It was a wild and unexpected NCR D1AA playoff Saturday as Bowling Green, Boston College, and Sam Houston State booked their places in next week's quarterfinals.
Sunday will see Kentucky take on UNC Charlotte for the final spot.
The game of the day had to have been BC vs West Chester. Boston College's bus got lost (and, ironically, they were the local team) and the Eagles only had 20 minutes to warm up when they finally rolled in.
West Chester was waiting for them and unleashed a torrid first 30 minutes, powering through tackles and building a 31-5 lead.
Slowly, however, Boston College started to put themselves together. They shrugged off the initial setbacks, talked it over under the posts, and resolved to play with patience, understanding that there was still plenty of time left.
They scored two tries before halftime to make it 31-19, and then in the second half, built on that with a further 45 unanswered points. With their smart positional play and quick ball movement, BC was able to run the bigger West Chester forwards ragged.
BC Head Coach Rob Conway was left shaking his head.
"I have been in rugby 33 years and I have never seen a game like that," he told GRR. "To go down 31-5 and score 59 unanswered points, it just doesn't happen."
Conway conceded that his team suffered from the shortened warmup and were flat and lacked intensity in the opening quarter of the match. But what they didn't lack was confidence.
"Even hearing them talk under the posts, they didn't get down," he said. "They had spent most of the first 20 minutes defending but they still were acting as if they could still win it."
BC was playing without their regular tighthead prop and captain, Sean Murphy, who is a massive leader for them. With Louis Freeman slotting into the prop role and with vice captain Picks Lively taking on the captain's responsibilities and forced to be more vocal, everyone was taken out of their comfort zone.
Add to that the injury to wing Patrick McMahon and the fact that many BC players had been ill this past week—scrumhalf Bobby Voth had come down with a 102 fever but some antibiotics and rest had him cleared to play—and you had a team up against it.
"This was an all 23 effort," said Conway. "But they were so calm about it. Those two tries late in the first half were big, and I think they just came out in the second half knowing they could come back."
It was an astonishing turn over events, and BC won 64-31 after being down 31-5.
Boston College will take on MAC champions Louisville next week.
