bowl, then you're just another team in the ACC. Sure, you did a good job, but you're not noticeable. We want to go to the Orange Bowl and be noticed."

Ask Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen what he thought about the BC defense. I'm sure he noticed.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at ryan@globe.com.