Boston College takes advantage of 5 Kent State turnovers to win 26-13

BC uses 5 Kent St. turnovers for 26-13 win

BOSTON — Dave Shinskie returned after being taken out in the first half and threw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes, and Boston College took advantage of five Kent State turnovers to win 26-13 on Saturday.

The Eagles led 6-3 when Shinskie threw a 23-yard strike through traffic to Bobby Swigert. After Kent State returner Dri Archer fumbled a punt at his own 31-yard line, Shinskie threw across the field into the front corner of the end zone and Clyde Lee brought it down to give the Eagles a 20-6 lead.

Boston College (2-0) has beaten Kent State in three straight seasons by a combined score of 81-20; last year, the Golden Flashes didn’t get across midfield until the fourth quarter.

The Eagles open the season with four straight home games, with a week off before visits by Virginia Tech and Notre Dame.

Kent State (1-1) had two fumbles and three interceptions and ran for 4 net yards with starting running back and punt returner Eugene Jarvis out with a groin injury. Without him, Archer fumbled two punt returns — losing one — and Leneric Muldrow fumbled away another.

Archer scored Kent State’s only touchdown on a 32-yard screen pass with 2:27 left in the game.

Spencer Keith, who had three touchdowns last week in his first game back since sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury against Temple last year, was 23-for-36 for 201 yards and two interceptions. Receiver Sam Kirkland threw the other interception on an option play.

Shinskie was pulled early in the second quarter after going three-, three-, and four-and-out on consecutive drives. Mike Marscovetra failed to get a first down on his first series, and on his second he threw an interception on the first play to set up the Golden Flashes’ first field goal.

Shinskie returned and led BC on an 11-play, 74-yard drive to set up a 22-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. On the opening drive of the second half, the Eagles went 77 yards on 12 plays to score when Shinskie connected with Swigert to make it 13-3.

On the two drives combined, Shinskie was 10-for-12 and 98 yards. But Roosevelt Nix forced him to fumble on BC’s next possession to set up another Kent State field goal. The BC offense sputtered again, but Archer fumbled away the punt and Shinskie hit Lee on the first play for a 31-yard score.

Montel Harris ran 29 times for 80 yards for Boston College.

Jim Noel intercepted Keith with a nice grab on the sideline that was first ruled an incompletion and overturned after the replay. Alex Albright had his first career interception, and Wes Davis also picked off a pass for the Eagles.