Brown throws 5 TDs, BC beats Wake Forest, 41-34
By JOEDY McCREARY - Sep. 14, 2018 01:42 AM EDT
Boston College's Hamp Cheevers (4) and Brandon Sebastian (10) celebrate Cheevers' interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
Boston College's Hamp Cheevers (4) and Brandon Sebastian (10) celebrate Cheevers' interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
Boston College's Jeff Smith (6) makes a touchdown reception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
Boston College running back AJ Dillon (2) takes a handoff from quarterback Anthony Brown (13) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, front right, talks to a referee during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Boston College, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
Boston College running back AJ Dillon (2) runs through Wake Forest tacklers during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Woody Marshall)
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Anthony Brown threw two of his career-high five touchdown passes to Jeff Smith, and Boston College beat Wake Forest 41-34 on Thursday night in a game that started two hours early with Hurricane Florence approaching.

Brown was 16 of 25 for a career-best 304 yards with touchdowns of 27 and 71 yards to Smith, plus TDs of 35 yards to Kobay White, 29 yards to Tom Sweeney and 40 yards to Ben Glines for the Eagles (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

"That's what a big-time player should do, and he did it," BC coach Steve Addazio said about Brown.

AJ Dillon, the ACC's leading rusher, ran for 185 yards with a 45-yard TD for the Eagles.

Freshman Sam Hartman was 20 of 45 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Demon Deacons (2-1, 0-1). His 5-yard score to Jack Freudenthal with 1:33 left made it a seven-point game, but White recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Matt Colburn rushed for 117 yards with a 2-yard touchdown run, Malik Grate recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for another score, and Nick Sciba kicked two field goals for Wake Forest.

Kickoff was moved up to the early evening in an attempt to beat the oncoming, 400-mile-wide storm that was creeping toward the coast some 200 miles from Winston-Salem. While there were occasional gusts of wind blowing across the field, it was a rain-free night with the first half played in sun conditions.

THE TAKEAWAY

Boston College: The Eagles entered the season as a trendy potential challenger to No. 2 Clemson in the ACC's Atlantic Division. With Brown turning play-action passes into long touchdowns, BC is off to its best start since it was 8-0 in 2007 — the year the Eagles climbed to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and made the first of two consecutive league championship games.

Wake Forest: This one will sting the Demon Deacons, who had this game circled for months as their opportunity to establish themselves as division contenders. Instead, the secondary's knack for giving up long touchdown passes — Tulane hit on two 50-plus-yard TDs in the opener — wound up costing them.

"Our eyes were in the wrong place," coach Dave Clawson said. "It isn't getting better. It's getting worse."

UP NEXT

Boston College: Visits Purdue next Saturday.

Wake Forest: Plays host to No. 8 Notre Dame next Saturday.

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