BOSTON (AP) — Boston College coach Steve Addazio reached the point where he wanted it to end.
He can hardly be blamed with the work he has to get ready for No. 11 Florida State on Friday.
Tyler Rouse ran for three touchdowns, Troy Flutie had his first career scoring pass and reserve quarterback Jeff Smith ran for a score on his first collegiate play as the Eagles beat Howard 76-0 on Saturday in a game shortened in the second half.
“You get in the mode where: We didn’t know what to do, what to call,” Addazio said. “It just got to the point where you didn’t want to throw it; you don’t know what to call, you just want it to end.
“We’ve got a big-time game coming up. Hopefully the speed of the game won’t hit us in the mouth.”
The Eagles open their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Friday night on national TV, hosting the Seminoles.
Smith had three TD runs. Flutie, a redshirt freshman, is the nephew of former Boston College star and 1984 Heisman Trophy winner, Doug Flutie, who threw 67 career TDs.
Eagles starting quarterback Darius Wade played sparingly, completing 3 of 5 passes for 30 yards and one TD.
“As the game ended to now, it quickly shifted to (Florida State) because we have a big opponent coming up next week,” Wade said.
It’s BC’s most lopsided win since a 76-0 victory over Holy Cross in 1949. The Eagles’ record for points and largest margin of victory was a 78-0 win over St. Anselm in 1941.
BC collected 483 total yards. Howard (0-2) was in negative-yardage until the closing minutes. It finished with 11 yards.
Boston College (2-0) led 41-0 at the end of the first quarter and 62-0 at halftime. The Eagles improved to 24-1 all-time against Football Championship Subdivision schools.
It was the first meeting between the schools. They agreed to play 10-minute quarters in the second half.
“The officials approached me with the opportunity,” Howard coach Gary Harrell said of the shortened time. “I told them I would think about it. I checked with my coaches. I always want to make sure that as a team we’re not selling, we want to make sure that we’re not quitting, that type of mindset. But understanding where we are, we’re trying to make sure that we’re competitive, we want to make sure that we’re injury-free going into next week.”
The Eagles scored on their first five offensive possessions, brought an interception back for a TD and blocked a punt in the opening half.
BC collected 344 total yards in the first half. Howard had minus-12.
The Bison were flagged for an illegal procedure penalty before the game’s initial offensive play.
It didn’t get any better.
BC then sacked quarterback Kalen Johnson twice before Howard punted.
After Sherman Alston’s punt return and a face-mask penalty brought the ball to the Howard 3, BC scored on its first offensive play when Rouse ran in easily.
Connor Strachan picked off Johnson on the next possession and ran it back 16 yards for a TD, making it 14-0.
Rouse’s second TD — a 5-yard run- made it 20-0 just four-plus minutes into the game.
Hillman’s 5-yard scoring run capped a 5-play, 43-yard drive to make it 27-0. Rouse scampered 15 yards for a score just over a minute later before Smith, a freshman, ran 9 yards for a score, making it 41-0 with 3:47 to play in the quarter.
In the second quarter, Wade hit fullback Richard Wilson for a 7-yard scoring toss, and Marcus Outlow ran 32 yards for a touchdown before Flutie hit Sean Burke with a 10-yard TD toss in the final minute of the half.
Howard, which lost its season opener to Appalachian State 49-0, will face Hampton on Friday.