BOSTON — Tyler Shough threw his second touchdown pass to Nate Kurisky, a 6-yarder midway into the final quarter, and Louisville overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Boston College 31-27 on Friday night.
Coming off a high-scoring loss to No. 6 Miami last week, the Cardinals (5-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) sliced the score to 27-24 on Isaac Brown’s second TD run, an 18-yarder with just under 11 minutes left in the game.
“Obviously, things weren't going our way early on and it was disappointing — I'm sure for everybody,” Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm said. “But to withstand that and just to continue to play to the end and find a way to win — against a good team, on the road — I couldn't be prouder. That's one of the toughest wins I think I've ever had.”
After stopping BC on a three-and-out, the Cardinals went 63 yards in four plays for the go-ahead score when Kurisky was wide open in the right flat and trotted in for the TD.
Shough completed 28 of 38 passes for 333 yards with a 4-yard TD toss to Kurisky that made it 27-17 in the third quarter. But he was picked off twice, the second coming near midfield with just under four minutes to play.
The Cardinals had lost three games by one possession.
“I hate it,” Shough said, smiling, of the close games. “I'd rather it be a little bit more, the distance more, but that's part of football.”
BC got the ball back with 1:25 to play at its 35, moved to Louisville’s 42 before Thomas Castellanos’ Hail Mary pass went out of the back of the end zone to end the game.
Castellanos threw three touchdown passes — two coming on fourth-down plays in the first half — and the Eagles (4-4, 1-3 ACC) turned two early turnovers into scores to build a 20-0 lead.
“I think in the second half we didn’t come out with that energy we needed to, to finish the game,” BC defensive back Cameron Martinez said.
Playing for the first time since he fumbled twice in a blowout loss at Virginia Tech, Castellanos was 13 of 28 for 164 yards.
Shough threw a pick to end its second drive of the game. Three drives later, Ahmari Huggins-Bruce fumble after making a catch over the middle.
Eagles defensive end Quintayvious Hutchins made both turnovers, picking off Shough along the sideline deep in BC territory. He also forced before recovering the fumble near midfield.
Louisville: The Cardinals opened the first of three straight road games. It looks even tougher, going to ninth-ranked Clemson next week before a trip to Stanford.
Boston College: Playing at home for the first time since late September, the Eagles looked more spirited and quicker defensively after losses at Virginia and Virginia Tech when they had trouble containing the run, but their defense wilted in the final quarter.
Leading 7-0, after Louisville was offsides when BC lined up for a 26-yard field goal attempt, Eagles coach Bill O’Brien elected to go for it on a fourth-and-4. That’s when Castellanos rolled left and connected with Treshaun Ward in the side of end zone.
Brohm smiled when reminded about another final pass: Doug Flutie's Hail Mary TD in Miami 40 years ago.
“They have a lot of history here,” Brohm said. “Saw Doug Flutie at the hotel earlier today. We were all in awe of him, actually. I remember that pass. I watched it on TV.”
There's statue of Flutie making the pass outside the stadium, behind the end zone where the Castellanos' landed.
Louisville: At No. 9 Clemson on Saturday Nov. 2
Boston College: After a bye week, hosts Syracuse on Nov. 9.
