Boston College thumps crosstown rival Northeastern 54-0 for Spaziani’s first* victory

Beanpot it’s not: BC beats Northeastern 54-0

BOSTON — Montel Harris scored on a 48-yard run on Boston College’s first play from scrimmage, and the Eagles ran away from Northeastern for a 54-0 victory on Saturday.

Harris ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving — in the first half. Justin Tuggle and David Shinskie failed to settle the BC quarterback competition: Both had their way with the Football Championship Subdivision Huskies. Tuggle was 3 of 5 for 56 yards, and Shinskie was 7 for 10 for 110 yards.

Billy Flutie, the nephew of BC Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, had his first career touchdown catch, and the Eagles outgained Northeastern in total offense 441-131.

Northeastern quarterback Alex Dulski left with an unspecified injury after a 2-yard run in the second quarter. Matt Carroll replaced him and went 4 of 8 for 28 yards.

It was the second career victory for new BC coach Frank Spaziani, the longtime assistant who was promoted when Jeff Jagodzinski was fired after trolling for NFL jobs. Spaziani was the interim coach for a 2006 bowl game after Tom O’Brien defected to North Carolina State.

Spaziani led the team onto the field from the tunnel. Then, he turned over the yellow towel he traditionally drapes over his shoulders to linebacker Mark Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year who is sitting out this year after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

The crosstown rivals are familiar foes in February, when they play in the Beanpot with Boston University and Harvard for the area’s college hockey bragging rights. What’s been a bit of a mismatch on the ice — BC has won 14 Beanpots to four for Northeastern — has been a farce in the football season: BC is now 5-0 against Northeastern, winning by a combined score of 163-30.

After the Huskies’ first possession went 3 yards, Ron Conway’s punt took a BC bounce and rolled back to the Northeastern 48 before it was finally downed. Harris took the handoff from Tuggle and went left, breaking a couple of tackles near the line before heading to the end zone.

Rich Gunnell returned Northeastern’s next punt for 56 yards to the Huskies’ 29; five plays later Josh Haden ran it in from the 7 to make it 14-0. After another three-and-out, Shinskie took BC downfield before Harris scored from 4 yards out and it was 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The next two BC possessions were the best of the day for the Northeastern defense, which forced BC to punt and kick a field goal. But then Tuggle hit Colin Larmond Jr. for 42 yards to set up another TD, a 6-yard pass to Harris that made it 38-0.

Northeastern started the second half at its own 2 and gave up a safety when Alexander DiSanzo tackled John Griffin in the end zone. It was BC’s first safety since 2006.

Backups played much of the way from there.