EAST ROUNDUP : No. 18 Virginia Tech Defeats Boston College

Virginia Tech is off to its best start since 1981 because of its defense.

The 18th-ranked Hokies (3-0) defeated Boston College, 12-7, Saturday at Boston by limiting the Eagles to 244 yards.

Boston College (0-2) was shut out until Jeff Ryan threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pete Mitchell with six minutes left.

Offensively, Virginia Tech managed only 233 yards and no touchdowns. The Hokies’ only touchdown came on Torrian Gray’s 66-yard return on one of his team’s four interceptions.

Syracuse 37, Rutgers 36--Kevin Mason threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in drives set up by Rutgers turnovers and Bryce Bevill stopped a two-point conversion try as the Orangeman outlasted the Scarlet Knights in a Big East game at Syracuse, N.Y.

Rutgers (2-1, 1-1) nearly pulled it out when Ray Lucas hit Reggie Funderburk with a 40-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds to play. Lucas hit Funderburk on the conversion try, but Bevill brought down the receiver at the one.

Syracuse (2-1, 1-0), was outgained 540 yards to 259 but got two long kickoff returns from Jim Turner, one for a touchdown.

East Carolina 31, Temple 14--Junior Smith ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns in 23 carries to lead the Pirates (1-1) over the mistake-prone Owls (1-1) at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. It was the 12th consecutive home loss for Temple.

Harvard 39, Columbia 32--Vin Ferrara, who earlier passed for two touchdowns, scored on a four-yard run with 21 seconds remaining as the Crimson won at New York in Tim Murphy’s first game as coach. Columbia led, 32-31, with 4:55 left after a touchdown and a 35-yard PAT kick. The Lions were penalized after the touchdown for excessive celebrating.

Yale 27, Brown 16--Senior linebacker Carl Ricci had three interceptions, returning one 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, as the Bears won an Ivy League game at Providence, R.I.

Penn 27, Lafayette 7--Terrance Stokes ran for 143 yards and a touchdown and the Quakers (1-0) scored on their first four possessions at Philadelphia to extend their winning streak to 13 games. Penn, the defending Ivy League champion, held the Leopards (0-2) to 84 yards rushing.

Colgate 20, Dartmouth 16--Freshman Mark Lindell passed for two touchdowns as the Red Raiders (1-1) overcame a 16-0 deficit to beat the Big Green (0-1) at Hamilton, N.Y.

Cornell 31, Princeton 16--Chad Levitt ran for two touchdowns as the Big Red scored an Ivy League victory at Ithaca, N.Y.