Try to say Steve Aponavicius.

Did it roll off the tongue? Probably not, but chances are you've heard Aponavicius (pronounced Oppa-NAH-vu-chus) mentioned on various college football shows over the past several weeks.

The walk-on Boston College kicker found himself in the national spotlight after making two field goals and two extra points in the Eagles' 22-3 victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 12.

"Steve had nothing to lose and everything to gain," senior safety Ryan Glasper said after BC's win. "It's definitely fun to have a new guy come out and play for us. He's always smiling. He was ready for tonight."

The outing marked Aponavicius' first football game -- ever.

Aponavicius, who is nicknamed "Sid Vicious" by his coaches and teammates, was a left-footed soccer player at Easton High School in Easton, Pa. The school's prep team featured two talented place kickers, so he didn't bother trying out for the football squad and stuck to kicking soccer balls instead. He was an All-Area honorable mention selection in 2003 and 2004.

At Boston College, Aponavicius attended football games as a freshman, sitting as a fan in the student section.

This season, the sophomore has upgraded his seat to the sidelines. Last year, Boston College graduate assistant coach Jay Civetti spotted the Pennsylvania native kicking field goals at Alumni Stadium and asked Aponavicius if he'd be interested in trying out as a walk-on on the team.

Aponavicius made the Eagles squad, and while he initially struggled to figure out how to put on all of his pads, he had no problem putting the ball through the uprights.

Then, he got his big break against then-ranked No. 17 Virginia Tech when coach Tom O'Brien gave Aponavicius the start after kicker Ryan Ohliger was suspended indefinitely because of a violation of team rules.

"I never thought I would be kicking in a big game," Aponavicius said after the Eagles' victory. "My only hope when I tried out was that I would make the team. I had no idea I would be kicking in a game like this."

There were nerves for his family in the stands, but at the end of the game it was all celebration. The Aponavicius family high-fived other parents, and the kicker jumped into the arms of fans in the student section.

"The entire atmosphere was fun, every minute of it," Aponavicius said. "I just wanted to go out and enjoy it."

His success earned him ACC Rookie of the Week honors and gave him national attention as he was interviewed by the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CNN.

Aponavicius has proved his success against the Hokies wasn't beginner's luck. He is still perfect on the season, hitting 5-of-5 field goal attempts and 10-of-10 point-after tries.

His next test comes Saturday against ACC foe No. 22 Wake Forest (7-1, 3-1 ACC). Boston College leads the series 6-5-2 and won 35-30 in 2005. Wake Forest won the 2003 and 2004 meetings.

"They're the most experienced team in the ACC," O'Brien said of West Virginia. "They are not playing any true freshmen. … It's a pretty good situation when you have all of that experience."

The Eagles have the added challenge of playing with an ailing quarterback. Matt Ryan missed last week's game against Buffalo to rest his injured left foot. The junior has tallied 1,661 total yards (237.3 yards per game) and nine touchdowns.

"With a couple weeks rest, I feel like he will come in here full speed and he will be ready to roll," Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe said.

No matter what Ryan's status will be on Saturday, the place kicker will be ready to try to stay perfect on the year.

Keep listening for Aponavicius; chances are you'll hear his name a few times.