Vandersea was right. Maccormack finished Saturday's game with 26 carries for 180 yards and two scores. Playing on his future home field at Alumni Stadium, the Boston College-bound tailback ran wild in the second half, allowing Buckingham Browne & Nichols to recover from a 9-point halftime deficit to take a 20-16 lead with 4:44 left to play.
But the Big Red's backfield, led by senior captain Michael Seward, showed just as much resilience.
Seward compiled 179 yards on the ground and scored all three of St. Paul's touchdowns, including the winner with one minute remaining, to secure a 23-20 victory over BB&N in the 2024 NEPSAC John Papas Bowl. It was the second time in three years St. Paul (9-0) got the best of the Knights in a bowl game.
Seward experienced that 2022 win in limited fashion as a little-used sophomore. Now, he will relish the taste of victory after devouring BB&N's defense.
"I knew from the beginning of the year, our senior class was strong enough," said Seward. "I knew we could get it done, and I felt like our offensive line was just more gritty. They wanted it more. I've never seen them get after it like they did today."
BB&N had a chance to at least tie the game in the final minute, but Lee Brady hauled in an over-the-shoulder interception in double-coverage, his second of the day off BB&N's Damon Taylor.
Taylor's first pick came on BB&N's third possession and resulted in a 13-play drive for the Big Red, which Seward capped with a 13-yard field goal to make it 16-7 before halftime. 6-foot-8-inch St. Paul's safety Landon Clark caught the interception.
Despite the loss, MacCormack got his first taste of what it will be like to play on the Alumni Stadium turf. While there will be many more performances for the senior on BC's lower campus, the sting of a loss in his final game in a Knights' uniform hurts.