CHESTNUT HILL — For the third time this season, Boston College lost a winnable game to a vulnerable opponent.
Two BC mistakes inside the final two minutes determined the outcome in a 28-24 loss to the Golden Bears before a sellout crowd of 44,500 on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mason Minni with 1:30 remaining to put the Golden Bears up by four.
BC advanced the ball 70-yards in the final 90 seconds. But the potential game winning drive ended on quarterback Dylan Lonergan’s second interception with 15 seconds on the clock.
“You just can’t do that,” said BC second-year coach Bill O’Brien. “We still haven’t been able to get it done in this program to the point of these guys learning how not to lose before they learn how to win.”
BC fell to 1-3, and 0-2 in the ACC with its third straight loss while California improved to 4-1 and 1-0 in its conference opener. BC suffered a similar fate in consecutive losses at Michigan State and Stanford. BC resumes ACC play next Saturday (noon) at Pittsburgh.
“We just have to keep fighting and figure it and come in here tomorrow and try to figure out how to fix some mistakes and figure some things out,” said O’Brien.
BC rolled up 375 yards of total offense but hurt themselves with 15 penalties for 109 yards. Cal recorded 372 yards with 23 first downs, six of which were from BC penalties.
The game had the potential to be a shootout that never materialized. Lonergan had his worst passing day of the season completing 21-of-37 for 197 yards with two picks and no touchdowns. Sagapolutele, a true freshman making his fifth start, completed 22-of-34 for 252 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
The loss negated a get right game for tailback Turbo Richard, who was at risk of being benched after twice fumbling one yard from the end zone in losses at Michigan State and Stanford. Richard thundered for a career high 171 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns while making four catches for 19 yards.
“There was a huge emphasis on ball security that I put on myself and just making sure I would hold onto the ball,” said Richard. “I was just reading how the blocks were being set up and playing angles and trusting my O-Line.”
The second half began with a series of fruitless drives with the punters from both camps pinning the opposing offenses deep inside their respective red zones. The third quarter ended with Cal facing a fourth and one at the BC 3-yardline.
The BC defense made its second signature play of the game when left end Quintavious “Q” Hutchins stuffed Cal tailback Kendrick Raphael for no gain forcing a turnover on downs.
The good feeling in the BC student section evaporated when senior cornerback Hezekiah Masses intercepted Lonergan on the 24 and returned it to the 2-yard line. Raphael made amends when he scored on a dive to give the Golden Bears a 21-17 lead with 13:47 to play.
“First thing we have to learn is not to beat ourselves before we can beat anybody else,” said WILL linebacker Bryce Steele, who finished with seven tackles. “It wasn’t coaching, we just didn’t execute.”
BC regained the lead, 24-21, on the next snap when Richard went 71-yards down the left flank with 13:35 on the board. The run was the longest of his college career.
“I was just seeing green grass and basically just attacking it and using my speed for the rest of the way,” said Richard.
The Eagles’ D forced its second turnover on downs when Sagapolutele was stuffed for no gain on a keeper at the BC 28 with 8:11 to play.
“They did a great job, those guys fought hard and wished we could have stopped them earlier in those drives,” said O’Brien. “They battled, they fought hard and give them a lot of credit.”
BC opened the game with a methodical 12-play, 84-yard, drive that consumed 5:54 off the clock. Lonergan was 6-of-8 for 65 passing yards and completed the trek with a seven-yard keeper, his first rushing touchdown of the campaign.
BC’s defense made a statement play on the Golden Bears’ first possession when sophomore free safety Omar Thornton intercepted Sagapolutele on the Cal 27. Two players later Richard blasted through the middle of the line, cut right, and scored to make it 14-0 with 7:47 to play in the first.
Cal responded with an 11-play, 75-yard, yard scoring drive to make it 14-7 with 1:05 to play. Tailback LJ Johnson scored on a fourth and goal from the one. Cal tied the game with a 14-play, 84-yard, drive when Sagapolutele completed a 5-yard toss to Jacob De Jesus with 3:46 on the board. BC went up 17-14 on a 52-yard field goal by Luca Lombardo with 37 seconds remaining.
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